Coronavirus prep

Just wanted to put out there that This Week in Virology said this British mutation is NOT a new strain, just a normal mutation. And there is no evidence that it is more virulent or infectious. It is just as likely that it's a coincidence that it popped up at the same time that people's behaviors led to spikes, or that one person who got the new mutation early proceeded to go to a crowded bar or an indoor crowded church service, and boom it looks like it's the mutation's fault. They suspect a journalist asked a scientist "could this mutation make covid more transmissible?" And the scientist said "Yeah sure, it 'could'." And it was then reported as a sure thing.

mockchoc wrote: »

T1DCarnivoreRunner wrote: »

No surprise Tennessee is #1...

10 Riskiest States to Visit over Christmas:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2020/12/18/covid-19-alert-the-10-riskiest-states-to-visit-over-christmas-ranked/

I miss my parents too. I moved states decades to help husbands career. I was very close to my mum especially. When I left I rang her every day. People get over it. We can still ring or Skype etc now. You do NOT need to be with them and make the pandemic worse this Christmas. I read people saying " oh I haven't seen them for a year". Well gosh be an adult, we don't get all we want all the time. Maybe next year if enough people get the vax you can do what you like. I haven't seen mine in a few years but we talk.

I will say something that is hard to say to the person on here that has a child now with Covid and potentially infecting the whole family. You knew how it is in USA with COVID and shopping or doing stuff is more important than you or your family being healthy or alive? Christmas is more important? I don't understand it. I am very sad for you all and totally wish you all well. Why not buy stuff online or nothing at all if it's too busy? Life is more important than Christmas.

You have a right to your assumptions, but they are just that. Assumptions. I didn’t say what we were out and about for, just said that many others were as well due to it being the week before Christmas. We had necessary errands to run, and the kids stayed in the car with one parent or the other for all but one or two. We did get take out, could he have gotten it from that? Who knows.

Likely we will never know when or where he got it... my husband, who is also very cautious with strict procedures in place, could have somehow brought it home from work. It happened, it sucks, we will deal with it as best we can as safely as we can. Just because we have it doesn’t mean we contracted it doing something thoughtless or unnecessary.

FYI - we exchanged gifts Dec. 6th, St. Nicholas Day.

I am not going to write out a full defense, it’s not worth all that...

mockchoc wrote: »

T1DCarnivoreRunner wrote: »

No surprise Tennessee is #1...

10 Riskiest States to Visit over Christmas:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2020/12/18/covid-19-alert-the-10-riskiest-states-to-visit-over-christmas-ranked/

I miss my parents too. I moved states decades to help husbands career. I was very close to my mum especially. When I left I rang her every day. People get over it. We can still ring or Skype etc now. You do NOT need to be with them and make the pandemic worse this Christmas. I read people saying " oh I haven't seen them for a year". Well gosh be an adult, we don't get all we want all the time. Maybe next year if enough people get the vax you can do what you like. I haven't seen mine in a few years but we talk.

I will say something that is hard to say to the person on here that has a child now with Covid and potentially infecting the whole family. You knew how it is in USA with COVID and shopping or doing stuff is more important than you or your family being healthy or alive? Christmas is more important? I don't understand it. I am very sad for you all and totally wish you all well. Why not buy stuff online or nothing at all if it's too busy? Life is more important than Christmas.

That is really a very harsh and judgemental thing to say! Some of us don’t have the extra income to be able to afford the extra fees for having everything delivered, for one thing. And what about the delivery employees, first responders and such whose jobs take them out into the public? Are they to be blamed if they contract Covid?! Are we really going down the path of blaming people for contracting a disease?
And some of us have parents that are older and need a lot of help! Does that make us irresponsible for going to help them? The only other alternative is to surrender my dad into a nursing home, where he would quickly die, terrified and alone, and possibly abused. Anyone who has spent a lot of time in a nursing knows that abuse and neglect runs rampant even in the best of facilities. You are very lucky that your parents aren’t suffering from horrible degenerative diseases. Many others aren’t so lucky. You have no possible way to know what people need and don’t need, and it’s very arrogant to assume you do.

gracegettingittogether wrote: »

mockchoc wrote: »

T1DCarnivoreRunner wrote: »

No surprise Tennessee is #1...

