Pandemic supply chain in your area

[KITROBASKIN]

Consider testing the pulse oximeter with another trusted device, maybe trying it only while lying down or sitting instead of standing. Test if the reading changes from initial reading and maybe 10 seconds later. Mine does. Which reading should one trust?

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

H.O.F.- I think all your brats are here in Pennsylvania. Steady supply since day 1, lol...

I meant Costco had a shortage of bratwurst. I think most places have an overabundance of brats, just not the kind I can get away with cooking over an open flame.

 

[Poppy]

All over the local news is that we are getting 4-6 inches of snow. It started about 3:00 AM this morning, and will continue falling until about 9:00 AM. Of course this is during rush hour, and we have been warned of its impending fall for the last couple of days.

Last night I went to the local Stop and shop, and noted that the pre-bagged salads were still off the shelves. There was a lysteria problem and they were all pulled. I'm a little surprised that it is taking so long for them to be replaced. I noted that there were holes in the fresh fruit and vegetables section. I don't recall ever seeing that. The holes may have been caused, because they were on sale.

There were also some holes in the meat section, not necessarily due to a sale. Also some frozen foods were kinda thin.

One isle was filled with cases and cases of water. That was strange. Usually there is a variety of things in that isle. It was as though they were hiding the fact that their stock was low. OTOH maybe they were bragging that they had water, which has been in low supply recently.

There may be a few things that caused the bare spots.

1. a competing supermarket opened last month, about 1/4 mile away, (they closed a store that was about a mile away). It is much larger, and typically the prices are a little lower.
2. there is/was an impending storm, which leads people to stock up.
3. I noted that some empty spaces, were items that were on sale. Maybe inflation, has caused people to be more cognizant of prices.
4. maybe it is a supply chain issue.

 

[bykfixer]

I think one thing folks have probably forgotten since Americans don't seem to recall history past last Thursday is that anytime there was a significant frozen precipitation forecast the grocery stores were raided for bread and milk. Here in post Y2k it seems milk and bread are now Red Baron frozen pizzas and Stove Top stuffing etc so the empty spots on shelves aren't where they were back in 1999. Kinda like 50 is the new 30 thing.
And a run on cold/flu meds in January is likely the norm as well.

I think many of the veggies like salad comes from Brazil these days so if they have issues like really high sickness or some bad weather it stands to reason we don't see strawberries at the big chain stores for a time.

Now in my line of work we are struggling with shortages of materials like pipe, concrete, steel rebar and most surprising is heavy equpment like bulldozers and back hoes. Pollution regs is putting many old equipment out to pasture and huge demand is causing material shortages. Lots and lots of pivoting from Plan A to Plan B……to Plan Q are taking place in order to keep production going. And that won't change anytime soon.

 

[scout24]

Lol, bread milk and eggs. It snows, and everyone must be making french toast...

 

[hsa]

I always wondered about that, now I know. Haha.

 

[idleprocess]

Now in my line of work we are struggling with shortages of materials like pipe, concrete, steel rebar and most surprising is heavy equpment like bulldozers and back hoes. Pollution regs is putting many old equipment out to pasture and huge demand is causing material shortages. Lots and lots of pivoting from Plan A to Plan B……to Plan Q are taking place in order to keep production going. And that won't change anytime soon.

In my line of work we buy containers at a time of the likes of modems, routers, optical terminals, fiber drop lines that are suffering random delays thanks to the problems with production and transportation. Safety stocks have been cut to the bone more than once.

But the real pain point is development hardware - be it prototypes or first article revisions. Milestones have been missed because we just can't get these for validation. With stock item electronics / chip production being as tight as it is for going on 2 years now, gaps in the schedule to produce labor-intensive development hardware by and large don't exist.

 

[knucklegary]

Consider testing the pulse oximeter with another trusted device, maybe trying it only while lying down or sitting instead of standing. Test if the reading changes from initial reading and maybe 10 seconds later. Mine does. Which reading should one trust?

