We're Moving!

Image
Click for more info.

COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Discuss anything that doesn't fit elsewhere on the site. As a reminder, religion, politics and weaponry are prohibited.
User avatar
Sporkboy
MoT Member
Posts: 1950
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2018 3:25 pm
Has thanked: 2570 times
Been thanked: 5989 times

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by Sporkboy »

Restaurants are now open for patio seating and people look as if the past few months didn’t happen. In my neighborhood we had face mask usage at about 50% a few weeks ago and that is down to about 10%.

Grocery stores still require that they be worn, but I spotted 19 different employees throughout the store wearing them incorrectly. I lodged a complaint on my way out at the customer service desk. If the employees don’t care then the customers certainly won’t take it seriously.

I am very concerned about my friend who lives in Oklahoma where there is going to be a huge event where people are crammed together for long periods of time without requiring social distancing of face masks. Minimally it is wreckless and it likely should be criminal. When we ignore the evidence in front of it and do whatever we please then we have to own up to the consequences...or just blame someone else for it and move on.
User avatar
BostonCharlie
MoT Member
Posts: 3256
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2018 5:26 pm
Location: Texas
Has thanked: 20583 times
Been thanked: 12693 times

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by BostonCharlie »

I think this graph from the WSJ here (pay wall) is interesting (the original is interactive). I've read elsewhere that the recent surge includes more young people than before, which could account for the diverging graphs. I imagine that medical services are now better prepared, too. Finally, there's the fact that the more widely available testing will identify more infections than before (although I've read elsewhere that this doesn't account for the full extent of the recent surge).

covid-19_cases_and_deaths.png
User avatar
BostonCharlie
MoT Member
Posts: 3256
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2018 5:26 pm
Location: Texas
Has thanked: 20583 times
Been thanked: 12693 times

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by BostonCharlie »

Shopping for digital thermometers, I had much better luck on Walmart.com than Amazon.com. Walmart's in-house Equate brand was available for under $5 a pop. Amazon's offerings were north of $12, and one top pick had many recent complaints about corroded batteries.

$4.88 digital thermometer at Walmart.com (inventory can fluctuate -- might be available at a local store):
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-30-Se ... /535753605

Image

Walmart has temple and forehead thermometers, too, of course. I usually exclude 3rd-party offerings when browsing for such things (by selecting Retailer -> Walmart.com in the sidebar).
User avatar
BostonCharlie
MoT Member
Posts: 3256
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2018 5:26 pm
Location: Texas
Has thanked: 20583 times
Been thanked: 12693 times

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by BostonCharlie »

Big news from Texas (source here):
Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide mask mandate Thursday as Texas scrambles to get its coronavirus surge under control.

The order requires Texans living in counties more than 20 coronavirus cases to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth while in a business or other building open to the public, as well as outdoor public spaces, whenever social distancing is not possible. But it provides several exceptions, including for children who are younger than 10 years old, people who have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, people who are eating or drinking, and people who are exercising outdoors.

The mask order goes into effect at 12:01 p.m. Friday. It immediately applies to all Texas counties, but counties with 20 or fewer active cases can be exempted — if they opt out. County judges must submit an application to be exempted to the Texas Division of Emergency Management. TDEM will list the counties that have opted out on its website.

Later Thursday, in an interview with Univision in Dallas, Abbott also signaled he might be rethinking plans to open the state's public schools for in-person classes this fall, after state officials said last month that it would be safe.
Explains this gag I saw on the A&M sub-reddit here:

Image
yinzburgher
MoT Member
Posts: 5191
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2018 11:52 pm
Has thanked: 21228 times
Been thanked: 23299 times
Contact:

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by yinzburgher »

The number of job orders for short-term ICU nurses just absolutely exploded over the weekend. The jobs are for all across the country but the majority are for the exact places you would expect given recent news........FL, AZ, TX, and CA. I hope these places are just preparing for the worst and erring on the side of caution but I fear it's bc they are starting to see a lot of a lot of really sick people rolling through their doors. I was thinking about taking two weeks off from work but I'm not entirely certain. My current contract takes me to 7/18. It would be more complicated than a normal visit but I'd really like to see my parents and the rest of my kinfolk. 🤞

There is some interesting news and debate/discussion about the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2. You'll find info about it HERE in the NYT. If you can't view that article, there are plenty of others HERE. It basically just says what many (myself included) have worried about; that the virus tends to linger in the air in very tiny particles for extended periods of time. And that these particles can infect the individuals that breathe that air. That's definitely very concerning but not a doomsday scenario. There will still be ways to limit your exposure.

