Coronavirus prep

ShinyFuture wrote: »

moonangel12 wrote: »

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

moonangel12 wrote: »

Someone mentioned looting, and now I can’t find the post to quote it...

*now, this is through word of mouth, I can’t confirm it* but wanted to mention so people could be aware because it will likely be a reality soon if it isn’t right now...

My aunt in Ohio said they have already had home invasions in her area for food and basic supplies - people kicking in doors at ridiculous hours in the night holding homeowners at gunpoint. (They don’t live in the best area, but also not the worst). Something that had crossed my mind (thanks to a book series I read a couple years ago), but hadn’t really thought would be a reality for our situation just yet.

As this continues, be mindful of locking doors and taking precautions. Start talking about self/family defense now. Get a game plan with any children that might be in the home. We aren’t panicking, but we are aware of what could be as things progress.

Just want to point out that this seems like the sort of thing that would end up in the news if it were happening, but a Google search (Ohio home invasions for food) did not turn up any news stories that matched the reported facts.

Correct, hence the bolded and asterisked disclaimer saying that I could not confirm it. I hesitated posting for that reason, but it’s not a far stretch of the imagination as people get desperate. So even if it were not 100% true at this moment, it’s something people need to consider (and prep for, in the spirit of the thread title) as people around them might feel they have no other options, or just don’t care.

No, it's not "not 100% true", it's just "not true". There's a difference. The truth of this virus and lack of testing and the lack of medical supplies is frightening enough without needless fear mongering. If one cannot find any confirmation of what, if it is true, can be easily confirmed, that's a super strong indication that it's made up information. It's a disservice to be spreading this kind of stuff. Hesitate longer next time.

Yes, events happened or they didn't. You can't recount an event that didn't happen and then say "Well, it's not 100% true at this moment."

This is a situation that won't be made better by people assuming their door is about to be kicked in and their food stolen. We already have increased gun sales in some areas, we really don't need a bunch of new gun owners shooting into their backyards and out their front doors whenever they hear a noise.

try2again wrote: »

snowflake954 wrote: »

try2again wrote: »

Have been offline for a few days and didn't go back to read all the comments, so apologize if this has already been brought up. Has anyone seen this story:

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/fourth-member-jersey-family-dies-000305798.html

Combined with what is happening in Italy, couldn't help but wonder if people of Italian descent are somehow more genetically vulnerable to this virus. Is that possible?

Well--a lot of Chinese died too.

Yes, I realize that. And I'm no scientist- that's why I asked (and more like I was wondering out loud). But the fact the death rate is so high in Italy at the moment compared to other countries, and the curious fact that none of the family members in the article I quoted were said to have had underlying conditions (the mother & 3 adult children), is what prompted the question.

https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-death-rate-by-country-current-fatalities-compared-to-cases-2020-3

A cousin said she didn't "believe" they had conditions, which may be accurate or inaccurate. The mother was over 65, a risk factor in itself. And her three children who have died were all in their 50s. That isn't a risk factor in and of itself, but we know that so far the death and complication rate is higher in people in their 50s than for younger people.

DecadeDuchess wrote: »

I went to YouTube, to just watch my normal stuff but along the side was drone footage, of empty cities worldwide & it makes me wonder when this' over, how empty they'll still be because of the death toll, via this.

And not just the death of people. So many small businesses aren't going to make it through this, even with stimulus/bailout money. As someone who generally shops and eats at local places, I wonder what it's going to be like without those places once this starts to turn around.

Edited for typo

Diatonic12 wrote: »

My sister went to the grocery store early in the morning not knowing it was only for seniors. There she saw seniors wearing little homemade masks they'd sewn together. They went there with hope in their hearts only to find bare shelves.

I was at an Aldi in Texas this morning (the day after the governor rolled out new, tighter restrictions). It opened at 9 officially, but was open to seniors at 8:30. I walked in at 9:10. It was packed. They had 2 item limits on the scarce items. I didn't get more than 2 of anything; well aware that everyone needs food. I am, however, feeding 2 teenage boys home from school until who knows when...

But the best part, the best thing I've seen in days, was when a man who appeared to be in his 90s, carrying a small tote bag instead of pushing a basket, asked where the Graham crackers were in the midst of all the chaos. 3 people immediately offered to help, and he had his box of crackers tucked in his tote in seconds without taking a step, with multiple offers of help with whatever else he needed. He blessed them all as angels, and I thought I was going cry right there in the middle of Aldi.

bearly63 wrote: »

@Chef_Barbell I am so sorry to hear that. My son was told this morning after Cuomo's speech that his boss considers him "essential" and to keep reporting to the client's location ( An international Hotel Chain). My son is a project management consulting for a company that does a lot of large real estate construction projects.

LA is supposedly shutting down construction so I am shocked that hotels etc get to keep going as "essential". I could see infrastructure but hotels?

So he will keep going and getting exposed. I just worry that if he is one of the unlucky ones that needs medical intervention he will be *kitten*-out-of-luck as they say. And no one there to get him what he needs to be sick at home.
Stressed for him and all the workers and healthcare employees in NYC.

My husband is a union electrician. He caught the virus. He was working on a site building a garage and soccer field, because that is so super essential now. 🙄🤦🏼‍♀️There are no tests for healthy, young people. We now have to self quarantine for at least 14 days.

NYC is a hot mess, people don't want to listen and stay home. The trains are still running. Nothing is open. The mayor and the governor are never on the same page. Pure chaos.

Hey all —- hope everyone is safe and healthy.

I haven’t posted on this thread in over 2-3 weeks. In that time...so much has changed.

