(no subject)

[shadowkat]

I kind of want to do a poll. Because, I've been wondering...does anyone have COVID-19? Does anyone's family or friends? Do you know people who have died from it?

[I know people who have had it, and people who have died. No one close to me has died, more distant, and an old guy at church who I'd gotten used to seeing and saying hello to.)

Is everyone in quarantine? To what extent? Are you opening up next week or have you done so already?

Do you feel this weirdness, where some people are living in the world of COVID and others seem to be oblivious...wandering about as if it's not an issue?

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

Friends have had and recovered from Covid, and a brother and sister of one also did. The other friend's father did not.

I have a friend and a family member who are working in hospitals, one as an ER nurse, the other in admin on an ICU floor.

Our state has a stay at home order and mask use order until month's end. They are making plans for reopening some businesses.

And yes, I suspect there's a lot of the last going on. I rarely go out so I don't see much of it, but around me people are exercising or at work so short of mask use and some examples of distancing, it's easy to imagine not much is going on. At the same time my partner's worklife has been so affected by having to work only at home that it's a daily reminder of why we're here. But when I do go out, to the grocery or to get takeout, generally those are spaces where the safety rules are in effect and it's a very changed experience.

[cjlasky7]

As of this moment, no one in my family has Covid (knock wood). I'm not in quarantine, as I'm going into my branch at Borough Park (or the Kings Highway branch) two or three times a week. I walk the dog and go shopping around the neighborhood.

[Borough Park is mostly back to pre-Covid activity. It scares me to walk around there. I don't see that branch opening any time soon.]

My wife and son are either teaching or taking lessons via remote learning. So they aren't leaving the house for most of the day.

In recent weeks, we've been taking longer trips as a family. Brooklyn Market, Target--and we're planning to go to Home Depot for a new smoke alarm. We all wear masks and gloves, so we take no chances.

It's....tolerable. We're ok. But we do miss movies. And zoos. And museums.

And friends.

[shadowkat]

Are the extended family members who tested positive, okay?

I hear you on Borough Park. I am avoiding the area, and started getting food deliveries to avoid the FoodTown and stores that border it, not that most of the people in that area use those stores - Foodtown tends to serve Kesington more. I figure Greenwood Cemetery is safe though - and it is.

Envy the longer trips. Particularly the ones to Brooklyn Market and Target. (Where is Brooklyn Market?)

Drive-in movie theaters are apparently coming back. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of outdoor movie theater going this summer.

[cjlasky7]

My niece's extended family (and my ex-brother-in-law and his
new wife) have not demonstrated symptoms. I think they're all out of the woods. They were lucky. (My niece's obgyn says the baby is fine, but I'm still nervous.)

Our local Brooklyn Market is on 81st and 3rd Avenue, a short car trip. Local Target is 64th and 17th Avenue (ditto). We can do a short hop by car, "armor up", do our business, then get back in the car and go home. We don't have to deal with public transportation or a lot of pedestrian traffic.

I would advise everyone to avoid Borough Park until the virus bottoms out completely. I have to clear the ATM for my branch, but the neighborhood's general disregard for safety makes me feel like I'm navigating a minefield until I get inside. I don't think I'm going back to a regular schedule there until July, mid-June at the earliest.

[shadowkat]

I'm not really going into it. I go into Greenwood Cemetery, which borders it but people are abiding by the safety measures because it's required, Food Town - which is following safety measures (required), and Wallgreens (required) which follows them. But all of that is along MacDonald, and Caton Roads and the far side of it. I think your bank is further in - and further south. Greenwood is more in Kesington and Windsor Terrace, as is Food Town for that matter.

[shadowkat]

Relieved that your neice's family and extended family are okay. And didn't get sick.

COVID is weird.

Sounds like your doing a lot of stuff by car. Lots of people appear to be, or so I've noticed. Although traffic is still low.

[atpo_onm]

No one in my immediate family has or had it as far as I know, but immediate family for me is just my sister and her three sons, the youngest of which works in the lab at the largest local hospital, and walks around in a kind of daze-- but because he's extremely not oblivious.

Extended family is also okay, although my sister is a bit worried about one granddaughter who works in a nursing home in Virginia. (So far she's fine).

I work out of my home, and am reclusive by nature anyway, so I'm in the unusual position that it hasn't changed my habits by much. I go out for groceries once a week, and take my daily walks whenever the weather permits. Those are pretty stress-free, since the lower population density in my area makes it quite easy to avoid contact with others. Most people who are out walking are either walking their dogs, or like me, exercising.

