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How Isolated is everyone right now?

How Isolated is everyone right now?

Old Mar 26th 2020, 3:06 am
  #61  
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

Alaska is doing better than some. 59 cases as of this evening, with 28 in the Anchorage metro. No deaths in state, but apparently we get to include an Alaskan resident who died in Seattle. It's only a matter of time, though.

Testing seems to be a shambles, though. The local news has an article about a doctor with symptoms waiting over a week for results, plus it's difficult to even be approved for testing. There seems to be a shortage of testing equipment, but also a critical national shortage of reagents for processing the tests.

My wife was tested 9 days ago, and has yet to hear back. Three or four of our family of five have had flu-like symptoms, starting with our 11yo daughter when we were in Hawaii over spring break. She tested positive for flu, but I'm still wondering if that's really right. Everyone's almost made a full recovery, but my wife is still coughing. We've been careful to mostly stay home, but it's still concerning.

Schools are closed until at least the end of April, with online schooling starting next week, after they extended spring break by two weeks. I expect it will be extended to the end of the school year very soon.

We're lucky here in many ways. Chugach state park includes many great hikes in the mountains above the city. I've taken the kids walking with our dog a few times. My wife gets to work from home, but is pretty worried about her job.

The state economy is going to be crushed, unfortunately. Oil and gas employment was already hurting here, following BP selling their Alaskan assets to Hilcorp, and now it's going to get a lot worse. Summer will also see very few tourists, especially since so many come off the cruise ships. A lot of businesses will close.

Let's hope things recover quicker than we expect.
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Old Mar 26th 2020, 4:40 am
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

Originally Posted by nain rouge
I am also in a quiet suburb of Detroit, PeterFrank.

Since we are retired, this "social distancing" is no strain on us. Between cable tv, Youtube, the internet, books, and video games we are pretty content. We have been inside our condo since March 10th. We have only been out to pick up meds from the pharmacy drive-thru window, and gotten groceries from the drive-up delivery area at the supermarket twice. It's kind of interesting what new routines we have instituted due to the virus - I washed the half-gallon cartons of orange juice and milk we got with soap and water, and I also washed my wife's credit card with soap and water since it was handled by the pharmacy clerk at the drive-thru. Also, I have been microwaving the mail for 60 seconds to kill any germs.

My wife ticks one high-risk box and I tick about 4, so we are very careful. What I worry about is that it seems like sooner or later, everyone will be exposed to the virus (whether in a week or 4 months) so does that mean that those of us at high-risk will inevitably have a life-and-death struggle with the disease? Makes me not want to make any long-range plans.
Microwaving the mail - very novel! Hope there aren't too many staples or paper clips in there!

Regarding your last paragraph, the general idea is that the longer you can go without getting it, the more chance there is of there being better 'treatment'. Now, that's a real crap-shoot, because things may be worse in (eg) 4 months than they are today - we just don't know. But the idea is, there's virtually NO infrastructure in place now (no ventilators, no drugs, etc) so the longer you can wait, the better it may become. The flip-side to that is, if you get it right now, and you are in an area with currently low-figures, you may sail into a hospital and get well looked after. So I can see it both ways. I did tell myself, if I got it myself 'soon', that it may be a blessing in disguise ... we shall see.
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Old Mar 26th 2020, 4:59 am
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

I'm totally isolated. My g/f and I (66 an 61 years old) each have our own places (CA and AZ) but we spend most of the time together in one location or another, with some 'decompression' spells apart. We had one such spell apart recently, and I was just about to head to CA to join her when all this broke loose. She felt it would be best if I stay in AZ, as it's 'safer' there than the Bay Area (fewer cases), and she stay alone in the Bay Area. She also commented, not without truth, that we would probably drive each other crazy if we were cooped up inside the small-ish condo 24 hours a day ... So I've been pretty much alone in AZ now for about 5 weeks. I did suggest she should head down here, but her doctor is there and her insurance is not multi-state. We've agreed that if she gets sick and needs my help, I'll drive up there 12 hours non-stop to be with her (despite CA's shelter in place policy!). If I get sick down here, though, I'm pretty much SOL because she's not capable of doing the drive and I don't think it would be fair to expect her to fly (if flights are even possible). Despite both being in a 'risk category' (over 60), neither of us have any 'conditions' that would render us at risk, so I'm not overly concerned (as long as I don't read too many horror stories on social media ... ).

