Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[emma675]

I've been up to my eyeballs in coronavirus for the last few days because I work in corporate communications at my company. I think we're getting close to working from home, we're stress testing our VPN network this week to see if it can handle the load. A few other companies in my industry are already having their staffs working from home and we have 5 confirmed cases of it in my city now.

I'm not worried but I did hit the grocery store during lunch today. I actually needed toilet paper but I still felt like an ass for buying it, lol! I just don't get why people went nuts buying it out.

[Minivanessa]

What an awful experience to be quarantined instead of enjoying a nice cruise! It may be just as well that they weren't sent to San Antonio (probably actually to Lackland AFB there which has been hosting lots of people in quarantine off cruise ships). The mayor's trying not to cause a panic but has been publicly critical of some of the less than stellar moves of the federal government in its handling of the situation. 

This sh*t is getting real. I'm trying to think calmly and act responsibly. I found some scarce rolls of toilet paper on the shelves at the supermarket yesterday, and only bought one pack. I think that with what I have here at home, I've got a two week supply. I really need to look more seriously at my food supply. At least this isn't a storm. If I end up having to stay in here for two weeks, I'll have power and water. My freezer, fridge, stove, microwave, and sink will all work. I'll be able to do laundry, watch TV, and communicate with the outside world.

I know, and work in the same part of the office building, with someone who got sick, stayed home, was given Tamiflu by the doctor. And based on symptoms, their doctor ordered that person and their spouse to be tested for COVID 19. The tests were negative. This person very responsibly stayed home when they got sick and until they were both feeling okay and cleared by the tests. They had the "regular" flu, which can be bad enough but wasn't terrible for them this time.

Still. That's close. Fortunately this is the latest in a series of temp projects I've worked for this company and especially this time I'm doing most of it here at home since it's all do-able remotely with the company laptop and VPN etc. So my exposure has been limited. 

Ironically, several years ago I was interested enough in the so-called Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, to read a couple of books about it. I wish I could remember more, but I do believe I smugly shook my head at how primitive was the state of medical knowledge at the time, of how infections spread. Now I'm seeing that although medical science knows how to slow the spread of this new bug, PEOPLE are ignoring their advice. Sigh.

[Sew Sumi]

There was plenty of TP when I was at the grocery store on Sunday. However, they had CASES of paper towels everywhere. 😂

[Westiepeach]

Today they canceled the Cleveland International Film Festival, as well as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Yikes.

[crazy8s]

on the shortage of TP - my daughter sent me this today and I really laughed

[JustRosie]

World Figure Skating Championship in Montreal has been cancelled. 

[Sew Sumi]

8 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

Today they canceled the Cleveland International Film Festival, as well as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Yikes.

Yeah, Ohio is all in. They were the first to shut fans out of the NCAA basketball games. An hour later, the NCAA stepped in and said the entire thing would be played without fans. 

[Nysha]

My college is going to test going all online next Monday & Tuesday. I'm technically going to be working at home & tutoring by Skype. We'll see how that works. I have the capability, but we've had online tutoring for 5 years and I think it's been used 3-4 times. But, at least I still get a paycheck.

[awaken]

I’m a healthcare provider and so far our office has been as busy as usual. Some requests for televisits, but for the most part everyone is making and keeping appointments!

since it’s an entirely hands-on and face to face profession, not sure what the next few weeks will hold if we need to restrict contact.  Of course, we have no sick leave or benefits for being out, we just wouldn’t get paid. 

[galaxychaser]

I need a thermometer and went to 4 pharmacies all out. No Lysol, sanitizer etc. guess should buy paper towels if there is no toilet paper. 
 

Tom Hanks and wife have Coronavirus. 
 

 

[Sew Sumi]

And Hanks is in Australia. I thought they might be safe down under.

[latetotheparty]

4 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

My grand-nieces are all Irish Dancers..I thought this was funny:

The following is from my niece today...my grandniece L is 5yo. She's  the one in the middle.  I obscured their faces because they're not my kids.

