News Worldwide impact of the novel coronavirus (covid-19)

[bellbird]

On the haircutting theme (very well done btw, @lostforgottensoul !), I stopped by my hairdresser in an attempt to get a haircut some time in the next weeks. Luck was on my side and I managed to scoop up a cancellation slot 15 minutes later.

We went a little shorter than usual because who knows when things will be "normal" again.

While I was there, my hairdresser told me that the current wait time on Healthline (our 24/7 RN-staffed health hotline) is 3 hours.
Damn. The two occasions I called them (way pre-pandemic times) I probably had to wait a max of 30 seconds.

At least it means that people are following the advice to ring in about symptoms, as opposed to going in to doctors' offices and hospitals. But damn. 3 hours. And that's with an additional coronavirus-specific RN hotline.

I see my GP on Thursday and I'm going to ask if I can collect 2 months of prescriptions at once. Pharmac has just warned of future medication disruptions in NZ since over 50% of our country's medicines arrive via passenger planes, and our national carrier Air New Zealand has cut its long-haul flight capacity by 85%.
If worst came to worst and I couldn't take my day time antidepressant, that'd maybe be rough for about a week from withdrawals from just a big drop, but it'd be doable.
If I can't take my sleep medications, I'm screwed. Because if I can't take my sleep medications, I literally (true sense of the word) do not sleep.

There aren't any particular med shortages currently (though the selling of paracetamol is being reduced, I believe), so I'll get in while I can and hopefully it will all work out.

 

[siniang]

I've read a post on instagram from someone suffering from multiple physical and mental illnesses, and I can relate so much. Just an excerpt (do I need to link the original?):

"Right now there is so much anxiety and uncertainty. But truthfully, it’s not out of the norm for me. I live every day of my life in some capacity of fear. My brain tries to convince me, in even the most joyous or comfortable of situations, that I am in danger. Living with this fear has perhaps prepared me for today a little more than I would’ve liked: in a time of chaos, I’ve never felt more calm."

Dead Link Removed (link leads to the post I'm quoting - it wouldn't let me just post the URL, the forum would automatically embed it as a post)

I've had both T and PsyDoc sessions today and I basically told both of them that, on average, I have felt less anxious than usual in the last several weeks, and that I just don't understand all the panic that's going on and that I almost feel guilty about everyone around me freaking out and being anxious, even frightened - and I just don't. I guess it does come back to what the girl wrote - because it's true. (And I have a track record of this...in other emergency situations, namely hurricanes and earthquakes, I've remained calm while everyone else was kind of freaking out).

That being said, I'm really worried about the economic consequences. Both on personal levels (not mine) as well as nationally, even globally.

And of course for elderly family and our users here showing symptoms.

ETA: @Friday hope that is ok like this now?

 

[Freida]

he was on the Ukraine border during Chernobyl.

yep - I was in germany. It was pretty intense.

And here we go: Don’t call 911 if you run out of toilet paper, police say

Who the what is calling the police about a lack of toilet paper? The economy is collapsing, society is on the brink, Earth has closed, and what are some fools doing? Calling the police dispatch line about a lack of toilet paper so often the police have to stop what they are doing and ask everyone to stop. Enough about the toilet paper already.

I would love to tell you it's not real -- but yep. People call for that (people. plural). They ask if we can tell them when corona will be over, how they can get food from their favorite closed restaruant, ask if the police are coming to arrest them if they leave the house, if it's ok to drink bleach (my personal favorite), the list is endless. Stupid People Questions (yep - it's a title) is a daily thing but during something like this? It totally explodes

This reminds me so much of the 3 sea shells from Demolition Man. Someone tell me the secert of the toliet paper!

That is awesome!!! LOL -- just swear into the little machine....... :roflmao:

I had to run to the store today for some stuff for my dad (he's self isolating because, well, 85 and diabetic) and while it was really busy it was not horrible. They were out of the normal --cleaning supplies and tp and such, but other than that it was ok. They even had stuff on sale!

 

[Sideways]

I have felt less anxious than usual in the last several weeks, and that I just don't understand all the panic that's going on

I think it's brilliant that you've been able to recognise this. Not everyone is freaking out, but some people are. And as you personally know all too well, Anxiety doesn't always make a lot of rational sense - sometimes Anxiety just is.

Which is a good place for a lot of us that are feeling calm I think to send our heads - people who are feeling high anxiety right now aren't being idiots. They're just experiencing a lot of anxiety, and it doesn't always follow logic.

Irrational anxiety is just as distressing as anxiety that makes sense.

So the best response to that? Is compassion:)

 

[osiris]

I have felt less anxious than usual in the last several weeks, and that I just don't understand all the panic that's going on and that I almost feel guilty about everyone around me freaking out and being anxious, even frightened - and I just don't.

