LONDON, U.K. -- Let us briefly digress on this troubled Monday morning to consider the news that Harry and Meghan have ditched Canada for the sunny charms of California -- in the middle of a pandemic, no less.

Now, wouldn鈥檛 it have been wiser to bunker down in British Columbia, where the chances of contracting COVID-19 appear to be far less than say, in Malibu? Canada has universal health care, don鈥檛 forget.

I ask: Are Canadians disappointed that the Sussexes have forsaken kinder, gentler Canada for Trump鈥檚 wall-building, refugee-deporting, trade-warring America? Not that it鈥檚 a contest or anything. A show of hands will do.

The news barely made a ripple here, when weeks ago, it would have gleefully consumed the tabloids. Over the weekend, a royal commentator -- which is a full-time profession here -- blithely dismissed the Duke and Duchess as 鈥減retty irrelevant.鈥

I want to know who believes they went straight into self-isolation after landing in Los Angeles? Let鈥檚 have another show of hands.

Today鈥檚 U.K. headlines seized on the latest prediction from a health expert. We were told it could be six months before the nation gets back to anything like a normal existence. This is a guess, I鈥檓 guessing.

We were also told by one of the country鈥檚 most prominent epidemiologists that the number of hospital admissions appears to be slowing 鈥渟lightly.鈥 This is the same scientist who forecast a death toll of 250,000 unless the country went into immediate lockdown.

Pardon my skepticism, but that seems like a very fast turnaround for the effects of a national lockdown to start showing results. I sincerely, truly, desperately hope he鈥檚 right.

Let me bring you up to date on Boris Johnson, the country鈥檚 stricken prime minister. He delivered a short video address last night, dressed in a suit and tie, and sounding 鈥渃roaky,鈥 That should dispel any rumours or concerns about the state of his health. And just to be sure, cabinet colleagues offered soothing reassurances that he is 鈥渇irmly in charge鈥 of the COVID-19 war effort.

Right, so let鈥檚 move on to the topic of television and two journalists sharing the same workspace under the stress of lockdown. Mellissa (Fung) already works from home, so I鈥檓 the one invading her territory. There is a clear demarcation line: the dining room table is her domain, mine is an office upstairs. 

It gets tricky when you鈥檙e broadcasting live from the living room and you have a dog that likes to run to the front door and bark. So now, there鈥檚 a sign downstairs, in red and black lettering, that says, do not ring the buzzer: 鈥淟IVE ON AIR.鈥 I鈥檓 sure delivery people have no idea what we鈥檙e talking about.

Live on air notice

So, let鈥檚 consider this a short journalism tutorial. We don鈥檛 really 鈥渘ews gather鈥 very much under lockdown, we 鈥渘ews assemble.鈥 My editor, David, works from his place in south London, I work from north London. True physical distancing.

We鈥檙e both able to access and screen the latest video from Italy or Spain, or wherever, which I fashion into a script and record into an iPhone. Step two: David takes the voice track and turns it into an edited news report. Step three is the more tenuous part: recording a short 鈥渙n camera鈥 on your balcony when it鈥檚 late, dark, cold and you鈥檙e technically clueless.

It helps when your wife or husband or partner is willing to take on this thankless job. Mellissa even downloaded an app to make her phone video look sharper. Still, there are things you have to worry about: the sound, wind noise on the microphone, keeping the subject in focus.

But heck, now that the British government is telling us it could be several months before the nation is back on its feet, there鈥檚 plenty of time to get it right. An optimist might say: 鈥淛ust trying to make the best of a terrible situation.鈥 A pessimist: 鈥淲hy does everything seem to go wrong.鈥 And a journalist: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e only as good as your last story.鈥 

And with that, today鈥檚 tutorial is over.