 

L is learning to count to 10 in Gaelic in her Irish dance class. Convo in car today

Me: ok, here’s the plan. Number 1...

L: A haon

Me: A what? 

L: It’s how you say 1 in Garlic 😊 

 

I love Irish Dance.  One of my U.K. friends plays flute for an Irish dance troupe. I hope to get over to see them someday. 

[DangerousMinds]

58 minutes ago, galaxychaser said:

I need a thermometer and went to 4 pharmacies all out. No Lysol, sanitizer etc. guess should buy paper towels if there is no toilet paper. 
 

Tom Hanks and wife have Coronavirus. 
 

 

I just checked and CVS online still has $8 digital thermometers if you can’t find one in store.

[louannems]

Here in Washington state, there are now 366 confirmed coroavirus cases. And 29 deaths, mostly from one nursing home. I admit I've done a fair bit of food and toilet paper hoarding. 

[BetyBee]

As the bad news kept piling on last night - Tom & Rita having the virus, the ineffective national address and the NBA cancelling the rest of the season....I really felt despair coming on. I don't know what the future holds, but it does sound as if we will all at least know people who have it and someone who has died from it. And that someone could be a loved one or me!  I've been staying home from the gym and I'm glad of that, but a person could be exposed anywhere and I haven't exactly isolated yet. I don't want to panic, but I'm very concerned. I read a meme about how all of the people who were recently constitutional scholars are now infectious disease experts. Those people who dismiss the risk are the most alarming to me. 

[frenchtoast]

My daughter was supposed to travel to DC at the end of May and the teacher who is the leader sent an email that it might get canceled but it's too far out to know. But, given that this is a package that was paid for in advance, parents could cancel by the end of the week and receive 75% back but not the nonrefundable deposit. And they would receive less if they canceled in April. If the tour company cancels the families would get vouchers for trips next year. Now, for me, this seems reasonable. When I traveled to Orlando last September I bought travel insurance knowing that hurricanes were very possible. On the flip side, we didn't buy insurance for this trip knowing the risk we were taking. To hear these parents  moan about the situation is sickening. Get over it and look at the bigger picture. It's so gross. And perhaps next time, read the disclosure. It's all right there, not even in fine print. 

[SunnyBeBe]

So many things are up in the air right now.  I'm worried about my business. But, on a good note, the cold that I had caused me to lose 5 pounds AND my eye appointment yesterday was awesome.  No issues due to my Type I diabetes.  That's such a blessing. 

I think I might steer clear of the news for a few days.  It's just too upsetting and nothing that I can do about it. 

Edited March 12, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[MonicaM]

13 hours ago, galaxychaser said:

Tom Hanks and wife have Coronavirus. 
 

 

13 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

And Hanks is in Australia. I thought they might be safe down under.

They probably are safer in Australia.  If they were here in the US, quite possibly they wouldn't know if they had the virus, because we STILL don't have the access to testing that we need.  I have a relative in Washington state who called her doctor because she was having symptoms, and she was told they would try to find someplace who could administer the test.  Twenty four hours later, she's still waiting for a call back.

(Fortunately (?) she's in her early thirties with no health problems, so she's not in one of the high risk groups.)  

[DangerousMinds]

29 minutes ago, MonicaM said:

 

They probably are safer in Australia.  If they were here in the US, quite possibly they wouldn't know if they had the virus, because we STILL don't have the access to testing that we need.  I have a relative in Washington state who called her doctor because she was having symptoms, and she was told they would try to find someplace who could administer the test.  Twenty four hours later, she's still waiting for a call back.

(Fortunately (?) she's in her early thirties with no health problems, so she's not in one of the high risk groups.)  

And if they refer her to a private lab for the test, it will likely be $$$.

