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

Best wishes to yr mom and all of your kin, WmC!

Dang this is all horrible

Fucking hell. Sorry about all the horrible news.

Let me pile some more on: our nanny who has been staying with us 9-5 m-f just tested positive. Asymptomatic, the only reason she got tested is because her boyfriend had to get tested for a job. We scrambled and the wife, two kids, and I all got tested a few hours ago. Results back in 3-5 days. Wife has been depressed and overwhelmed for a while now, this is officially Too Fucking Much.

My stupid place of work reopened a while back and I had to write HR a list of everyone I’ve been in contact with while on the job. It was a long list.

There’s no conceivable way 2021 can be worse than this is what I keep telling myself.

It's hard to think of any reason why it would get better. Brexit is going to crash in harder than anyone modelling options even conceived of, Lukashenko looks unlikely to stand down, fire season starts in Australia in a month and the entirety of the QAnon-believing PM's plan to beat COVID is to increase fossil fuel mining and consumption. Maybe Bolsonaro will die, but I dunno anything about who or what would replace him.

WmC - thinking of all y'all, hoping for the very best.

Dan, feeling awful for you and your kids, sucks so so much.

And my god Cow_Art :( Very last straw, I can't imagine.

Take care, hold fast, everyone

i don't know the words to say other than......I'm sorry. whatever positive vibes I can send are on their way.

this is a Hell gone nuclear

Thanks, all -- Tupelo sent her to Corinth, which had an ICU bed available but is in the exact opposite direction from my sister's home, so they're 3 hours apart instead of 2 hrs. I got a call from her nurse, she's doing a little better and her oxygen level is improved. If she continues to improve they'll move her from ICU to a regular room (still extremely isolated I assume) in a couple of days. On a BIPAP machine similar to the CPAP she's been using for years, not a ventilator.

First thing tomorrow morning, we'll start finding out where, how, and how fast we can get tested.

Dan, Jaq, WmC, my heart goes out to all of you.

Seconded

Thirded

same. hang in there, everyone

yes. we have many more months for this to run its course before we regain some measure of relative safety. hang in there is right!

🏄‍♂️

much love to all of you

Likewise.

Much love everyone, this is horrible

Mom wants someone to bring her her teeth and a toothbrush, so she must be feeling some better. Thanks everyone for your good vibes, I heart you all.

All 3 of us have primary care docs at the same office, so I was able to talk them into testing us this morning even though we're asymptomatic. Rapid-results test, all negative. The sinus swab (both sides) is not so horribly unpleasant as it's made out to be.

so glad to hear good news from tests

These stories are horrifying and heartbreaking. I've had multiple friends the last couple of months lose family members - a grandmother, a father, a mother, a *son* - and it's just been a strange turn of events that *none* of them were covid related. On a positive, more hopeful note, I donated my bone marrow back in early October to a young girl who was probably going to die without it, and last week I learned that she was alive and well and into and enjoying all the things she should be enjoying at her age, which was just the jolt I needed.

In other neither positive nor negative news, virtual school is starting this week, and my high schooler is getting introductory emails from her teacher. My favorite might be from the the (for gym credit) World Dance instructor (whose initials are actual Ms. DJ):

"Yay! We see your face BUT… What’s behind you? What’s on the side of you? Is there talking in the background? Is that person in the background saying things that you would like for us to hear?
We will be dancing together. Do you have a small clear space to move? Are things in that space things you would be okay with us seeing?
We’re going to have a great time in class AND I’m not just saying that because I happen to teach it (*smile*). Let’s connect and build an atmosphere of community… ALL through DANCE.
I look forward to seeing you all in a few days. Dance, dance, DANCE!"

Gonna be some gym-class silliness going on in the house.

Related, and both sad and hilarious, my friend at the end of last year got a frustrated (group) email from his son's gym teacher, who complained that so few students had logged on to his class (which tbf was a virtual swim class; swimming is/was required at our high school) that he was taking the day off and starting fresh the next day. My own daughter has "adventure ed" later this year, which is rock climbing, kayaking, that sort of thing. No idea what that will entail. She also has an astronomy elective this year, since a couple of her lab-intensive science classes more or less got cancelled, but the way I read the email I don't think they even get outside to look at the stars.

So much sympathy for what folks are going through.

But I just have to say that "virtual swim class" has to be in the hall of fame for most pointless 2020 activities.

True story: I just got off a Teams call where I literally discussed with my son's occupational therapist whether 30 minutes a week was too much time to spend on "cutting a straight line with scissors."

I think we agreed that 15 minutes a week on virtual scissor lessons was probably adequate.

criminy

Here's a real-world math story problem for you: if my son's occupational therapist is spending 15 online minutes a week on using scissors, and my son is supposed to spend an additional 15 minutes a week on using scissors, how many minutes am I going to be spending on practicing using scissors?

Spoiler: Thirty. The answer is that I'm going to be spending 30 minutes a week on practicing using scissors.

tbf like math, you can never get enough practice with scissors. you can only get better!

http://www.alicia-logic.com/capsimages01/esc_056JohnnyDepp.jpg

My son in twenty years

and the guy on the left?

When my mom realized she'd never recover from this, she asked to be taken off the BIPAP machine as soon as possible. My brother, sister and I all got to the hospital as quick as we could and were able to be there with her. Mom was able to make a small joke about wishing her ice water was a bloody mary and I probably laughed louder than was appropriate. She passed very quickly yesterday afternoon, within 10-15 minutes of coming off breathing assistance. She'd been miserable for 2 years with a long list of health problems, so this was a relief...but it still didn't have to be fucking COVID.

Oh no WmC. I am so sorry. Fuck.

so sorry to hear this, all love WmC. Fuck covid.

I’m so sorry to hear this. I’m glad you got to be with her at the end.

I’m sorry, WmC.

Hugs, WmC

😞 condolences WmC

oh WmC i’m so sorry <3

So sorry for your loss WmC.

So sorry, WmC.

I'm sorry to hear this. I'm glad you got to be near her and that she still had a sense of humor.

<3 WmC

I'm so sorry, WmC. My sincere condolences.

Sending a great big *HUGGLEZ* your way, my friend.

Very sorry, WmC.

yes, sorry to hear it

so very sorry, WmC :(

Condolences and hopes for continued strength to you WmC.

Thank you all, u r best.

WmC so sorry, hard to imagine what you must be feeling. Sending best wishes....

My condolences, WmC.

oh WmC, i'm so sorry.

very sorry wmc... best to you and your family