COVID 19 Poll

[Patrick]

Beloved spouse is doing homemade mac and cheese tonight! Looking forward to that.

Recently tried and liked a simple frijoles charros recipe from Serious Eats (pinto beans, bacon, onion, garlic, jalapeno, some tomato parts). Flavorful (...mmm...bacon fat...), but no heat beyond the jalapeno. Something I should have pursued long ago.

Will start to slowly work through various proteins stowed in full freezer.

I understand that our nation has recently gone through hoarding hysteria. But why is it taking markets so long to restock? Even items other than bath tissue and bottled water (like produce, legumes, frozen food). I assume production/distribution of these may be slightly delayed, but not stopped.

Don't yet have the DC martial law vibe in my neck of the NoVA woods, but given that Governor Hogan has shut down Maryland as of 5pm today, I imagine Gov Northam in VA will follow fairly soon.

Good luck Rooster with cat and with cooking!

[gmonahan]

4 hours ago, JSngry said:

Exactly. Don't ever mind it. Just can't love it.

Brenda has prepared it like any other fresh green, boiled it in a pot full of onions, spices, and bacon. It's delicious once or twice. But inevitably, when walking past it on the fresh greens section in the grocery, we never keep picking it.

I feel sorry for kale, really I do. It never hurt anybody.

Not entirely true. It's high in oxalates that can cause kidney stones. So, it's not a part of my diet.

I live alone, though my son and his family live around the block. I cook, hunker down, listen to music, watch the tube, work on projects around the house and really hope this thing comes to an end sooner rather than later. I miss going out to movies and having dinner in restos with friends.

 

 

gregmo

[Adam]

Based on listed description of symptoms, it seems highly likely that my partner had it.  She was home for 11 days; no ache like would normally happen in flu.  Congestions that just wouldn't go away; lots of fatigue.  But that was a couple of weeks ago, and she couldn't get tested, because she hadn't been to China or Iran, or been around anyone who had been positively identified as having it; a self-fulfilling issue at that time since no one had tests.  Still not enough tests; they really need to be testing everyone.  

I never had symptoms, so I worry if I am or was an asymptomatic carrier.  Or maybe she didn't have it, but just had a really unusual cold?  We're mainly worried about her parents and my elderly aunt.  No shortage of films and books and music.  I can do most running of my non-profit from home, but we can't hold any screenings; and I was already telecommuting for the film I was working on.

Having drinks with people via Google Hangout or Zoom or Facetime is a good thing to try.  It can be tea or coffee as well.

Today's ideas from the non-thinking administration indicate they want people to go to work sooner, which means that it will all last longer.  Spanish Flu receded over the summer and came back stronger in the Fall.  We will have to watch out for the same.  A vaccine won't happen this year.  Normal flu shots have to start being created in January to create the supply needed in August-October.  I think a treatment might happen first, but hospitals will still get overloaded first.  And it will affect urban areas more than rural, just due to density.  I think things will be like this through at least the end of May, and then again come September.  But who knows?

[ejp626]

Sadly I will have to change my answer to the 3rd poll.  John LaPlante, a Chicago transportation commissioner and later engineer at T.Y. Lin, died from COVID-19.  It is believed he picked it up from a trip to Egypt.  Now this is more of a professional connection, and he was not a close personal friend, but it still hits way too close to home.

[Guy Berger]

I now know one person who definitely has it (a “serious” case, in the hospital), and another who probably has it.

[Rooster_Ties]

Good chance my cousin’s husband has had it and is just getting over it, I just learned.

He’s asthmatic too, but seems to have only had a fairy high-ish fever body aches the last 7-8 days (iirc), but thankfully that’s been mostly it, so far. He hasn’t seen a doctor in person (hasn’t needed to), but has been in frequent contact with his GP via tele-health, and he’s classified as only moderately symptomatic (and of course, he can’t get tested). He’s about 58, and seems to be turning the corner according to my cousin, but she’s watching him very closely for any signs of a reversal.

She only called me tonight, after she felt he was more than likely showing more improvement than he had in days (and fortunately his breathing never got more difficult; again, he’s asthmatic). Scary stuff.

 

This week I’m going to call a good friend / former coworker of mine from the museum I used to work for. He went through a bout of chemo ~18 months ago, and I’m worried about his immune system still being partially compromised (though thankfully he’s been cancer-free for over a year). I think(?) I’ve read that recent chemo is a risk factor / underlying condition for Covid. Not sure how recent is “recent”.

Again, scary stuff.

Edited March 24, 2020 by Rooster_Ties

[porcy62]

I found it interesting.

At the Epicenter of the Covid-19 Pandemic and Humanitarian Crises in Italy: Changing Perspectives on Preparation and Mitigation

https://catalyst.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/CAT.20.0080

[jazzcorner]

 

.... and the craze goes on!

Was just in a huge supermarket to get a few things because the near local  shop is nearly sold out.

 

Not one crumb of toiletpaper, not one crumb of kitchenpaper.

Was lucky to get a sixpack TEMPO for the « worst“ case.

 

I really dont understand it. You cannot eat paper. Whats the reason for such behaviour? Is it the „Angst“ for the unknown Virus driving the people to the toilet every half hour?.

 

My dear mom  saved after WW II in 1945 and later  the newspapers as far as there were some for this purpose.

Some years later this was no more a question.

On the country people used dried grass = hay or dried  moss. That was free even immediately after the war but didnt grow everywhere in the inner cities.

 

And how do you meet this situation ?

 

;-}} W.

[Dmitry]

10 minutes ago, jazzcorner said:

 

 

.... and the craze goes on!