10 Riskiest States to Visit over Christmas:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2020/12/18/covid-19-alert-the-10-riskiest-states-to-visit-over-christmas-ranked/

I miss my parents too. I moved states decades to help husbands career. I was very close to my mum especially. When I left I rang her every day. People get over it. We can still ring or Skype etc now. You do NOT need to be with them and make the pandemic worse this Christmas. I read people saying " oh I haven't seen them for a year". Well gosh be an adult, we don't get all we want all the time. Maybe next year if enough people get the vax you can do what you like. I haven't seen mine in a few years but we talk.

I will say something that is hard to say to the person on here that has a child now with Covid and potentially infecting the whole family. You knew how it is in USA with COVID and shopping or doing stuff is more important than you or your family being healthy or alive? Christmas is more important? I don't understand it. I am very sad for you all and totally wish you all well. Why not buy stuff online or nothing at all if it's too busy? Life is more important than Christmas.

That is really a very harsh and judgemental thing to say! Some of us don’t have the extra income to be able to afford the extra fees for having everything delivered, for one thing. And what about the delivery employees, first responders and such whose jobs take them out into the public? Are they to be blamed if they contract Covid?! Are we really going down the path of blaming people for contracting a disease?
And some of us have parents that are older and need a lot of help! Does that make us irresponsible for going to help them? The only other alternative is to surrender my dad into a nursing home, where he would quickly die, terrified and alone, and possibly abused. Anyone who has spent a lot of time in a nursing knows that abuse and neglect runs rampant even in the best of facilities. You are very lucky that your parents aren’t suffering from horrible degenerative diseases. Many others aren’t so lucky. You have no possible way to know what people need and don’t need, and it’s very arrogant to assume you do.

I completely agree. I have a niece who's coming from Maine to be with her parents in Vt. Technically she should not be going anywhere but it will definitely be her dad's last Christmas, quite possibly his last week or month. I get mad when I hear about or see large gatherings but in a case such as my niece......I'd probably do the exact same thing and everyone else be DAmnEd.
None of us should assume we know what others are doing or going through, why they're doing what they're doing. And I don't believe it's the random couple of people here or there that are the problem.

gracegettingittogether wrote: »

mockchoc wrote: »

T1DCarnivoreRunner wrote: »

No surprise Tennessee is #1...

10 Riskiest States to Visit over Christmas:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2020/12/18/covid-19-alert-the-10-riskiest-states-to-visit-over-christmas-ranked/

I miss my parents too. I moved states decades to help husbands career. I was very close to my mum especially. When I left I rang her every day. People get over it. We can still ring or Skype etc now. You do NOT need to be with them and make the pandemic worse this Christmas. I read people saying " oh I haven't seen them for a year". Well gosh be an adult, we don't get all we want all the time. Maybe next year if enough people get the vax you can do what you like. I haven't seen mine in a few years but we talk.

I will say something that is hard to say to the person on here that has a child now with Covid and potentially infecting the whole family. You knew how it is in USA with COVID and shopping or doing stuff is more important than you or your family being healthy or alive? Christmas is more important? I don't understand it. I am very sad for you all and totally wish you all well. Why not buy stuff online or nothing at all if it's too busy? Life is more important than Christmas.

That is really a very harsh and judgemental thing to say! Some of us don’t have the extra income to be able to afford the extra fees for having everything delivered, for one thing. And what about the delivery employees, first responders and such whose jobs take them out into the public? Are they to be blamed if they contract Covid?! Are we really going down the path of blaming people for contracting a disease?
And some of us have parents that are older and need a lot of help! Does that make us irresponsible for going to help them? The only other alternative is to surrender my dad into a nursing home, where he would quickly die, terrified and alone, and possibly abused. Anyone who has spent a lot of time in a nursing knows that abuse and neglect runs rampant even in the best of facilities. You are very lucky that your parents aren’t suffering from horrible degenerative diseases. Many others aren’t so lucky. You have no possible way to know what people need and don’t need, and it’s very arrogant to assume you do.

