Siouxie

MillieF

It’s just started to get a bit bad now...we have self distanced, worn masks and stayed away from each other. We had our backs to the wall and a blitz spirit and the Queen told us all that we’d meet again, but that does seem to be a long time ago, and now I am mostly ‘new’ normal and I go into every shop wearing a mask. I want to live and not infect anyone but it’s not much fun.

I think we are all missing random chats with random strangers.

Today I went to lunch (there’s nowhere to go, I normally take my book and read under a tree near the courthouse, but last night it rained, so the ground was wet, and I sat somewhere different)...I met a group of people who were asking if I minded that they sat in my shade and for thirty minutes we had a wide ranging and fun discussion about nothing. I will never, probably, meet them again, but it was different and we were seeking out companionship I think... it was good...

Teaandtoday5

i have met, on a very short term basis, some lovely women in the queue for the bakers

also I don’t get the hate for CT. In a small town they have a handy range of stuff

BristolUK

I used them a lot after we moved here. DVD players, toaster oven, book cases, tv stand, deck furniture, lamps, lawn mower, rugs, pots and pans, tools....so much stuff.

johnwoo

...and those that don't die can pass it on to others who are vulnerable, maybe someone in your own family.
You may not be concerned, so are not concerned who you may pass it onto?

Shard

I'm not sure if old Boris is as good as new. And even if he looked it (which he doesn't) the disease could impact him for years.

I think the lethality of Covid is around 2% for below 60 and 5% for above 60. So for every 19 Boris's (what a thought!) there's some highly intelligent fit doctor that perishes. I've also heard that for the over 80's the survival rate in ICU is 50%.

Perhaps the interior of BC and other Canadian locations are enjoying low incidence of the virus, and therefore a more relaxed approach can be adopted (risked). But if you look at what's happening in the US now (Florida, California, Texas) where people rejected the over-cautious advice, it's not a good story. Ditto Brtain. My sense is that many people underestimate both the transmissability and the impact. I guess it's because it's a virus and not a toxin. It's somehow seen as a natural phenomena and any resulting hospitialisation also a natural phenomena.

Shard

Yes, indeed. There's a huge disconnect on that point, hence the lack of mask wearing.

Atlantic Xpat

On the acquiring masks thing, the surprise of the pandemic was the local chain of convenience stores: "Maries Mini Mart" who were quickly out of the gate selling masks, gloves and hand sanitiser when Loblaws/Lawtons/Sobeys/Walmart etc were sold out.
Packs of ten surgical masks. Made in China nach but seem OK - the Mrs and the MiL bought some. I'm sticking to the homemade mask because my 'eads too big for standard onesd! Maries by the way know their customer base - the advertising hoarding outside my local store is "We have masks, sanitiser and yeast". The great yeast shortage of March-May 2020 was a feature of the pandemic in these parts!

Back to Walmart and third party sellers, I generally click the box on Walmart, Staples, Best Buy etc that ensures that I only see the products they are selling themselves. If I want to buy from some dodgy reseller I'll buy through Amazon, who in my experience at least are better at providing refunds if something is sub-par.

EDITED TO ADD:

In the first couple of months of the pandemic I did some volunteer work with the local business community supporting the Health Authority on the procurement of PPE. (I'm a Procurement guy by trade & have experience in sourcing from Asia). It was very much the wild west with dodgy distributors popping up left right and centre, people insisting that they had millions of N95 masks available on terms of 100% payment in advance, etc etc. Hell of a minefield for the government procurement people across Canada to get through, so I do have some sympathies with the challenges they've faced.I see a news report today saying that Canada is almost self sufficient in PPE supply or will be. That's a good thing!

Our own personal challenge in pandemic supply chain was sourcing elastic to make masks (the Mrs has been making them for friends and colleagues). Everywhere sold out quickly. I purchased some through ebay - which arrived from China, and some through a third party seller on Amazon, which we're still to receive.

Paul_Shepherd

Well yes but there is a risk involved in everything, but for me personally what I gain from the experience outweighs the risk.... thats not to say I am being complacent, but I think we have to learn to live with Covid, its not going anywhere and I need to live some form of a life!

If figures start getting higher again I would be more concerned, but I am not greatly concerned at present, I also put trust in the pub to take the required sanitary procedures such as suitable glass cleaning and not serving if they have any symptoms etc..... its a very small privately owned pub so that gives me a degree or two more of confidence. Could get hit by a bus tommorow! life is too short....calculated risks and all that.

dbd33

How many people are you willing to infect for your beer in the pub?

BristolUK

My failure to get any masks from Walmart.ca was the first time I've been aware of third party sellers there. Either I've not used Walmart online for a long time or 3rd party is new? I assumed it would be as safe as Amazon and part of that was because I've had a few 3rd party things via BestBuy that have been fine.

BristolUK

Yes, it's about the gains and risks. Going to the pub I would put low down on the list of gains but I know that's easy for me to say as going to the pub (few drinks and chinwag) hasn't been a part of my life for a long time.

dbd33

I don't think going to a pub is at all a reasonable thing to do. It exposes the pub goer to an increased level of risk, the person decides to take that risk on behalf of him or herself and all the people to whom that person will be exposed. So, people, generally young, go to the pub, get infected but don't become seriously ill, Shortly thereafter, older people die in consequence of having enjoyed that beer by proxy. This isn't some dubious claim like secondhand smoke killing people or an avoidable risk like HIV; pub goers, considered together, will be killing older people. It's only safe to open pubs if no one goes there.

Shard

Agreed. It's all about gains and risks. It will vary by location (the set up, the number of patrons, the incidence of Corona in the town) but I think it's good to have this cauttious/questioning frame of mind rather than writing it all off to fate and buses. It's an infection that we as individuals are able to avoid getting, and perhaps more importantly, transmitting. I haven't ruled out going to the pub, but I really want a higher level of certainty that the virus isn't about before I do. These forums are helpful in that sense, you can become aware that there are like-minded people. Otherwise you just walk past the sunny tables and think why aren't I there when others are.

Paul_Shepherd

Thats rather a judgmental statement to make don't you think? ....you could say how many people are potentially going to infect me if I go for a beer at the pub? it works both ways, besides. I don't go for the beer anyway, haven't done that since I lived in the UK

As I stated before its a calculated risk, I am not doing anything wrong, the government have allowed the patios to open because figures are down, its outside, we social distance, everyone is responsible, unlike the people on beaches, or in the city parks or other irresponsible events that have occurred in the last few weeks. Lets keep this in context.