We only had 1 case in NYC at that time. Now there are over 5000. I work in the theatre industry. Everything is closed. My family owns bars in Manhattan -those are closed too. My family splits our time between NY and Italy since I’m married to an Italian citizen. We have someone watching our house and building in Rome. We are supposed to be there next week - not happening. Our family there is doing the best they can. My husbands aunt says the last time she couldn’t go grocery shopping - was WW2. That really hit home. ...and then I see photos of spring breakers on tv and I wonder why the realities are so different. Is it based on location in the world? It must be. Will people only take it seriously when it’s in their backyard?

Everyday I’m worried that the elders in our family will catch this disease. I await a return to normal... but I think that time is long gone. I think those in the epicenters will forever be changed by this. At least...that’s how I feel.

My Neighbors in Rome and friends in Venice send me photos ...empty streets and empty courtyards. (We were in Venice a week before the outbreak.) NYC looks like this now too. The theatres thought they would make a comeback in mid April / but I don’t see how that is possible.

For weeks - I kept reading esp on MFP - it’s just like the flu and everyone is overreacting, just wash your hands. Except - many of our industries are closed, people are out of work, Many Americans homebound — would we suffer such an economic breakdown for a disease just like the flu? Or the people who say - don’t panic it’s just an elderly affliction or for people with underlying illnesses? But don’t we all have family members who are in these categories?

I’m wondering - when everyone thinks we will return to days when we don’t social distance and we can have family gatherings without fear of illness. I’m hoping it’s sooner than I think.

@Safari_Gal_ You have read my mind for the past week. Things have changed so much here and I don't even know how we go back to the way things were.

We have over 5000 cases and 30 deaths just in the city alone. The supermarkets are sparingly stocked. The city looks so desolate. And so many people are out of work.

Slowfaster wrote: »

bearly63 wrote: »

@Chef_Barbell I am so sorry to hear that. My son was told this morning after Cuomo's speech that his boss considers him "essential" and to keep reporting to the client's location ( An international Hotel Chain). My son is a project management consulting for a company that does a lot of large real estate construction projects.

LA is supposedly shutting down construction so I am shocked that hotels etc get to keep going as "essential". I could see infrastructure but hotels?

So he will keep going and getting exposed. I just worry that if he is one of the unlucky ones that needs medical intervention he will be *kitten*-out-of-luck as they say. And no one there to get him what he needs to be sick at home.
Stressed for him and all the workers and healthcare employees in NYC.

Whoa now. As I understand it "essential" means these places and people will be allowed to work not that they have to work. My son is a grocery store cashier, as a front line food supply worker his work is considered essential, but he and everyone he works with is free to take leave-of-absence with a guarantee of getting his job back later. No one is, or should be, forced to work during this time if they choose not to take the risk and that includes medical personnel.

And how does one pay the bills? 🤔

Chef_Barbell wrote: »

Slowfaster wrote: »

bearly63 wrote: »

@Chef_Barbell I am so sorry to hear that. My son was told this morning after Cuomo's speech that his boss considers him "essential" and to keep reporting to the client's location ( An international Hotel Chain). My son is a project management consulting for a company that does a lot of large real estate construction projects.

LA is supposedly shutting down construction so I am shocked that hotels etc get to keep going as "essential". I could see infrastructure but hotels?

So he will keep going and getting exposed. I just worry that if he is one of the unlucky ones that needs medical intervention he will be *kitten*-out-of-luck as they say. And no one there to get him what he needs to be sick at home.
Stressed for him and all the workers and healthcare employees in NYC.

Whoa now. As I understand it "essential" means these places and people will be allowed to work not that they have to work. My son is a grocery store cashier, as a front line food supply worker his work is considered essential, but he and everyone he works with is free to take leave-of-absence with a guarantee of getting his job back later. No one is, or should be, forced to work during this time if they choose not to take the risk and that includes medical personnel.

And how does one pay the bills? 🤔

That's a separate issue from whether you can be forced to work or not. All this varies from state to state. Texas employers can fire you for not coming in. I know Walmart (where my son works) will not.

My state, Ohio, has said people will be allowed to put off paying utilities for the next few months, so you wont have your heat or water cut off right away. Ohio has also said the state will pay for childcare for "essential" workers. I doubt if your car would be repossessed or your house foreclosed on while this is going on. Same for rent. It's not to your landlord's advantage to evict you during a recession when he may not be able to find a new tenant.

Each person has to decide for themselves based on their financial situation and health risks. My son will probably quit his job soon because he lives with me and my husband and we are both at very high risk if we get the virus.

But if it's possible to quit and squeak by for the next few months I would do it. You can't pay your bills if you're dead.

rheddmobile wrote: »

Well it’s official, the world is on fire - my county went from 3, to 10, to 30 in two days. Total number of tests which have been completed? 41. So 75% of local tests so far have been positive.

I thought I would share the following information shared by the Tennessee Department of Health, in case there are still young people out there thinking they don’t need to worry about this.

Ages that have been reported for confirmed patients:

10 years old or younger: 3
Between 11 and 20 years old: 12
Between 21 and 30 years old: 72
Between 41 and 50 years old: 47
Between 51 and 60 years old: 26
Between 61 and 70 years old: 16
Between 71 and 80 years old: 13
At least 80 years old: 4

So the majority of cases in Tennessee are in young people. Stay home!!!!!!

In other news, the schools are closed and the free student meals which were being dropped off for those who qualify for the free lunch program have been ended, because the head nutritionist preparing the food is positive for Coronavirus. So, all the school children first, have been eating Virus Meals for who knows how long, and second, will have to do without now. I guess we’ll find out whether the experts who say you are unlikely to catch the virus through food delivery were right.

Our percentage of people tested being positive is going to be skewed because currently only those showing symptoms are being tested.