I don't always feel like posting about COVID but I think about it plenty, whether I'm at work or not. Unfortunately when I see people outside of work, I can't help but see transmission.....or possible transmission, that is. Have people gotten used to working from home? I've never had a job that I could work from home but I think there would be too many distractions for me. Are some of you back at work? Is anybody thinking about travel or vacation? There's got to be some safe and smart options, I hope. I'd still love to do some normal summer things but it hasn't panned out so far. Some drinks outdoors with my friends would be a dream. Hope everybody's well.
User avatar
MoT
Site Admin
Posts: 7093
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2018 11:27 am
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Has thanked: 13452 times
Been thanked: 30144 times
Contact:

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by MoT »

Mrs.MoT's 22-year-old cousin has been ordered to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Why? Because he's among the infuriatingly large number of young people that are doing nothing to protect themselves or others from contracting the virus.

The same group that has been hanging out in re-opened bars, on beaches, etc. He recently went camping with the group of friends and shared a tent with one who has been diagnosed positive.

I hope he doesn't fall ill, and I hope being alone in his room (he just moved home from college) for the next two weeks will give him time to reflect on his choices.
Join us on Discord and interact live with your fellow members (click the icon):

Want to ensure your favorite watch site can keep the lights on? Click here: https://www.patreon.com/motswdf

Your friend in time,
Matt - MoT

Click Icon To Contact Me:


"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them." - Ray Bradbury
"Remember no man is a failure who has friends." - Clarence Odbody
User avatar
Split-Time
MoT Member
Posts: 2492
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2019 4:05 pm
Has thanked: 22315 times
Been thanked: 10865 times

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by Split-Time »

yinzburgher wrote: Mon Jul 06, 2020 12:29 pm The number of job orders for short-term ICU nurses just absolutely exploded over the weekend. The jobs are for all across the country but the majority are for the exact places you would expect given recent news........FL, AZ, TX, and CA. I hope these places are just preparing for the worst and erring on the side of caution but I fear it's bc they are starting to see a lot of a lot of really sick people rolling through their doors. I was thinking about taking two weeks off from work but I'm not entirely certain. My current contract takes me to 7/18. It would be more complicated than a normal visit but I'd really like to see my parents and the rest of my kinfolk. 🤞

There is some interesting news and debate/discussion about the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2. You'll find info about it HERE in the NYT. If you can't view that article, there are plenty of others HERE. It basically just says what many (myself included) have worried about; that the virus tends to linger in the air in very tiny particles for extended periods of time. And that these particles can infect the individuals that breathe that air. That's definitely very concerning but not a doomsday scenario. There will still be ways to limit your exposure.

I don't always feel like posting about COVID but I think about it plenty, whether I'm at work or not. Unfortunately when I see people outside of work, I can't help but see transmission.....or possible transmission, that is. Have people gotten used to working from home? I've never had a job that I could work from home but I think there would be too many distractions for me. Are some of you back at work? Is anybody thinking about travel or vacation? There's got to be some safe and smart options, I hope. I'd still love to do some normal summer things but it hasn't panned out so far. Some drinks outdoors with my friends would be a dream. Hope everybody's well.
Thank you for being on the front lines!

I really appreciate your perspective when you post and I will share what is going on with us, what we have seen and what we are facing.

My wife has been working from home since the middle of March. I don't know how she does it. She not only has a lot of responsibilities herself, but she has employees in multiple locations working remotely...and they are getting things done but I wonder if they have just gotten used to herding cats. I don't know.

I work in a critical industry and am at the office. My boss and I alternated being here for a few weeks and that didn't work great. The folks in my wife's situation had to adjust...but I felt like we were in limbo (if people realized the situation was temporary they didn't have a lot of motivation to adapt to working from home). We needed more help before all of this hit and a lot of our work is hands on. When I am at home my computer is in my lap pretty much until I go to bed. People in the office are doing as good a job of staying isolated as I could have hoped for. Everyone I know takes this seriously. I am in Alabama and see things on the news that I have not seen in person. Part of that is because my family is acting responsibly, I suppose. I did hear about a young couple who married and instead of a ceremony they had a kegger...great :roll: .

Here is our bigger concern. Our son is in pre-K/day care. Very few kids are there and their procedures seem as good as we could expect. He is supposed to start kindergarten the middle of August. What happens with and in schools seems to be the real unknown from my perspective.

I also do some work with a university athletic department...completely unrelated to my real job. As recently as the 4th of July I was on the phone chewing the fat about the football team reporting, testing, how they are going to handle practices, meeting, travel, etc.

