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

Keeping you in my thoughts, Aimless.

I know I'm just a random internet figment, but I wish you and yours all the best, Aimless (same to Morbs and everyone else who is dealing or is about to deal with this undead pathogen in some shape or form).

The anger I feel seeing Facebook posts of my coworkers out at bars and restaurants last night makes he understand how wars begin

Christ aimless, love to you

Thoughts of health and strength for everyone.

Strength to you and yours, Aimless.

Be safe and well, Aimless, Morbs, all of you.

I was joking earlier that I might get up in the morning, cycle half way to work and then come back, and then do the same at 5 - but I might actually go out and around the block twice a day anyway, both for some exercise and also to mark "werk is here" / "werk is gone".

can only echo the above. strength to all those with vulnerable family and friends

There is the 'open air treatment' that they used during other pandemics. We always always have windows open unless it's crazy cold out.

xpost that was for the thing about cycling to work. Fresh air and sun.

Our county is supposedly on lock down and yet the parking lot of the Hobby Lobby is full. Economic collapse averted I suppose.

I've already gotten into one terrible screaming match with my wife, and I'm still stewing about it. Literally every single sensible person has given the same recommendations: avoid going out and contact with others as much as possible, because the longer isolation is postponed, the longer and worse this will get. And yet she keeps letting our kids hang out with friends, or have friends over. I know it's hard, but it's only been a few fucking days! I don't care how careful they are, or how hard is it to make the barest fucking effort to just take it easy, it's selfish. shortsighted and irresponsible. But there's literally nothing I can do about it if they're not all on board. I've basically thrown up my hands and said fine, don't do anything. If I and the people making the recommendations are wrong, we'll all be lucky. And if they're all right, then we're all going to be stuck inside with no socialization at all, anyway, except more and more people will get sick or worse in the meantime. I mean, why can't they just give it a few days? What can I do besides rant and yell?

So sorry, aimless, wishing for the best

jic, had something v similar yesterday

I convened a short notice skype chat with my team this evening. I suggested that from tomorrow we minimum man the office with everyone else working from home and response was decidedly lukewarm. Don't really understand the lack of urgency around it especially as I was suggesting to it for everyone's welfare.

People don't like disruptions of their routines. They don't like to face harsh facts and usually prefer to distract themselves, deflect them, or ignore them. They just hate change in general.

yet the parking lot of the Hobby Lobby is full

I read recently that older Republicans are the least worried (because Fox and DJT told them it was a dem hoax). Then I read that evangelical churchgoers are having a hard time staying home, because church is so important to them. Then you tell me that Hobby Lobby fans aren't practicing social distance.

And... of course my brain realizes these are bad things (because contagion is no respecter of political affiliation). But thereis a secret dark part of my heart that is like "hmmm. Older Republican Bible-thumpers getting sick and/or dying in an election year?"

I preemptively denounce myself.

my roommate is treating asking to be able to use the living room (the only place in the apartment there is wifi) instead of having her watch TV there all day (which, unlike using the internet, can be done elsewhere in the apartment, like in her room) as a personal affront, even though starting tomorrow -- really, starting tonight since I have freelance -- I work from home (which, unlike TV, is mandatory)

Josh in Chicago, my experience of this so far is that people take a while to adjust to the change, and that someone can seem completely, infuriatingly resistant one day and then come around a few days later. I realize that's not much comfort when what you're arguing for is for change to happen right now, but that seems to be the way it works.

I preemptively denounce myself.

― love will keep us apart (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, March 15, 2020 4:08 PM (thirty-three minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Why type something so despicable then?

I warn you to stay away from the UK politics thread then.

Much love and best wishes to everyone currently dealing with hard corona-related shit.

People don't like disruptions of their routines. They don't like to face harsh facts and usually prefer to distract themselves, deflect them, or ignore them. They just hate change in general.

