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

Our next door neighbors are a young married couple with 2 kids, and it's getting where every day is a huge party over there, with nieces and nephews joining the kids, plus siblings and friends of the adults. The wife is a hair stylist and I believe she just did a client's haircut in the backyard. The husband has some health issues serious enough that he has to go get regular infusions of something or other. If they don't all catch the Vid and drop dead I'll be amazed.

The place where I picked up sushi last night was the first place in my town to demand that customers wear both a mask and gloves to come inside. Usually it's mask-only.

The supermarket by me specifically prohibits wearing gloves. Masks are required.

What's the reasoning behind banning gloves?

You can't wash gloves, so they can carry the virus. Also people have this habit of leaving them in the parking lot or sidewalk outside shops.

Just saw the first announcement for a area record shop reopening their doors. Rules include mandatory masks, wear gloves or partake of their hand sanitizer, only four customers at a time, you have only 30 minutes to browse, and no looking in the musty unpriced bins on the floor.

the only diplomatic solution is fingerless gloves

Also gloves protect you, not the things you touch, and if you don't practice taking them off and throwing them away without touching the outside, they don't actually protect you.

(It's pretty silly that people preparing food wear gloves for this reason, the gloves are no cleaner than the hands that grabbed them and pulled them on!)

Went to the grocery today with an extensive list only to find that you are now limited to 2 meat items, so I'll need to go back again in a few days.

mar yo meatwagon

edit, edit

mar dhea, meatwagon

someone I almost hooked up with last year and enjoyed hanging out with at concerts shocked me by sharing Coronavirus conspiracy theories on my Wall, citing an article in the Moonie paper, and saying that officials are just counting every death as COVID. Never had any previous inkling she was like this.

asked her how she could explain the 50,000+ projected excess deaths above forecast in a 3 week span (between the weeks ending 4/4 and 4/18), including three weeks projected at 70,000+ deaths (one of which is expected to almost hit 80,000), when the highest weekly death toll in the US over the last three years barely topped 67,000. forecasts solid enough that there weren't excess deaths in 148 of the previous 155 weeks prior to the end ending 4/4/2020. What coincidental event caused these extra deaths? crickets.

I'm glad I avoided doing anything with her, but I'm also mad that I wasted my time doing math for someone who is too dumb to understand it.

I'm starting to think, given endless "Xth wave" scenarios, I'll never be able to resume a 'normal life' in NYC, certainly in NYC. Not w/out gambling with my health every day. Same goes with everyone over 60 or w/ an underlying condition.

Trying to figure out how to move forward in Houston. My wife can work from home for the most part but not while taking care of the kids. We work at the same museum. Preschool opens in June which feels sketchy. Summer camps pushed back to July. Not sure how long our jobs will allow us to stay home with kids and sending them out into the world is madness. Because I’m recovering from an injury, I may be able to get some extra time at home. Which is good but hurts because I like my job and coworkers.

Preschool promises precautionary measures and hygiene, but I have a five year old. I know. There is nothing hygienic about them.

Can't hold a revolution whole retaining social distancing. I mean seems like several places kind of need one right now.
Ireland voted certain people out of power and they've just hung onto it cos they're chances. UK and US have complete idiots running things and recovering under either will be a chore.
Anywhere else need to overthrow it's government under exactly the wrong circumstances?

I'm starting to think, given endless "Xth wave" scenarios, I'll never be able to resume a 'normal life' in NYC, certainly in NYC. Not w/out gambling with my health every day. Same goes with everyone over 60 or w/ an underlying condition.

― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 2 May 2020 06:38 (three hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

I think about this a lot and it's getting me down.

It's early days yet and there's 90 or something potential vaccines/cures bring looked at all over the world but I just keep coming back to how difficult it will be to develop, how long it will take and how I can't live in a (privileged and relatively well off*) cocoon for months or years.

At some point I'm going to have to face the virus and see where I end up.

