Monday 27^th January, 2020 1430

I'm going to buy that mask from the jing jo shop shortly. Not because I think they are effective, far from it, but today's experience rather calls for it.

I went to BHG. I had to go as I was completely out of cigars and was reduced to grubbing around in my rubbish bag for larger than usual butts. Firstly the taxi driver had a go at me for not wearing one (hence I shall get one in case they stop picking up people not wearing one) and secondly BHG had a go! I'm sure the woman was holding an ear thermometer but I gave her a dismissive wave of my hand and walked on. A Chinese man, also bare-faced, came into a torrent of criticism too. It became quite heated and by his gestures he was clearly pointing out that I wasn't wearing one either. Whoa! Leave me out of it!

Try explaining to them when they don't speak English that in some respects the masks are worse than nothing at all – it's impossible. They don't realise that without using disposable surgical gloves every time they go out or remove the mask, it is pointless. If perchance the mask actually catches the virus, when you touch it to remove it, it's on your hands! And do they wash the mask after every use? Of course not.

I've just worked out that with about 2,800 confirmed cases in China (although that will increase, there is no doubt) it represents a whopping 0.0002% of the population! And I read that HMG is still mulling over whether to lay on evacuation flights for expats in Wuhan.

Good move. Let's bring back planeloads of possibly infected Brits back to the UK to infect the nation. Sorry but it ain't the fall of Saigon, we foreigners in the main chose to be here so shouldn't expect special treatment, I certainly don't.

Anyway that's me sorted for another week of playing hermit. All I shall be doing probably is going a two or three minute walk away for beer, jing jo and fruit & veg that people wearing masks but no gloves have handled. Madness.

I have to say though, going out this afternoon was bizarre. Now, spring festival around a university campus is always quiet but today it was eerie. A handful of people out where there would normally at least be a crowded table of old farts playing Chinese chess or mahjong regardless of weather and now 90% wearing masks. It's like something out of ET when the authorities catch him.

So from virus-torn Lanzhou in China, this is your Asian corespondent signing off until next time. Hopefully not from a quarantine unit.......