Looks like our schools are going to close down soon with more cases being diagnosed. Whats happening in other countries?
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Looks like our schools are going to close down soon with more cases being diagnosed. Whats happening in other countries?
Our local schools aren't closed yet, but schools in the town adjacent to ours just closed until April. I suspect it is just a matter of time until ours shut down too.
Well, we had 3 people test positive for the virus yesterday, so Ohio is now in a state of emergency. (One of the infected people is in the hospital. One was at the CPAC meeting that Trump attended.) We have a Primary next Tuesday. Last night, the Ohio Secretary of State declared that nursing homes are off limits as polling places. So, a lot of our counties are scrambling to move voting places and let the voters know before Tuesday.
I have a friend in California who teaches elementary school. They've already set up a plan for remote teaching. She says it's day-to-day right now as to what's going on. Here in Ohio, there's not much of a run on anything (although that may change now), but she says the stores are out of almost everything out there.
ETA: Okay, Ohio State University has suspended face-to-face classes and travel.
Ya local school system cancelled Friday's dance and any field trips requiring plane travel. Also considering remote learning. Store I go to seems Well stocked.
Well I work nightshift in Hospital lab. We are very busy, people are panicking, ER is non stop. But to my knowledge only a select few were truly tested for Coronavirus; results aren't back from the state either if I heard correctly .
Pearl Jam cancelled/postponed their tour due to the virus.
From what I gather , Italy is getting hit hard.
Wash hands like crazy, use Lysol and follow same advice as the flu.
Wishing everyone well
I’m starting to get a bit concerned. Mainly for my mom, who’s 92 and in assisted living.
It's a very real problem with dire consequences for life and prosperity. And it's not a hoax or blown out of proportion, as some politicians in America would like you to believe. It's a real concern and should be on the forefront of everyone's decisions and minds especially when work, travel, food, and visiting relatives is concerned and also hygiene, limiting traffic in your home, etc. It's not FUD (fear of uncertain doubt).
Also, one isn't to believe the info that POTUS put out as far as it being not as prevalent as the flu and therefore it's being overdramatized. That's not true. It's not as high of numbers as the flu but it's just now coming over here! Who's to say we won't have far more coronavirus deaths in 2020 and 2021. I really wish the POTUS and VPOTUS would take this a little more seriously and stop downplaying it's severity. We need more tests in more places, and we need to stop sharing funny little memes on Facebook about how "if you lived here/did this as a kid, you're immune" or trying to make it political. It's not. But it's also not a myth/hoax/made up by MSM, either. I think it's definitely a pandemic at this point, and I wish the CDC weren't being kept at bay from telling the truth on certain things and being more clear and, frankly, real!
I definitely think cancelling events, limiting travel, and working from home (whenever possible) is a smart, and wise choice. Is it inconvenient? Sure. But the health of our people, stability of our economy, and preservation of society is worth the perceived inconvenience. I think anyone who is 50+ should probably think twice before visiting with grandkids that are traveling to see you. I think they shouldn't be making their snowbird trips to the southern states, either. I think it's shown that COVID-19 is far worse in the senior population. Usually that's the case with viruses, but it's usually also prevalent in children. Children and seniors are usually the most affected. Children, because of the immature immune system and seniors, because of a weakened immune system. However, it so far isn't really hitting very many kids. I think the ID specialists and epidemiologists at CDC in Atlanta have some work to do on finding out why it's favoring the geriatric population more than younger adults and children. There are some getting sick, but it's far worse and more prevalent in the elderly and 65+ community, which is concerning and frankly heartbreaking. I think that this virus needs to be further investigated and we need to do a lot more digging on why it's so different than other similar viruses in the past. I don't think we are anywhere close to coming up with a vaccine. We still don't know everything about it! And we can't just bet on getting vaccines anytime soon.
I agree with the sentiment of having a real problem with people running out and buying all the masks and causing shortages for the healthcare system but we need to quit making fun of those running out and buying hand sanitizer and soap in mass quantities. I know my family surely is. And not to mention, other supplies like Clorox wipes, gloves, etc. And yes, we have bought a couple masks in case we have to get in confined spaces. I'm personally not going to Florida this year. Nor will I be getting on a plane or train or bus. I'm going to be headed up to St. Louis soon for a medical problem, and I'll be almost bathing in Purell.
