OT: What changes are you and family making to your lifestyle due to coranavirus?

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Massachusetts is pretty much shut down. Has been since late last week. 20,000 unemployment claims here.

There are no good choices. None. Shutting things down will cause irreparable short and long term damage to tens of millions of people's lives in the United States. Many of them the youngest. And most of the elderly will live. That's where we are. It truly sucks. This isn't half measures. This is extreme measures already.

The only outcome we can hope for is a vaccine within the next 2-3 weeks. Beyond that we are in uncharted waters. The city of Philadelphia just said it's not arresting people anymore for burglary, theft, etc. If you don't think that's a recipe for wide scale public violence I don't know what is.

Vaccines take at least a year... better chance is that they discover a medicine or cocktail of medicines that reduce symptoms and shorten incubation. I have modest hope that’s coming within a few weeks.

The only real hope we have right now is people staying home. South Korea got hit on a similar timeline as us and is already looking up while we haven’t come close to seeing the worst because they took social isolation seriously. If people would really take staying seriously we’d have a chance against this but THIS IS MURICA AND ITS MY RIGHT TO SPREAD INFECTIOUS DISEASE DERPY DURRRR

 

[Marbles90]

There are no good choices. None. Shutting things down will cause irreparable short and long term damage to tens of millions of people's lives in the United States. Many of them the youngest. And most of the elderly will live. That's where we are. It truly sucks. This isn't half measures. This is extreme measures already.

There is something about the math doesn't add up for me. Look at the NBA. 7 players? And 4 are not showing any symptoms. The only reason we know they have it is because they tested everyone in the NBA. We all know how difficult it is to make it to the NBA. With 330,000,000 people in the US, the probability of being an NBA player in the US is ~ .00001% With 4K Coronavirus cases in the US, the probability of having the virus is ~ .0001%. So the probability of being both and NBA player AND have the virus? And there are 7??? The math does not add up. Hundreds of thousands of people probably have it now or have had it or have/had it and are showing no symptoms. If we take that into account, the % of severe case is much lower. There is no way to totally isolate it out. We need a solid plan of what we are doing for the next few weeks/month. I agree with what we are doing now but we cannot sustain it. We flatten the curve over the next few weeks and better prepare for the extreme cases. And then we start encouraging people to get back to normal. If we try to wait it out until this all goes away, it will be well into the summer and there will still people contracting it. The damage of closing down the country probably will outweigh the damage of the virus. This is all, of course assuming we do not find a treatment/vaccine.

 

[Leebo]

There is something about the math doesn't add up for me. Look at the NBA. 7 players? And 4 are not showing any symptoms. The only reason we know they have it is because they tested everyone in the NBA. We all know how difficult it is to make it to the NBA. With 330,000,000 people in the US, the probability of being an NBA player in the US is ~ .00001% With 4K Coronavirus cases in the US, the probability of having the virus is ~ .0001%. So the probability of being both and NBA player AND have the virus? And there are 7??? The math does not add up. Hundreds of thousands of people probably have it now or have had it or have/had it and are showing no symptoms. If we take that into account that into account, the % of severe case is much lower. There is no way to totally isolate it out. We need a solid plan of what we are doing for the next few weeks/month. I agree with what we are doing now but we cannot sustain it. We flatten the curve over the next few weeks and better prepare for the extreme cases. And then we start encouraging people to get back to normal. If we try to wait it out until this all goes away, it will be well into the summer and there will still people contracting it. The damage of closing down the country probably will outweigh the damage of the virus. This is all, of course assuming we do not find a treatment/vaccine.

People don't contract the virus by random chance... It's not strange once you have one NBA player with the virus that you would have a bunch.

Never mind the fact that NBA players travel more than the average American, by a great deal.

This video shows how confirmed cases lag behind actual cases, as well.

 

[Kitaman]

This one is affecting older people and people with existing conditions way harder than healthy youth. Just don't go back home to granny or gramps and tell them about it. Send 'em a text or video message.

My 88 year old father lives alone in his house. I'm itching to do a wellness check (lay eyes on him), even though I'm speaking to him daily. I want to do a fridge check (and store run if necessary) and my wife to cook a lot of meals and freeze. Perhaps do a thorough cleaning (he gets no visitors) of his 9 room house, just for comfort. Come up late afternoon, leave the next morning, after an early morning grocery run.

My wife and I are staying indoors with no exposure other than our mail delivery. I am positive we wouldn't be bringing anything to his house. Its just his age, and the uncertainty if we would be putting him at risk. He's all alone outside of neighbors who do look out for him to a certain extent, but I'm sure not lately.

Not sure if that's wise, advisable or even worth it. Or should we treat him like a one man nursing home.

Being the closest family member 90 miles away, this sucks.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Vaccines take at least a year... better chance is that they discover a medicine or cocktail of medicines that reduce symptoms and shorten incubation. I have modest hope that’s coming within a few weeks.