[SunnyBeBe]

I wanted to revisit something that someone else posted about a little upthread inquiring about Walnutqueen.  Her last activity here was on Jan. 19.  This seems odd. I hope she's okay.  I know people take breaks from things once in a while.  I hope she's well.  

[galaxychaser]

Are face masks necessary? I can’t find any anyway. I’m wearing disposable gloves though.

[Absolom]

There are reports that the gloves are worse for spreading the virus unless you are tending someone who has it.

[Lisa418722]

I was talking to a coworker today and she was telling me this is all blown out of proportion due to social media. "The swine flu killed a lot more people than this has." Hmmm, we are only weeks into this pandemic.  Also though she believes everything Fox News tells her so no matter what I say she knows more.  Her son is supposed to travel out of state next month for a convention. His company has put a stop on all out of state travel, but she told him she would pay for him to go so that he can find a new job (since this is a networking event).  I'm more worried that I might get it and not realize it and give it to my elderly relative.  And here she is acting like all is normal. 

[lookeyloo]

12 minutes ago, galaxychaser said:

Are face masks necessary? I can’t find any anyway. I’m wearing disposable gloves though.

From all that i have read, face masks protect the people on the other side from what the wearer has.  They don't protect the wearer from what others have.  Unless you change your gloves every few minutes, they too will have germs on them.  Old fashioned hand washing probably the best.

1 hour ago, MonicaM said:

And Hanks is in Australia. I thought they might be safe down under.

I heard today that they contracted it in the US and were symptomatic when they got to Australia.

[SunnyBeBe]

When I went to the eye doctor's office, which is in a large medical office building, I tried to only touch things with a tissue, wash hands frequently, and avoid touching as many things as possible.  I sat in the furthermost corner away from people.  I ensured the items in exam room were cleaned with alcohol too.  I stood far away from people and waited for 2 elevators to get one that had only one other person.  But, STILL, there's only so much you can do.  I had to get gas and that was a challenge.  I had to touch the hose and pump.  Oh, by the way gas at Sam's Club was $1.62 per gallon!  I'm not going to freak out, because, after using reasonable precautions, it's out of my hands, pardon the pun. lol

[galaxychaser]

Hanks’s brought coronavirus to Australia. Might have exposed hundreds of people. Yikes. 
 

 

[galaxychaser]

I wear the gloves in public only. At least I’m not touching my face or snacking lol.  
I definitely got a fever, runny nose. No cough though. I guess if I have difficulty breathing that’s how I will know I got the virus. 
 

[SunnyBeBe]

My recent cold was horrible, but, I had not been near anyone who had the virus, had not traveled recently, plus, I had no fever.  I stayed home for an entire week of getting the cold though.  

[DangerousMinds]

45 minutes ago, galaxychaser said:

Are face masks necessary? I can’t find any anyway. I’m wearing disposable gloves though.

Nope. Masks only protect those who are already ill.

21 minutes ago, galaxychaser said:

Hanks’s brought coronavirus to Australia. Might have exposed hundreds of people. Yikes. 
 

 

Yet they were able to get tested promptly in Australia.

[galaxychaser]

Thanks Trumpy (sarcasm) that idiot is going to get a lot of people killed.

[doodlebug]

18 hours ago, Jeeves said:

 

Ironically, several years ago I was interested enough in the so-called Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, to read a couple of books about it. I wish I could remember more, but I do believe I smugly shook my head at how primitive was the state of medical knowledge at the time, of how infections spread. Now I'm seeing that although medical science knows how to slow the spread of this new bug, PEOPLE are ignoring their advice. Sigh.

My grandfather lost his first family to that flu epidemic; his wife, baby and toddler.  It is no joke; and Coronavirus appears to be about 10 times more lethal than the flu.  Not to mention the complications that can occur such as permanent scarring of the lungs and such.  A co-worker of mine is currently on dialysis due to complications from Influenza B, still doesn't know if her kidneys are going to recover.  She's a 50 year old single mother, a nurse practitioner with no known health issues until this.  Don't mess around with this virus.

