Mostly Apolitical Thread for Discussing/Venting our Rational/Irrational COVID-19 Fears and Experiences in 2020

Someone I know has already banished her husband to the van. Allowing him back for toilet breaks.

I’m waiting for Minnesota to wake up - I’m pretty sure my sister’s husband is self-isolating in his van too

Shakes, just1n3, aa best of luck.

aa, are you in the US? If your employer's action was directly related to your complaints of bullying, you might want to speak to an attorney depending on the state (especially NY/CA).

nah, i’m in australia, and i was casual so they could let me go at short notice without a reason

that is some bullshit. very sorry.

thank you. it was total shit (and pushed me onto antidepressants for the first time in my life) but the current world situation really throws it into perspective.

aa, Justine, shakey, wish yall well

<3

Yes, hadn't even read your own situation AA, amidst all the rest. Be well <3

The couple two floors below us in our 6 story building I mentioned before, the ones who both got the symptoms on Monday? We found out yesterday they are still taking their toddler to the park. These are friends of ours (correction: were friends of ours). My wife tore into them yesterday by text but it’s okay because they are “taking every precaution” apparently. FFS!!!!

good luck and best wishes to just1n3 + AA + ou tis

and, oof, Jon. thanks to your wife for telling them not to

I guess it's hard to explain to a toddler that there is no park time for 2 weeks, but, that's what's got to be done, so...

(and it's also hard to explain to a toddler not to run off and get within 2 metres of anyone except mum+dad!)

xp ffs does the park include play equipment?

really sorry just1n3, aa and shakes. hoping situations don't end up as dire as they seem.

My mum was “self-isolating” because her gf had a cough (likely chest infection), which meant only leaving the house to go for a walk, or to the shop for paracetamol and milk, or to work to get her laptop... I don’t think the meaning of quarantine has been effectively communicated to a lot of people!

I left the flat to put my rubbish out (which I will do as infrequently as is hygienic, probably won’t do it again before isolation ends) and I put on gloves, mask, outerwear that hadn’t been touched inc shoes. Part of it is a fear of being strung up by my neighbours of course!

The only thing that’s annoyed me about my neighbours is my upstairs neighbour soaped down her balcony floor and when she rinsed it, diluted Flash went into pots containing herbs I’d repotted into them 90 minutes before.

And now I know what killed my giant lavender and rosemary plants. Grr.

I don't like to get too personal on here, but I'm a tad concerned about getting my meds through this. Without going into detail, my meds aren't strictly a matter of life or death like, say, insulin, but they will certainly keep me from going crazy while locked indoors for the foreseeable future. I realize that the pharmacies are remaining open for the time being but my meds are such that I need to call and request a new refill each month (they don't refill automatically like some of my other meds), and I'm definitely worried about not being able to reach my doctor to perform what is by most metrics a nonessential task. Is this selfish?

What I wouldn't give for a billiard table in my house right about now

the flour thing is real in the UK. cannot buy it for love or money...

― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 24 March 2020 21:18 (yesterday)

Would like to hear the part of the story where you tried to use love to buy flour.

i wouldn't

The Miller's Tale

paul this is just my experience in nyc but a lot of doctors have been just straight up approving meds for an extended period of time. contact your doctor if you can, see what’s possible

Tracer: I don't know whether you're still flourless, but a lot of local bakers near us seem to be shutting up shop and selling off all their flour stocks to the public, so check social media for any near you that might be doing this. We're picking up 6kg from ours on Friday. One problem that everyone including bakers is having though, is a major shortage of yeast, so you'll need to make sourdough or pitta or something else instead

yeah paul, i had the same situation and i renewed online. also my pharmacy is offering deliveries. i had to give the delivery guy cash so i told him to keep the change.

at the very least call your doctor and see what your options are. there is no sense in letting anxiety about not-having the meds make everything worse!

AA, if it's any consolation every time I see your screen name I think of the Kinks song and am reminded of the thread where we determined it may have more chords in it than any other rock song and it makes me very happy.

Speaking of Australia, was just talking with my SIL in Sydney, and it sounds like they're finally starting to take it seriously there. Though my BIL (in construction) is still working, and they only just now closed the (big) beaches. Most amusing is my niece still has to wear her school uniform when she's attending online classes.

Thanks Brad and La Lechera. Obviously I'm not the only one in this boat but it's comforting to have confirmation of that. I'll call my doctor today and see what my options are.

Someone I know has already banished her husband to the van. Allowing him back for toilet breaks.

