Coronavirus - II

[bykfixer]

To be fair, even many high risk people don’t take it that seriously either. At a customer’s house today, a couple that must be well into their 70s, and she’s telling me about the huge July 4 party they are going to have. Last week another older lady was telling me they’re done isolating, and are having their kids and grandkids around again. Yesterday a retired couple told me they had their kids and grand kids over for the weekend for their 40th anniversary.

Media can demonize young people for going to a bar and paint retirees as the victims of their irresponsible actions, but I don’t see how it’s much different than the old people having parties at their homes which my experience is showing to be fairly common at this point.

Seems to me the big quake is over but sometimes the after shocks are bad too. If the vulnerable community (as my governor puts it) want to party like it's 1999 that's on them. I don't mean to pick out one group as the worst violators, especially the millenials who already have blame for lots of other things. Much of the blame is cast on them by the generations that taught them to be the way they are or did not teach them at all.

My point was to say the younger crowd who have never faced a situation like deadly flu or in this case a new super bug and do not instictively understand the dangers of a simple virus. Heck one time at work a man I was working for kept ranting about those stupid young people this, those stupid young people that. I say "hey buster, I'm one of those stupid young people and frankly I'm tired of hearing how stupid we are from people like you who never taught us jack squat". He was my mentor for the next 5 years. Now it's my turn to teach the young. I cannot undo the habits of foolish seasoned folks. But I can show the younger crowd how to avoid some of our mistakes while passing on some common sense approaches to life.

While cautioning one of my trainees yesterday outside on staying 6' away I pointed out how he was down wind of me. "What if I were sick and did not know it?" I blew a puff of my cigarette in his direction and showed him how my smoke could be contagious droplets. He saw that and stayed farther from me the rest of the day.

 

[Poppy]

<SNIP>

While cautioning one of my trainees yesterday outside on staying 6' away I pointed out how he was down wind of me. "What if I were sick and did not know it?" I blew a puff of my cigarette in his direction and showed him how my smoke could be contagious droplets. He saw that and stayed farther from me the rest of the day.

Great demonstration!

:thumbsup:

 

[Devildude]

Visual demonstrations usually work the best. Not many people are aware of how things really happen in life.

 

[bykfixer]

My point was not to single out any group, but to show we all must continue to be viligant for a while longer.
This one is working opposite of the Spanish flu by taking out more older folks first where the Spanish flu round 1 took out the young first.
Round 2 of the Spanish flu took out middle aged people and round 3 took out older folks.
Autopsies in recent times from "Spanish flu" grave sights have shown there was 3 distinct versions of the same virus. It still baffles scientist how it became mutated into 3 (or possibly more) versions in less time than it normally takes a virus to mutate once.

Being this one has been known to be around for about 6 months or perhaps a bit longer, history shows us it may turn into something that puts younger people in jeopardy. I pray it does not. People my age and older remember when kids our age died from the flu. We should know better. If my generation and forward throws caution to the wind, well so be it. They were warned.

I say all of that while (now) on day 1 of a self quarentine. While using caution my wife was potentially exposed at work and now has head cold-like symptoms. While awaiting test results we are self quarentined. I show zero symptoms. Trouble is the lady Mrs Fixer was potentially exposed to has tested positive a week ago and still shows zero symptoms. She got tested as a precaution when another coworker got sick and tested positive. Mrs Fixer and I have been battling allergies for weeks now. I have been taking medicine. She has not. So our fingers are crossed she is just plagued with an allergy attack symptoms but we chose to isolate completely from coworkers until the test result is known.

It's been 8 days since her potential exposure. Average time for symptoms to occur is 5-7 days. Everytime I knew the person who I got a flu from it was 3-5 days when I got sick. Mrs Fixer is rarely sick with anything, even when everybody else around us are. Out of 20 people my wife works with 18 tested negative a week after the first person tested positive. That lady got it from her husband who got it from his work (outdoors). Perhaps we got lucky this time. We should know in a day or so. (fingers and toes crossed). We followed the guidelines since March, but one slip here or there and it can get ya.

Two of my 4 coworkers are mid 70's. A third has a girlfriend who takes care of an Alzheimers patient and the fourth has elderly parents. I really, really, really hope I did not pass it to them.

 

[Poppy]

Mr fixer my friend,
I hope it is allergies, or a head cold.

While my daughter was strictly self quarantined, she stayed in her bedroom, except to shower, and we kept an exhaust fan in the window of her room, to keep it negative pressurized. I kept a window in the kitchen open so that the exhausted air could be replaced.

