Are you worried about the Coronavirus?

[finerthings]

My husband and son are going to a NBA game tonight and he said maybe our friend F would come to our house and park here, and then I could drop them all off and pick them up.

F just celebrated his divorce by taking his kids to Europe. Hold up, I said, tell me it wasn’t Italy (F is Italian). F is sleeping right now so we don’t know.

I said this is how it happens. Come back from Italy incubating, go to NBA game and infect everyone.... just saying....

It may not have been Italy, but I’m putting my money on he took the kids to Italy, including Rome and the Vatican.

I do agree with you, I would be concerned too.

 

[hedgehog93]

By no means do I mean to dismiss the possibility of the seriousness of the situation for people who have weak immune systems, poor health care, etc. that could result in serious illness or death. But again, in a country like China where there is poorer health care and very bad pollution in areas, we are not still not seeing an exponentially increasing death toll at this point as recoveries are higher than new cases. You must be expecting this to be much worse in the US than China. Thus far, I am sure the flu/pneumonia death toll is far higher there and here every year. Yet I don't personally know any elderly person who has died this winter (or the last 10) of pneumonia. So that's why I totally disagree with the prediction that we will virtually all know people who die from this virus. I sincerely hope I am the one that's right this time. If I am not, then yeah, life as we know it may not be the same for a very long time.

(I think there are likely thousands of undiagnosed cases here already. Most are likely mild and people don't usually go to doctors for mild illnesses, not to mention doctor's offices wouldn't have the tests anyway.)

While I agree with you on the pollution front for China, I don’t agree with you on the healthcare being poor (although I don’t know where you’re comparing it too). Sure, in parts of rural China it’s not as good as an equivalent rural area, but even then, the Chinese have very skilled doctors, and the infrastructure/capacity to build a hospital at very short notice. In the large cities like Wuhan, the doctors are top-notch and 100% as qualified and capable as any doctor anywhere in the world.

We are seeing a drop in Chinese numbers because the State is being incredibly firm - a ‘pro’ of the communist system that means they have no regard for a political fallout of their actions. This means they can literally close cities, use force to keep people in their homes, and in some cases - even nail the front doors of those infected shut with timber.

In the West, that kind of behaviour is unacceptable, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the European countries take longer to control the virus than China did for that reason.

 

[Matata]

In the West, that kind of behaviour is unacceptable, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the European countries take longer to control the virus than China did for that reason.

Yep. i deleted a post earlier making the same point. I don't see Americans being as obedient about isolation and quarantine. @diamondseeker2006 remember that the US health care system is ranked as one of the most underperforming among developed nations by a variety of sources.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I'm so embarrassed to admit this... but I just left the grocery store with all of the hand sanitizer they had left (three travel sized ones) and 91% isporopyl alcohol and aloe vera gel so I can make more. Oh, and all the clorox wipes and some other sort of wipes (I can't remember the brand right now) I could scrounge up. TR has me so freaked out about getting on this plane that I'll be leaving a sanitized bleached out trail across the globe next week. I'm sitting here rolling my eyes at myself. Oy. I already wash my hands a zillion times a day. Now it's TEN zillion. Double oy.

 

[whitewave]

F decided his jet lag was too strong so he stayed home. However, half of Nola loves Mardi Gras and the other half leaves the city, so there are probably 100 more F’s in the arena watching Pelican play LeBron and the Lakers.

 

[MamaBee]

@Dee*Jay Oooh...I have alcohol for cleaning my bling...I didn’t even think I could make some hand sanitizer...I didn’t want to use straight alcohol..

 

[chemgirl]

I'm so embarrassed to admit this... but I just left the grocery store with all of the hand sanitizer they had left (three travel sized ones) and 91% isporopyl alcohol and aloe vera gel so I can make more. Oh, and all the clorox wipes and some other sort of wipes (I can't remember the brand right now) I could scrounge up. TR has me so freaked out about getting on this plane that I'll be leaving a sanitized bleached out trail across the globe next week. I'm sitting here rolling my eyes at myself. Oy. I already wash my hands a zillion times a day. Now it's TEN zillion. Double oy.

I flew two weeks ago and got the weirdest looks when I wiped down the area around my seat. Now I bet everyone will be doing it.

 

[Dee*Jay]

@Dee*Jay Oooh...I have alcohol for cleaning my bling...I didn’t even think I could make some hand sanitizer...I didn’t want to use straight alcohol..

My super sophistical recipe (after going to the ends of the internet and back) is 3/4 cup 91% isopropyl alcohol and 1/4 cup aloe vera gel. The first time I mixed it up and poured it into the 3 oz containers I had a lot of the gel left over in the bottom of the measuring cup so I dumped it all back in there and got out the whisk. ME! A *whisk*! I don't cook! I don't even make ICE! But damn, that second batch was mixed within an inch of it's life. Desperate times... and all that, LOL.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I flew two weeks ago and got the weirdest looks when I wiped down the area around my seat. Now I bet everyone will be doing it.