Is it wrong that that actually sounds kind of nice to me right now? Of course I don't have a van but if I did, I could just go out there with some books and some weed and a bottle of Jim Beam.

AA, if it's any consolation every time I see your screen name I think of the Kinks song and am reminded of the thread where we determined it may have more chords in it than any other rock song and it makes me very happy.

The one where Turrican listed all the chords used alphabetically?

someone tried to pawn her spouse off on us last week because she needed a break. This week she has been sending us pics of him cooking and vacuuming.

i found out that a relative of a close friend is trapped in her house with an emotionally abusive husband* :( that has been on my mind. i am not worrying about her actively but that has to be unimaginably bad.

*he was also physically abusive once, several years ago, but the toll of unrelenting emotional/psychological abuse is both invisible and extremely heavy to bear

Thanks everyone, I appreciate it a lot. But we have options - more than most Americans - and will probably land on our feet eventually. I’ve been pretty homesick for New Zealand these last couple years but moving back wasn’t financially viable. But if America’s economy tanks, it might just be!

Paul, I agree with LL - contact your dr and see what can be done. I’m with kaiser and one of their few good qualities is the ease of prescription-filling through their app, plus free shipping. They even take care of contacting your dr when you run out of refills. Your meds aren’t less important than insulin, they’re just different.

It’s absolutely stunning how badly supermarket workers are being treated during this. These people are risking their health and their family’s health so you can eat and you’re gonna be a dick to them?? I’ve seen some horror stories on twitter and it’s infuriating.

I worked as a supermarket cashier for about 4 yrs when I was in my teens so that’s my backup plan. My local grocery store pays $16 plus benefits which is actually better than my current job as the garment dyer/inventory manager for a tiny clothing store.

people are dicks to service workers even in normal times, so i imagine it's much worse now. :(

this country is full of ungrateful assholes, that much is certain

my stock line on this is "crises bring out both the best and the worst in people".

Just1n3 do you work for B1g Bud Pr3ss?

i am trying to avoid reading anyone's public complaining at the moment -- it's still shocking to me the things that people will complain about publicly and i am not personally compelled to shame the shamers or use my energy to process their gripes and snipes. muted!

Xp silby - no, we have our own small press (Chance Press)

What’s the most succinct article rebuking that WSJ article saying corona isn’t that bad and mortality rate is way over inflated? Need to send it to an old friend who is being a dick.

I'm sure many of you by now know someone directly who has tested positive; within a week or two, that'll probably be true of everyone. I'm still not there, but in the last two days I've heard of positive tests from the daughter of one of my best friends (around 20, contracted it staying in London--a week in, she's doing fine "apart from boredom") and the friend of another good friend (Florida, older, not sure). So it feels like it's getting closer.

I know a few people who have it, getting tested for it in the good old U of K is more difficult.

Including the founder of this site!

http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2020/03/things-i-wish-id-known-before-my-wife-got-presumed-coronavirus/

i wish my friend who was presumed positive and sent home would text me back.

Don't know of anyone who's tested positive, but it's the UK so I don't know anyone other than members of the Royal Family who have been tested.

What’s the most succinct article rebuking that WSJ article saying corona isn’t that bad and mortality rate is way over inflated? Need to send it to an old friend who is being a dick.

I'd send them any of the personal stories of healthy, not-old people who might not have died but have been absolutely tortured by it, may need lifelong oxygen, etc..

Remind your friend that this lethal virus has spread from complete obscurity to 180 countries in less than five months, including almost all of the small island nations, and in almost every one of those 180 nations, the infection is only just now getting started. This is a global event that will affect everyone now alive in some personal way. A 'mere 2%' death rate could kill more people than WWII and in a much shorter time. Then tell your friend to shut the fuck up.

i'm not sure I know anyone who's BEEN TESTED

i only know two people (girlfriend of my best friend + her mom). she's in las vegas, and posted a really long epic story about all the ways she tried and failed to get a test before finally breaking through. sounded like a fucking nightmare (this was a few days ago, maybe it's better now)

Have a friend who works the front desk at a hotel. Guy just came up to the desk to tell her he's checking out and that he tested positive. Now she's trying to figure out what the fuck she can do.

one of my dad's coworkers was tested, ended up negative

friend responded, she's alive but badly beaten up. this thing hangs on for a long time apparently.

two of my mother's coworkers were tested after making the excellent and defensible decision to go on a cruise amid all this; supposedly they get the results today

I had a friend who just tested negative