Are you COVIDover it?

Abstract

<p>We have watched the world change linguistically over these last months. Concepts like <i>COVID clusters, COVID hot spots, tracking the virus, now is not the time (to take a holiday), stay at home, stay safe and save lives, we're flattening the curve, keeping to essential services, stopping the spread, social distancing, self-isolation, acquiring or contracting versus transmitting or infecting, when we get through this, on the other side of this, the new normal...</i> these phrases and many others now occur in common parlance and have all taken on their own new and possibly improved meaning. Then there are the names of the cruise ships like <i>Diamond Princess</i> and <i>Celebrity Solstice</i>, and the now infamous <i>Ruby Princess</i> which is associated with the rampant spread of the coronavirus in Australia.</p>