Glad you’re feeling less anxious than usual.
Got to be some pay off for the rest ;)

 

[siniang]

Shit... sorry! I absolutely didn’t mean to sound dismissive to anyone being anxious or frightened :oops: Really didn’t! :oops:

I just came across that quote and it offered an explanation that I wanted to share because I recall someone else commenting something along similar lines, how us folks here with PTSD of all people seem to remain calmer than everyone else. It probably should’ve gone into my diary :oops:

While I still disagree with the hysteria and what the media is doing, I actually do feel a lot of compassion for the people being scared, because, as you said @Sideways , I know very well what it’s like to have irrational and uncontrollable anxieties.

Sorry y’all! :bag:

 

[osiris]

Shit... sorry! I absolutely didn’t mean to sound dismissive to anyone being anxious or frightened :oops: Really didn’t! :oops:

I just came across that quote and it offered an explanation that I wanted to share because I recall someone else commenting something along similar lines, how us folks here with PTSD of all people seem to remain calmer than everyone else. It probably should’ve gone into my diary :oops:

Sorry y’all! :bag:

Mate why are you apologizing? You didn’t come off bad at all. I think its brilliant that you’re feeling good!
All good.

 

[siniang]

Mate why are you apologizing? You didn’t come off bad at all. I think its brilliant that you’re feeling good!
All good.

I just realized it could come across as weird or judgmental and I really wanted to emphasize that I didn’t mean to

 

[Sideways]

I just realized it could come across as weird or judgmental

Not at all. I was being quite serious - it's an excellent personal insight. People around you are anxious, and some of them are behaving kinda weird as a result. Like, how is stockpiling TP meant to help!? :confused:

And as you know from your own personal journey with Anxiety - it doesn't make sense. It's Anxiety.

Which is great. It means that now you're getting insight about what it's like to experience someone's anxiety from the outside - so, why people seem to always try and tell you to "just calm down" - it ain't helpful, right? In fact, oftentimes it just makes you feel shitter!

But more importantly, for people around you who are panicking? You're really well placed to be the person who doesn't react to that with anger or fear or "Just calm down". You know what it feels like to be in their shoes, and so you're really well placed to be the person modelling a more helpful and compassionate response.

And we could do with a lot more compassion. Less "It's just the flu", and more "Okay, so a lot of people are genuinely distressed and afraid here".

 

[mylunareclipse]

I feel like I have been feeling quite calm as well.
I think for me is this weird thing, that most of my life I expect and wait for the bad things to happen.
So when bad things are actually happening?
It lessens my anxiety.
It's almost like the real "bad" thing happening out there gives anxiety a "face" so as to speak, so anxiety calms down.
ie. kind of like stopping to wait for the next shoe to drop, because it's already dropped...

 

[siniang]

Thank you @Sideways !

One thing I'm increasingly seeing and LOVING is how the communities are moving closer together.

In multiple local FB groups I'm already seeing people offer their help with errands/grocery shopping/any needs for the elderly and other high risk groups who might be too afraid to go out, currently.

One of my professional FB groups is currently trying to organize online ask-a-scientist classes for kids ALL AROUND THE WORLD (aka we try to find scientists in all different time zones, various languages, and on a wide variety of topics).

We'll get through this together! And maybe, just maybe something good will come out of this. And if only it's the increased understanding, maybe even compassion, why in some areas of the world people flee war and other devastating circumstances to look for a better, safer life (one can dream)

 

[Never_falter2]

Please prepare for Coronavirus by stockpiling food, avoiding crowds and learning about the virus

I am writing from Germany, where we already have more cases of coronavirus per capital then you do.
schools and daycares are closed here now, many states already closed gyms, restaurants and so on, tomorrow playgrounds, zoos, gyms, restaurants, cinemas, all shopping malls selling things other than food, all museums, all libraries, everything that is not necessary will close.
My husband company has send everybody over 60 and everybody with health conditions into home office, soon they all are going to work from home. By the way not only people who are immunocompromised are in danger from Coronavirus. Those with diabetes have a 7.3% mortality rate and those with cardiovascular disease a 10.5% mortality rate.

Nearly everything in the stores is sold out now over here. It was bad on Saturday and even worse on Monday. Thanks God we are preppers. My husband went shopping on Monday had to buy what was still left. He had to go shopping because we needed fresh fruits. He didn’t want me to go, feared that there would be hysteric folks out there.
We have a big family and he was trying to help elderly folks in the neighbourhood by shopping for them + we watch and cook for the neighbours kids who typically (when there is no pandemic) at school from Wednesday on. A man saw his shopping card was full and yelled at him, called him panic buyer and tried to beat him. My husband avoided the blow but was pretty shocked. Hope everything will go back to normal but I am not sure.

However I am happy that we are preppers so that we have everything non perishable we need now and even can help others because we have enough.
I am also so happy we tried to avoid people, public transport, eating out in the last weeks because we later learned that there was already undetected community spread of Coronavirus. (Well the kids where still in school, school where closed only Monday and one son attended a sports class that meant much for him - so I am still a bit worried).

However I am asking you to stockpile some non perishable food (maybe also think of loved ones who think such a thing is not necessary), avoid crowds and learn if you are at high risk from Coronavirus. It is not only people who are immonucompromised. Asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and other diseases will also put you at risk.