I bought a Zacurate off Amz, I use for sports. One day took it to Dr visit for comparison. Nurse went with my devices figures (98) since the office unit, possibly had a low battery, showed my oxy saturation 78. Nurse asked me if I felt dizzy. I said only when I visit the doctor office

Moral of story; don't trust any electronic device.. and if it doesn't hurt don't fix it

 

[turbodog]

Consider testing the pulse oximeter with another trusted device, maybe trying it only while lying down or sitting instead of standing. Test if the reading changes from initial reading and maybe 10 seconds later. Mine does. Which reading should one trust?

FYI,

Oximeters are typically sensitive to light. They should be used in subdued light.

 

[knucklegary]

Good to know.. Next time I'm with cute nurse I'll ask her to dim the lights! 🤗

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Good to know.. Next time I'm with cute nurse I'll ask her to dim the lights! 🤗

The lens can also get dirty which can impair the reading.

 

[bykfixer]

Good to know.. Next time I'm with cute nurse I'll ask her to dim the lights! 🤗

That will also ensure that chrome-dome of yours doesn't blind her

 

[PhotonWrangler]

I thought that the run on Covid test kits would've eased up after the holidays. Silly me.

 

[Poppy]

I suppose that 7-10 days after the holidays, the demand for testing will drop off, because by then most who became infected will look to get tested.

Orange County in NY are handing them out 4 at a time.
Last week I bought two at one pharmacy in town, and this week another two at a different pharmacy. There were more available, but I didn't need them.

I am sure that there has been a run on test kits due to the need to be tested to travel, or for some entertainment. Once that calms down, the supply will meet the demand.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

There were 849,181 new cases of Coronavirus in the U.S. today. 2,025 deaths, and 21,945 critical or severe cases. Once we hit around 20,000 severe cases, hospitals tend to get overrun. A lack of tests is the least of our concerns. I hope it doesn't happen, but I think we should prepare for another round of mandatory stay at home lockdowns to start to take place within the next week or two. Get enough groceries to get by for at least a month (nonperishable/ doesn't need cooled). Even if the Supreme Court rules against the vaccine mandate and/or lockdowns aren't forced on us again, you're probably going to want to stay at home anyway to avoid getting sick, if possible. Masks and vaccines don't seem to work with the Omicron variant and we're approaching a million people getting sick each day in the U.S. At that rate and with non-vaccinated people already getting fired, we are going to have a labor shortage for running our critical infrastructure (water, power, internet, etc.), emergency services, as well as the supply chain disruptions we already have getting worse. Self quarantine has been lowered from 10 days to 5. This wasn't because you're safe after 5. It was because our country can't afford to lose 10 million workers each 10 days and still function properly. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Plan accordingly and stay safe.

 

[scout24]

At the risk of going further off topic...If they're handing test kits out like halloween candy, and you can buy them at every drugstore, (sold out everywhere by me.) of course positive cases have spiked. Not for travel or entertainment, (hogwash) which you shouldn't be doing anyhow if it's so serious, but because the level of fear has been cranked up to 11 again. "Oh my God, what if I have it???" "Here's a home test!!!" In 99% of situations, if you have no symptoms you shouldn't be testing. Do you take a pregnancy test once a week "just in case?" Of course not. And who's to say home tests are beimg administered properly? So many asymptomatic or mild cases it makes one wonder. And when places like Illinois have gone DOWN in ICU bed count from 4000 to 3000 in the past 18 months, I'm left scratching my head. (Google it.) People get sick. For some, it's quite serious. For a few, (statistically) it's fatal. So are many, many other things. For the vast majority? Not so much. If you have a medical condition or are in a demographic group that makes you high risk, manage your own situation. This has gotten WAY out of hand and we keep buying into it.

 

[bykfixer]

At one point much of the supply chain has been strained but mostly due to high demand. There was a point when factories shut down in China back in late 2019 when America was paying attention to all things besides this "novel" virus that had caused the Chinese gov't to lock down some cities.

