Coronavirus - II

[Kestrel]

Am permanently DQ'd from donating blood due to spending ~a month in Great Britain during the early 90's.
Have of course had no mad cow exposure; furthermore, it was explained to me that there has not been a single case of blood transmitted CJD, ever.

However, Important People have decided that the infinitesimal risk outweighs any possible societal benefit.

I sometimes wonder how Great Britain would do if they used similar criteria for their donors, lol. :-/

 

[raggie33]

Am permanently DQ'd from donating blood due to spending ~a month in Great Britain during the early 90's.
Have of course had no mad cow exposure; furthermore, it was explained to me that there has not been a single case of blood transmitted CJD, ever.

However, Important People have decided that the infinitesimal risk outweighs any possible societal benefit.

I sometimes wonder how Great Britain would do if they used similar criteria for their donors, lol. :-/

that stinks i love dairy queen thry have the best fastfood burgers

 

[Monocrom]

I looked into this in more detail (asked the expert). Donated blood is also subjected to tests that can detect the presence of virus(es) in the blood. This is an important note because this is BEFORE the antibodies are created.

So be confident that there is a clean blood supply if you need it. But please donate if you are able.

Most don't know it, but blood does not 'keep' forever. Generally speaking, it expires and is thrown out.

Good to hear that there's more testing done. Yes, unfortunately a lot of folks don't realize blood has a shelf-life. After a major disaster or terrorist attack, a lot of folks donate all at once. Which sounds great. Only issue is, everyone coming forward at one time means a large amount of that donated blood will likely end up being tossed away when it expires.

 

[Poppy]

Am permanently DQ'd from donating blood due to spending ~a month in Great Britain during the early 90's.
Have of course had no mad cow exposure; furthermore, it was explained to me that there has not been a single case of blood transmitted CJD, ever.

However, Important People have decided that the infinitesimal risk outweighs any possible societal benefit.

I sometimes wonder how Great Britain would do if they used similar criteria for their donors, lol. :-/

The last time I donated blood was about 7 years ago.
I was misdiagnosed with Babesiosis.
I am now also DQ'd from ever donating again.

Last year I was retested again with a more specific or more reliable test, and it came out negative.

My doc said he had three other patients who were also diagnosed with babesiosis from the same lab who also attempted to donate blood, during the same blood drive that i participated in.

So... lab error.

Oh well, I am a member of the gallon club, meaning that I have donated over a gallon during my life.

 

[Monocrom]

So much of this centers on where you live and how aware your area is, as illustrated in this MoJo article I Spent 3 Months Locked Down in DC. Then I Went to a Mall in Utah.

An interesting article. Definitely worth reading. Last just over 3 months or so, my shopping and going out has consisted of the following: Work (2 Essential full-time jobs where thankfully I barely interact with anyone at both of them), Supermarket, Local pharmacy, Bank, Home Depot. With the exception of one of my jobs and Home Depot, everything is literally a block down, on either side of the street. And H.D. and my nightshift job are literally next door to each other. The extent of my outdoor travels.

I just remind myself that it's a temporary new normal.

 

[Johnnyh]

The "Mother Jones" article...It should be titled "DC Elitists Finds Utahns Deplorable". Painting these mall shoppers as ignorant louts and Mormon families as slobbering covid-19 infectors is shameful and the hypocrisy on display by left-leaning media such as Mother Jones is glaring. These Utahns (and earlier, the Lake of The Ozarks party-goers) are pilloried as unsophisticated Neanderthals yet not a word is uttered when it comes to mass gatherings in the name of social justice. If lockdowns, social distancing, mask-wearing etc. are to be encouraged by our leaders, or the "toothless" enforcement the author found in Utah is given more bite then it had better damn we'll be encouraged and enforced for ALL the people. In the wake of what we've seen in Minneapolis, NYC and Seattle, these "guidelines" are at best, laughable. At worst, it is greatest and most destructive scam ever perpetrated on the American people.

 

[StagMoose]

[ insert Citizen Kane clapping meme]

 

[turbodog]

Local blood collection places are giving free covid antibody testing w/ a donation. There are LONG lines.