I don't have any close friends in AZ, and only recently moved into the neighborhood so don't know my neighbors at all. My passion here is to go hiking - but the trails are too crowded now (cannot 'social distance' on a 2-foot wide mountain trail!) and so I just walk the neighborhood every day for exercise. My other favorite passtime was eating out at all the great restaurants in town, but that has come to a crashing halt so I'm reluctantly dusting off my old kitchen skills. Can't say I'm thoroughly enjoying it right now! But the weather is absolutely perfect and I live in a pretty neighborhood, so it could be worse.

I'm retired so don't have to go to work, and just go shopping as the needs arise. Things seem to be stabilizing around here in that most stores seem to have most things. Even TP showed up in one store recently ... for a fleeting moment.

Last edited by Steerpike; Mar 26th 2020 at 5:01 am.
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Old Mar 27th 2020, 3:17 pm
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

I ventured off the compound this morning in search of food - notably milk, and a few other things, nothing major. There was almost no meat, and I picked up 1Kg of ground beef, and a couple of steaks, both of which were one of very few packs - maybe a dozen or so packs, in the meat fridges that were almost entirely empty, so I am glad I went out early.

While queuing at a socially responsible distance in Kroger to buy my groceries, I couldn't help but notice a shopper in a queue for another till. .... Apparently under the current crisis conditions, Walmart shoppers are foraging further afield.

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Old Mar 27th 2020, 8:30 pm
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

I don’t actually feel that cut off. Shops are not the scene of panic they were a week ago, and most shelves now have stuff on them. I’m still working, albeit reduced hours so that is good. Monterey County has closed all the golf courses which is bad, but yesterday I learnt you can conduct multi way video calls on WhatsApp, so had a 3 way call with my mum and sister which cheered us all up
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Old Mar 27th 2020, 8:34 pm
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

Too isolated.
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Old Mar 28th 2020, 11:49 am
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

The school I teach is in the transition to virtual learning, so my 'virtual' work hours are now 8-3 every day during the week. As 'the Ed Tech' guy, this whole thing works like a dream for me, because I get to utilize all the resources, know how, and programs I have lots of experience with, so this is a doozy for me to work from home. I'm getting slight cabin fever, as I'm a very social guy who usually sees friends every weekend and plays soccer a lot. However, I'm still getting to run a lot with my dog, sometimes twice a day now. So that hasn't changed. Being in a low risk category I feel lucky. But still doing best practices as I don't want to be a reason it spreads more!

Currently - a little isolated.
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Old Mar 28th 2020, 3:46 pm
  #68  
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

Four people in our household.

My good lady (teacher) has barely left the house in two weeks.

I'm still working on trailer parks, that are now filling up with out of staters again. So having had students from all over descend upon our beaches and then packed them all off again we now have the seniors coming from all over to spread the lurgy. The admin at the park I was working on last week must have gotten peeved at it's residents ignoring the social distancing measures they'd posted up and took to locking the clubhouse on Tuesday - no more informal morning keep fit classes, games of pool or swimming for them. Doesn't stop them riding on the ir golf carts together, walking round the block in close proximity, morning coffee on the deck with the neighbours in close proximity, going out for a jolly on a packed boat.
I think I should be at home, even though I work away from people and am outside all day, I'm still having to gas up every other day. I was hoping the parks would stop contractors coming in but God forbid the grass grows over two inches long. I have taken to not shaving as a silent protest against the boss but he hasn't said anything yet despite the fact that I've made the utmost effort to look like a tramp for the last ten days.

My stepdaughter also has a money orientated boss and is still at work, her place is more like a sweat shop though with 8 dog groomers and 2 assistants packed into a room 20' x 15', she pops off at least once a week, two counties north of here, to overnight and spend the next day with her boyfriend, who's also still working.

