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

[Mach123]

We have one case and no deaths in my state. Holding steady.

Since it’s Saturday I’m doing a mid day check in. It’s quiet. I don’t want to look at the internet all day and I won’t watch the news. We will go for a walk this afternoon. It’s cold. I just ran to the liquor store and got some bitters to try as a natural stomach remedy. We used to drink it years ago in a bar I worked in. I didn’t think it worked but my stomach was really bad back then. Nothing worked.

So now with my diet so restrictive and only 2 cups of coffee a day, it’d be nice if I could back off on the over the counter stomach remedies.

That’s it.

 

[Mee]

@Justmehere - mum just called with news of the first death in the family (in his 60s with asthma and heart disease), and I've been fighting it so hard, but I'm really starting to feel your frustration at the 'relaxed' attitude.

Bans on gatherings, curfews and lockdowns will only be necessary here because people are failing to heed basic advice. Bondi Beach and others have now been closed because people have ignored social distancing guidelines.

People apparently need saving from their own selfishness. The number of deaths is devastating. In Northern Italy, they've fundamentally just lost their entire older generation, which is such a tragedy.

No. They haven’t. This includes part of my family - very old frail people in care and hospital who did not contract corona. In northern Italy. It’s really grim. But not a complete wipe out of a generation. If we view it as that we panic worse.

 

[DharmaGirl]

Still a lot of people here doing what they normally do. Partly the ruralish setting. Some people are getting really mean, most are trying to help others. I just got another egg customer. I now put their names on a tupperware-like container, which I spray with bleach solution and refill with eggs. That way I'm not passing around egg containers to different households. I was worried I would lose customers, but I guess people are looking for a resource outside of stores.

A friend and I started hundreds of seeds, hoping to sell the plants and supplement our income. This was before the huge outbreak. I decided to offer my seedlings free, and my friend is happy that she will be able to sell hers at a higher price now. I cringe every time I hear her talk about it. I know people sell things, but I want as many people in my area as possible growing food. I just think giving them away would be more appropriate. We did start them to start a plant business, but things change. I only got 2 responses to the free plants, so I guess it's a moot point but pulling together and helping each other seems to be a better alternative than charging more. But I guess that's just what makes people different.

 

[DharmaGirl]

You know, I seem to do better when I have a challenge. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I didn't panic or get horribly depressed since I have a lot of tools in my toolbox, and I have some experience using them. Same with this. I don't want to lose my parents, but they are 95 and in bad health, and 82 in good health. Other than that, I seem to be holding up really well. I don't know why it is so much harder to contain my PTSD driven symptoms when it's not an huge external stressor. Maybe because I accept I have no control except what I do?

I also found out my neighbors thought I was a happy, odd, prepper. People keep telling me I was right. Huh? I just grow the stuff the chickens really like in the front amongst my flowers. I am actually out of canned vegetables, lol. I'm not a prepper, but I normally keep a pantry.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

mum just called with news of the first death in the family (in his 60s with asthma and heart disease), and I've been fighting it so hard, but I'm really starting to feel your frustration at the 'relaxed' attitude

I missed this! So very sorry to hear!

Work is ordering in Chick Fa Lay (spelling? Im lazy) to thank us for working. They did it the other day when I was off so not sure if this is an every other day thing but free food! Saving mine for damn sure!

I have a bag of dog food so Chopper has food for about a month. I didnt buy another as I was hoping to not need to. I thought I could at least order it online but someone said that people are now running out of dog food? Ugh!

ETA: Also, wipe your phones down. I just remembered to do mine today from a reminder on the radio.

 

[Neverthesame]

I found out today what my health and the health of the people who I interact with day to day is worth this morning. As compensation for being put at risk of contracting the Wuhan/China/CCP/Corona/Covid-19 virus, I will be receiving an additional $2 per hour temporary wage increase. $74 a week. Yup. $74 a week, so some stupid braindead panic shopper can buy more f*cking toilet paper.
Whoo! I'll try not to spend it all on ventilators.

What a world we live in huh?

 

[barefoot]

Here in the UK I’m actually wanting the government to put us on a full lockdown because a) loads of people aren’t taking social distancing seriously and b) I think it will be easier to put an end to ridiculous panic buying and enable goods to actually stay on the shelves long enough for everyone to get the basics they need.

