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

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good to hear from you @MROO.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

11 million US cases of covid-19 as of now. It went from 9 million to 10 million in 2 weeks. From 10 to 11million in 10 days.
Our ICU beds are near capacity in Missouri. Running out of nurses.
In some places, you have to make an appointment for a test but in some cities there is an 8 day wait for a test. What happened to "anybody that wants a test can get a test"?

CSPAN3 is carrying a story right now about the 1918 Flu Pandemic for those interested.
It took a year for that to spread around the world. Covid 19 spread around the world in 4 months.

 

[Folly's place]

Airplane travel is the difference between 1918 and now. And idiot decisions abounded then too. And there was WW1 going on. Now we have better therapies, and hope for a vaccine within a few months.
And fewer idiot decisions here!!!
Mary

 

[ChickenCanoe]

In 1918 Spain called it the French flu, Germany called it the Russian flu and Russia called it the Chinese flu.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I feel for the people in Central America. Just 2 weeks ago Nicaragua, Honduras and others were hit by this year's strongest hurricane of the Atlantic basin and are in a humanitarian crisis. That was category 4 hurricane Eta. It killed about 180 people with 115 missing. In Honduras, 50% of those in shelters are testing positive for Covid-19.
Now an even stronger storm Iota, may become a Cat5 by the time it hits along almost an identical path.
The 2 strongest hurricanes of the year hitting the same place in 2 weeks. What are the chances of that?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

People are putting a lot of hope into the promise of effective vaccines. The one closest to approval is from Pfizer. Even in the best case scenario, that one is a far reach for really helping.
Rural area hospitals don't have the funds to purchase the necessary high end freezers to store vaccines that need to be held at about 90 degrees below zero.

 

[Folly's place]

It takes liquid nitrogen freezers, available, but in short supply. the Moderna vaccine takes 'regular' freezers, yahoo!
Hope for next year, at least by mid-year!
Mary

 

[IamRainey]

Drinking LOTS of fluids and breathing steam help loosen up that phlegm.

Are you taking Mucinex? It's over the counter but my doctors have recommended the maximum strength dose to me prophyllacticly to loosen the phlegm and make it easier to cough up. I take it every day inspite of the fact that I can't remember my last acute attack.

You can also put a couple bricks or blocks of wood under the legs at the foot of your bed to incline your feet. Thick as that phlegm is, it's still a fluid and, overnight, gravity will cause it to settle higher in your bronchioles where it will be easier to expel.

There's also a thing I used to do when my asthma was it's worst. It's hard to describe but if you concentrate on coughing with you diaphragm, you can propel some of the phlegm in the deepest recesses of you lungs upward. Try for clusters of deep but small coughs that loosen and gather the phlegm and then a big one intended to evacuate it. When I went for the big one, I put my thumb into the hollow at the base of my throat between my clavicles, I could create a sort of venturi at the top of my bronchial tube. That helped increase the velocity of my cough and make it more effective.

Finally, when I was hospitalized, there's something respiratory therapists do. Perhaps you and your son could do it to one another. Take turns lying on your stomach with your lower body inclined, if possible. Then the other cups his/her hands slightly and claps/pats on the back in the area of the lungs -- particularly the lower portions -- for 10 minutes or so a few times a day. It's a thumping motion that isn't intended to be painful but is meant to jar the phlegm loose. You guys may or may not have the energy to do this. I dunno. But it was a regular part of the therapies they used to help me.

Hope some of that helps!

Wish I had something to offer regarding unemployment.

Good to hear from you and know you can at least move around. Don't, of course, do it more than you're inclined to but we ARE grateful to get an occasional report. We're pulling for you and for your son!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Welp, one of my close friends out in the country has a household of four people and one of them caught it. This is the closest it's gotten to me, personally. They were here for halloween a couple weeks ago - before they could have spread it but still distressing. They were going to pick up firewood from a couple cords we ordered today but we collectively decided that it wasn't wise right now because it's not marked out and we can't have them no contact load it. Very concerning.

 

[BullChick]

I wonder what the person screaming freedom would do if he was being operated on and surgeons and nurses weren't wearing masks citing freedom to do as they pleased.

I can see it!