As to the "re-opening", Lancaster has just joined several other counties in our region to open ahead of the June date the governor had set out. The city officials are pissed, but the county as a whole is nearly all repped by Republicans, so the city has little to say about such things.

In truth, and my sister agrees when I was talking to her on Monday, that business may open up, but that doesn't mean people will show up in any quantity. She certainly isn't (she's just turned 75), and I'm not (I'm 66). We're both annoyed by this recent, and escalating trend of right-wingers and other "I have my rights!!!" people) to basically dismiss the elderly population of the country as non-productive and therefore expendable.

Overall, though, I consider myself very, very lucky, and when I get in a bad mood I remind myself of that fact. Or take a walk. Or both.

[cactuswatcher]

I don't know anyone who has it or had it. But I haven't been keeping up with my own family the last couple weeks.

I've been in semi-isolation since early March. The only person I've been within a few feet of for more than a few seconds without a mask, was one of my neighbors who took a while to catch on that people (not just me) didn't like him doing that these days. He's learned and we've said a few friendly words from a distance. I work outside in my own yard and say hi and wave to my other neighbors.

I'm getting up the courage to go to the bookstore and possibly the electronics store, late this week or early next. I'm tired of just going to the same grocery store. I'll wear a mask and will disinfect anything I buy. I'm at an age when I shouldn't be taking chances.

It's odd. Besides people who are obviously being careful, you see people in the store with no mask, wandering down the aisles against the one-way arrows they've marked on the floor. Some of them look positively guilty about it, and others don't seem to have a care in the world. More people are ordering groceries on line and picking them up at the store. But many more are just shopping and being careful about it.

[trepkos]

I live in Jersey - an island near the UK. We have had about 26 deaths declared, in a population of 110,000. Most people have behaved themselves - about a third wearing masks of some kind. There have been a few groups hanging out in out of the way places, but the Hemulens have been out and about in force, stopping people who were driving from one side of a 12 mile island to the other, and sending them back. Restrictions are just starting to slacken - we can meet up to 5 people not from our household, outdoors, with social distancing, and the bigger shops are allowed to open today. Garden centres stayed open throughout. I don't know anyone who has had it.

[petzipellepingo]

Yes, Petzi Sis was tested positive in the nursing home. As far as I know she's still alive but that's all I know.

[beer_good_foamy]

Sending good thoughts your way.

[shadowkat]

Oh, Petz, I'm so sorry. I hope you hear something good soon. Sending warm wishes your way.

[oursin]

My nephew possibly had it in early March - was able to self-isolate and as far as I know is entirely better and neither wife nor small children got infected (nor my sister & BiL who live in the granny-flat).

Righthand neighbour had it (or something), also his partner: but not his daughters, currently there because universities closed.

Someone in my wider circle who was just in hospital for a rather grim operation, has reported testing positive and feeling very ghastly.

[beer_good_foamy]

I think I may have had a mild case in March; I had a cold that just kept at it for three weeks in a row, but never serious enough to visit a doctor. Not knowing for sure whether that's what it was is a little stressful. So yes, I've been in quarantine, and very grateful for generous sick pay.

I know people who are fairly sure they've had it, and a couple who have had to seek treatment for it, but no one (personally) who's died. My parents are self-isolating at their summer house in the middle of the forest with a year's supply of pasta and potatoes. Lucky bastards.

Sweden has not been in lockdown (see e.g. this twitter thread for info on what we have done, and this one for info on what hasn't worked), so I'm doing like most of the country and social-distancing voluntarily to the extent that it's possible when I work in a public service (yes, libraries remain open, and now have to cover for all the services that have closed down, too). The idea is that not closing down completely should mean we're able to last longer than the countries who do go into complete lockdown, so hopefully no easing of it anytime soon.

And yes. Very much so. Every single day.

[shadowkat]

I'm glad you're safe and on the mend. I don't know - there was something weird going through my work place at the end of November/December - around Thanksgiving, and went until about New Years - everybody seemed to get it, and it had a range of symptoms. Then we were all fine... We called it the "respiratory virus". I don't know if it was that or not?

The varying degrees of lock down around the world are interesting. I think Asia is by far the most stringent. They may survive us all.

[kingstoken]

My Aunt and my cousin have it, my aunt is in a nursing home and unfortunately those environments are a perfect breeding ground for the virus. As for my cousin we are not sure where he got it, but it might have been at the hospital, he has a host of health issues and is often in and out the hospital. Fortunately, it looks like both their cases are mild and they should make a full recovery.

[mefisto]

Nobody in my family has it. I don't know anyone who's had it, but someone at my wife's work was diagnosed. He had a mild case and recovered.