That probably doesn't help, but thanks for letting me ramble!
User avatar
Bbrou33
MoT Member
Posts: 1320
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2018 3:51 pm
Location: NYC
Has thanked: 7765 times
Been thanked: 4186 times
Contact:

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by Bbrou33 »

yinzburgher wrote:The number of job orders for short-term ICU nurses just absolutely exploded over the weekend. The jobs are for all across the country but the majority are for the exact places you would expect given recent news........FL, AZ, TX, and CA. I hope these places are just preparing for the worst and erring on the side of caution but I fear it's bc they are starting to see a lot of a lot of really sick people rolling through their doors. I was thinking about taking two weeks off from work but I'm not entirely certain. My current contract takes me to 7/18. It would be more complicated than a normal visit but I'd really like to see my parents and the rest of my kinfolk. [emoji1696]

There is some interesting news and debate/discussion about the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2. You'll find info about it HERE in the NYT. If you can't view that article, there are plenty of others HERE. It basically just says what many (myself included) have worried about; that the virus tends to linger in the air in very tiny particles for extended periods of time. And that these particles can infect the individuals that breathe that air. That's definitely very concerning but not a doomsday scenario. There will still be ways to limit your exposure.

I don't always feel like posting about COVID but I think about it plenty, whether I'm at work or not. Unfortunately when I see people outside of work, I can't help but see transmission.....or possible transmission, that is. Have people gotten used to working from home? I've never had a job that I could work from home but I think there would be too many distractions for me. Are some of you back at work? Is anybody thinking about travel or vacation? There's got to be some safe and smart options, I hope. I'd still love to do some normal summer things but it hasn't panned out so far. Some drinks outdoors with my friends would be a dream. Hope everybody's well.
Love when you chime in.

The GF has been working constantly. She was told she would stay in charge of covid swab areas at her hospital indefinitely.
She's still in school at NYU but everything is online.

My job has picked back up since surgeries are back underway. I'm basically working my usual schedule now.

NYC has postponed indoor restaurant dining. Today is phase 3 for us so mail salons, massage parlors, etc can resume today with limitations. Still no gyms either.

I have a trip planned to go back to see my family in Louisiana at the end of this month, however, their numbers have recently crept up and our governor here has put a 14 day quarantine in place if you travel to select states. Louisiana now being one of them.
So that trip is TBD

Outdoor drinks or dining is the best I can do for summer right now. I'm being tested at least once a month, if not more, because of my job. My GF is about the same, maybe twice a month. So that helps us feel a little better about certain things.

There's just so much uncertainty. That's what I hate the most about all of this.

Hope everyone is staying safe



Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Insta me: bbrou33
User avatar
Stretch44
MoT Member
Posts: 4213
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:24 pm
Location: Monterey Bay
Has thanked: 16780 times
Been thanked: 20302 times

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by Stretch44 »

I actually never worked from home. I'm an attorney and we're classified as essential to help effectuate and obtain court orders. Sadly, I've been extremely busy because people seems to become selfish during times of crisis. We are just now doing in person hearings as most have been done remotely. I actually did one of the first DVRO evidentiary hearings Santa Clara county a couple of weeks ago.

My wife is a teacher and has been working remotely since early March. She just heard that distance learning will continue through at least January of 2021. She teaches High School Spanish, which makes it a little easier.

I always take a week off around the 4th and we usually visit my parents in Plumas County. All 4th of July events were cancelled so we decided to stay home. We also usually do a trip to Disneyland, but that's looking less and less likely for awhile.

I too am getting tired of the unknown and want to get back to normal. That said, we'll do whatever it takes to get past this. As of right now, no one in my immediate family has been impacted by this virus unlike many other families around the world. Thanks for being on the front lines, [mention]yinzburgher[/mention].
User avatar
tommy_boy
MoT Member
Posts: 1049
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2018 7:44 pm
Location: The Evergreen State
Has thanked: 3196 times
Been thanked: 4763 times

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by tommy_boy »

A coworker of my son's roommate tested positive. My son has quarantined twice already. It's like deja vu all over again.

I work from home but normally travel to do my job. I do not intend to travel on business until this region is in Stage 3.

I did get a short vacation a few weeks back. Everything was open with restrictions, of course. Too soon? We'll find out.
Just my $0.02 USD as always.
User avatar
vta_watch
MoT Member
Posts: 689
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2018 7:05 pm
Location: Ventura, California
Has thanked: 4677 times
Been thanked: 4758 times
Contact:

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by vta_watch »


yinzburgher wrote: Have people gotten used to working from home? I've never had a job that I could work from home but I think there would be too many distractions for me. Are some of you back at work? Is anybody thinking about travel or vacation? There's got to be some safe and smart options, I hope.
I've been working from home since mid-March. I don't prefer it and never wanted to do it, but it's vastly preferable to being back in my cubicle-ized open-plan office without openable windows, which would be an ideal incubator for the COVID-19 virus. Are there distractions? Yeah, some, but they're manageable. And I don't miss spending a couple hours a day in my car commuting. Plus, I'm saving a few hundred dollars a month in gasoline, which helps to offset the 10% pay cut that was imposed company-wide. Which itself is better than being furloughed like some of my colleagues, so I can't complain. Lots of folks are worse off than I am. Much worse.

