3/27 (Friday) Quarantine Chat

[ohgillian]

Chat here. 

[ohgillian]

I keep reading that if someone in the household has COVID, practice safe measures like have that person wear a mask if they have to leave their sick room.

At the same time, healthcare providers are begging for masks.

How many masks should people have at home? One per family member? None? I have a box of 10 that we've had in the preparedness boxes for years. I'm happy to donate them but not sure if I'm supposed to keep them to follow best home practices.

Also do they even take open boxes? I think it's actually a box of 9 b/c I used one once on a sanding project. These are 3M N95 but not the healthcare kind. The construction kind.

Please don't flame - I just need to know the right thing to do, so that I can do it. Thanks.

[bears]

ohgillian I've read not to donate open boxes. If you know a healthcare worker, I would reach out to them directly and see if they can use some.

[ESF]

ohgillian — I think that if one person in the house has COVID, they all have COVID. You are contagious before you show symptoms, so putting a mask on when you think you have it may be too late. That said, if someone in the house is high risk, then the extra precaution may be helpful. I think it’s ultimately a personal decision.

As for whether a hospital will accept them, I believe they are all going to have different policies. No harm in calling.

[icedcoffee]

I keep reading that too, but if you're contagious for days before you have symptoms and it's as contagious as they say it is I don't see the point. Wouldn't the whole family pretty much have it regardless? I don't plan to bother with that. If one person in our house gets it I assume we'll all get it. Just like pretty much happens with every cold or stomach bug that comes through our house.

[ohgillian]

Mar 27, 2020 7:43:23 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

I keep reading that too, but if you're contagious for days before you have symptoms and it's as contagious as they say it is I don't see the point. Wouldn't the whole family pretty much have it regardless? I don't plan to bother with that. If one person in our house gets it I assume we'll all get it. Just like pretty much happens with every cold or stomach bug that comes through our house.

That's what it seems like! 

[ohgillian]

Mar 27, 2020 7:42:42 GMT -5 bears said:

ohgillian I've read not to donate open boxes. If you know a healthcare worker, I would reach out to them directly and see if they can use some.

This is a good idea. I have a relative I can offer them to. Thank you!

[rubytue]

My coworker is about the be in the situation you describe. A family member is living with someone with covid, and said family member also has very mild symptoms. If the one person has to go to the hospital (which seems to be becoming more possible), family member will have to move in with coworker. He’s been talking my ears off all morning about it. Because he has no way to isolate the family member. Who will also come with a dog,

[eponinepontmercy]

My brother started showing symptoms the other day and got tested yesterday. Now we wait.

[rubytue]

FTR, I solved my dirt problem from yesterday. Home Depot order for pickup, and H is going to swing by and pick it up on his way home from work. Ugh, I hate that he is still out and about, but he is taking as much precautions as he can - given his boss is still insisting it’s business as usual.

[hamster]

Does anybody know how long you are contagious for after symptoms? CDC says 72 hours after fever, but what if you dont get one? I obviously dont/wont know if I have it, but this is day 4 of a really weird sore throat. I'm self quarantined out of precaution (and not from my family).

[TR]

Mar 27, 2020 7:58:58 GMT -5 kellady said:

I have been wondering the exact same thing. I have a box of 9 surgical masks my H bought at Meijer’s a few months ago before this all started. (He actually bought by mistake, I was just looking for a face mask). It’s open, so I didn’t know if hospitals would accept it.

I do have a friend in public health who I can offer to send them to. I guess if a bandanna is good enough for our hospital workers, it will be good enough for me.

I'm sorry, but this is making me laugh.

[ohgillian]

Mar 27, 2020 7:51:01 GMT -5 eponinepontmercy said:

My brother started showing symptoms the other day and got tested yesterday. Now we wait.

How is he doing so far?

[omglol]

Strugglebus post:
If this isn’t CV in my household, I really want to know wtf it is.

The past two days I felt better than I have since 3/7. I got a nebulizer and could breathe again. I’d say I was at 85% yesterday.

Today I’m back to not breathing, feeling horrible, super exhausted. So is my H. @@@@our ten month old is coughing again and doesn’t look like he feels good@@@@

I hate this. I’m tired of feeling terrible. We are on day 12 of total quarantine, day 21 of self isolation. When will it end?

[RoxMonster]

We’re almost out of Clorox wipes. Amazon is out, the grocery store and Target won’t do a pick up or deliver order with them (probably because they move so quickly), so I think I’m going to try going to Target tonight when maybe it’s less busy? Online says they have some in stock in store. I figure walk in through automatic doors, no cart needed, walk straight to the aisle to check and can easily keep distance from people. Fingers crossed.

[eponinepontmercy]

Mar 27, 2020 8:23:38 GMT -5 ohgillian said:

Mar 27, 2020 7:51:01 GMT -5 eponinepontmercy said:

My brother started showing symptoms the other day and got tested yesterday. Now we wait.

How is he doing so far?

Stressed and worried about his job and our parents.  But, that's kind of his thing anyway.

[ESF]

On New Years Eve, I was over at a friend's house, and we all went around the room to say not just our resolutions, but what we wanted to leave behind or get over in 2020. I said I wanted to try to get over my all consuming rage over the 2016 election.  Fucking hilarious now. My rage is worse now than it ever was. I am just feeling venom in my body 24/7. 

[ESF]

I'm sorry to those with symptoms and to those whose family may be impacted. I hope everyone stays well and hangs in there.

[wambam]

I’m now having CV dreams. I usually have vomit related dreams that cause me to wake up already IN a panic attack with no chance to de-escalate. So this is a new facet of my anxiety I wasn’t expecting but probably should have.