We're subject to "stay at home" orders, but they're relatively mild: we go out for walks mask free because there's plenty of room, and to the grocery store or pharmacy (masked, of course). Nothing else has changed much except my wife works from home now.

[mllesatine]

I don't know anyone who had it which is surprising because I work as a legal guardian and many of my clients have been in and out of the hospitals or live in nursing homes. I guess they were all lucky that they don't live in nursing homes where there was an outbreak among staff and residents. And the testing in the hospitals war very thorough and again they were lucky.

It has disturbed my professional life quite a lot and has completely destroyed my usual routine of regular visits with my clients.

I think some of the lifting of restrictions (since Monday in my state in Germany) is too early and might backfire.

[promethia_tenk]

I believe I have been fighting it for most of the last month, though I've not been tested or needed medical intervention. I'm on day 13 since developing respiratory symptoms and am thankfully on my second day in a row of feeling substantially better, so I really hope I'm finally getting out from under it. But it's all been very malingering, two steps forward, one step back kind of stuff, so just gotta keep resting and wait and see.

I'm not aware of anyone else in my circle who have had it, though I'm frankly appalling at keeping in touch.

[shadowkat]

I hope you start feeling better soon. I think if you start to turn around on Day 13, you'll be okay. But if you go past Day 14, get medical treatment. But am not certain - there's so much contradictory information out there.

I do know that one of my relatives was fighting something for three months, and she kind of describes the same thing you just did. But she didn't test positive for COVID, but it's also possible it was a false negative - they didn't go far enough up the nose.

though I'm frankly appalling at keeping in touch.

Yeah, so am I. If it weren't for my mother - I'd have no clue what was happening with the rest of my family.

[jazzfish]

I have a couple of acquaintances who are in the "probably have/had it but there aren't any tests available" category. No fatalities in my circle of acquaintances, though at one step out I've had a bunch.

I'm in a small town in the north of British Columbia. I don't actually know many people here but it seems that everyone is taking "stay at home" seriously. (I haven't seen any masks, though.)

We're supposedly reopening in a small way starting this coming weekend. I am... mildly concerned.

It's strange for me because this isn't so different from how I live my life most of the time: I stay home, I work from home, I see my partner (we're isolating as a unit despite living in different places) and no one else. It's only a problem because I'm usually back in Vancouver one week out of four, and I'd planned a couple of trips back to the States for April and May.

[elisi]

Well we self-isolated in the middle of March, since husband woke up with a temperature, and eldest daughter had a dry cough and felt very tight-chested. However they both got better within a few days, and neither me, nor the other two girls got ill. So whether it was covid, or just random illness... who knows? We self-quarantined for 14 days of course, and lockdown was actioned about halfway through. I've been working from home ever since we self-isolated.

No one else in our immediate family has been ill, but (through facebook) I know one of my husband's cousins has been ill. I don't know if she has been tested, but it seemed to be textbook covid, and she was properly unwell (although not admitted to hospital unwell, thankfully).

I know one old lady from church who died. She was old and frail and in a care home, so it's not really surprising, but sad nonetheless. She was an incredible character.

[shadowkat]

Sounds like a mild case? Similar to what my cousin in Washington had. But this thing is weird - and scary. Oh watch out for the kawanski syndrom symptoms in your kids. Although it sounds like they are fine, thank god.

Also, since no one else got it - it might not have been COVID? Hard to know without being tested. When I see my doctor next - I have asked for the anti-body test to be included with the rest of the blood work.

Are you still on lock down - I know your government is trying to open stuff up.
(A friend on FB stated that they had re-instituted jury duty, which sounded insane to me.)

I know a lot of people, extended family members, who got sick and think they had it, but don't know. I don't think any of us know if we got it until we get tested, since you can be asymptomatic, apparently, or just a carrier - it's like AIDS in that respect. In fact that was the problem with AIDS - there were people who were just carriers - they didn't get sick, they just spread it. And COVID-19 apparently has the same tendency.

I am glad that your family is well. I was wondering.

[wpadmirer]

Well, the oblivious are getting Covid now because the cases are continuing to rise here. Idiots.

I know one person who has had it. So far no one I know has died of it. But I know a cautious bunch of old fuckers. (grin)

[kaisa]

I don't know anyone who has had it.

First I was 3 weeks at my apartment with my kids, not going outside at all, and then I packed my kids and moved us to my parents house, where we are isolated with my parents, have been over a month now. They have a big house and big private back yard, so my kids can go outside and still be safe. Also I think my parents are happy, because they are old and I'm physically able to do things that they can't, and their house and back yard still need a lot of maintenance. We get groceries delivered once a week, so we don't have to go anywhere.