And it's rude how you judge my life. You don't know how my parents are doing so go have a coffee. I have elderly parents too. Don't judge me or or my family either. Thank you. By the way you are not a nice person so goodbye and don't talk to me again. You know zero about my life. The only thing out of what you said was the delivery fee costing them more. There is ZERO contact so the guys delivering stuff are safe. They just leave it at the door. Well if I was there I'd be paying it rather than paying with my life or being in hospital. Pick one.. presents or groceries Covid free at you door or go out with a zillion others to make your family catch it . Which do you prefer?

Ok I will - I disagree because your post was harsh and judgmental about somebody else and the sort of complex decisions and dilemmas other people face.

was not neccesary or kind to say to somebody who has a family member with Covid.

In Minnesota, our governor announced last week that celebrations would be limited to two households if inside, three, if outside. We are currently in a blizzard. The temperature has gone from 45 F yesterday morning, to 0 F now, with wind chills well below zero. I’m guessing that not many will be celebrating outside. Will the edict be disobeyed? Probably by some, but most people get it, and are taking this very seriously.

I won’t see my sisters, nieces, nephews, and their families this year, and it makes me sad. But I will see my daughter, if she can make it through this mess. It’s a 60 mile drive. The snow has stopped, but there’s still blizzard conditions from blowing snow. Plows have been out since this began early yesterday afternoon. De-icing chemicals, salt and sand doesn’t work in these temperatures. Very icy roads. We live in the country, so, the blowing snow can make driving conditions hazardous.

The stress seems to be flaring up here a little lately. As oftentimes it’s brought up here, you can only do you. Lashing out at others, that have been nothing but helpful all these months, seems to be stress related. {{{hugs to all, during this difficult time}}}

Opinions differ, that’s normal, and we are all entitled to our opinions.

We are all in this together, and in the end, only kindness matters.

paperpudding wrote: »

Ok I will - I disagree because your post was harsh and judgmental about somebody else and the sort of complex decisions and dilemmas other people face.

was not neccesary or kind to say to somebody who has a family member with Covid.

100% this.

ReenieHJ wrote: »

gracegettingittogether wrote: »

mockchoc wrote: »

T1DCarnivoreRunner wrote: »

No surprise Tennessee is #1...

10 Riskiest States to Visit over Christmas:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2020/12/18/covid-19-alert-the-10-riskiest-states-to-visit-over-christmas-ranked/

I miss my parents too. I moved states decades to help husbands career. I was very close to my mum especially. When I left I rang her every day. People get over it. We can still ring or Skype etc now. You do NOT need to be with them and make the pandemic worse this Christmas. I read people saying " oh I haven't seen them for a year". Well gosh be an adult, we don't get all we want all the time. Maybe next year if enough people get the vax you can do what you like. I haven't seen mine in a few years but we talk.

I will say something that is hard to say to the person on here that has a child now with Covid and potentially infecting the whole family. You knew how it is in USA with COVID and shopping or doing stuff is more important than you or your family being healthy or alive? Christmas is more important? I don't understand it. I am very sad for you all and totally wish you all well. Why not buy stuff online or nothing at all if it's too busy? Life is more important than Christmas.

That is really a very harsh and judgemental thing to say! Some of us don’t have the extra income to be able to afford the extra fees for having everything delivered, for one thing. And what about the delivery employees, first responders and such whose jobs take them out into the public? Are they to be blamed if they contract Covid?! Are we really going down the path of blaming people for contracting a disease?
And some of us have parents that are older and need a lot of help! Does that make us irresponsible for going to help them? The only other alternative is to surrender my dad into a nursing home, where he would quickly die, terrified and alone, and possibly abused. Anyone who has spent a lot of time in a nursing knows that abuse and neglect runs rampant even in the best of facilities. You are very lucky that your parents aren’t suffering from horrible degenerative diseases. Many others aren’t so lucky. You have no possible way to know what people need and don’t need, and it’s very arrogant to assume you do.