We were particularly careful, so that the kids didn't get sick. But just as careful, so that I, as the caregiver didn't get sick either.

Here's to hoping she is feeling better soon.
Stay safe.

 

[bykfixer]

I remember way back your daughter had a mystery illness. Did it end up being the covid Poppy?

When I told my coworkers what's up they said "you?" "you were so anal about distancing, disinfecting and hollering at us to back away" lol.

 

[Poppy]

I remember way back your daughter had a mystery illness. Did it end up being the covid Poppy?

When I told my coworkers what's up they said "you?" "you were so anal about distancing, disinfecting and hollering at us to back away" lol.

That's still an unknown.
She did the swab test twice.
The specialist thought that it was a false negative the first time and the second time, while it was also negative, that she probably had cleared the virus by time they tested the second time.
She still had a low grade fever, and got the antibody test, which also came back negative.

The specialist stated that she had a list of patients with long time low fevers, over two months.

Very early on, I had some tracheal, phlegm; not anything deep, nor for that matter particularly productive. A couple of weeks ago, I had an antibody test done, thinking that if I came back positive, then it could be stated that at least SOMEONE in the household had it and may have exposed the other. But mine was negative too!

The last couple of days she had no fever, but it returned last night with the sweats again. Still low... 100.2.

I suggested that she call the specialist again, and see what she has to say. Her GP wanted to do a head CT which was denied by the insurance carrier. SO I suggested that perhaps if the specialist agreed, and ordered it then it may get approved.

Thanks for asking, but the short answer is: I don't know if the specialist is still hanging her hat on Covid despite all the negative tests.

 

[raggie33]

people are still saying on twitter that the flu is worst

 

[bykfixer]

The concensus is up to 500k people have died from the flu in the last 12 months.
450k have have been attributed to covid 19 in about 6 months. Apparently the data for flu worldwide is estimated each year from 250k to 500k deaths
https://www.medscape.com/answers/219557-3459/what-is-the-global-incidence-of-influenza

Now once herd immunity sets in perhaps the future strains of flu may be more dangerous than future versions of this novel corona, but right now the new corona seems to be taking out people at a faster rate than the recent flu strains.

 

[Monocrom]

So this week at my 3rd shift job, been seeing a scary trend that is getting worse. Keep in mind, I'm in New York City. The infection and death rates are higher here than in most countries. You'd think that Law Enforcement professionals would take the planetary pandemic seriously. Especially since they're exposed to random members of the general public often, on a daily basis. Often, having to touch them and get up close and personal to arrest someone.

Well.... You'd be wrong. Many think the building I work in is just various Corporate offices. There are a handful of those. But the majority are made up of Administrative offices belonging to a number of different Law Enforcement agencies. Both state, as well as Federal ones. Before the start of this previous work week, building owners put out signs politely asking tenants to all wear masks. Hand-sanitizer stations were installed at the main entrances to the building too. Signs also went up asking no more than two individuals per each elevator.

Nothing like seeing a bunch of LEOs show up for work, no masks, crowding into an elevator, nine at a time. Laughing, joking, carrying on. Then they "suit up" for work. Head back down in the same elevator, only now with masks on. Apparently they think the coronavirus will politely wait until they've all punched in for the day, before trying to infect any of them.

Next day, same process. Only this time, none of them bothered to wear masks at all; while riding down the elevator and all suited up. I'm seeing all of this on the security monitors. As for gloves?.... They don't need no stinking gloves. They don't bother with those either. And that's just one agency in the building. Been at that client's site long enough to pick out who most of the various LEOs are. They're the worst offenders. Keep in mind that working there doesn't mean these particular LEOs don't go out and interact with the public while on-duty. They do.

 

[idleprocess]

The wearing of face masks in public has more than inverted in the bits of DFW I occasionally visit; a month-plus ago it was ~75%/25% of the public masked/unmasked and ~100% of retail staff wearing masks... now you're lucky if it's 20% of the public wearing masks and half of retail staff. That and the greater public years for restaurants, movie theaters, and other indoor pleasures involving crowds. I hope we don't see COVID-19 infection rates kangaroo-ing like the stock market, but I fear we're in for another large round of infections, restrictions, and testing the capacity of the medical system.

