Coronavirus, Covid 19 Discussion and How It Has Affected Your Daily Life Chat Thread

[Friendly_Lurker]

You are absolutely right about not panicking, and about most people recovering from it, but it still merits attention and concern, especially for those of us who fall into the higher risk categories and/or have elderly parents.
As for the rest, the Swine Flu outbreak of 2009 was classified as a pandemic, as was the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak. The difference between the Flu and this virus is that with the flu, you come into contact with someone who is borderline sick, and three days later, you're sick, too. With Covid-19, there is a two week invisibility gauntlet that has to be run through before any symptoms show, and the carrier is contagious the entire time. When symptoms do show up, they mimic allergies, at first. That's why it's hitting the elderly so hard. By the time they realize it's not Spring allergies, it's too late and they've got pneumonia, too. That's hard for an older adult to overcome, especially when the virus has already weakened them badly.
The two week quarantine is not a "fix." It's a way to slow down the spread so the medical community can handle those afflicted with the Covid-19 virus. If you come out of the two-week period and nothing dramatic has happened, then it wasn't "fake news" ... it was an effective way to keep the spread manageable.
I think we're in the Covid-19 game for the long haul. It's so contagious, widespread and potentially dangerous that we'll likely see mandatory, routine vaccines for children and the elderly in the (hopefully) near future. Consider it the new "chicken pox." It's going to be around for a VERY long time!
{{{... sigh ... }}}

I don’t think it’ll be a problem much longer. I mean, in a few weeks (hopefully) we’ll start going to restaurants and shopping and having large gatherings again. We can’t live like this!

 

[Friendly_Lurker]

Don't panic is always good advice but it is NOT at ALL ever just like a flu. The biggest problem is that it requires a lot of ICU beds and is spreading fast.
https://www.sciencealert.com/the-ne...the-flu-but-they-have-one-big-thing-in-commonhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-vs-flu-which-virus-is-deadlier-11583856879
Where I live, in a VERY major city our biggest hospital is one of the most highly rated in the nation.
"The Respiratory Institute manages and staffs the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at Cleveland Clinic. With a total of 64 beds across 5 nursing units "
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/respiratory/outcomes/369-medical-intensive-care-unit
Sixty four beds.

Total.

For every single person who is sick enough out of 385,000 in the city who needs ICU care.

If .01% of those people need ICU care in the next month that means 3850 people. If they each recover in two weeks that means we will still need nearly 2000 respirators and beds for them all.

And our biggest hospital has sixty four.

So... Yeah. Don't panic. But it's VERY VERY bad to tell people it's just a flu.

I did not say it’s just a flu. I said flu kills more people but people don’t panic and refuse to leave their homes because of it. It is different from flu, flu is worse in some ways, this virus is worse in some ways, be careful, but don’t panic.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Is this a federal policy? This could be changed instantly. It should be!!!

If only there were some actual leadership in the White House...

It's currently dependent on what retailer you use and what state you're in.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/18/u...snap-recipients-to-shop-for-groceries-online/https://howtogeton.wordpress.com/how-to-get-groceries-delivered-with-snap-food-stamps-ebt/
Your grocery store workers are helping elderly people, single moms, poor people, etc. navigate these programs and find out what they are and are not eligible for. Many in person social service programs are shut down right now which makes it especially hard for the elderly who are usually not as technologically literate.

You local grocer, chef, etc. is doing WAY more than just chopping veggies and bagging groceries even when there's NOT a pandemic. These people are essential to existing right now.

 

[Kat MacK]

Thinking about doing a hatch for in-home entertainment purposes during the next few weeks. We have two asthmatics and a quadriplegic in our house (thankfully two of those people are under 18, so more resilient), so we're limiting our contact with the outside world. Three weeks of candling and anticipation followed by baby chicks seems just the ticket to raise spirits and occupy the mind.
Meanwhile, I am SO glad that I gave my hoarder tendencies full rein after last year's fire season. We already have 4 weeks' supply of just about everything except for perishables. Now I just have to limit my exposure to the news...

 

[MROO]

I don’t think it’ll be a problem much longer. I mean, in a few weeks (hopefully) we’ll start going to restaurants and shopping and having large gatherings again. We can’t live like this!

As my Gramma used to say, and we still quote ... "From your lips to God's ears!"
Maryland's governor just closed down every movie theatre, gym, bar and restaurant indefinitely. Only essential businesses, take-out and delivery places are allowed to remain open. DS's workplace has gone totally online - no customers are allowed on the premises.
Gee, wouldn't it be nice if families discovered each other all over again? I'm actually looking forward to our game night, tonight!

 

[MROO]

Thinking about doing a hatch for in-home entertainment purposes during the next few weeks. We have two asthmatics and a quadriplegic in our house (thankfully two of those people are under 18, so more resilient), so we're limiting our contact with the outside world. Three weeks of candling and anticipation followed by baby chicks seems just the ticket to raise spirits and occupy the mind.
Meanwhile, I am SO glad that I gave my hoarder tendencies full rein after last year's fire season. We already have 4 weeks' supply of just about everything except for perishables. Now I just have to limit my exposure to the news...

I grew up Italian ... our pantry is always overstocked. I did break down and buy ahead on animal feed, but my old aunts would turn over in their graves if we were ever without at least a dozen extra rolls of TP, a case of pasta and a huge pot of red gravy (spaghetti sauce) bubbling (but NOT boiling ) on the stove!

 

[IamRainey]

I'm taking advantage of my time at home to make a pot of all-day-Bolognese sauce. Marcella Hazan's, of course.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I don’t think it’ll be a problem much longer. I mean, in a few weeks (hopefully) we’ll start going to restaurants and shopping and having large gatherings again. We can’t live like this!

Oh yeah. Well, you could die like that. I don't figure this will be over this year.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

The average age of people in Italian ICU units is now closer to 35.

Pathogens don't act one way in one country and another way in another country. There's something else going on in Italy. I would really like to see the data regarding who the younger people are in the ICUs. Are they being tested for latent TB? Co-infection of latent TB with a virus is 5 times more fatal than either illness alone, and the morbidity is probably much greater than 5x. The symptoms of Covid19 and TB are identical.

A recent study found that 56.5% of TB cases in Italy were among 18-44 year-olds; 70% of those were immigrants, so 40% of TB cases in Italy were in 18-44-year-old immigrants, who more than likely brought it with them when they emigrated from their home countries that have endemic TB. Italy is having a real problem with TB because of that. Italy's Covid19 hotspot is in the north, which is where most immigrants live.

There is so much more to epidemiology than just numbers.

 

[IamRainey]

I don’t think it’ll be a problem much longer. I mean, in a few weeks (hopefully) we’ll start going to restaurants and shopping and having large gatherings again. We can’t live like this!

If we can't adapt to challenging circumstances and stay home, the death toll will only rise more than necessary. The people who settled Kansas coped with far more than a couple weeks of boredom.

We CAN live this way if going out and being part of large gatherings means spreading the disease. And get clear about this: it's going to take well more than a few weeks. Kansas has already had a death from Covid-19. I would imagine that would be quite enough.