[Zella]

11 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

It is no joke; and Coronavirus appears to be about 10 times more lethal than the flu. 

This is what I kept going back to when people were like, "It's no worse than the flu!" The death rate always begged to differ. 

Edited March 12, 2020 by Zella

[zoomama]

i will add that my pulmonologist gave me a mask that is the medically recommended version (NR-19 or something like that) to wear if i get on the plane.  i just decided that i wont be traveling next week after all -- having asthma and copd puts me at too much risk.  i would rather delay my trip than die while i am there. i live short of breath on a normal day so i cant even fathom what this virus is like. now, i am gonna cry real tears of disappointment.  i miss my grandboys so much!

[MargeGunderson]

I’m on day 4 of working from home, and I am getting cabin fever! I did go out this morning to get a couple of fresh things from the market and grab a coffee. I just needed to get out for a few minutes. I’m feeling fine, none of my immediate coworkers are sick, and it’s unlikely I was exposed to it at work, but I’m still trying to limit my interactions with other people/places. 

I ran into my neighbor this morning, who just returned from LA. He was sure to keep several feet between us while we chatted, since he knows where I work and the high number of cases at my company. He was mostly joking (I think).

On the bright side, I am spending lots of time with my new cats!

[BetyBee]

Your kitties are beautiful, Marge!  Just what I needed to brighten my day. IKWYM about needing to get outside. Mr BetyBee and I are driving each other crazy, staying home all the time!

[galaxychaser]

A lot of stuff in NYC is closing. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Many have recovered from this thing, even 89 year-old man.

https://www.wral.com/most-coronavirus-patients-recover-still-anxiety-fear-loom/19007684/

[latetotheparty]

1 hour ago, galaxychaser said:

Thanks Trumpy (sarcasm) that idiot is going to get a lot of people killed.

Boris Johnson too. He’s not allowing the schools to close, for example. It’s a terrible time to have such shitty leadership. 

[doodlebug]

42 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Many have recovered from this thing, even 89 year-old man.

https://www.wral.com/most-coronavirus-patients-recover-still-anxiety-fear-loom/19007684/

98% of people seem to have survived it, but it has taken a huge toll on the health care systems in China and Italy and elsewhere and there are many people who have survived the Coronavirus but had complications which have lead to ongoing health problems.

If things play out the way they have in China and Italy, we are going to run out of ICU beds and ventilators and protective gear in the near future.  That is going to lead to caregivers having to make tough decisions and you can bet your booty that some people are going to die who could have been saved if there had only been enough capacity to care for them.  That's the reason for staying home and social distancing; to slow down the spread of the virus and hopefully delay its peak.

My nephew lives in Seattle.  He says it is a 'ghost town' and that the stores are either empty or closed.  He ordered groceries through Amazon.  Their 2 hour delivery took 3 days. 

Edited March 12, 2020 by doodlebug

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, zoomama said:

i will add that my pulmonologist gave me a mask that is the medically recommended version (NR-19 or something like that) to wear if i get on the plane.  i just decided that i wont be traveling next week after all -- having asthma and copd puts me at too much risk.  i would rather delay my trip than die while i am there. i live short of breath on a normal day so i cant even fathom what this virus is like. now, i am gonna cry real tears of disappointment.  i miss my grandboys so much!

The N-95 masks are a real PITA to wear properly too.  You've got to get a tight seal between your face and the sides of the mask, no gaps.  That makes it hot and sweaty to wear for any length of time.  I've seen multiple people on TV wearing them while out and about and every single one wasn't wearing it correctly which means it gave zero protection.  You cannot pull it away from your face to let air circulate.  That is why it is not recommended for daily use by the general public.

[galaxychaser]

https://www.pix11.com/news/coronavirus/coronavirus-gov-cuomo-gives-latest-on-covid-19-in-state?fbclid=IwAR0wQitu5ateAZbKcZTZVdw5nHbaPYsHAZq6Y4ODevXaTdRS5f1HdxLJ5Qs
 

broadway shut down. 
 

stock up on shelf stable foods while they are around.  