 

[turbodog]

The wearing of face masks in public has more than inverted in the bits of DFW I occasionally visit; a month-plus ago it was ~75%/25% of the public masked/unmasked and ~100% of retail staff wearing masks... now you're lucky if it's 20% of the public wearing masks and half of retail staff. That and the greater public years for restaurants, movie theaters, and other indoor pleasures involving crowds. I hope we don't see COVID-19 infection rates kangaroo-ing like the stock market, but I fear we're in for another large round of infections, restrictions, and testing the capacity of the medical system.

I'm seeing the same thing more or less. Grocery used to be 95%+ masked, now it's 15%. Other stores are similar.

If you want to see where you state will be in "X" time, just watch the leaders (AZ, FL, TX, etc)

I'm NOT looking forward to NY's rebound...

 

[idleprocess]

If you want to see where you state will be in "X" time, just watch the leaders (AZ, FL, TX, etc)

Yeah, that would be where I live, thus the trepidation.

 

[raggie33]

i wear my mask to keep me safe and to keep others safe. but i still get looks like im a mad man for wearing a mask. i still even use hand satasizer (spell check do ya job darn it) i use it even before i go in store

 

[StarHalo]

Cali gov just mandated masks in public, so we're going the other way; the other states followed when we went through this the first time, not looking like they'll go for it again..

 

[Poppy]

Yes monocrom,
I agree.

Often I'd see in the news, multiple police officers standing and congregating in tight groups, some with, some without masks.

I often thought it ironic to see them walking side by side patrolling parks and public spaces, encouraging/enforcing social distancing.

Yesterday, here in New Jersey, I went to a local Home Depot, to pick up a few carabiners. I turned into the parking lot, and drove right through it, and out the other side. It was jammed packed! Gassed up my car, and drove by a Kohls (large chain department clothing store) parking lot was jammed.

If people are back to work, maybe the economy will pick right back up.

I went to another HD, and decided to venture in. They were busy, but not jammed. Everyone wore a mask.

 

[turbodog]

Yeah, that would be where I live, thus the trepidation.

I know. Post was mostly for others reading.

I'm looking at today's data... comparing new cases to A) active cases and B) total cases, all on a per state basis.

States that stand out in BOTH rankings: Al, AZ, FL, MT, NC, UT.

1. TX not on that list, today.
2. Not all states in yet

TX gross numbers are big, but so is state population. I'm looking at rate.

I'm also looking at active cases per million residents. By that metric, TX doesn't look so bad.

However, that said, every single piece of data I am tracking shows the numbers are steadily increasing across the board: local, state, regional, national, continental, on a gross and percentage ranking.

 

[Monocrom]

The wearing of face masks in public has more than inverted in the bits of DFW I occasionally visit; a month-plus ago it was ~75%/25% of the public masked/unmasked and ~100% of retail staff wearing masks... now you're lucky if it's 20% of the public wearing masks and half of retail staff. That and the greater public years for restaurants, movie theaters, and other indoor pleasures involving crowds. I hope we don't see COVID-19 infection rates kangaroo-ing like the stock market, but I fear we're in for another large round of infections, restrictions, and testing the capacity of the medical system.

Sadly, I fear we're going to see all of that taking place.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

...Nothing like seeing a bunch of LEOs show up for work, no masks, crowding into an elevator, nine at a time. Laughing, joking, carrying on.

GAH. This is a worst case scenario for virus transmission. Talking spreads the virus farther than breathing and laughing spreads it even farther. Combine this with the tight space of an elevator and you're just asking for it.

Do some people think that wearing a mask makes you look weak? I think it makes you look very, very smart.

 

[bykfixer]

Food for thought on the LEO in elevators in New York thing:

If 400k New York folks have had it, at least 80% will be fine that would mean at least 320k folks. If 50% are over the thing that would be 200k. Being LEO and others in that field are first responders may have been early cases, could it be that those folks in elevators are batches of people who had it, recovered and can safely mingle with each other?
Just a thought.

In my state lots of folks had it, got well and are now back at work like normal and are not a threat to the general population anymore. In my state the numbers are maybe 12% of what New York is dealing with. Yet most of our deaths are in nursing homes.

The first person working with Mrs Fixer to show positive got pretty sick for about 5 days but in week 2 is nearing symptom free. The second one, the one who was symptom free but tested negative is still largely symptom free and speaks of a stuffy nose after a second week. That was 9 days ago when Mrs Fixer was near her. Her cold like symptoms are getting better while we await test results. Her energy level has returned to normal. I'm still symptom free aside from the same allergy symptoms I've been dealing with off and on for a couple of months now. So we presume the test will come back negative.