I think that we also need to be mindful of our food/drink intake. Those people can't work from home and if they are struggling financially, some might choose to still come into work and deal with the symptoms. Those are the same people making your food and filling your glass of whatever. It's a crying shame those people can't have paid leave. I'd like to think most places would be better than that, but some don't and so you have food service workers with CV making food for people, and you suddenly have a massive, massive problem on your hands. These companies need to get their thinking straight and do the right thing. I think the food service industry is a critical component to the spread of communicable disease, and the sooner we realize that we will be better off. Start eating more home cooked meals or prepackaged foods, processed foods (as much as they are unhealthy, they're still healthier than coronavirus!). Frozen pizzas, Banquet microwave dinners, frozen foods, Lunchables, whatever. But eating out especially in big cities should be avoided IMO, or really thought out. And I would avoid fast food chains at all costs! Same for the bars who serve beer out of a glass instead of a can or bottle. Those things all make a huge difference. Same with food delivery services. That's another set of hands on your food that doesn't need to be there. Personally I won't be eating out any time soon nor will I be going through McDonalds for a drink. Take coolers, ice, and bottled/canned soda/water/juice, etc. I think any of those sources is a potential risks. And yes, wipe down bottles and cans from the store. Maybe order goods like that from Amazon so you don't have to go into a Walmart, as today it came out that it was found in one of the workers in Kentucky! I think online shopping needs to be the way to go for foods and drinks that don't require constant refrigeration.
Again, it's a hassle but I think we ARE to that point of severity in the coronavirus. I don't think right now it's over the top. Staying home wearing a mask and never going out and boarding up you're house, maybe. But not taking precautions outlined above. And I must also say if you are sick with similar symptoms even if you probably don't have CV - stay home! Do the right thing and self-quarantine and don't go outside.
In short: yes it is that serious IMO and anyone who downplays it is either highly uneducated or has a hidden agenda that isn't in your best interest! Stay safe and healthy everyone.
@walshfan - In Ireland we will have paid leave if we have to self isolate or work from home. Food workers are using masks and sanitisers in many places. All the same I would be wary of buying any food that is uncovered - gone are donuts and chicken fillet rolls from my house!! lol! There is no sanitiser left on the shelves. Not as a result of panic buying but because apparently there is loads of sanitiser in the country but the bottles that carry it are made in China and are on short supply
Wise idea regarding eating out and such.
NightMistBlue, well wishes for your mom.
A coworker of mine has family in China and was sending masks to her family at $200 just for shipping. Had to use private company because China post was confiscating them.
another coworker said her daughter lives in Arkansas and store shelves are bare and they have stockpiled a lot of stuff especially toilet paper and cleanser.
Excellent post, Austin!
I am not worried for me. Yes, I am 60 and in the "concern" category for age, but I'm healthy. My husband is 64 and diabetic. He wore gloves to vote earlier this week. My step-mom has bronchitis (and she was tested for a myriad of viruses; the hospital confirmed just bronchitis), and my near-80-year-old dad is a candidate for heart valve surgery this year. I worry more for them. Universities and colleges are on remote-teaching only. I mentioned moving the polling places from nursing homes above (and, for the record… yes, I think that is a very good idea). Boards of elections are setting up drop-off services outside the offices for people to drop off ballots and not have to go inside.
As a business owner, I am deeply concerned about the effects COVID 19 will have… is having on the economy. If no one is working, how will people get the supplies they need? I can see essential services holding on to healthy employees and not letting them go home (think utility companies/nuclear plants/hospitals). As Austin said, we don't want sick employees working, especially at food services, but these people have a crucial decision: Work and get paid or shelter at home and don't get paid? We all know what the right answer is, but that may not be an option for some. Many of them do not have health care.