 

[StarHalo]

shameful and the hypocrisy on display by left-leaning media mass gatherings in the name of social justice.

The politicization and discussion of protests are better suited to the Underground, let's keep this thread aboveboard for all.

 

[Johnnyh]

The politicization and discussion of protests are better suited to the Underground, let's keep this thread aboveboard for all.

It has nothing to do with the protests or its basis for existence. I don't care about protest, they have that right and they're welcome to it. Thats not the point. The point is that mall shoppers, Mormons at the airport and Lake of The Ozarks denizens, have rights as well. We all do. Articles shaming them for exercising their right to assemble is, in these times, patently absurd.

My wife's knitting club, her painting class, her church...banned, barred and prohibited. She is heartbroken and bewildered. This is not some far away ethereal probability. It's happening to me and my loved ones. It's happening everywhere across this country.
Whether or not the threat of Covid-19 is as real as they would have us believe is certainly up for debate...but the losses, the suffering, the despair that these measures have brought are very, very real. Protest to your hearts content, but please stop telling us we can't go to church, the mall, the knitting club or the painting class.

 

[StarHalo]

Well if the lockdown did anything for Utah, you'd see their numbers at least remain the same for some period of time, and then on removing that lockdown there would be a notable effect. Survey says:

 

[Johnnyh]

Well if the lockdown did anything for Utah, you'd see their numbers at least remain the same for some period of time, and then on removing that lockdown there would be a notable effect. Survey says:

Ok, back on the soapbox....another notable effect might be more happiness. Returning to the dignity of honest work, returning to Church, Synagogue or Mosque. Returning to life. Less suicide, less drug addiction and/ or alcohol abuse (and the huge death toll they take). More citizens unafraid to seek preventive medicine. Children getting healthy food, stimulation and social interaction in school...The death toll due to covid-19 here in the USA and around the world is not just about those infected, the toll taken by shutting off the world may yet prove to be much higher.

 

[Monocrom]

Johnnyh ~

Whether or not the threat of Covid-19 is as real as they would have us believe is certainly up for debate...

Come on down to NYC. Go to literally any funeral home, in any of the 5 boroughs. Check the overflow of corpses in any of the funeral homes. And realize it used to be FAR worse just a couple of short weeks ago. Approximately 110,000 dead in America from the virus. We had a single week high of 2,000. Sorry, but it's really not up for debate.

I'm genuinely sorry that your wife cannot enjoy her knitting club, or her painting class, or church. as I mentioned in my previous post, this is a TEMPORARY new normal. It hasn't been easy on anyone. Yes, people still have rights. I'd hope they'd also at least have some good sense to keep themselves and their loved ones (and quite frankly other fellow human-beings) safe by realizing that we're all living through a deadly planetary pandemic. The likes of which we haven't seen in 100 years. Just that fact alone should be enough for people to exercise some sound judgement and care. For them to realize it's not business as usual out there.

We all miss socializing in person. We all miss our hobbies. When this virus finally burns itself out, then we can go back to how things were before. Can't just say, "Okay, that's enough of this. Everyone go back to work. Back to normal. We've decided it's over. All good."

In many parts of the world, including America; it's survival mode out there. Sorry, but everything else needs to take a backseat to that. And as a Christian, I get it.... Church should not be one of them. There are some who rely on their church for guidance, and support. For some, it's all they have. Even the Christian church has recognized however that it's not normal times we are living through. Thankfully, considering how some interpret who that first of Four Horsemen happens to be, no one is claiming that we have reached that particular time in Humanity's existence; yet. There is strength in The Good Book for all Believers. Thankfully, those of us who believe can still turn to it; even while churches are closed.

 

[Poppy]

My grand-kids are graduating 8th Grade some time soon. I THINK they will have a virtual graduation, but plans may be in the process of a parking lot, or field one, too.

Regarding High School Grads:
Governor set one date (not allowed until the middle of July), the Mayor, in defiance set one sooner, (well, not really in defiance, since larger gatherings are now allowed, perhaps he'll plan to do the gatherings in multiple groups, scattered around), and the board of Ed, also set another date.

