Author Topic: General Discussion Thread  (Read 2387177 times)

Róisín

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18735 on: March 27, 2020, 03:43:29 AM »
Still alive here. Worried about a few friends who have caught this vile disease in other states, and my son who is a great deal more isolated than he needs to be, since he was house-sitting for a friend in an area which is now completely unreachable. Fortunately he has food and water, and worse to worse he is my kid so knows how to hunt, forage and look after himself. But I worry. I do however have every intention of getting us through this.
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Yastreb

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18736 on: March 27, 2020, 07:44:10 AM »
I'm keeping an occasional journal for these times. I wrote this just now:

Quote
I am not going to see anyone I know face to face for who knows how long. It’ll just be their voices, or words in texts and on Skype or on Forums (and, I have to admit it, Facebook).

I listed my sister and her family, and my small circle of friends, and added:

Quote
I’ll be seeing Dr S. [my GP] and Dr. R [my psychiatrist] instead. At least Dr. R. might enjoy the company.


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DancingRanger

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18737 on: March 27, 2020, 01:16:33 PM »
Still alive here. Worried about a few friends who have caught this vile disease in other states, and my son who is a great deal more isolated than he needs to be, since he was house-sitting for a friend in an area which is now completely unreachable. Fortunately he has food and water, and worse to worse he is my kid so knows how to hunt, forage and look after himself. But I worry. I do however have every intention of getting us through this.

 I hope they get well soon. I'm worried a bit myself, I'm currently out of work because of the virus. All restaurants here have closed all dine in services which is my job. I don't know how long this is going to last and how things are going to be afterwards, but I know I'm gonna make it through.

I'm keeping an occasional journal for these times. I wrote this just now:

I listed my sister and her family, and my small circle of friends, and added:

Journals are good. I've kept a really rough one for a few years. I've been trying to start keeping an art journal, and draw what my mood is.
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thorny

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18738 on: March 27, 2020, 02:37:07 PM »
Fine here so far in mostly-shut-down New York State USA. I'm way upstate away from NY City, which is where most of the cases are, and my county doesn't have any confirmed cases yet -- but there are cases now in almost all the adjacent counties, and numbers while still comparatively low are going up. And we have of course no idea how many asymptomatic and not-yet-symptomatic cases there are; so there probably are some in this county.

Grocery stores, hardware stores, farm supply stores are open. Restaurants and wineries are take-out only. Libraries are closed, yikes! (I'm personally quite well supplied with reading matter, but not everybody is, or is online.) So are schools and anything else involving public gatherings or meetings, and a lot of retail. Grocery store stock is somewhat erratic but except for toilet paper, rubbing alcohol, and hand sanitizer everything seems to be available, though stores have limits on some items. This is a heavily agricultural area and farming is (quite sensibly) on the "essential businesses" list of things which are supposed to stay open. My farmers' markets wouldn't ordinarily open until late May anyway. My work is at home and so am I. My next essential errand will be picking up my annual truckload of potting soil, probably at some point in the next couple of weeks (I need to communicate with the place by mail, they're on the other side of the lake and they're Amish.)

DancingRanger

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18739 on: March 27, 2020, 02:53:42 PM »
We haven't gotten that far here in Kentucky, but we might end up there soon.

A truckload of potting soil? You must grow a lot of cool plants. My bearded irises are coming up and haven't shown any signs of blooming yet.
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wavewright62

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18740 on: March 27, 2020, 03:20:25 PM »
NZ is currently under virtually complete lockdown, for four weeks. (I have heard speculation that it will actually be longer, but not being tipped quite yet to avoid panic.)  We are to stay with our 'bubble' only for that time, the bubble being your household unit and necessary caregivers.  My bubble is one, just me.  I have a work from home setup (going to post in the Show Your Space thread because why not). 
I go out for walks, and will go to the supermarket (an essential service that isn't shutting) this weekend. 
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DancingRanger

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18741 on: March 27, 2020, 05:52:13 PM »
We're not under lock down yet, but we have been strongly advised to stay home unless it's for an emergency or some thing essential. My father and I have already made our weekly trip to the store. Canned stuff is practically gone, and TP is starting to make a comeback.
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thegreyarea