The only real hope we have right now is people staying home. South Korea got hit on a similar timeline as us and is already looking up while we haven’t come close to seeing the worst because they took social isolation seriously. If people would really take staying seriously we’d have a chance against this but THIS IS MURICA AND ITS MY RIGHT TO SPREAD INFECTIOUS DISEASE DERPY DURRRR

Actually, South Korea never took the steps we are taking now. They still haven't. They did not implement what the Imperial College Study calls "suppression" and instead employed something more like "mitigation" plus more strict quarantines of positive tested people and high risk people. It's a smart approach and has reduced the economic impact. We've closed schools despite the fact that those kids aren't really at risk. Certainly they might spread it to more at risk people, but what the Koreans did was isolate those people.

 

[storrsroars]

Just to lighten this up a little, here's a change in behavior - bread was sold out so I bought a box of Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuit mix. I just made a batch. I don't know what all the fuss is out. Definitely not as satisfying as a crusty loaf of fresh French bread.

Guess I'm going to have to revisit my bread-making skills if there's still flour to be had at the grocer's.

 

[superjohn]

Massachusetts is pretty much shut down. Has been since late last week. 20,000 unemployment claims here.

There are no good choices. None. Shutting things down will cause irreparable short and long term damage to tens of millions of people's lives in the United States. Many of them the youngest. And most of the elderly will live. That's where we are. It truly sucks. This isn't half measures. This is extreme measures already.

The only outcome we can hope for is a vaccine within the next 2-3 weeks. Beyond that we are in uncharted waters. The city of Philadelphia just said it's not arresting people anymore for burglary, theft, etc. If you don't think that's a recipe for wide scale public violence I don't know what is.

Vaccine within the next 2-3 weeks, what?!??

 

[Kitaman]

Guess I'm going to have to revisit my bread-making skills if there's still flour to be had at the grocer's.

This is the time for new hobbies, revisiting old hobbies, on-line chess/checkers/backgammon, and fishing right around the corner. My wife and I will be packing picnic baskets and sitting on benches and eating our lunch at the water or some park where we won't get caught.

As for me I am thinking about a quick run to Hobby Lobby and getting one of the model sets to put together (I have no artistic abilities) and maybe even a nice big puzzle.

Cooking is another skill to learn but my wife is home, and she doesn't want food wasted.

My 30+ daughter has made 5 digits on the market this week on puts, which she just took up this month. We can all learn the market and make some money or be prepared to invest soon since their are so many bargains out there.

I guess I'm saying its a great time to learn and do new things, or even attack the honey-to lists (yes plural) because we have no distractions and too much time.

 

[ctchamps]

We live in a weird society where a majority of the people got the opinion that health related epidemics/pandemics are expected to uniformly affect all age groups, genders, races, economic status, previous health conditions, geographic location......…….....equally. The history of major health crisis says otherwise.

This one is affecting older people and people with existing conditions way harder than healthy youth. I'd put more emphasis on isolating and helping those who are at high risk rather than blanket policies. Good for the kids. Go out, have fun. Be social. Just don't go back home to granny or gramps and tell them about it. Send 'em a text or video message.

There is only one positive from your recommendation. The conference of immunity to this virus in the future population. We're not even sure of that at this point in time.

The most serious negative is those kids just extended the timeline needed for this pandemic to pass by a minimum of two weeks.

Even if we can manage to isolate the most vulnerable (those individuals who will die) the number of people getting severe reactions with a low likelihood of death will be signifiant. 15 to 20% of everyone is a large number of workers who will sub perform or need to not work. That group will still overwhelm our health care systems if not put a severe crimp on societal functioning. It appears that people at risk for death starts with 50 progressing significantly as people are over 80. We've reached the point where the majority of people are not taking chances. So even if the statistics a year or two from now indicate the fear factor was overblown that won't help the emotional state we are in and the economic situation we are currently facing as a result of this crisis.

Immediately (with news from China optimally but certainly when S. Korea, Japan and Italy showed signs) starting testing to isolate the infected and those communities that had reached a certain threshold similar to what was done in S. Korea was the best means of minimizing medical and financial risk. That failure exposed our health and wallets to the worst possible outcome. The kids need to understand this and do their part. After all they are the ones who will need to find jobs in the near future and that is less likely the deeper the recession. The over 80 are not individuals currently working.

 

[ctchamps]

History sometimes offers valuable lessons on how to deal with situations.

Two cities with two outcomes during the 1917 flu pandemic.

Philadelphia did it wrong back then and doing it wrong now

 

[superjohn]

What's going to happen when the # of deaths actually explode in the US? The economy has already collapsed.

