The second blow was equally undetected and felt at the time like a haymaker, but to be honest, it was more to do with the cumulative effects of a good old-fashioned one-two than the actual power of the individual punch. In terms of the human aspect of things, we have had a “lucky” crisis. We all know somebody who has had COVID, of course. I have a nephew in Spain, a niece in Germany and a brother and his wife in the United Kingdom who all went into quarantine. More worryingly still, my 91-year-old mother contracted it in her nursing home, just before she was due her first jab. (She had virtually no symptoms, has made a full recovery and has now caught up with her AstraZeneca jab; other vaccines are available.) But the point is, none of us had caught it. Until Monday morning, when it turned out we had our first case, followed in very short order by our second. At the time of writing, other tests are pending.
The office hasn’t been fully staffed since the first lockdown back in March 2020 (gosh, that seems a long time ago), but since last fall, the majority of us have come in three or four days a week, if not more. The realization that a couple of our colleagues had the virus, and the obvious concerns for their health (both seem fine for now), plus the forced switch to full home office just a day or two before deadline was all a little discombobulating.
We know the system works. This isn’t virgin territory for us; indeed, I’m very proud of the newspapers we turned out during that first lockdown. But we also know the process takes longer when the production team aren’t working side-by-side (but two meters apart). There is also a curious factor which is, I suspect, generational. When I began my journalistic career, nothing was digitized, everything was paper-based and we used typewriters rather than computers. Although I have got better with time, I still find I am more accurate proofreading from paper than on screen.
All of which, I suppose, is an extended plea for your patience. The Budapest Business Journal will continue to come out on time, and will continue to be dedicated to bringing you the best in business journalism from Hungary. It is possible the next few issues will have more typographical or spelling errors than usual. If so, that is my fault, and mine alone, and I apologize for it in advance.
I guess all that is left is to wish you a good, if doubtless slightly odd national holiday on Monday, March 15, when Hungary marks the start of the 1848 Revolution against the Habsburg Empire. More than that, stay safe.
Robin Marshall
Editor-in-chief
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of March 12, 2021.
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For over 30 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.