Her daughter lives with us 50% of the time, when she's with the wife she's isolated, this week her mother took her off for her overnight trip up north for a playdate with her boyfriend's son. Last week she was at her father's, he lives with his parents, his sister is staying there visiting from New York and they hired a bouncy castle for family and friends kids to spread the love among three or four generations.

As for the area, it's marginally quieter on the roads, contractors still busy, restaurants, bars and clubs shut, many shops closed, sidewalks jam packed with cyclists, runners and walkers. Non essential businesses, like the ones I work for and that of my stepdaughter, continue to operate with little regard for public health and will do so until the waste of space that we have for a governor decides that dead people aren't a good look on his record.

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Old Mar 28th 2020, 4:59 pm
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

I'm not a very social person and work from home, going out to pick up work from one client twice a week (still operating, it's an "essential" business as mandated by the governor). So the only thing that has changed is that there is hardly any traffic on the roads and I only shop for groceries once a week . . . and that I have eight big bags of dog food in the garage! As long as the dogs are OK, life goes on.
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Old Mar 28th 2020, 5:46 pm
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

The employer at my supermarket scanning job has put me on pause for 2 weeks, so am stuck at home with Her Indoors and now Me Indoors. She is compensating for shops, casinos, senior bingo and bunco all shut down by making a lot of noise around the house. Noisily washing dishes, making the bed, and banging cupboard doors shut as loudly as possible. I try to remain serene by following an online tutorial on toilet paper origami, have completed the intermediate Lotus Flower model, and now embarking on the advanced Praying Mantis toilet paper model, but is is not easy with all the loud tutting and excessive sighing going on.
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Old Mar 28th 2020, 7:00 pm
  #71  
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

Originally Posted by retzie
Well, things are pretty grim here in NYC.
This.

UWS, Manhattan here and pretty much everything is closed - My Gym, Yoga Studio and pretty much everything but our local Gristedes have been shut now for some time (as Retzie pointed out), and my company has been on mandatory WFH since the first week of March.

I've only ventured outside to get groceries/essentials (I'm prepping to go out later as I need milk, bread and... cleanser). NYC outside the window is a total ghost town (ordinarily there's a stream of people 24/7 as its in a tourist hotspot) and within our apt building they are enforcing one person in the elevator, recycling center & mail room at a time (and with the mail room, you need to stay 6 foot back from the counter till they get your packages, place them on it, back off 6 feet so you can approach - everything gets lysol'd when done, including the packages. They aren't messing around).

To try and avoid going any more insane, I've deep dived into getting more creative with cooking, art and making my own bougie soap.

Stay safe everyone!
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Old Mar 28th 2020, 7:23 pm
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

Looks like NY will be quarantined.
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Old Mar 28th 2020, 7:31 pm
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

Originally Posted by Pulaski
I ventured off the compound this morning in search of food - notably milk, and a few other things, nothing major. There was almost no meat, and I picked up 1Kg of ground beef, and a couple of steaks, both of which were one of very few packs - maybe a dozen or so packs, in the meat fridges that were almost entirely empty, so I am glad I went out early.

While queuing at a socially responsible distance in Kroger to buy my groceries, I couldn't help but notice a shopper in a queue for another till. .... Apparently under the current crisis conditions, Walmart shoppers are foraging further afield.

Standard issue NBC suit
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Old Mar 28th 2020, 7:31 pm
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

Originally Posted by Boiler
Looks like NY will be quarantined.
forcibly by every other state
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Old Mar 28th 2020, 7:49 pm
  #75  
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Default Re: How Isolated is everyone right now?

Originally Posted by Nutmegger
So the only thing that has changed is that there is hardly any traffic on the roads and I only shop for groceries once a week . . . and that I have eight big bags of dog food in the garage! As long as the dogs are OK, life goes on.
Similar for me! I love the now-empty streets that used to be so jammed at rush hours, however the ghostly-quiet streets of our town centre are still jarring to me. We're a touristy coastal town which would in normal times be starting to bustle with "shoulder season" folks in the run-up to Easter.
And as for grocery shopping, the first place I head for is the pet aisle, because my so-fussy boycat will eat only one brand of food which never seems to be in large supply.
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