Honestly, I think the media is causing a panic about this thing. I have 2 registered nurses in my immediate family and they say the corona virus has been around for years and this is another strain, but it is no worse that any of the others. Yes, if you are elderly or have a compromised immune system, any 'flu' is dangerous. I have an 87 year old mother with diabetes in the nursing home and she worries me a bit. But I believe if everyone is smart about it and washes their hands, doesn't go to work or school, or out in public if you're sick, then we will survive.
Remember the bird flu, sars, and ebola that was going to kill us all the last few years? Didn't happen..
The media..............:rolleyes:
JMO!!
BTW, Austin, I am not uneducated and have no hidden agenda.
I vehemently disagree, Brooke.
Coronavirus, the name, has been around for years. This is true. However COVID-19 is unlike any other strain of corona, hence being called the "novel coronavirus". Novel means unlike others before it. This is very different than other strains, and is proven to be worse in certain populations than other strains of CV, and the flu. For some reason, it isn't hitting the youth like most viruses. It's mostly targeting older people. And the younger people that get it are mostly just carrying it with very manageable sometimes. Therein lies the problem. We probably have younger adults carrying it to their older loved ones, the older public, etc.
Ebola never made it over here. If it had, there would have been tragic results and honestly, we would have had a massive death count. The very small number of people that worked over there that came home went to Emory University in Atlanta to be treated at home (USA), but were never exposed to anyone else. It never broke loose in the US. We should be thankful for that, and not claiming it was a hoax. JMO. SARS and bird flu didn't have the impact that was predicted, true, but also the numbers of those affected here aren't there like they are with COVID-19. We also shouldn't compare it to influenza A or B - it just got here. And with more testing in more places, those stats will only continue to grow. I have no doubt in my mind there are more people actively infected with COVID-19 than have been documented. We need more tests.
Swine flu was very real, and H1N1 still infects people along with H3N2 and other strains of influenza. I personally contracted H3N2 two years ago, despite having flu shots! These strains can and do change and some of them can be far worse than others. Every virus can mutate and change and that's precisely what makes them so deadly. Especially if it's a major change from what was seen by it's closest comparison.
Again - we truly need to do more research into the why and how of COVID-19 CV and we truly need to find out why it's different, and how it's spread. It's been said that if people don't wash their hands for at least half a minute, they might as well not bother. Regular plastic saran wrap type gloves that food workers use aren't going to cut it either. Hence why hand sanitizer sales are up, and people are buying special masks. The other day when the stock market was down 2000+ points, Walmart's stock was still in the green! It's because people are panicking - and damnit I can see why! I don't think that is a bad thing. It's not OTT.
I agree completely about the handwashing, provided they are going by the recommend time set by CDC. I also agree and have said that people need to stay home if sick (with anything!), and not go to work. Even if it means you aren't paid. Even doubly so if you are in the food service or restaurant industry. I think that the food service industry is likely going to be one of the biggest if not the biggest in terms of transmit.
I don't think you have an agenda Brooke, nor do I think you are uneducated as a person, but I think we can safely say we fundamentally disagree on this outbreak and probably best to leave it at that.
The WHO has officially recognized the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a pandemic/PHEIC.
Events are being cancelled, orders are made in big cities that they cannot hold events with large numbers of people, and bands are cancelling/postponing tours.
Not at all out of proportion from what I'm seeing.
We have our first presumptive positive in my state. The guy got it when he went to Florida. He has isolated himself at home.
I have tickets to see Joel Osteen on Friday and then I want to see JD in Tupelo this weekend. At this point, I'm thinking about not going to neither one of them. They have cancelled our St. Patrick Day parade. Our big boss of my agency don't want our agents to travel to Memphis.
I have sick time and its enough for three weeks. If I run out, they will probably have to go into my vacation time since I had to do that when I broke my ankle.
I'm not afraid, but I'm being very cautious.
That's wonderful. A lot of people in the U.S. don't have that, but should. In my workplace, we've been getting emails from the brass to stay home if we feel unwell. But we don't have paid sick days! And this is a hospital environment, not that everyone deals with patients. Sorry, I've gone a bit OT.
My mom's nursing home has now instituted a "no visitors" policy, including family. It's best to keep them safe though, they are the most vulnerable.
Austin, I guess so.
I do feel bad for anyone that has it and hope and pray it all goes away as soon as possible.