I'm currently on maternity leave from work. I originally planned to return to work in a couple of months from now but due to covid I'm considering extending my leave by a year, so that I can continue to self-isolate with my family. My parents and my kids have a greater risk to get severely sick (or die) from covid, so I don't want to take any chances. Also life at my parents house is actually very nice. It seems we all like living this way. I wish we hadn't needed a deadly pandemic to teach us that this kind of life works better for us. Here, by law, everyone has an option to stay at home from work until the youngest kid turns 3, and during that time they can't terminate your contract, and I still have 2 years left of that. We'll just sit through this in isolation. I could even return to work part time remotely and still stay isolated here, if absolutely necessary.

And about the oblivious people...
I've read enough stories of Darwin award candidates that people's lethal stupidity doesn't surprise me. I just try to stay away from them.

[shadowkat]

Thanks for sharing. It sounds like moving in with your folks was a wonderful idea for everyone involved - and I'm so happy you were able to do that, without any problems.

Where are you, if you don't mind me asking? Country wise? Since it sounds slightly different from where I am?

[tellshannon815]

The only person I know who has tested positive is someone I went to university with, she is a doctor and thinks she was most likely infected through work. I have heard quite a lot of the obligatory speculating about whether people's flu at New Year could have been it.

I had something in March which I believed at the time was a regular old cold, and still think that's most likely what it was. The one thing that might have made me wonder is that when I had my hair cut on 29th February, my old stylist visited the salon having not long come back from Italy. Having said that, I don't know exactly when she did get back from there so it could have been longer than 14 days, she did say that at the time she left the closest confirmed case was 80 miles away, and we didn't have 15 minutes face to face conversation which is what the government were saying constituted close contact at the time. I doubt very much I would have been tested at the time had I tried for it. The first confirmed case in my county was around 8th March, and if the rumours on social media at the time were true it wasn't her (a specific place the person worked was named, although I never knew if that was legit).

[shadowkat]

Interesting, we both got haircuts on the 29th of February. During mine, the gal in the chair next to me was discussing how her travel schedule had changed - she worked for American Express - and they'd begun restricting international travel that week. But I don't think she'd gone anywhere recently, also she was six feet away, and we weren't facing each other.

It's weird, we all wonder if we have it, or had it. I had something weird in November - which was when it was beginning to pop up in China. But I keep thinking that was too soon? (shrugs)

Without the antibody test - there's no way of knowing. I guess.

[rahirah]

No one I know personally has had it. People at both my workplace and my wife's workplace have. If any of them died, I haven't heard anything about it.

Arizona is blithely opening up despite skyrocketing new cases. I personally am avoiding going out as much as possible.

[shadowkat]

Wise idea. I'm kind of doing the same thing myself. Only going out for essential stuff - and exercise. That's it. The damn thing scares me.

[rose_griffes]

I have a student who probably had it, but he was never tested. He felt absolutely awful for weeks, but he didn't have respiratory problems.

Someone I went to church with may have had it. It may or may not have contributed to him passing away a week or two after he got better. (He had diabetes.)

[shadowkat]

COVID is very weird. I know two people at church who had it - and discussed it on Zoom, and my mother talked to a few relatives who think they had it.
What they've described is - that it's not like anything they've ever had before. My sister-in-law described everything inside aching - her intestines hurt, she thought she was going to die. My Aunt described being sick for months, her heart having issues, her liver, etc. So I think it varies? Another person online - Face Book - described having a fever for three months...

And someone else stated that their entire body broke out in a rash afterwards. An itchy red rash.

My Aunt K told me that it depends on how you contract it - and that it attacks the gut, heart, and eventually lungs.

The damn thing reminds me a little too much of AIDs, except it's more contagious.

[rose_griffes]

Yeah, my student who probably had it reported having blisters in his throat. It hurt to breathe, to swallow anything... He was constantly exhausted but couldn't sleep. But his lungs were still clear, so no test.

[shadowkat]

That student should have been tested. Since COVID-19 effects the body in weird ways. Particularly young people.

I'll give New York's Department of Health credit over the CDC and WHO in one aspect - they are testing everybody they can get their hands on. Mainly because the CDC refused to let them test back in February - because the two suspected cases didn't fit the "criteria" - no contact with Asia.

New York developed its own test and got it FDA approved. (Although they actually did the testing before they got the approval. And they have not forgiven WHO, the CDC or the Federal Government for delaying that.)

I mean I can get a test through my workplace - but I'm waiting to do it through my doctor in June. (Since I'm not sick at the moment, and there are too many people getting tested through my workplace - so many the system got overwhelmed). The Governor of NY wants to know who has it - and if there are asymptomatic people wandering about with it.