Just want to say to keep safe and healthy in these times. How has everyone been dealing with the covid 19? I keep my ear open, but that's about it. Has it hit home for yous?

 

Finally had a couple reported cases here in Idaho. I'm not changing a damn thing I do.

 

We have a relatively small number of cases in California, but people have completely lost their minds and hoarded everything from toilet paper to ammunition. The supermarkets have been completely wiped out. And a lot of anti-gun people who have suddenly become pro-gun are learning that it's not as easy to buy guns in California as they have been led to believe.

For me personally, it's pretty much been business as usual. I still go to work every day, and I haven't really changed my habits. We're supposed to be "social distancing" but I don't like people anyway, so that's not much of an inconvenience.

 

Just washing my hands often, staying away from others as much as possible, trying to keep my hands off my face and mouth, and doing the elbow bump at work - otherwise business as usual. Not a big social guy anyway. I can entertain myself quite nicely at home. Lots of hoarding going on here in Indiana as well. Facebook is full of people letting others know where the TP is. I wanted to post that we don't need to stock up on TP 'cause we have plenty of ammo (but that wouldn't be nice). In any case we're ready for the zombies!!

Wife is a surgical nurse at a large hospital in the area. They are talking about cancelling all elective surgeries. Wife says she will continue to do surgeries as long as they have surgeries for her, but is unsure what she will do if they want her to float somewhere else in the hospital to take care of coronavirus patients.

Good time to binge watch all the adaptations of Last Man on Earth (starting with the Vincent Price version from 1964, then the Omega Man version with Charlton Heston from 1971, then the 2007 I Am Legend version by Will Smith, and ending with the 2015-2018 Last Man on Earth TV series starring Will Forte. We like the Vincent Price version the best. "Morgan........ Come out!"

Another good one is the movie "Contagion"!

 

Yep, that was the creepiest version of them all. But as for Covid-19, I don't know anybody who knows anybody that has been diagnosed with it. I'll start being concerned when it hits closer to home. Especially if it hits me.

 

Wife's hospital here in South Bend has one admitted so far. It's around, or soon will be. Most people will be just fine and dandy - pretty much just like the flu. It's the old people and/or people with health problems that have problems with it - especially cardiovascular or lung problems (sadly that is me - but I've always had a great immune system and seldom get sick - so who know what will happen if/when I get exposed). All they are trying to do is to slow the spread of the disease enough that the hospitals can handle the emergencies and don't become overwhelmed. Having enough ventilator machines for the truly sick is what is really important. Seems the lung issues caused by the virus is what kills people.

 

Les,

I lived in South Bend for a couple years in the mid-90s. being from the northwest, it was way too flat for me! LOL

I think your assessment is spot on. This bug will eventually get to most people but what we can do is slow down its spread so that the health care facilities do not get overwhelmed. I'm imagining this is what it was like for my parents before they had the polio vaccine.

Here in North Idaho, we have had our first reported cases in our regional (90 miles away) big city of Spokane WA. The local universities, Washington State U and U of Idaho are on spring break. It is when the kids get back, of those who do, who will definitely bring the bug with them. But both schools have gone to online teaching with many students likely staying home to finish out the term. Learning how to teach and give exams online will be one of the things I'll be doing during this break. The quality of learning this term is going to go way down without the ability to connect to students, even in a big lecture. There will be even more asked of them to stay on top of their studying.

I have not been to the store for a few days so I can't say what the local situation is like here right now. As soon as I had heard about this virus and its affects elsewhere, I started to buy a few more extras on each shopping trip. As it turns out I will have plenty of stuff for myself and to take care of myself if I do get the virus. Even if getting it for most of us will be like having the flu, it still will suck and because we don't have a vaccination, many more people will have it which will put a drag on whatever they try to do.

For the time being, I'm pretty much planning to stay home as I want to make sure I stay well for this week and hopefully the next so that I can get my online teaching all figured out. Then if I were to get sick, I could still give my lectures, even from home and then spend the rest of the time sleeping to get well like I would do with any flu-like illness.

 

This pretty much sums up how things have been for me as well. Here in North Central Florida there's been a couple nearby confirmed cases within a 45 minute drive from home, but nothing in our county yet. Still, I don't plan on doing any traveling out of town any time soon. Luckily my work has me away from people for the most part. I did a little bit of shopping this afternoon, and it's almost like the typical hurricane prep scene at the local WalMart. Water isle is bare, hardly any canned food, and of course the toilet paper, which I STILL don't quite understand that one... but I digress...

I'm less concerned about contracting it myself, I'd like to think I have a pretty strong immune system, but I'm more concerned about if I do carrying and transmitting it to others, such as my wife with Cystic Fibrosis... So if there's ANY chance at all that I've even been possibly exposed, we're going to be isolating ourselves from each other for at least two weeks... With her compromised immune system AND the fact that Cystic Fibrosis and a respiratory condition, things would certainly go south quick if she were to catch this bug... So we're just hoping and praying for the best, and trying not to do anything that puts us at a greater risk. For example, the shopping I did today is usually something my wife and I do together, but I flew solo today... bottle of hand sanitizer in my pocket, used every once in a while while shopping, once before loading groceries into the truck, and then once more before getting into the truck. Then again after unloading groceries, you get the point...

As far as the shopping and supplies go, I have a feeling it'll be about like the panic shopping everybody does in hurricane season here in Florida, Everyone freaks out, buys more crap than they have a use for, so they stop buying it for a while and the shelves are stocked back to normal within a week or so...


But everyone stay safe out there. And as I mentioned before, don't only be worried about contracting it yourself, be worried about how many other friends, family, and loved ones, you could possibly spread it to if you do come down with it.

 

It has affected me dearly this past Friday. I turned my computer on and tried to watch LSU baseball only to find out the game was cancelled. In fact, all games are cancelled until the middle of April.

I still haven't recovered from the shock.

Other than that, life has not changed in my neck of the wood, far enough from any major population center that I am not worried about my wife, dog or myself. Just don't come knocking on my door for toilet paper as you will not like the response.

A lot of truth in the song by Hank, Jr., "A Country Boy Can Survive."

 

It's funny that you mention that aj, I was supposed to go to a toronto marlies game Tuesday, was going to dress up like a tool and get waisted.... now I get to sit at home and fidget with the blazer lol