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

[Mach123]

I went to the bank and a couple errands. The bank lobby was closed but the suction tube windows were open. I walked up to the bank door and turned the handle which was locked. Then I went in the hardware, situation normal kinda. Seemed a little strained. Then I stopped at stop and shop. Yes, surreal. Stock was out on paper goods (One side of an entire isle empty) and sparse in parts of the store but they were restocking. It was not real busy. People who had carts though seemed to be packing the stuff in a little. The mood seemed stretched a little, tense? Somewhat me and somewhat actual I suspect.

It's what's next that's worrying me somewhat. I have a good local news source and he had some good guests re the economy and the medical situation. Real journalism no BS. Just the news. Whenever anything happens he has the real news. I don't know what's going to happen. Neither do they but economically it looks worse than the illness from where I am right now. That's because we don't know about the virus but economically we do know some things.

In a couple weeks if there are no customers in resturants then they wont make payroll. They live with only a couple weeks margin.
That’s everyone, all those people, no work no money. Just in that one industry but they're not going to be alone. That's going to trickle all the way through the whole economy.

Medically they were saying best case 6 or 8 weeks to be on the other side of the infectious curve if everything goes well, stressing people have to stay away from each other. That’s a long time, and a best case projection. What if things don’t go so well?

Wait and see. Look on the bright side, even if you don't see one. You never know, something good could happen.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

This is disgusting. No wonder there is nothing left in the stores! Jesus!

 

[blackemerald1]

or beer.

^Yeah.. I vote we all get pissed on food now. Beer pancakes, beer custard, beer tea?? lol delish..

We can't buy food. If we had listened to our PrimeMinister we would be screwed now.

^That's not true at all. None of it. Why are you so worried about groceries if you stockpiled before this crisis lifted off? Have you, yourself actually been told there is no food, no provision and it cannot be obtained? If so, source please?

I'm ordering my groceries through the online portal. I spoke to the customer service operator & she assured me that they are working flat-out to meet demand. They have sufficient stock for their growing delivery service. They are open for business and they have a tonne of stock coming in.

Point of fact: It's the panic buyers :rolleyes: who are diminishing everyone else's prospects of getting their groceries that are screwing us over. Not the Prime Minister.

Today our local Government is amending laws and reg's to allow trucks to go to supermarkets overnight. This will help the grocery stores get the stock, from the warehouses in to the stores.

The airline Union and our grocery stores are in talks to transfer staff from one industry to another. They wouldn't be doing that if there was nothing to stack on the shelves or deliver!!

Let's try and keep information accurate, because incorrect info like supermarkets "have run out of stock" fuels unnecessary panic

^Thank you Sideways. Thank God for a bit of reason and truth! :hug:

 

[DharmaGirl]

Ok, they donated the hand sanitizer.
Coronavirus investigation: Tennessee men donate 17K sanitizer bottles

 

[joeylittle]

Speaking of accurate info...re: the hand-sanitizer hoarder

A Tennessee man who became a subject of national scorn after stockpiling 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer donated all of the supplies on Sunday just as the Tennessee attorney general’s office began investigating him for price gouging.

In an hourlong interview on Sunday, Mr. Colvin expressed remorse for his actions and said that when he decided to hoard the sanitizer and wipes, he didn’t realize the gravity of the coronavirus outbreak or the severe shortage of sanitizer and wipes. “I’ve been buying and selling things for 10 years now. There’s been hot product after hot product. But the thing is, there’s always another one on the shelf,” he said. “When we did this trip, I had no idea that these stores wouldn’t be able to get replenished....It was never my intention to keep necessary medical supplies out of the hands of people who needed them,” he said, crying. “That’s not who I am as a person."

He said the outpouring of hate has been scary for him and his family. He said people have incessantly called his cellphone, posted his address online and sent pizzas to his home. His inbox was flooded with ugly messages, he said. One email he shared with The Times said: “Your behavior is probably going to end up with someone killing you and your wife and your children.” Now Mr. Colvin is facing consequences. On Sunday, Amazon and eBay suspended him as a seller, which is how he has made his living for years. The company where he rented a storage unit kicked him out. And the Tennessee attorney general’s office sent him a cease-and-desist letter and opened an investigation.

source: NYT

Soap. Soap and water. Soap on a rag.
Bleach. Diluted bleach. Dunno about the rest of the US mainlanders here, but I've had no problem obtaining bleach.

I think I'm finding this extra-frustrating b/c, like @jaccat - I never got onto the hand sanitizer habit, it always struck me as a sales-based idea. Sorry if that sounds judgy.

ETA: I went to the NY Times b/c it was the first source for the story...but quoted the relevant bits, because of the paywall.

 

[joeylittle]

Jinx, @DharmaGirl! :)

Yours is a lot more succinct, tho :tup:

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Dunno about the rest of the US mainlanders here, but I've had no problem obtaining bleach.