Crazy times.

More stores, small businesses, and restaurants are opening in NJ (sometimes with the town father's blessings) sooner than the Governor's Executive Order allows. Towns are closing some streets, so that business can be conducted outdoors with spacial distancing.

It's more obvious now than ever before that the government only has as much power and authority, and ability to exercise that authority, as the general populace will allow.

 

[scout24]

Here in my neck of the woods, we're still under "mask and social distance" guidelines. Niece's HS graduation was cancelled/postponed, rightly so. They had a parade-ceremony at a local drive-in movie theater the other night, and the grads were all out of their parent's cars hugging and piling onto eachother for photos, not a mask in sight. I'm glad we didn't go, and glad I won't see her for a couple weeks. My sympathy level for the "poor kids" is zero.

 

[bykfixer]

If it were me, 20 years from now i'd probably be bummed if none of my grad photos were showing me in a mask. I mean this is a giant moment that (hopefully) won't be repeated. The year of the mask. In my grad year a bunch of kids with long hair had their hair cut into mullets as a joke on grad night. Good laughs at the 10 year reunion.

My coworkers grand daughter is graduating next weekend on a football field. He said they plan on taking photos of kids hugging each other wearing masks at 6' apart as a humorous reminder of a bummer situation.

Now yesterday I spoke of Mrs Fixer having a coworker test positive. She had spoken with the masked lady a week before. She said she was never close to the lady. So while getting chewed about by my client for a thing gone wrong on the project via my company phone Mrs Fixer is calling me repeatedly on my personal phone. When I called her back she says "work is sending me home because I was exposed a week ago"…… great, more good news.
By sundown I had a sore throat. Went to bed at 8:30. Fell alseep quickly. I woke yesterday feeling woozy and listless. Uh oh. Fever? Nope. Trouble breathing? Nope. So far so good but all day yesterday I was as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. By 2:00 I did start to feel better. By supper I was ok. Today I feel great. So it seems yesterday was another "uh oh" allergy attack day as today my voice is all hoarse, but the energy is back and sore throat gone. Lots of dust on the project so hopefully that was all it was.
Phew!!

 

[Johnnyh]

Let me clarify just a bit. I don't believe that covid-19 is not a threat or that it's existence is some sort of hoax. What I do believe to be highly questionable is the cost/ benefit of shuttering our homes and businesses and our lives. This has resulted in millions left jobless, hopeless and depressed. Businesses large and small that will never recover.
They told us that the deadly pandemic would kill us if we dared to socialize. Then they told us that mass demonstrations are a-ok and would not spread the virus. Now it's back to "lockdowns are necessary".
Yes, I'm very skeptical. To say the least.

 

[Poppy]

bykfixer,
If the Mrs. was sent home due to covid, she should be able to collect unemployment with the extra Federal $600 a week. That's not all that hard to take.

And for you, being not so overweight, and getting regular exercise, eating fairly well, and not imbibing (as many others are), considering that you are under 60 years old, you should be fine even if you get infected.

So, take a deep breath, my friend and try to relax.
Poppy

 

[Poppy]

Let me clarify just a bit. I don't believe that covid-19 is not a threat or that it's existence is some sort of hoax. What I do believe to be highly questionable is the cost/ benefit of shuttering our homes and businesses and our lives. This has resulted in millions left jobless, hopeless and depressed. Businesses large and small that will never recover.
They told us that the deadly pandemic would kill us if we dared to socialize. Then they told us that mass demonstrations are a-ok and would not spread the virus. Now it's back to "lockdowns are necessary".
Yes, I'm very skeptical. To say the least.

Around here... the main concern of the mass demonstrations is the fear of the threat of the virus being spread.

The clock has not run out yet, but in time we will find out if that fear comes to fruition.

 

[Johnnyh]

Yes, only time will tell. I pray that we see no significant death-spike in all those areas where social distancing guidelines were ignored. It would be a revelation and a godsend. If significant increases in death are seen, may cooler heads prevail with a response of sound health management and treatment (as in: no corona virus victims placed in nursing homes) rather than devastating lockdowns.