My H and I are getting new phones today (delivered, not in store obviously) so that’s something to look forward to.

[Velar Fricative]

It was only a matter of time since I'm in a hotspot, but the parents and brother of one of my staff all tested positive. One of the parents is hospitalized while the other plus the brother feel mild symptoms; the hospitalized parent is a lung cancer survivor so I'm really concerned. That same staff has a sister in the military stationed in...Italy. I can't. She's super close with her family so I thought for sure she had been in contact with them but her parents apparently caught it at the airport en route to their vacation and became sick while away, and her brother lives with them.

[Velar Fricative]

Mar 27, 2020 8:25:14 GMT -5 omglol said:

Strugglebus post:
If this isn’t CV in my household, I really want to know wtf it is.

The past two days I felt better than I have since 3/7. I got a nebulizer and could breathe again. I’d say I was at 85% yesterday.

Today I’m back to not breathing, feeling horrible, super exhausted. So is my H.

I hate this. I’m tired of feeling terrible. We are on day 12 of total quarantine, day 21 of self isolation. When will it end?

Everything I'm hearing is that this is an awfully long illness to shake off. 20 days of this is awful though, I'm so sorry. A month seems to be the presumed length of cases, even mild ones. 

[pixy0stix]

All I want to do is crawl into a little hole and pull a blanket over myself.

[breezy8407]

Mar 27, 2020 7:46:10 GMT -5 ohgillian said:

Mar 27, 2020 7:43:23 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

I keep reading that too, but if you're contagious for days before you have symptoms and it's as contagious as they say it is I don't see the point. Wouldn't the whole family pretty much have it regardless? I don't plan to bother with that. If one person in our house gets it I assume we'll all get it. Just like pretty much happens with every cold or stomach bug that comes through our house.

That's what it seems like! 

It seems inevitable. 

@ I have successfully contained norovirus a few times to one child in our house, but it took two weeks of separating the sick child to their own bathroom, constant bleaching, hand washing, sanitizing and general insanity on my part. 

If someone is coughing, it seems a lot harder to contain the spread. Plus, if they are/were asymptomatic and then do we know yet definitively how long you are contagious after you recover? 

[Bernadine]

We are almost out of paper towels, thanks to the dog having a UTI. Took him to the vet yesterday- they were doing curbside service. I certainly hope this antibiotic clears the infection quickly, or I’ll run out of paper towels to clean the pee.

[ohgillian]

Mar 27, 2020 8:25:23 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

We’re almost out of Clorox wipes. Amazon is out, the grocery store and Target won’t do a pick up or deliver order with them (probably because they move so quickly), so I think I’m going to try going to Target tonight when maybe it’s less busy? Online says they have some in stock in store. I figure walk in through automatic doors, no cart needed, walk straight to the aisle to check and can easily keep distance from people. Fingers crossed.

Do you mind if I ask what you're using them for? We have a few cannisters and really haven't been using them for very much at all- like a couple a week. I'm trying to figure out if I'm going to need them or if I should donate.

When H comes in from work 3 days a week, I use it on the doorknobs he touches on this way to the shower. That's pretty much it. 

Thanks! I am just wondering if households with a lot more exposure would need them more than we do.

[ohgillian]

Mar 27, 2020 9:07:51 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

All I want to do is crawl into a little hole and pull a blanket over myself.

How are you feeling? I'm pretty sure you said you have shingles, right? I've heard that can be painful. (And if my memory is shot, sorry!)

[pixy0stix]

Mar 27, 2020 9:29:11 GMT -5 ohgillian said:

Mar 27, 2020 9:07:51 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

All I want to do is crawl into a little hole and pull a blanket over myself.

How are you feeling? I'm pretty sure you said you have shingles, right? I've heard that can be painful. (And if my memory is shot, sorry!)

I'm actually not feeling too bad, just itchy where it popped up. Thanks for asking! I think I caught it early enough that the meds are really helping.

[aurora]

Mar 27, 2020 9:06:42 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Mar 27, 2020 8:25:14 GMT -5 omglol said:

Strugglebus post:
If this isn’t CV in my household, I really want to know wtf it is.

The past two days I felt better than I have since 3/7. I got a nebulizer and could breathe again. I’d say I was at 85% yesterday.

Today I’m back to not breathing, feeling horrible, super exhausted. So is my H.

I hate this. I’m tired of feeling terrible. We are on day 12 of total quarantine, day 21 of self isolation. When will it end?

Everything I'm hearing is that this is an awfully long illness to shake off. 20 days of this is awful though, I'm so sorry. A month seems to be the presumed length of cases, even mild ones. 

Ugh. I still feel like I have this weight on my chest for over a week now. I don't think it's COVID since I have no fever and no cough (and I can still taste things!), but the thought of it staying around another few weeks is causing anxiety, which I think is likely the problem in the first place!

[ohgillian]

Mar 27, 2020 9:54:25 GMT -5 aurora said:

Mar 27, 2020 9:06:42 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Everything I'm hearing is that this is an awfully long illness to shake off. 20 days of this is awful though, I'm so sorry. A month seems to be the presumed length of cases, even mild ones. 

Ugh. I still feel like I have this weight on my chest for over a week now. I don't think it's COVID since I have no fever and no cough (and I can still taste things!), but the thought of it staying around another few weeks is causing anxiety, which I think is likely the problem in the first place!

This kind of sounds like what CloudBee had and she was negative for COVID

[cattledogkisses]

We got takeout a few nights ago, and the place we got it from had been baking fresh bread so H decided we needed some, and by some I mean a whole bag of bread loaves. I've been having toast, like, five times a day and we're not even through one loaf yet.