[doodlebug]

I did surgery at a large multi specialty hospital yesterday.  At every entrance, there is a huge sign telling visitors to go home and not visit anyone if they are at all sick.  Yet, while walking through the halls; I saw at least half a dozen folks in street clothes with babies and toddlers who were apparently going to visit someone. Some people need protection from their own ignorance.

Personally, I wouldn't bring a child under the age of 12 into any hospital to visit anyone at any time.  But, with the huge numbers of influenza cases already seen this year and now the threat of Corona virus; it is tantamount to child abuse, IMO, to bring a kid into a hospital where he could catch something or, worse yet, give something to someone else.

[Zella]

Well, shit. Arkansas had its first case reported yesterday and now that's jumped to at least 6, all in the central part of the state around Little Rock and its environs. 

Edited March 12, 2020 by Zella

[doodlebug]

The governor of Ohio has banned all gatherings of 100 or more people and all Ohio schools, K-12, will be closed for 3 weeks starting Monday.

Exceptions to the ban on gatherings include restaurants, stores and workplaces where people can maintain their distance.

[Sew Sumi]

Yeah, I heard about Ohio yesterday. DeWine was the first to curtail March Madness activities, even before the NCAA's initial ruling that they would play without fans (of course it's all been canceled now).

[kokapetl]

21 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

And Hanks is in Australia. I thought they might be safe down under.

137 confirmed cases and 3 deaths. 

I’m Australian, and what I’ve read about Public Health in America does not make me envious. Plus factor in Trump, and the rewarding of election donors with high ranking government jobs. And then I read Tom Cotton’s press release ... ಠ_ಠ

Edited March 13, 2020 by kokapetl

[ChiCricket]

And now Disneyland (California) is going to be closed through the end of the month, at least. I *think* I read that they've only closed down 3 times before since its opening...so now shish is getting serious.

(Just think of all the spring break $$$ they'll lose.) I'm sure it wasn't a decision they took lightly.

PS once was the day after Kennedy was killed, once after a big earthquake, and the other after 911.

Edited March 12, 2020 by ChiCricket

[galaxychaser]

Rumor is movie chains will close too

[fonfereksglen]

Took my brother to his surgical procedure today at a hospital. Other than a sign saying no visitors under 18 because of flu,  it was completely business as usual.  No masks, no gloves. Lots of disinfectant foam dispensers, but people everywhere.  Coming and going. Just reporting in from the front lines!

[Minivanessa]

@doodlebug, after reading about the 1918 pandemic, I've always wondered if my dad's little brother died of that. They never told me details about the disease; all I know is that my dad, who was 6 and had started school, is believed to have brought the disease home, where his little brother caught it and died. I think my dad blamed himself for that for a long time. Maybe it wasn't the flu and I don't know if anyone else in the family got sick at that time.

BTW, I used the term "so-called Spanish flu pandemic" and my wording wasn't great. The "so-called" was aimed at the "Spanish" name, not at the pandemic. That was a full fledged pandemic, but as I understand it, the idea at the time that it came from Spain was far from accurate. Now I've heard, IIRC, that it probably originated somewhere not far from where I sit - in Colorado or Kansas. 

The tech company where I'm working on a temp project, is okaying employees working at home if their job duties can be fulfilled that way, and they clear it with their boss, and can get the work done at home. A certain amount of remote working has been the norm. For instance everyone on the team I work with, works four days a week in the office with a "work at home" day, and sometimes more days at home in case of bad weather. The new policy is looser on requirements for reporting to the office, unless your job requires it.

The good part of working for a tech company: the company routinely issues pretty much everyone a laptop and has robust security systems in place for remotely connecting, including VPN. I'm fortunate to have really good fast home internet and my assigned work on this project can be done just as efficiently here. I'm very grateful for that.