Yesterday%20morning%2C%20I%20received%20the%20heartbreaking%20message%20that%20one%20of%20my%20closest%20childhood%20friends%20had%20been%20snatched%20away%20by%20Covid-19.%20Last%20week%2C%20it%20was%20a%20retired%20colleague%20who%20was%20staying%20one%20floor%20above%20me%20in%20my%20apartment%20complex.%20The%20week%20before%20it%20was%20another%20dear%20friend%20with%20whom%20I%20had%20played%20a%20round%20of%20golf%20%26nbsp%3Bjust%20a%20month%20earlier.

My%20Facebook%20page%20is%20also%20becoming%20an%20obituary%20column%20these%20days.

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What%20is%20going%20on%3F%20%26nbsp%3BHave%20the%20Chinese%20unleashed%20biological%20warfare%20on%20us%2C%20as%20some%20experts%20are%20saying%3F%20Or%20are%20we%20simply%20inept%2C%20incompetent%20and%20incapable%20of%20%26nbsp%3Bhandling%20the%20situation%20created%20by%20the%20pandemic%3F

There%20are%20hundreds%20of%20opinions%20in%20the%20market.%20As%20regards%20the%20black%20market%2C%20it%20is%20simply%20thriving%20and%20making%20hay%20while%20the%20Covid-%20sun%20shines%2C%20conquering%20ever-newer%20horizons–antivirals%2C%20hospital%20beds%2C%20oxygen%20concentrators%20and%20even%20oxygen%20itself%2C%20which%20we%20always%20took%20for%20granted%21

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Survival%20of%20the%20cautious%20is%20the%20new%20%27mantra%27.%20Lock%20yourselves%20indoors%20to%20keep%20the%20virus%20out%20of%20your%20lives%3B%20isolate%20yourself%20from%20the%20herd%20till%20there%20is%20herd%20immunity%28%20another%20expression%20now%20getting%20embedded%20in%20our%20current%20daily%20lexicon%29.

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In%20these%20Covid-dominated%20times%2C%20how%20does%20one%20get%20the%20three%20other%20players%20needed%20for%20a%20bridge%20foursome%3F%20As%20they%20say%2C%20a%20friend%20in%20need%20is%20a%20friend%20indeed.%20My%20laptop%20provides%20the%20solution%2C%20for%20there%20are%20sites%20where%20you%20can%20register%20and%20play%20online%20bridge.%20I%20play%20on%20a%20popular%20site%20called%20%27Bridge%20Base%20Online%27%2C%20or%20simply%20BBO.%20I%20cannot%20describe%20in%20mere%20words%20how%20it%20has%20converted%20what%20would%20have%20been%20hours%20of%20boredom%20into%20fun-filled%20hours%20of%20enjoyment.

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In%20his%20message%20to%20bridge%20lovers%2C%20Sundarshan%20said%3A%20%22The%20Second%20wave%20of%20COVID-19%20has%20witnessed%20severe%20damage%20to%20human%20life%20and%20its%20activities%20with%20its%20reeling%20negative%20effect%20for%20the%20past%20few%20months.%20Our%20fellow%20bridge%20players%20have%20been%20patiently%20waiting%20for%20this%20pandemic%20to%20ease%20out%20and%20only%20online%20bridge%20has%20been%20a%20soothing%20medicine%20to%20most%20of%20them.%22%20Moving%20beyond%20this%2C%20he%20also%20says%3A%20%22In%20extreme%20cases%20for%20those%20suffering%20from%20COVID-19%20infection%2C%20BFI%20under%20the%20current%20stressed%20environment%20will%20endeavor%20to%20seek%20financial%20assistance%20from%20its%20well%20wishers%20towards%20meeting%20their%20medical%20needs%20so%20far%20as%20possible.%22

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I%20would%20like%20to%20end%20with%20another%20quotation%20from%20Warren%20Buffet%3A%20%22If%20I%27m%20playing%20bridge%20and%20a%20naked%20woman%20walks%20by%2C%20I%20don%27t%20even%20see%20her.%22%20Well%2C%20I%20do%20bring%20a%20great%20deal%20of%20concentration%20when%20I%20play%2C%20but%20can%20we%20lesser%20mortals%20ever%20aspire%20to%20be%20a%20Warren%20Buffet%3F

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