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

[Folly's place]

Canning supplies! It's been a challenge all year, and I don't really do that much. Jams and tomatoes, and getting lids and SureJel has been a pain.
Mary

 

[IamRainey]

Thank you, Shadrach. What an interesting approach for Iceland to offer itself up as a laboratory. I'm sure we'll all learn from their experience.

I found the testing of isolated tourists interesting. The business of 20% of people who tasted negative, testing positive 5 days later is an important caution and points out the need for frequent testing and widespread availability. Likewise, it was interesting to read that, as I believe we've seen, some infection will spread and get everyone in an environment in the end while some infections don't spread even when the infected folks maintain their regular schedules. Being or behaving so bafflingly is, I think, one of the things that makes this virus so difficult to reign in.

I hope they continue to provide information that the rest of us can use to avoid and combat it. In any case, it's clear that employing and relying on science rather than denial is critical!

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

Well, Thanksgiving was quiet, but really nice ... at least until the dishes got cleared. Then today, the hits started right back up where they left off. I said Good Bye to my father, today. He wasn't particularly sick, other than the usual chronic issues of an 84 year old man with a heart condition, so it was a surprise. Covid had nothing to do with it, except to make my family, including my distraught stepmother, wait out in the parking lot for over an hour before they determined that there was nothing more they could do and they could just let us all in, anyway. At least I was able to be with him when he passed. Small comfort ... but comfort, nonetheless.
Tonight is hard. Like so many others, these days, I am ready for the pain and craziness that has been 2020 to be done.

I am so sorry for your loss. My most sincere condolences to you and your families. May you all be blessed with peace and comfort.

 

[IamRainey]

Look up Christine Ferber on the internet. She's a French (oddly, I don't know the English word; she'a a confituse which is to say her profession is making jam). Anyway, she's very famous in France for her jams and preserves and she never uses any pectin other than that in natural fruit.

She manages that because she uses a 2-3 day process. But, besides eliminating the need for pectin or other gelling agents, she gets the maximum amount of really fresh flavor out of fruit.

I've used many of her recipes with really good success.

 

[IamRainey]

If anyone thinks the verdict on mask-wearing is still out consider this from the heart of the Midwest.

"The CDC and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment looked at the Covid-19 case trends between June 1 and July 2, before the mandate, and then July 3 to August 23, after the mandate, to compare what happened.

In the 24 counties that required people to wear masks in public, there was a net decrease of 6% in cases; whereas the disease continued to surge in the counties without the mandate. In those counties, the net increase in cases was 100%. [My underline.]

This research "adds to the evidence supporting the importance of wearing masks and implementing policies requiring their use to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2," the report said."

To be clear, note that the difference between mask-wearing and non-mask-wearing communities is a total of about 106% during the specified period.

 

[MROO]

More to do outside tomorrow and Sunday, before winter arrives. Some coop cleaning, tree trimming, and a tiny bit of deck trim staining. just barely okay temps predicted for that, so maybe.
Another example of the craziness of 2020: We want to donate two steers to a local food bank, for umpteen pounds of ground beef, and a useful end for them. Had no idea the all the packing plants within 90+ minutes of here are booked until 2022!!!
Possibly there's one, only an hour away, that may fit them in early 2021, maybe. It's nuts! Like this spring when chicks were sold out, and the poultry processing plants are booked solid, and no TP at the grocery store. Nuts!
Mary

Look for someone who does wild game - like deer. Churches will often take meat donations from those places, when government-regulated food pantries can't.

 

[electrycmonk]

If anyone thinks the verdict on mask-wearing is still out consider this from the heart of the Midwest.



To be clear, note that the difference between mask-wearing and non-mask-wearing communities is a total of about 106% during the specified period.

I tried to post about this over a month ago but, the NPR story I referenced had too much politics in the back story & was deleted. Thanks for finding this version of it.

 

[electrycmonk]

So, I felt a pang of sadness as I've an observation / question for y'all:
This pandemic has really put a stop to almost all compassionate neighborly behavior I was raised with and taught to share. How do you feel about this self observation?
(I'm asking around different circles in BYC to see all the different thoughts.)

 

[Kiki]

Well, Thanksgiving was quiet, but really nice ... at least until the dishes got cleared. Then today, the hits started right back up where they left off. I said Good Bye to my father, today. He wasn't particularly sick, other than the usual chronic issues of an 84 year old man with a heart condition, so it was a surprise. Covid had nothing to do with it, except to make my family, including my distraught stepmother, wait out in the parking lot for over an hour before they determined that there was nothing more they could do and they could just let us all in, anyway. At least I was able to be with him when he passed. Small comfort ... but comfort, nonetheless.
Tonight is hard. Like so many others, these days, I am ready for the pain and craziness that has been 2020 to be done.

I am sorry for your loss.

 

[Beezy]

So, I felt a pang of sadness as I've an observation / question for y'all:
This pandemic has really put a stop to almost all compassionate neighborly behavior I was raised with and taught to share. How do you feel about this self observation?
(I'm asking around different circles in BYC to see all the different thoughts.)

While I do understand where you're coming from, I have found that it's the opposite for me. I am lucky to live in a very community-centric neighborhood, and I've joined the Neighborhood associated FB group. There's always people offering something, whether it is a paid service, a free service, and lots of times there are free items that people are giving away.

For example, my partner is Mexican/Cuban, and one of our neighbors was interested in learning Spanish. So now she comes over about once a week, they sit in the backyard and he teaches her. It's always at a distance, and masked, but I can see they both really appreciate the company.

There's another lady who is low-risk, and goes grocery shopping for a good handful of the higher-risk population of the neighborhood.
I've given away sourdough starter (when I still had that going, RIP Dough Exotic).

It's honestly very nice to see the neighborhood (metaphorically) come together and help each other out through this.