― A is for (Aimless), Sunday, March 15, 2020 3:07 PM (thirty-one minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

I am definitely this person under normal circumstances, just because it's easier for me to do the things I don't want to do when I'm able to just go through the motions. But these aren't normal circumstances so if I, a person who gets briefly bent out of shape if a software update changes the look of a familiar work program or finds that his computer monitors have been knocked askew sometime overnight, can suck it up and deal with these radically changed circumstances like a responsible adult, then anybody can.

also just had to restrain myself from screaming through the phone at a relative who is going out for the necessity of getting her nails done

I warn you to stay away from the UK politics thread then.

― God gave toilets rolls to you, gave toilet rolls to you (Tom D.), Sunday, 15 March 2020 20:47 (nineteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

i keep trying to get the two groups in a thread together to really blow minds but alas

also

idk would i go "despicable" on such a thought when the site spends full election cycles wishing death and harm on ppl who vote differently to em (even with the same party)

but hey

As someone else said, if in your darkest thoughts you're thinking of effect on voting demographics, this will hit city-dwellers hardest, I'd have thought.

I finally checked my work e-mail. If we have a "valid" request to WFH, we must complete a "reasonable accommodation form".

NYC schools finally closing?

So it would seem.

oh oh my god

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ETLQ_WGWsAIHQKS?format=jpg&name=medium

NJ probably gonna close schools starting tomorrow. My wife hates our downstairs neighbors' kids (TBF they're pretty wretched kids). Can't wait.

Sorry YMP I’m freaked out and scared, I apologize

my partner is working at an NYC charter school; they've just announced to staff that they're closing through late April.
just stocked up on flu medications. local drugstores, bakery, grocery stores all running fine and friendly at the moment.

also: XBox Live is down

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

My INTERNET went down for about 20 minutes the night before last, that was troubling

I was absolutely doing the pet sematary nooooo

Mine went down again and i was about to flip on the landlord/roommate for not doing anything to address the recurring issue

Then it came back on but he was already dead

Cos my mobile hotspot ain't that strong

idk, now that I've read up and nagged family, feel like staying offline probably the best thing for my anxiety. I won't though.

I was in a Park Slope supermarket line behind some 80yo b**** who was removing items AND WEIGHING THEMAT THE REGISTER; it took her 15 minutes to check out less than a dozen items. If she exposed me, I hope to see her in hell.

Xpost I bought a new Chromebook cos i don't wanna use my work laptop to browse non work stuff. Not for a month

that's wise!

Flappy, you needn't apologize to me; rather the other way round. You were right.

wfh tomorrow even though my employer is still officially expecting its employees to come into Central London into a building that holds approx 1000 people, many of whose jobs involve flying to and from countries all over the globe. cause Fuck That

just saw a half hour special on the first two months of lockdown in Wuhan and it was v sobering. Film followed a guy who’s part of a network that drives doctors to work (because no public transport) and delivers retrovirals from donors (who have AIDS!) to corona patients, for whom the retrovirals seem to relieve the symptoms somewhat. Also follows a nurse who gets it and has to stay at home because no beds in the hospital. Her boyfriend takes care of her, wearing full spacesuit when he enters her room. They mainly communicate via phone, even though just one room away. She gets worse and cries on the phone to get husband. Just heartbreaking. She finally gets a bed in a hospital and eventually recovers. Not just an “old people” thing. Kind of can’t believe schools are still open in London. Wuhan’s bigger than London. If anything I’m looking for an excuse not to leave the house. Just shut it all down. Keep the Internet on. Keep the corner shop open. That’s enough.

We have a full team meeting tomorrow to discuss how we're going to stay away from each other.

If you didn't laugh you'd cough uncontrollably for a week.

my sister just sent me an FB message near-begging me to come live with her in southern CT, FOR NOW.

"we can take care of you"

I think she underestimates how fast I can get a weekly chemo drip set up at another site.

"I'm really worried about looting, violence, etc."

well of course she is.

Not looking fwd to the phone call with her after dinner. Cuz … I think she's wrong, but what if she isn't?

I don't think the likelihood of looting/violence is v high tbh

looting is so far down on the list of things to be fearful of.