As for vacation, I've accepted that it won't happen this year. Maybe not next year, either. I'd rather stay home and not die. Vacations can wait. Besides, I live in a place where other people go on vacation, so it's not like I'm suffering. :-)



Tap. Talk. Buy a watch. Repeat.

User avatar
Sussa
MoT Member
Posts: 1265
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 6:48 am
Location: Massachusetts
Has thanked: 2521 times
Been thanked: 4970 times

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by Sussa »

Phase 3 started here today, or maybe next week. Re-openings are unclear and seem somewhat sudden. This phase includes gyms, museums, and movie theaters. I will continue to stay home, especially after my gym's re-opening message asked members to follow the rules and not expect staff to be the "mask police." I'm going to wait at least a month and see if cases spike.

I've worked from home for the last 6 years, so no change there. It's been fun watching my co-workers adjust though. We're starting to figure out how to let some people back in the office buildings with flex space reservations and temperature checks. It's worth noting that the home office is in the midwest, in an area not hit very hard. I used to travel back once a month, but that's on hold probably through the end of the year. My department realized WFH was working so well, it will be the standard indefinitely. There's no reason for me to come back and visit an empty office.

Those work trips were also my time to visit my family, who live in the area. My maternal grandmother passed away in March and I was able to fly back for the funeral before everything shut down, but it pained me to not be able to fly back and help my mom clear out the house. Mom and I have an annual tradition of sharing morel mushrooms in April-ish when they're in season, but she had to eat them all herself (such a sacrifice!).

I'm in grad school and my spouse is a college professor. Both universities are re-opening somewhat, but all of her classes are online for the fall semester so she won't need to be on campus. My program is delivered online synchronously and I'll find out tomorrow evening if students in the area are expected to attend in person. If it's an option, I'll attend remotely.

No vacation plans through 2020. A buddy reserved a great campsite for the beginning of August before all this went down. As much as I could use some outdoor time, I think the risk is too high for group camping. I'm considering a solo camping weekend, but good hygiene is still tough to pull off in the woods. Maybe I'll camp in the backyard. I'm currently looking for odd, socially distance-able attractions within driving range. Ponyhenge may be first: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ponyhenge

[mention]yinzburgher[/mention], thanks for continuing to put yourself on the front lines. Nurses are vital and often unappreciated in our healthcare system.
User avatar
tommy_boy
MoT Member
Posts: 1049
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2018 7:44 pm
Location: The Evergreen State
Has thanked: 3196 times
Been thanked: 4763 times

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by tommy_boy »

larand wrote: Mon Jul 06, 2020 7:52 pm Vacations can wait. Besides, I live in a place where other people go on vacation, so it's not like I'm suffering. :-)
I can say the same thing about the Pacific Northwest. There are plenty of places in the US where, if I was stranded (so to speak) it would be far less appealing to see the local sights.

Sunday, from roughly 4,000 feet. Bear Grass is in full regalia.

Image
Just my $0.02 USD as always.
User avatar
MoT
Site Admin
Posts: 7093
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2018 11:27 am
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Has thanked: 13452 times
Been thanked: 30144 times
Contact:

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by MoT »

I've always been a big fan of the staycation, or vacations where you don't need to go very far. Mrs.MoT and had a two-day getaway last month. It was actually the first time we had been away from home, just the two of us, since we got married.

We went to our favorite place in Minnesota, the north shore (well, south-west if you really want to get geographic) of Lake Superior. The distinct lack of people made appreciating the views that much easier.

Image

Image
Join us on Discord and interact live with your fellow members (click the icon):

Want to ensure your favorite watch site can keep the lights on? Click here: https://www.patreon.com/motswdf

Your friend in time,
Matt - MoT

Click Icon To Contact Me:


"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them." - Ray Bradbury
"Remember no man is a failure who has friends." - Clarence Odbody
User avatar
Stretch44
MoT Member
Posts: 4213
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:24 pm
Location: Monterey Bay
Has thanked: 16780 times
Been thanked: 20302 times

Re: COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

Post by Stretch44 »

I'm on a staycation right now! I built a fence on Friday and Saturday. Sunday I cleaned my garage and put one of our old TV's up in there; I've got a true guys garage now. Tomorrow I'm putting H&R lowering springs on my car with my father in law. So far, not a bad staycation at all. No need to go somewhere and spend a bunch of money.
Post Reply