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18742 on: March 27, 2020, 08:52:30 PM »
Since so many people are talking about their experience/situation I thought that mine could interest some of you.
For those that don't know I live in Portugal, in the Porto area. We gradually entered in lock down for two weeks, and are formally on "state of emergency" for a week now.
This means that most things that attract people are closed. Shops of non-essential things (clothes, for example, are considered non-essential now, but you can always buy some in bigger supermarkets), restaurants (except take-away), cafes, schools, universities, libraries, museums, parks, etc... Public services are reduced to a minimum, basically answering urgent situations. Public transportation works but has limits in occupation (buses carry just 10 people, to allow proper distance) and are free (at least in my area).
Factories can work, as long as they implement security measures (distances and/or protective gear). Car repair and other similar "support" services also work, but most only with a previous schedule call. People are strongly encouraged to work from home if they can (that's what I do).
Supermarkets, bakeries, fruit sellers and everything related to food supply (and health) must remain open. There are limitations in the access so it's common to wait outside for a while (usually not more than 10-15 min., but it may be more). In the beginning some things disappeared, like TP and canned food, but now stocks are (almost) back to normal.
People can go out to work, buy essential things, walk their dogs or themselves, but not to go to the beach or to wander on the city taking pictures. People over 60 are strongly encouraged to stay at home and let others do their shopping (that's what I'm doing with my mother, she's over 80)
There's been some problems but overall people are engaging in this approach. But it's (slowly) working, with our number being consistently under the best-case projections.
Now we are all waiting to see the curve go down...
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thorny

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18743 on: March 27, 2020, 09:54:19 PM »
A truckload of potting soil? You must grow a lot of cool plants. My bearded irises are coming up and haven't shown any signs of blooming yet.

Vegetables and a few herbs, and some fruit: certified organic produce, mostly direct-market through farmers' markets. The markets themselves won't be open until late May or early June. What the situation will be like by then nobody knows; but if I'm going to have anything to sell then, I have to keep doing the work on it now.

In this climate (upstate NY) a lot of things need to be started as transplants; and I start almost all my own transplants, so I do go through a fair bit of potting soil. It's fun, though.

Yastreb

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18744 on: March 27, 2020, 10:53:14 PM »
I went to get my flu vaccinations this morning, and my GP said that the lockdown and other precautions could be in place for another six months.

So much for the economy. OTOH... that's lives not lost.
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Keeper

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18745 on: March 27, 2020, 11:02:42 PM »
Well, among the perks of working from home: listening to music and podcasts all day >_>. I just started listening to Welcome to Night Vale, however many years late I may be. And I'm exploring the discography of Shinedown!

Hoping to talk with a friend tomorrow, and maybe we'll hear from my brother too. He's been doing work on a construction project at LaGuardia airport, which thus far has been considered essential work. It seems that changed today, so we don't know if he'll still be working next week... Well, I know I will.
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Yastreb

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18746 on: March 28, 2020, 04:00:05 AM »
Australia is following the same path as Portugal (see TheGreyArea's post). At this stage the number of COVID-19 cases here has reached 3,573 (an increase of 196) and 14 have died, with only 23 counted as critical at this stage.

A friend posted these thoughts on Facebook (inspired by a New York Times article).

Quote
These bits here are downright terrifying:

Dr. Au and her husband sat down over the weekend and updated the list of who should take care of their children if both of them die. “We have it four deep now,” she said. “The top two choices are older and these people are in a high-risk group. The third person is a doctor. So we added a fourth person who is a low risk for contracting this thing. As the backstop in case it comes to that.”

[...]

Dr. Marshall said he’s been encouraging his colleagues who don’t yet have wills to draw them up. “We know what’s coming,” he told me. “There are a good number of people who are going to die here,” he said, and “health care workers will be part of that number.”


If front-line doctors, people who know an epic f----tonne more about infectious diseases, their transmission and how to f---ing mitigate the risk of it than we will ever know outside of 10 years or more of dedicated study are resorting to these sorts of measures then maybe the rest of us should just STAY THE F--- AT HOME AND AWAY FROM THE F---ING SHOPPING CENTRE. [/i]
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Jitter

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18747 on: March 28, 2020, 06:15:58 AM »
Greetings from the Uusimaa Exclusion. The most populous region of Finland has been separated from the rest of the country as of midnight today. Movement across the border is allowed for various essential reasons, but the reason has to be presented at a checkpoint and then it will either be approved or not. There is no general lockdown into homes on either side, but a strong recommendation to only go anywhere if absolutely unavoidable. Being outside is freely allowed but people are to maintain distance - however there is no way to enforce this. Libraries, museums, sports venues etc are closed, as are all schools since 1,5 weeks. Some people still don’t take this seriously.

May I suggest starting a Covid-19 thread? Especially considering the subject matter of the comic, it could well be of interest to re-read how we felt in this situation, years from now? Or possibly two threads, what’s happening and how do you feel about what’s happening? Also this may help keeping other threads relatively free of it, making it easier for people who come here to not thinking about it?
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Róisín

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18748 on: March 28, 2020, 10:46:03 AM »
Sounds like a good idea. Keep safe.
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midwestmutt

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Re: General Discussion Thread
« Reply #18749 on: March 28, 2020, 10:49:42 AM »
I agree. We need a venue.
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