Now I'm no fan of Glenn Beck but one day I in early 2020 heard him on a radio saying how things would play out in 2020 and beyond. And to be honest, he predicted correctly. He stated how those factories being shut down would have ripples in the global supply chain but that those ripples would be nothing compared to the following psuenami style ripples if the virus got out of China. He indicated that data was showing it already had reached other countries although America had not seen it yet.

He went on to predict large companies in America and elsewhere would "suddenly" (and conviently) realize they were hemoraging money in labor costs and use the impending disaster to cut staff. (At about the time my company started sending out emails on how revenue shortfalls meant adjustments were needed). And that many organizations would realize work from home means less office space needed, reducing that cost creating a glut of office space.

He predicted a huge glut in crude oil as millions of Americans will stay at home instead of commuting, and that would lead to spikes later as they resumed commuting. He predicted panic buying and hoarding as rumors of disease in factories meant products would suddenly be unavailable. He predicted that things would be in chaos while the stock market continued to reach record highs due to manipulations creating huge profits for some.

Now Glenn is big on doom and gloom so many said "eh, it's just that nut job at it again" yet 2020 went just as he predicted. But he also predicted this new virus would play out in time and variants would become weaker and weaker since most viruses do. It seems a virus is smart enough to replicate in a fashion that ensures its survival and once it no longer kills its host(s) it ensures continued success at replication, so omni-cron kinda shows that to be the case (so far).

And much like the Spanish flu, the novel corona has jumped from generation to generation. Where the Spanish flu began with the young and future strains hit older and older people, this one has done the inverse and now the young are being affected more than in 2020/21.

If things progress like they did in 1916 to 1920 we still have a year or so to go. But unlike back then where America was still fairly rural and large segments of the population never mingled, we are less likely to avoid contacting a sick person so perhaps this one will play out faster than the 4 years of the Spanish flu episode. But it also means we are more dependent on the supply chain and less on our own in terms of goods and foods. So the supply chain interuptions are noticed by more so panic purchasing is accelarated and therefore seems worse than it really is.

Like others mentioned, the just in time policies also play a role. With America being all about short term profit that may not get better anytime soon.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

Here are some of the current results of the coronavirus in my area.
Business closures and reduced hours:


San Diego Fire Department issues emergency services brownout:


Hospitals are getting overwhelmed and tests are in short supply:


The National Guard has been activated to help with covid testing in California:


People are getting the omicron variant even if they are fully vaccinated and had a booster shot, though they may have a milder case:


With all of this going on, there is a shortage of staff to work at the hospital, ambulances to get you to the hospital, beds at the hospital, and covid test kits. They are recommending that if you have mild symptoms, stay home and don't bother testing. If you have breathing or other severe problems, go to the hospital. Standing in line with sick people for hours to get tested will make things worse. If you have to test for work, I suggest ordering the test and have it sent to your home if possible. Stores are closing or limiting hours due to staffing shortages from too many getting sick. If you think I was exaggerating about potential lockdowns, or emergency services shortages, look around. San Diego is already asking people to go back to working from home if at all possible. I hope this labor shortage doesn't affect our critical infrastructure but it could. With this variant able to affect people who are fully vaccinated and boosted, we can't get to herd immunity. We are stuck with this virus like the flu and the common cold.

 

[Poppy]

I don't think we'll see "lock downs" again. Perhaps we'll see politicians asking employers to allow employees to work from home if possible.

OTOH, the new mayor of New York City, is asking employers to bring employees who are working from home, back into the city, because the small mom and pop shops are suffering. There are too few people in town to buy their goods and services.

Unless there are additional stimulus checks, and extended unemployment payments, lock-downs will be political suicide. I don't see this happening.

Hopefully the guestimates that we are about to peak, are correct, and hopefully it will drop off just as rapidly, as has been reported in South Africa.

 

[bykfixer]

Mike Rowe just did an episode post on fakebook called "damn, does everybody you know have covid?"
Thinking I may resupply with spagetti-o's and chef-boyardee raviolli soon.