Qatar Coronavirus Updates -- Cases Slowly Growing, Most People Staying Home

Cases in the country are now at 460. It's a slow increase, for the last three days the number of cases has only gone up from 3 - 10 a day, which a good thing given previously it was going up 40+ a day and one day over 200. Over 9000 people have been tested.

Non-essential retail shops are closed and offices have to use work-from-home procedures where possible (at least 80% of staff should be working from home). I am now working from home and that is fine with me -- I can't catch the virus if I just stay inside my apartment. Hopefully I don't have it but I think it is unlikely. I have been pretty careful the past two+ weeks about social distancing, avoided using the metro, washed my hands a lot and had hand sanitizer on me at almost all times.

I have enough food for at least three weeks so it looks like I'm going to be in my apartment for a while. I planned ahead, made sure the food I got was mostly healthy stuff: oatmeal, legumes, dried & fresh fruit, canned vegetables, canned tuna, soups, nuts, UHT milk. I also bought some various vitamins to top-up in case my meals for the day were missing out on something, especially vitamin C for when the fresh fruit & greens runs out. I have to say I am eating healthier than I have for a while, absolutely zero fast food, no fried foods, no excess salt, desserts are dates or dried fruit, sometimes a protein bar with chocolate on it. I am trying to eat only 1600-1800 calories a day, might as well try to lose some weight while I am here.

I live in a neighborhood that is nothing but apartment buildings close together so sunlight is hard to come by. For about 90 minutes each day the sun shines directly through my windows, when it does I have a seat in the sunbeam to get some sunlight on my body and get some vitamin D. I think psychologically having a bit of time in the Sun is good for you as well.

For entertainment the Internet is working just fine and I have plenty of books to read. I have been following aerobics videos on YouTube for exercise, every now and then I'll do 10-15 minutes to keep myself moving. Seems okay so far. I'm not one to get lonely easily and it's simple enough to text or chat with friends using my phone to keep in touch with people.

I think I'll be fine for the next while just staying in my apartment. Some people are still going out in the evenings and visiting friends at majlises and stuff which I think is a bit risky. I'm not going to take the chance. I'm doing my part to prevent the spread of the virus.