Supermarkets are heaving with people whenever you go. No sense of anyone keeping distance from each other.

Schools are closed for many kids from Monday but still having to stay open for some including children of key workers (even if there is another non-key worker adult in the household) The list of jobs defining key workers released from the government was huge. It’s not just going to be a small handful of kids in schools.

I get that keeping essentials workers in work (eg health workers) is crucial - we need our NHS to be as resourced as it can be.

But, I do really feel for teachers at this time who are really being treated as child minders. And they are continuing to be around kids and staff so social distancing isn’t really happening in schools so there is risk there. My partner is a deputy head of a huge secondary school. She’s going to still be going in to work to baby sit children of other key workers. Even knowing there are other adults in that child’s household. Or even if the kid is like 15 and could therefore stay on their own for a few hours anyway (my opinion, I know some others may have a different opinion about that) There is no easy solution to this problem of schools/needing to keep essential workers working. But I worry about my partner being exposed and wish she was able to be at home.

Also worried about my work. I’m self-employed and, in the space of a week, I’ve lost most of my work. Pretty much everything cancelled. Our government has announced unprecedented measures to protect workers. Most noticeably, amending statutory sick pay and underwriting 80% of workers’ salaries to save jobs. Unfortunately, neither of these apply to the self-employed. I’m worried. And I know lots of other people in a similar boat who are terrified. I really, really hope the government looks again to see how they can support those of us who have just lost all our clients and income in the matter of days for the foreseeable future.

On the plus side, I did manage to buy a 9 pack of loo roll yesterday. Quilted too! ?

 

[Neverthesame]

On the plus side, I did manage to buy a 9 pack of loo roll yesterday. Quilted too!

Nice. I'm glad you got some. There's no reason for people to keep panic buying like they are, it was ridiculous on day 1, it's beyond reproach now. As far as I'm aware grocery stores in Italy are still open. If they aren't closed there, they're not likely to be closed anywhere else.

 

[barefoot]

Thanks @Neverthesame ! I was running low so it was fortuitous to see some on the shelf!

I agree with you. The selfish panic buyers/stock oilers are making this harder for everyone - especially the most vulnerable and the key workers who people will be relying on if they get sick.

I have a friend in Italy who said that food shops are all open and that they all have food in them! Imagine that! She said they have to queue 1.5m apart outside the shop and that only 4 or 5 people are allowed in the shop at a time. And people are just buying the supplies they need for the next few days. It seems to be working.

In the government news briefing today they said that there’s a billion pounds more food in homes here now than there was three weeks ago.

That’s insane!

 

[DharmaGirl]

I have seen a few empty shelves here, but don't go out much. If people are buying food, at least they won't be out and about later. We had the "first" case in our town 2 days ago. That means a lot of other people were exposed where she works. Life goes on.

 

[siniang]

I really probably should take a break from social media. People, friends of friends, not just any random stranger, are getting just spiteful.

Hawaii has implemented (or at least is working on) a mandatory 14-quarantine for anyone new arriving in the islands - which is great and important! People are discussing about how this is gonna be enforced.

One person suggested to "Call up National Guard and just put all new arrivals into barracks, in a fenced-in compound"

And they keep seeing nothing wrong with it. That's the same group of folks who keep calling tourists "Virus" and stir up hate by publicly posting (and hence shaming) pictures of tourists which grumpy faces in cars on their way to the airport. The irony....the larger proportion of these people aren't from here, either, but moved here at some point in their life. They too are what locals call "transplants".

This continued xenophobia and racism is too much for me.

Another batch of friends keeps making very very hysteric and panicky posts. Apparently there now is a website with models when the "date of no return" is for each state. Hawaii has been implementing a lot of measures already for the last couple weeks and since this week very drastic measures including de-facto lockdowns, closures of all state parks/beaches/... etc. ...and they still keep making it seem like the local government isn't doing anything and we're headed for doom. It's being extremely politicized but also polarized with the way people keep stirring up panic.

 

[ms spock]

Very true. There will be a lot of community solidarity in some areas. Hopefully all over.

We have done a lot.