* I'm super aware of how lucky I am here. I have a job that lets me work from home, that pays well and that will likely survive a recession. I have a wife who is prepared to take all the risks of shopping to feed the family. I have fast Internet and all the games and streaming entertainment I can eat. I see my children every day. I have a garden!
I've got the easiest "shield" going and it's still tough - my heart goes out to those who are isolated alone and struggling for cash.

the neighborhood children have been let outside and are just . . . screaming. almost constantly

yep

they scream inside too

I've got the easiest "shield" going and it's still tough

Same here. Reminding myself that I'm a million times luckier than most has kept me on an even keel to this point, but almost two months along, my thoughts are starting to turn to things like "I'm 58--what percentage of the rest of my life is going to be like this?" If it's two years, a reasonable estimate might be 15-20%. Knowing how minor such concerns are doesn't make them disappear.

yes, I’m so lucky but I feel like I’m really starting to drift, being completely alone for almost 7 weeks now

A sort of x-post to Koogs from a few days ago. I've realised that I have been telling shop staff to look after themselves and have been feeling a strange, horrible bleakness ... because they just seem so at risk (particularly when you factor in the idea of viral loading).

Anyway, I've shopped in two local Sainsbury's, one a small branch, the other a proper supermarket. The latter seems to be doing things well, including perspex screens on tills, limited numbers in stores etc. The former just felt scary - narrow aisles, no one being strict about social distancing, not one way around the store.

There's a small branch of Tescos near me and they usually have a security guard outside letting people in and out - though they didn't today - but once inside any idea that social distancing is even possible is ludicrous.

None of the staff wear masks, some wear gloves. It's the same in Morrisons.

I keep hearing the birds chirp at sunrise and sunset, it saves me

the parrots and crows are a little annoying, but I still love them

I've read enough stories about people doing it that now I'm starting to consider trying to train/establish a relationship with a crow.

I grew up listening to thrushes, and in my family their song was always considered the most beautiful. Living in a city now I haven’t heard them in a while

Probably more pleasant than grackles

i know one thing about grackles and its to do with "that* scene in IT

Grackles are just store brand crows IMO

I am always thrilled to see the parrots in my cotoneaster tree, I think they are getting drunk on the berries. sometimes they line up on my railing

as loud as they are I can’t hate them

I like the idea of wildlife taking over

YouTube channel Falconry And Me has some great videos with her talking raven. I had no idea they could learn to speak like parrots.

Yeah heard birdsong last week sound much different in volume to previous.
Good sign I hope.
& more bees around than before so hope their own virus doesn't wipe them out.

There's a directive that seems to be nationwide about letting grass grow and not cutting back dandelions and daisies. So they can be pollinators.
Also seems to be allowing corners of parks and fields and things to rewild. Would be good if some of that was allowed to continue after the pandemic.
Oh well I'm sure there'll be another one soon.

Upstairs has been feeding the birds, which is good in theory. The actuality is pigeon noises outside my window from about 6am.

Interesting about the bigger supermarkets too. I've been avoiding them, thinking there'd be crowds but now I think I might try the bigger tescos on Wednesday, even if there are at least 10 metros that are closer.

Upstairs has been feeding the birds, which is good in theory. The actuality is pigeon noises outside my window from about 6am.

I live on the top floor so pigeon noises are a way of life for me. There's also a big tree just outside so I hear lots of birds anyway - especially now that you never hear an ambulance siren anymore.

I've been avoiding them, thinking there'd be crowds crows

All the Chinese restaurants in my town closed in mid-March, but I've been calling every few days, and one of them has finally reopened.

God I actually cannot wait for a Chinese takeaway. Tell me what you're gonna have.

I got fried pork DUMPLINGS!, steamed vegetables, and spring rolls. I am not joking - when I called and someone picked up I literally yelped "You're back!"

my favorite local hunan restaurant has been delivering and I’ve been ordering frequently. If they close it will kill me, but I don’t think they will

I love the predictability of Australia. Lockdown rules eased in Queensland on Friday = new reports of a man being attacked by a crocodile* on Monday.

*circumstances undisclosed but it lay a small bet on it being a standup paddle boarder.

New = news

was the crocodile wearing a mask?

"is that another paddle boarder? My god, it's tiresome. i've muffins in the oven. shit. well, i guess i'll play the role." - crocodile wearing a mask

my roommate works at starbucks and her location is reopening tomorrow... idk, i hope they have some kind of takeout/curbside operation planned because otherwise i'm scared for everyone?

but also she has to take the subway to get there. lol