Was just in a huge supermarket to get a few things because the near local  shop is nearly sold out.

 

 

Not one crumb of toiletpaper, not one crumb of kitchenpaper.

 

Was lucky to get a sixpack TEMPO for the « worst“ case.

 

 

 

I really dont understand it. You cannot eat paper. Whats the reason for such behaviour? Is it the „Angst“ for the unknown Virus driving the people to the toilet every half hour?.

 

 

 

My dear mom  saved after WW II in 1945 and later  the newspapers as far as there were some for this purpose.

 

Some years later this was no more a question.

 

On the country people used dried grass = hay or dried  moss. That was free even immediately after the war but didnt grow everywhere in the inner cities.

 

 

 

And how do you meet this situation ?

 

 

 

;-}} W.

 

Newspaper was the only thing I used to wipe my ass for the first 18 years of my life, along with hundreds of millions of people in this world of ours. You'll be just fine, trust me! And you will learn something new, while sitting on the john.

[clifford_thornton]

3 hours ago, porcy62 said:

I found it interesting.

At the Epicenter of the Covid-19 Pandemic and Humanitarian Crises in Italy: Changing Perspectives on Preparation and Mitigation

https://catalyst.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/CAT.20.0080

Yeah, that's a smart piece.

[ejp626]

59 minutes ago, Dmitry said:

Newspaper was the only thing I used to wipe my ass for the first 18 years of my life, along with hundreds of millions of people in this world of ours. You'll be just fine, trust me! And you will learn something new, while sitting on the john.

Well, except for the fact that the sewer systems in cities can't handle newspapers or paper towels or even wipes.  It's all but guaranteed that London and New York City sewer systems will break down under the recent strain...

[felser]

Courtesy of Politico:

40 minutes ago, clifford_thornton said:

Yeah, that's a smart piece.

And very sobering, given our current USA situation.

[clifford_thornton]

very.

[jazzcorner]

2 hours ago, Dmitry said:

Newspaper was the only thing I used to wipe my ass for the first 18 years of my life, along with hundreds of millions of people in this world of ours. You'll be just fine, trust me! And you will learn something new, while sitting on the john.

Yep. As you could read from my post I had this experience too after WW II (1945/46) and survived it. I'm just as fine as you obviously with this common experience

;-}}

 

[sidewinder]

21 minutes ago, jazzcorner said:

Yep. As you could read from my post I had this experience too after WW II (1945/46) and survived it. I'm just as fine as you obviously with this common experience

;-}}

 

Didn’t ‘do’ WW2 but the 1972/73 energy crises/power cuts/3 day weeks have some similarity to what is going on. Albeit they were of limited duration.

[jazzcorner]

1 hour ago, sidewinder said:

Didn’t ‘do’ WW2 but the 1972/73 energy crises/power cuts/3 day weeks have some similarity to what is going on. Albeit they were of limited duration.

Correct. But gasoline is cheap today which was not the case during the energy crisis. I remember the "blocked autobahn day" for Germany to save gazoline.People could make a family walk there . Times change.

[sidewinder]

30 minutes ago, jazzcorner said:

Correct. But gasoline is cheap today which was not the case during the energy crisis. I remember the "blocked autobahn day" for Germany to save gazoline.People could make a family walk there . Times change.

I’m thinking of evenings with no light other than candles, no electricity and no coal. Worst I’ve seen, for sure.

[David Ayers]

1 hour ago, sidewinder said:

I’m thinking of evenings with no light other than candles, no electricity and no coal. Worst I’ve seen, for sure.

I remember. I also remember what a supply driven recession was like. Escalating prices as demand outstripped supply. 

[mjzee]

We're getting through this relatively easily.  Wife is telecommuting from home, son starts remote schooling next week.  We had enough toilet paper - I tend to keep the pantry well-stocked, and we buy from Costco, so even before this hit we had plenty of TP.  Feel very fortunate to live in Houston; it's not hitting here very hard, probably due to the warmer climate, our non-reliance on public transportation, and our generally not having the frenzied international business class living and working here.  I know, I know, you never know, but still, the statistics show we're relatively OK.  I have relatives and friends in the NYC area who are terrified.  I feel for them.  

In terms of the general situation and what the future might hold, I found this a fascinating read: 

https://www.haaretz.com/amp/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-israeli-expert-trump-is-right-about-covid-19-who-is-wrong-1.8691031?

[felser]

44 minutes ago, mjzee said:

We're getting through this relatively easily.  Wife is telecommuting from home, son starts remote schooling next week.  

Imagine if this had happened 25 years ago...

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, felser said:

Imagine if this had happened 25 years ago...

...then it would be like AIDS, only for everybody!

[mjzee]

2 hours ago, felser said:

Imagine if this had happened 25 years ago...

SARS happened 18 years ago; we got through it.  I barely remember it.

[felser]

What I meant was the massive shutdowns without internet. 

[LWayne]

Good article in NYT. Worth a read:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/health/coronavirus-restrictions-us.html?fbclid=IwAR0d3DtF-i9XYOb6d0ol6_VxIHGkZVi-Avxt3y3Qw5u19R2CoXfr5MZRoGI

 

LWayne

 

[felser]

22 minutes ago, LWayne said:

Good article in NYT. Worth a read:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/health/coronavirus-restrictions-us.html?fbclid=IwAR0d3DtF-i9XYOb6d0ol6_VxIHGkZVi-Avxt3y3Qw5u19R2CoXfr5MZRoGI

 

LWayne

 

Yes, Don McNeil is outstanding on this topic, thanks for sharing.