Last week I spoke with Uncle Weldon who lives with his wife Virginia in south west England at St. Issey, Cornwall. I hadn’t spoken with them in quite awhile since Aunt Bam died last year.

Weldon was raised in Lexington and attended Lexington schools. My mother’s brothers all attended Clemson University and on graduation went their separate ways, except for George who lives in the Midway Community of Lexington County.

Willie Lee’s career took him to Georgia where he was a horticulturist and Weldon went to Robins AFB at Warner Robins, GA, eventually settling in England. On retirement he and Virginia went to St. Issey.

The last time I visited them must have been about 10 years ago. The years go by so quickly as we grow older. Now we have a pandemic standing in the way of traveling just about anywhere.

When my family lived in England even telephone calls were few and far between. Put in perspective the 1960s weren’t that far removed from the 1940s post-war years.

Weldon tells me life hasn’t changed that much with the onset of the corona virus. They are managing well in their home. Both are in their 80s. He tells me most new cases come from the north of England. No restrictions on travel within the country.

Most UK and US vulnerable patients come from care homes. The most vulnerable have other ailments like high blood pressure, diabetes and heart trouble.

I learned of a proposed regulation in Sweden that would withhold simple oxygen treatments, IV hydration and antibiotic treatments to patients over 60 with co-morbidity and those over 80. This treatment helped MP Bois Johnson recover.

Instead, vulnerable Swedish patients are given morphine and similar drugs that suppress their respiratory systems, take away their pain, make them happy, but lead to death and not recovery.

I learned a new word today, senicide. It means genocide of the elderly.