Walgreens was out of bleach the other day when I went. Aldi was out today and then Walgreens again out today. Gonna try in a few days at Walgreens.

I don't even want to attempt Walmart. Just seeing how many cars were turning into and coming out of that parking lot gave me panic.

Walgreens usually has a smaller bottle but just recently started to carry the larger ones. I dont have a whole lot of time after work as I go to bed hours earlier then one would as it takes me hours (and lately 4 to 5 hours and additional medication) to go to sleep. So, walgreens its gonna have to be it. Unless I wait another week.

I have some bleach but not much. Maybe 4 cups max. But I am not bleacing my whites or anything. Saving it for this covid-19 stuff.

I also have some bleach mixed with water in a spray bottle too that I use tor cleaning. So, I am not totally out. Would just be nice to have a tiny bit more. Even a small bottle would make me feel better. But have been using it.

Does bleach work to kill covid-19? I thought I read somewhere that it didn't but maybe remembering wrong.

 

[EveHarrington]

Ok, they donated the hand sanitizer.

From the articles I’ve read, it wasn’t done out of the kindness of their hearts. It was only done after people determined the location of the storage unit and notified the authorities. It was likely in a bid to escape charges, which likely didn’t work. My guess is that the authorities would have had the right to confiscate every last bottle, so they said something like “hey, we will make it easy on you and let you donate the bottles. Otherwise we can do this the hard way and take them against your will. This will not look good to a judge.”

Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking the law.

They initial interviews show him as defensive for his behavior. It is only after the general public came after him that he exhibited any sense of remorse. He is no kind hearted person. He is selfish at his core and only cared about making a few bucks. Those are crocodile tears.

 

[Deanna]

It is easily destroyed by most disinfectants A better way to disinfect your house

 

[scout86]

70% alcohol works too. (That would be your typical rubbing alcohol, used straight from the bottle.) You might be able to get bleach at a hardware store. Maybe? I don't imagine you have any farm supply stores there in the big city, but you can get big bottles of all this stuff at places like that. (Usually.)

 

[lostforgottensoul]

It is easily destroyed by most disinfectants A better way to disinfect your house

Oh yay! Thank you!

70% alcohol works too

Even better. Cause all I got is 70%.

Does anyone know how to make aloe vera gel out of the actual plant?

Got LOADS of aloe growing right outside of my porch. Like waist high huge. And had gotten another pot going as well and that has taken off. Wanted to try the make you own hand sanitizer trick but dont have aloe vera gel. Just the plant. I could see if Walgreens has some, along with more rubbing alcohol. But didn't want to buy more stuff.

 

[Justmehere]

I'm done reading the news. (Well, that is, until I'm not.) Sh*t is just way too real here. And now this:
Sorry, America, the Full Lockdown Is Coming

Frankly, life isn't actually far off from that reality here now. But again, I'm in an area with a big outbreak right now.

Anyone else have, "Is this real life?" moments? They alternate for me with wanting to scream at the void to make. it. stop.... and then lots of general coping with the very new reality we are all in now.

Bleach. Diluted bleach. Dunno about the rest of the US mainlanders here, but I've had no problem obtaining bleach.

It is actually very hard to find where I am, along with most cleaning supplies of all types, but we have one of the top per capita covid-19 rates in the nation. Plain old soap is plentiful. All kinds of soap. :)

Also, I found out by email I was exposed, for maybe 2 minutes, to someone with confirmed covid-19. I picked something up from them. I stayed in my car, they put it in my car... We followed all kinds of precautions so public health department has no significant worry I need to be tested. So the email says. THE EMAIL. I found out by email. They also have been rationing tests to help hospitals identify which ICU patients have it and not, so... I'm sort of stuck. I was exposed a week ago. I'm sick now. I was sick before being exposed. Maybe I need to call my doc. Probably. I don't know. I'll call in the morning.

Frankly, I am beginning to give up hope of actually being able to avoid being infected, if I am not already. Maybe too dire? I did just find out about exposure via mass email, because a bunch of people at a place where this person worked were exposed over time. All tests need to go immediately to anyone working with the public at all.

Also, you can not go to a bank without an appointment, and they are not really giving them out. They are now pushing for drive through and online banking for all matters. Makes sense. Eye doctors shut down entirely. Called in for severe emergencies only. Need glasses? One is out of luck here for quite some time. Dental care? NOPE. But a bookstore is open in town. A BOOKSTORE. Weirdness. What even. Nothing makes sense anymore.

How does society survive this way? How does every economy not crash and burn down with all of this? I guess that is what is happening in the US right now.

Again, this is all coming from someone feeling trapped inside a hot zone. Maybe it's not so bad everywhere else as it is here.