I completely agree. I have a niece who's coming from Maine to be with her parents in Vt. Technically she should not be going anywhere but it will definitely be her dad's last Christmas, quite possibly his last week or month. I get mad when I hear about or see large gatherings but in a case such as my niece......I'd probably do the exact same thing and everyone else be DAmnEd.
None of us should assume we know what others are doing or going through, why they're doing what they're doing. And I don't believe it's the random couple of people here or there that are the problem.

Yeah, and unfortunately when it's so prevalent you can be behaving responsibly and still get it. That someone contracts it is no reason to jump to conclusions.

I am in a weird situation that we never really had big extended family Christmases, or not for ages (my grandparents all died some time ago), and since my mom died my dad doesn't really care much about Christmas (he cares about seeing us, but not specifically then, and he's remarried and doing his thing). Plus, there's some sadness around Christmas for my sister and I bc my mom died right before. So as far as the day of family stuff, this will be our third year of really just celebrating together. I feel for those in the situation of your niece (and agree). (I thought the rule was largely that you could travel within New England, though?)

I also get a ton of disagrees and don't even pay attention to them. Not everyone will like everything I post.

Something a bit different... dating in the pandemic. I've been single for a very long time and I have some deal-breakers that are not exactly easy to find, especially in the places I've lived. Surprisingly, I found someone recently who checks all of those boxes and is a perfect match on paper. So it was worth getting to know her. We have chatted much more electronically, but met once so far. I had suggested a walk outside (lower risk, right). I wore a mask when we first met, and she asked if I wanted her to wear one. I said I wasn't worried about it as long as we kept moving and I pulled mine down for most of the time also. Yes, it is a bit risky, but we have both been careful otherwise and we are moving along rather than staying in the same airspace. Even if one of us is infected without symptoms, I see it as relatively low risk.

Our next meeting / date / whatever you want to call it (it's complicated because I am likely moving for work soon, so we are just calling ourselves friends for now) - is planned for Sat. We are going hiking. I had suggested hiking for our first, but she didn't want to do that because how would she know if I was a serial killer or something? So she wanted to meet and then stay in a populated area (with cell coverage) so she could text her friend that she's still alive.

Anyhow, I've convinced her I'm not a serial killer - she is very trusting, I guess. So we are going hiking on Sat. at a state park that is past where she lives. So I'll plan to pick her up and then continue on to the park with her. I'm not worried about masks outside, especially if we keep moving because the air is constantly getting replaced by different air and any viral load should be small, if any. However, I'm going to ask her to wear a mask in the car and I'll do the same while she is with me. I am sure she will be alright with that and seems like a practical safe measure to take. Some may say I'm taking too much risk and should exclusively chat electronically. I'm taking reasonable precautions even if not taking every precaution that is possible to be taken. It's a balance of sorts. If you don't like that, go ahead and disagree. If you have better ideas of what I should do differently (besides not seeing her in person at all), I'm open to those ideas. Obviously I'll have hand sanitizer as well.

GaleHawkins wrote: »

lemurcat2 wrote: »

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

It's odd that PA has numbers that are so high. We've had a mask mandate almost since the beginning. There was a total shut down for months. Indoor dining in restaurants is closed as are gyms. Schools are mostly virtual. And yet . . .

A lot of people do resist the restrictions. Masks are worn badly, and some don't wear them at all. It seems that the tighter the restrictions, the more people rebel. Still, the number of infections is ridiculously high. The news never explains what is happening. In the beginning it was the warehouse jobs and food processing plants. Now, who knows?

I completely understand this. I feel the same way about IL (specifically, Chicago). When I go outside, pretty much everyone is wearing masks around me (this is outdoors, and has not always been the case, but has been largely the case since the new spikes and weather getting somewhat cooler). Beyond that, they've been enforcing masks inside well, and that has seemed to have buy-in from even those who were more relaxed about masks outside, since masks first started getting recommended. We had some of the earliest and strictest rules from early on (they lightened up some in the summer). It's nothing like the types of complete ignoring of masks or sneering at those who wear them reported elsewhere (here my ND is endless complaining about seeing those outdoors without them), and yet the numbers seem to be worse here no matter what.

