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’t 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’t forget.

I ask: Are Canadians disappointed that the Sussexes have forsaken kinder, gentler Canada for Trump’s wall-building, refugee-deporting, trade-warring America? Not that it’s 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 “pretty irrelevant.”

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

Today’s 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’m guessing.

We were also told by one of the country’s most prominent epidemiologists that the number of hospital admissions appears to be slowing “slightly.” 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’s right.

Let me bring you up to date on Boris Johnson, the country’s stricken prime minister. He delivered a short video address last night, dressed in a suit and tie, and sounding “croaky,” according to the BBC. 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 “firmly in charge” of the COVID-19 war effort.

Right, so let’s 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’m 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’re broadcasting live from the living room and you have a dog that likes to run to the front door and bark. So now, there’s a sign downstairs, in red and black lettering, that says, do not ring the buzzer: “LIVE ON AIR.” I’m sure delivery people have no idea what we’re talking about.

Live on air notice

So, let’s consider this a short journalism tutorial. We don’t really “news gather” very much under lockdown, we “news assemble.” My editor, David, works from his place in south London, I work from north London. True physical distancing.

We’re 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 “on camera” on your balcony when it’s late, dark, cold and you’re 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’s plenty of time to get it right. An optimist might say: “Just trying to make the best of a terrible situation.” A pessimist: “Why does everything seem to go wrong.” And a journalist: “You’re only as good as your last story.” 

And with that, today’s tutorial is over.