I guess I feel that where I live, boondocks of NE Missouri, I'm pretty much safe.
The concert I was supposed to go to tomorrow has finally been cancelled. I work for the Department of Corrections and they are not letting anybody come visit the prisons. I don't work in the prison, but I like I said. Our big boss didn't want any of the agents to travel close to Tennessee.
I remembered hearing about cancelling classes at our colleges, but I can't find that. I haven't heard anything about shutting the public schools. We only have one case at this moment, but you never know when things will change.
No real changes where I live. Kind of like Brooke, our community is in an almost rural area, away from the city and big crowds. A major development in the region is that the remainder of the Houston Rodeo has been cancelled and that is a big deal. Yesterday I saw someone wearing a mask for the first time.
Just to clarify, there was indeed a case of Ebola diagnosed in Dallas a few years ago. The patient had travelled from an African country and there was a lot of hysteria about all the people who came into contact with him, from his partner to the hospital personnel, one of whom ended up being quarantined in her cabin on a cruise ship. Needless to say, there was no “massive death count.”
Hey, NMB, I used to work in a hospital setting as well and we had something called Paid Time Off which could be used for sick days, vacation, doctor appointments or whatever. That was many moons ago though and I know a lot has changed.
The “no visitors” policy sounds like a good idea. Stay safe, NMB’s mom. :-)
Good to know. However, I think had that patient not quarantined well by the healthcare system and had been more exposed to more people, and it had a chance to spread at large like CV is doing - there would definitely have been a massive death count. The point still stands. Your chances of surviving an ebola infection are the most grim of any virus that we know of - even in healthy people. Referring to ebola virus outbreaks, we've never had one over here and it's a damn good thing or yes, we most certainly would have had a massive death count. Ask any ID specialist or epidemiologist. It's nothing to make memes about or to be glossed over. It's not hysteria!
The mortality rate of COVID-19 is almost 10 times higher than the flu! And we don't even know all of the data yet. The White House has severely mishandled this IMO, tests aren't getting out anywhere near as fast, data isn't coming back like it should. I have no doubt there are people out there right now who are carrying it without knowing it because the severity of it isn't anywhere as severe as in the older population! Also the contagiousness rate is higher. Whereas influenza patients will infect 1.3 new people, novel CV patients are infecting 2-3 people. This also explains the necessity to cancel large events and stay at home!
Thankfully, we are starting to see a little action on the part of POTUS on this. We need more travel bans and we need to cancel any and all large events that house a number of people be it concerts/sports/conferences, etc. I think if we take it as serious as it is, we can at least not spread misinformation and make comics out of what is a very real situation with a measurable impact on life.
https://i.imgur.com/QbuDWbQ.jpg
Here's some essential reading:
https://www.sciencealert.com/the-new...hing-in-common
https://elemental.medium.com/why-we-...9-6b166f1876e9
Governor of Ohio has just increased spring vacation for school kids K-12 to 3 weeks starting Monday. Also a ban on meetings/gatherings of more than 100 people. (Work, church, libraries and such are exempted.) I'm gathering from Facebook posts that there is not a roll of toilet paper to be purchased in Xenia anywhere. (Good thing I bought some last Saturday… and yes, we needed it.)
On days like this, I'm glad I work from home. I live 30 miles from a fairly large city with a big tech population and government presence. I don't do much socializing and stay away from crowds. I think cancelling any event to keep people from congregating in large numbers is the right call.
The Eagles performance for Tuesday, March 17, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX has been postponed. Fans who purchased tickets to this concert will be notified when the exact rescheduled show date has been determined.
Live Nation just suspended all arena and stadium tours.
Our Taoiseach (Prime Minister) made an announcement yesterday closing all schools, colleges and childcare facilities from 6pm yesterday evening. Public transport has been curtailed and no indoor gatherings of over 100 people or outdoor ones of 500 people. De facto means that all shows, concerts (including country to country which was this weekend) sports fixtures, movies church services, most weddings etc are de facto off. Anyone who can work from home has been directed to. The speech sounded errily like Morgan Freemans one in the movie 'Deep Impact' when the meteorite was due to hit the Earth. It was strange leaving work yesterday not knowing when we will be back. I hope we get to go back soon.