I realize that obsessing about this is ridiculous and unhelpful and there is irresponsible behavior happening (bunch of big house parties shut down, stuff like this), but given how much most people do seem to be trying to be compliant, it makes me feel a little like it's hopeless and doesn't matter. (But at least the vaccine should help.) Most of the time I'm not this way, but I feel like things have been bad here for so long and it's not that we aren't wearing masks or are downplaying the virus or all the things that keep being said to be the one and only reason that could be.

Anyway, sorry to whine, I was mainly just hoping to say I get it!

I think what is being reported from PA, Chicago, etc is typical of the entire USA. Burn out is real. Late yesterday I was talking with a local doctor about these factors. She mentioned most cases of death she knew about first hand were actually following the "rules" and still died.

Actually the "rules" were never to keep people from getting this version of corona virus but to only slow its spread. At this point I expect 100% of the USA population has been in contact with this virus like most other ubiquitous viruses. How we respond depends on many factors mostly under our control where we are aware or not. If each exposure is a hit on our immune system then job one is to work to enhance our immune system daily.

After traveling 2000 miles this to week to pick up a car in the east coast as well as locally other than some mask usage things looked about the same as pre pandemic USA. The freeways are PACKED with cars, trucks, motorhomes and other RVs. Yesterday at Walmart the parking lot was packed out.

We have to keep in mind people posting on this forum are atypical. Most in the USA are not into health and fitness. Preexisting health conditions is the main path Covid-19 spread. While turning 70 in 60 days my eating lifestyle changes since Oct 2014 has me more healthy then when I was 40. I can still die from Covid-19. I have worked to increase my mitochondria count and their health and have Vit D levels greater than 100 ng for 5 years now and still avoid added sugar. Will that be helpful in my case remains to be seen.

The mental heath crisis concerns me as well as the financial health crisis. Some of these things will impact us for decades to come.

I don't know if we can take at face value statements from sick people who claim to have followed all guidelines and still got serious, even fatal, cases.

I'm not saying that people are lying.

I'm saying that many of us have poor memories of times when we assessed risk poorly, especially there is a gap of a week or two between the risk and the consequence. We also all have slightly different assessments of what the "rules" are. I know people who think they're following the rules when they're simply obey local laws -- so I had some co-workers who considered themselves to be okay dining indoors in my state even when rates were high. Why? Because it was legal. I know people who gathered for the holidays who thought they were obeying the rules because none of them had symptoms or known contact with someone who was ill. There are people going to gyms, meeting unmasked with different-household family, or eating in technically outdoor enclosed areas who all would say they're following the "rules."

I am sure there are people who have done everything according to the best current advice and still got sick. I'm not saying that hasn't happened. But a lot of people who think they did everything right and still got sick -- I'm guessing that a good chunk of those people engaged in behaviors that we KNOW are higher risk and aren't directly related to the pressures of having to make a living or they made a mistake in trusting that someone in their inner circle was also following the same precautions that they were.

missysippy930 wrote: »

In Minnesota, our governor announced last week that celebrations would be limited to two households if inside, three, if outside. We are currently in a blizzard. The temperature has gone from 45 F yesterday morning, to 0 F now, with wind chills well below zero. I’m guessing that not many will be celebrating outside. Will the edict be disobeyed? Probably by some, but most people get it, and are taking this very seriously.

I'm probably about 7 or 8ish hours north of you, same damn blizzard, slightly colder (-2 F or -24 F wind chill) but at least here no one has mentioned the idea of outdoor gatherings for several months.

Our whole province goes into full lockdown on the 26th. I'm in the middle of a three week vacation block anyway and I've been just as happy to stay home. I'll make dinner for my dad tomorrow, suspend cooking temporarily to go and pick him up so he won't have to take a cab, and bring him home afterwards. For those of us who live alone we are encouraged to celebrate with one other household only so we're actually in compliance.