I would be surprised to see anyone on any of my four flights NOT wiping things down!

 

[MamaBee]

My super sophistical recipe (after going to the ends of the internet and back) is 3/4 cup 91% isopropyl alcohol and 1/4 cup aloe vera gel. The first time I mixed it up and poured it into the 3 oz containers I had a lot of the gel left over in the bottom of the measuring cup so I dumped it all back in there and got out the whisk. ME! A *whisk*! I don't cook! I don't even make ICE! But damn, that second batch was mixed within an inch of it's life. Desperate times... and all that, LOL.

Haha! Thank you for the recipe! I’ll try it tomorrow!

 

[AGBF]

The first case of Coronavirus has been diagnosed in New York: in New York City.

Panic Shopping for Coronavirus Supplies, but Brunch Is Packed (Published 2020)

The first coronavirus case in New York City was confirmed Sunday night: a woman in her 30s who is isolated in her Manhattan home.

www.nytimes.com

 

[the_mother_thing]

I forgot to mention earlier, in addition to making your own spray sanitizer, you can do the same thing with sanitizing wipes if your local store is out ... just use good paper towels (or old rags, which you can wash & reuse) ... it’s easy enough to DIY a batch, and put some in a zip baggy (freezer kind since they are thicker) or other small container. Lots of ‘recipes’ available online.

 

[MamaBee]

The first case of Coronavirus has been diagnosed in New York: in New York City.

Panic Shopping for Coronavirus Supplies, but Brunch Is Packed (Published 2020)

The first coronavirus case in New York City was confirmed Sunday night: a woman in her 30s who is isolated in her Manhattan home.

www.nytimes.com

OMG

 

[Elizabeth35]

I flew two weeks ago and got the weirdest looks when I wiped down the area around my seat. Now I bet everyone will be doing it.

I am surprised you got weird looks. I have been wiping my seat/tray/armrest/seatbelt area for years when I board a plane. And I see lots of others doing the same. I will say it is more SOP in first class than in coach. Folks who fly a lot always do this.
So don't feel weird about doing this---it is excellent preventative hygiene. And use wipes/sanitizer on your hands after visiting airplane bathroom and touching the handles there. I won't even speak about people who use airplane bathrooms in their socks or let their children crawl on the floor of planes.

 

[Calliecake]

There is a now second Coronavirus death in the US.

@Dee*Jay , It would be more surprising if everyone on the plane is not wiping their tray table and seat down. The airlines should be handing out Clorox wipes to everyone to use as they board the plane.

 

[Arcadian]

I am surprised you got weird looks. I have been wiping my seat/tray/armrest/seatbelt area for years when I board a plane. And I see lots of others doing the same. I will say it is more SOP in first class than in coach. Folks who fly a lot always do this.
So don't feel weird about doing this---it is excellent preventative hygiene. And use wipes/sanitizer on your hands after visiting airplane bathroom and touching the handles there. I won't even speak about people who use airplane bathrooms in their socks or let their children crawl on the floor of planes.

I also do this . Don't care how crazy I look either.

 

[Arcadian]

There is a now second Coronavirus death in the US.

@Dee*Jay , It would be more surprising if everyone on the plane is not wiping their tray table and seat down. The airlines should be handing out Clorox wipes to everyone to use as they board the plane.

They really need to clean the planes better to start with.

 

[Arcadian]

Department of Health Announces Two Presumptive Positive COVID-19 Cases in Florida | Florida Department of Health

Tallahassee, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health (Department) has announced there are two presumptive positive cases of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Florida. Both individuals remain in isolation at this time. Despite these cases in Florida, the overall immediate threat to the...

www.floridahealth.gov

2 presumptive positives. In FL

 

[whitewave]

Department of Health Announces Two Presumptive Positive COVID-19 Cases in Florida | Florida Department of Health

Tallahassee, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health (Department) has announced there are two presumptive positive cases of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Florida. Both individuals remain in isolation at this time. Despite these cases in Florida, the overall immediate threat to the...

www.floridahealth.gov

2 presumptive positives. In FL

And one in San Antonio.

 

[Gussie]

What are your thoughts on domestic travel?

 

[TooPatient]

There is a now second Coronavirus death in the US.

@Dee*Jay , It would be more surprising if everyone on the plane is not wiping their tray table and seat down. The airlines should be handing out Clorox wipes to everyone to use as they board the plane.

That death was also in Kirkland, WA. (Unless there is another elsewhere in addition to this one!) Man I'm his 70s from the same nursing facility as the first death. Half a dozen more from the facility now testing positive. Waiting on results for more. (As of yesterday, more than 50 people at the facility with symptoms...)