Here in NJ we have 29 confirmed cases and one death. The man was 69 and suffered from diabetes and other heath issues. Rutgers Univ(where I grad.) has cancelled all classes until April 23rd. The students are on home schooling. They also cancelled all sporting events for the remainder of the school year. The St. Patrick's Day Parades in various towns have all been cancelled and all concerts have been cancelled.
NYC cancelled all public events and delayed the St. Patrick's Day Parade indef. Some schools in NY are on home schooling. They have not yet done this here in NJ but I think it may happen soon. One of my sisters works in the City and takes a bus every day to Port Authority. If the weather is bad she transfers to the subway to get to work. She does walk as long as it is not raining. She is hoping she will be able to work from home. I have to take the train 2-3 times per week. We both have been as careful as we can be.
NMB - Sending warm wishes regarding the health and safety of your Mom. I think the "No Visitors" policy is the correct one. My Mom was in a nursing home for many years and the patients there usually have multiple health issues, my Mom did.
All my Border friends stay safe !
Large events are being canceled here too. My mom's nursing home is closed to visitors. So far our area schools are still open. Being a small Class 1 school system with only around 250 students PK-12, we'll see what happens.
The toilet paper shortage has hit our area though! :lol:
I went to two stores on my lunch break and they did have some toilet tissue. It was getting small, but their was some.
Our city hasn't shut down the schools yet, but our colleges are not letting the students come back until March 23rd then its going to be online.
I'm still trying to figure out why our coliseum went ahead and still have a concert last night while Joel Osteen was cancelled tonight. I'm scratching my head.
The Louisiana governor has cancelled all schools K-12 and gatherings over 250 until mid-April, and postponed the Presidential Primary two months.
Locally, people are buying groceries like it's Thanksgiving. I live outside a town of around 5,000, thirty-five miles to a bigger town. No bottled water, hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol...or toilet paper!
I saw on facebook that we will be able to tell children that we survived the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020!:smile:
I do worry about my co-workers having to find someone to stay with their school age children..and pay for it!
It’s now a national emergency.
My mom is a school psychologist for a K-12 district in Illinois and our governor just shut down all schools until March 30th. They will go in Monday and that’s it. And it may get extended past the 30th.
It is now 4 cases in my state and they are in the same county the first one was reported.
To tell the truth. I really want it to stay down there. Then it is spring break week for our state this week. Once those people come back home, those numbers could go up since a lot of them went to those states that were infected.
Well - we got the directive at work yesterday to work from home until at least April 3rd. Our leadership based their decision on the recommendations of the CDC. I didn't read the entire CDC notice, but the thing they called out that make this different from other viruses is the speed at which it can spread and the fact that so many people are asymptomatic.
I know the media can hype some things, but I'm taking this seriously - this can get out of control very quickly if we don't heed these warnings.
Exactly, dreamer!
The MSM isn't out to get you or anything like that. Any news outlet joking or downplaying something as grave as this should be shut down, point blank. If anything, most of them (CNN, MSNBC, etc) are trying to keep people informed and clear up the miscommunication at times that might or might not be coming from the White House on any given day of the week. The media companies that try to downplay it or just refrain from it (one of them rhymes with rocks) are the ones to worry about. Those are the ones who probably have the agenda that the current administration has! Those are the ones I try to watch out for and speak out against. If this had been before the 2016 election it wouldn't have been made political, but in the current "climate" shall we say - anything and everything can be politicized for the benefit of one party. I'm not a pessimist. I'm also not an optimist. I don't see the glass as half full or half empty by default. I take it day by day and look at the data and make my conclusion on how I should view and handle things. I guess there is a third category - a realist. While I think pessimism gets old, so does optimism especially in the face of reality when reality is telling a different story. Overly positive people can be just as dangerous. I don't think there is anyone who fits this bill yet, but I could see it getting out of hand. I think there are people who are turning a blind eye in Washington and I think there is a serious problem with that! Right now it's just denial, rose-colored glasses, and a bunch of downplaying. But the minute we get happy about things we will know we're in even worse off shape than we are now. Volatility is at an all time high now!