 

[jostar1]

There is something about the math doesn't add up for me. Look at the NBA. 7 players? And 4 are not showing any symptoms. The only reason we know they have it is because they tested everyone in the NBA. We all know how difficult it is to make it to the NBA. With 330,000,000 people in the US, the probability of being an NBA player in the US is ~ .00001% With 4K Coronavirus cases in the US, the probability of having the virus is ~ .0001%. So the probability of being both and NBA player AND have the virus? And there are 7??? The math does not add up. Hundreds of thousands of people probably have it now or have had it or have/had it and are showing no symptoms. If we take that into account, the % of severe case is much lower. There is no way to totally isolate it out. We need a solid plan of what we are doing for the next few weeks/month. I agree with what we are doing now but we cannot sustain it. We flatten the curve over the next few weeks and better prepare for the extreme cases. And then we start encouraging people to get back to normal. If we try to wait it out until this all goes away, it will be well into the summer and there will still people contracting it. The damage of closing down the country probably will outweigh the damage of the virus. This is all, of course assuming we do not find a treatment/vaccine.

Dr. Matthew Cartter, the Connecticut state epidemiologist, said Tuesday that for every positive test, there are likely many more infected residents.

"There’s at least 100 people out there who have COVID-19 for every single positive, which puts us around 6,000 or so,” Cartter said. "And that might be a low estimate.”

 

[temery]

Well, I just stopped paying my bills.

 

[ctchamps]

Well, I just stopped paying my bills.

Is that why the ads are back? For a while I forgot what a Russian lady looked like.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

These young adults aren’t changing a thing!
#COVIDiots

 

[superjohn]

These young adults aren’t changing a thing!
#COVIDiots

A lot of older people aren't either. Entire states in the South have barely changed a thing.

 

[Kitaman]

So if illegal immigrants become infected and don't get scanned or treated, we could exponentially have significant increases in cases. Many are at our fast food restaurants handling food prep and packaging, and performing cleaning duties (touching everything). Probably working at locations all over the Country, including hospitals, nursing homes and clinics.

Most importantly the threat of deportation is a deterrent to getting treatment.

No one is talking about this.

 

[Kitaman]

Connecticut will no longer track virus contacts. Says its past the point of practibility. Meaning if you contracted the virus your contact history is irrelevant or impossible to track. Its too late now.

Not good!

Dan Haar: State tells towns it’s done tracking virus exposures

 

[Leebo]

No one is talking about this.

Too busy talking about how hardly anyone can get a test whether they are a citizen or not?

Everyone is spreading this.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

These young adults aren’t changing a thing!
#COVIDiots

thought that was Tyler Olander

 

[HCCForever]

I just noticed that the Stones 2020 Tour has been postponed. I have tickets for Tampa in July so I was hopeful that there would be no postponement for me. But it seems the entire tour beginning in San Diego May 8 has been postponed until further notice. This is minor event in the context of world events but still a bummer. I need outdoor sports and music to keep me relatively sane.

I feel sorry for a coworker of mine who works from home in Salt Lake City. We were on a call yesterday morning when the earthquake hit the city. She was obviously stressed and had to get off the phone to check on her elderly mother. Quite a lot for the folks in Utah to handle in addition to the stress of coronavirus.

 

[Edward Sargent]

I know that there a some Docs on the BY and I think there was some discussion in another thread, but this paper just came across my desk.

 

[navery12]

My bosses' husband just tested positive. Luckily my company was pretty early and we've been working from home since last Thursday so I'm not too worried, but it's getting closer.

Not exactly surprising info but the doctor said they won't test the rest of the family. Said numbers are at least 10x higher than reported/tested and at this point they're not even testing most who show symptoms

 

[superjohn]

Such a weird and sad story...

Coronavirus shatters New Jersey family, kills 4 with 3 more hospitalized

"I went to sleep having 10 aunts and uncles! Friday I woke up and found out I only had 9. Just a few minutes ago I found out I only have 8," a relative said.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Yep, interesting and encouraging. Some important basic medical research study critique notes:

1. Very small sample size, not a true randomized trial. Control group was selected from a couple different sites other than the one where they gave the treatments
2. Vast majority of patients had only mild disease or were asymptomatic. At this point. can't extrapolate the encouraging results to the sickest patients who could benefit most from active antiviral therapy with much level of confidence
3. Main endpoint of interest was seeming to reduce the nasopharngeal viral load to undetectable levels in a decent % of hydroxychloroquine patients and all of the hydroxychloroquine+azithromycin patients. This finding *IF REAL & REPRODUCIBLE*, coupled with widespread screening of patients, could be a PROFOUND intervention to curtail rampant spread of the disease by mildly symptomatic/asymptomatic people.

BAD NEWS:
-In true panic fashion, since this has circulated like wildfire on social media, people are jumping all over this and hounding MDs for prescriptions whether they need them or not. Similar to what we saw with Tyler Phommachanh, most pharmacies & healthcare facilities already are in "backorder" status with usual suppliers trying to order these meds for patients.