 

[Calliecake]

Thank you for the information @TooPatient. I hadn’t heard any details, just that another person had died. Please take good care of yourself and your family. It’s unnerving when this starts hitting close to home. I’m praying everyone remains healthy.

 

[AGBF]

What are your thoughts on domestic travel?

Planes are breeding grounds for illness. Stay off them.

 

[OboeGal]

Planes are breeding grounds for illness. Stay off them.

I've got to agree with this. If you need to be somewhere domestic, drive if at all possible.

I'm a germaphobe, DH and I are in an age group of concern, and we both have underlying health issues that are relevant with this virus. I admit I'm pretty scared.

 

[the_mother_thing]

@Gussie We can’t/shouldn’t stop living our lives because of this virus. If you’re visiting family and driving, if you can be sure they pose no risk, you’d probably be fine. That said, if one’s age or health suggest they might need to be more cautious about exposure risk and if the travel is not truly necessary, I’d probably hold off ... especially by airplane. It’s not just the flight itself (assuming you meant flight travel) ... it’s the thousands of people you encounter to/from the airplane who you don’t know where they just flew from or who they were exposed to, when, etc. I think people just need to weigh their individual situation and risks, and make the best choice for themselves.

 

[TooPatient]

Things are getting weirder around here. There are five schools in this area closed tomorrow for cleaning. One had a student test positive. One is for known exposure (nursing students volunteered at the facility with the deaths). The other three are due to students/parents/staff with flu like symptoms.

DH got an email from someone high up in the company he works for. Stay home if sick. If not sick but feel working from home is necessary, coordinate with management and they will try to be tolerant of it. (This is tech company where most can just as easily work from home as they do computer stuff and meetings are all via video conference anyway.)

On the personal side, I have been sick since last Saturday. Symptoms arguably started Thursday. I had a fever of 101 for an evening then just sinus/respiratory. I was improving until I had to go to class on Friday this past week for an exam. Now I am coughing worse than ever and just feel blah. DH is starting to cough and have congestion too. We are both prone to pneumonia. Not there yet, but keeping an eye on us both.


Link to article about school closures: King 5 article

 

[partgypsy]

Count me in now as concerned. By the numbers, the genie is out of the bottle. This will not be contained. The infection rate is significantly higher than the flu. The percent needing hospital intervention is also significantly higher. We (us healthcare system) simply does not have enough beds to take care of all the people needing help. The percent who need hospital intervention who don't get it are much more likely to die. Fir example my sister does not have insurance. She is the kind of person who doesn't seek medical help, because she wants to avoid the big bills. And she works with the public. We are going to see alot of people die in the next year. Https://medium.com/@amwren/forget-a...be-worried-about-the-coronavirus-890fbf9c4de6

 

[MamaBee]

It’s hard to know what to do...I just ordered $500 worth of food for my dog to bring to my other house in Maryland this weekend. I’m heading to the Costco here in Pa to get coffee and other things to bring there on Friday. I already bought a lot of food to stock my house in Maryland. My husband refuses to stay isolated if it gets bad..He knows I will go to Maryland and stay there until I think we’re safe to come home. I told him we are in the high risk category being over 60..My mom is 94...I will also take my adult son with special needs.
Next weekend we’re going to DC for my grandson’s third birthday party. There will be twenty children with parents attending who travel all over for business internationally..I think it’s a matter of time before DC gets hit..I’m not missing his birthday party but that’s the last group event we‘re going to. My husband is another story. He’s planning on carrying on as normal. If I feel he’s putting us at risk..I’m packing everyone up and heading to Maryland. He understands my concern and is helping me get the stuff there. He doesn’t do well without me....He gets homesick when I’m not with him...I hoped that would sway him to retire early...He is so important to his job he just feels he can’t leave...I have two other sons and a daughter-in-law who is pregnant. Thankfully they are in the low risk group..I do worry about the middle son because he also travels and works in the DC area. He’s the one that has a wife that’s pregnant and my almost three year old grandson...The other son doesn’t travel and is in the low risk group so he should be okay. I‘m pretty nervous but staying calm and preparing..

 

[MarionC]

I flew two weeks ago and got the weirdest looks when I wiped down the area around my seat. Now I bet everyone will be doing it.

I did it too, last week. Cleanest seat, tray and screen I have ever used on a flight LOL

Usually the bathrooms on an international flight get kind of messy, but I noticed this time they were kept spotless.
I feel for the flight attendents who are exposed to so many people.

 

[MamaBee]

I did it too, last week. Cleanest seat, tray and screen I have ever used on a flight LOL

Usually the bathrooms on an international flight get kind of messy, but I noticed this time they were kept spotless.
I feel for the flight attendents who are exposed to so many people.

That’s a good point @Jimmianne..Flight attendants are really exposed to the max degree...