Personally, as someone who is quite literally one adrenal crisis away from death at any given moment, my family and I will take this as serious as it is. My father isn't in the best of health, my mother is the healthiest of us 3 but she's no spring chicken (sorry Mom!) either. Not to forget my grandpa, grandma, and step-grandpa who are older and some of whom have serious comorbities as well. It makes me nervous. I feel like at any minute someone who I love dearly could become infected and at risk of dying. I myself worry about dying anyway, I didn't need COVID-19 to make this any worse. Coronavirus worries are real. People aren't being hypochondriacal for worrying. Especially those who have poor health and/or over the age of 60. As Dreamer says, in young people there are a large number that are just simply carrying it.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...
Well tonight at work hardly anyone coming to the ER unless true emergency; which is a drastic turn from days prior where we were getting so many people for flu like symptoms etc. I think people are self quarantining themselves more. Even driving in there was much less cars on the road for a Weekend. My kids are home now for two weeks as well and will be doing e-learning. Convinced my Mom to stop going to the gym for a while.
hang in there everyone, wishing the best for all....stay safe.
Just found out two tested positive for COVID-19 in Springfield, IL. Not too damn far from where I live (only about 1 and a half hours). One is in the ICU.
As was suspected, asymptomatic younger and middle age people are spreading it.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/14/healt...ead/index.html
Yesterday, I gave into my gut feeling and called Kaiser's advice line. I'd been having a little cough, runny nose, headaches etc. They advised me to go into the ER, which I did. Although they don't have the Covid-19 test, I got x-rays & blood work & an EKG. I'm happy to say, my blood work was all good, my lungs are clear & my heart is healthy. I knew this all, but the cough was bugging me.
The doc said, what I think is true,that it's environmental.
We also have a beautiful tree full of orange blossoms, so my allergies are kicking in, hence the runny nose & headaches.
That all being said, I'm headed to out tonight, to hang out with friends and relax before my Kevin heads off to work. I am safe!!! And will continue on with my healthy living & eating☺️ I'm 64, by the way.
Glad you received a good report, MarthaJo!:yay: I hope you feel better soon and continue to fend off the CoronaBug (Along with everyone else here)!!
It had occurred to me that it being allergy season, a lot of people will be unsure what they are dealing with.
Glad to know you are doing ok.
The hospital that had the two cases closeby just had a press briefing and they had someone from the department of public health come on and say that they don't want people coming to ER, urgent care, or their doctor but rather call a hotline and go through a screening. If they think you are at risk, you go to a designated testing place to be tested. They said that if you show up to ER, you won't get a test because there are just not enough of them. If you get admitted and they think you have it, then perhaps so but they are telling everyone who thinks they may have COVID-19 or have been around someone confirmed, to call.
Personally I will be staying home for the foreseeable future. I will be making the trek to St. Louis soon for my health (which is another can of worms but needs to be done as I can't move my right foot), but I won't lie that I will be taking every measure possible to stay as hygienic and clean as possible. And I will be carrying enough Purell to bathe a town of people with. I don't care if people think it's silly. I guess I'd rather be silly than sick or dead, so there you go. It's not out of proportion nor is it hyped or any of that. It's getting real and more so every single day. I think it's hysteria to deny it. I think people need to be careful now.
I second FF, good news MarthaJo! FF, the timing with allergy season is bad (not there is a good time but you get the point). Plus flu season still going and never mind pneumonia and everything else.
good luck with your treatments Walshfan88, it’s not silly, you gotta do what you gotta do to keep you and yours safe.
Well - as a nation, I have no doubt that we will survive this in time. But ... at what cost? As I said earlier, what concerns me the most is the number of infected asymptomatic people that are unknowingly spreading the virus. Look at what is going on in Italy - it is an awful situation. And, politics aside, the fact of the matter is our government did not take this as seriously as they should have several months ago. So, now, we are lagging far behind where we should be in terms of preventative actions. It was inevitable that the virus would eventually make it over here and that there would be some fatalities. But, it is sinful that lives are being lost in this country because we weren't prepared for this.