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

[casportpony]

Happily, my computer's sound has died, and it hasn't gone to be fixed, so I couldn't hear her cheery words. Apparently a good thing...
Mary

It would make you angry if you heard what she said.

 

[Folly's place]

This year one of our neglected planting beds gave us a gift; a nice mass of wild blackberries, now ripening. I'm out there in boots and long sleeves fighting the thorns, but will get enough for a batch of blackberry jam! Yahoo! When they are done, we need to get those plants out of there, which will be miserable, but the fruit, love it!
What's funny is that when it was all in bloom, I thought it was multiflora rose, an invasive weed here. Glad it's not!
Mary

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Hooray for you! All our berries are done for the year. We have wild black raspberries and some other related berry that ripens later in the year that I have no idea what is.

 

[electrycmonk]

We're pondering the safety of pick you own apples/pears right now. We usually do a trip like that every couple years to do canning etc. Wondering if it's gonna be better or worse than just buying from a store.

From my memories of apple orchard "U-pick" in SW Michigan growing up.... I would think that if the family farm was common sense wise that it would be nearly as safe as the produce dept of a grocery store. Potentially safer if they set up rules ahead of time and posted on the front gate. I mean the science as we know it of the 3 Biggie's is rather solid regarding 6'+, hygiene & ppe.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

Here in my city, people are taking it seriously. Out of the last 10 times I've been to a grocery store, I've only seen 3 people not wearing masks.

They are only just now taking things seriously here after the local hospital system started begging people to because they are Full up and have no room! Schools that tried to start in hybrid mode are already moving all virtual because of rampant cases in kids and staff.

I went out last week for groceries and it's the first time since all this began that I wasn't the only one wearing a mask...nearly all the customers (granted not many in the smaller store) had them on.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

Hooray for you! All our berries are done for the year. We have wild black raspberries and some other related berry that ripens later in the year that I have no idea what is.
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[ChocolateMouse]

From my memories of apple orchard "U-pick" in SW Michigan growing up.... I would think that if the family farm was common sense wise that it would be nearly as safe as the produce dept of a grocery store. Potentially safer if they set up rules ahead of time and posted on the front gate. I mean the science as we know it of the 3 Biggie's is rather solid regarding 6'+, hygiene & ppe.

I think the concern is most people in a u-pick setting in my state won't be wearing PPE because of how the mask rule is mandated. If they were it would, hands down, be something I'd consider safer being outside, socially distanced and people generally aren't touching the fruits they don't take.
So the question is then the balance of grocery stores being some people no PPE, people handling/close contact with the fruit, no air exchange around the fruit, lots of people total, VS the U-pick being few people, little to no PPE, less person-fruit contact, high air exchange.

Honestly I'm kinda feeling like it's a bit of a wash either way. I'm just not sure.

 

[Folly's place]

x2. Outside is safer? Sorta, depending; who's upwind? How far?
Mary

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My sad news is that my mom is going to be evaluated for Hospice tomorrow. I believe she is ready. She has gotten so weak she can hardly even sit up much less do anything else. She is also in almost constant pain ( yes, she has pain meds). She has pretty much stopped eating and only rarely answers her phone anymore (and never calls anyone). I will meet with the hospice worker at 4:00 in the parking lot since this pandemic keeps me from being able to go in the facility.

Oh Crap girl I am there there has to be a point they let you in dammit
that is you kin!

When things started shutting down - especially in nursing homes, my brother went way down hill and they didn't think he had more than a couple days left. It was a 300 mile drive from here. His 3 sons went to visit. I called at 6AM to see if I could visit. The guy asked what relation he was to me. I told him I was his brother. He said, sure, come on down. My daughter picked me up and we rode together. When we got there, the day shift people said we couldn't see him. They were only allowing a spouse and children. A staff member suggested we go to the window and they would put the phone to his ear when I called. Then later, one of my nephews opened the window so we could talk to him through the window. Then his first wife asked if I could find a priest to give him last rites. That happened and he died about 4 hours later so I'm glad his sons, daughter, niece and I were able to say goodbye. I think he felt he could let go then.
Sorry for the bummer of a story.

Has this wave ended? I just thought it got worse.

I don't think you can have a second wave until the first one has been dealt with.

The cherry orchard next to us had public cherry picking two weekends in a row, people were not wearing masks!

Our local pick your own place didn't do pick your own this year but they still sell the fruit.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I really hope it will be less, especially since many of those people could be taking it home with them.

...

Normally there are a million people there, so 250,000 is an improvement.