Monday 7/6 Covid News and Chat

[lilibet]

Jul 6, 2020 11:45:30 GMT -5 dirtyred said:

Jul 6, 2020 11:33:20 GMT -5 lilibet said:

IL numbers aren't bad but my county numbers are higher than a county our size should have. We're pretty much still staying as quarantined as we were in April. Dh is super high risk, so not taking any chances.

Mask usage is bad here. It's very much the typical you can't tell me what to do mindset.

My company has an office in Tx and I know they've carried on with bringing people back in to the office the last few weeks, even as numbers have gone up. I don't get it

I'm in a red county in Southern IL and I'm pleased with how seriously most people are taking this--probably 80%+ mask usage (except at Rural King, home of the Republican red necks).  I guess it helps that the Republican county health director keeps stressing every day that people need to wear a mask.  

omg Rural King is the worst. I picked up carry out from a place near there in early May and watched so many people go in and out of RK with no masks.

[jlt19]

Jul 6, 2020 17:16:23 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Jul 6, 2020 17:10:31 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Yeah, we have to go to DHs bosses wedding Aug 7. And it's doubtful our county will even mandate masks. They already cut it from 400 to 200 people. I would love to not go, but they just laid off 3 people as of July 1, and that has left them with 6 total. Mom, Dad, daughter (getting married), her bff's fiance, and the mom's bff. DH is the only expendable one left. We have to go.

I guess we could get tested the next day, since the urgent care near our house has a tent set up?

Why do you have to go?
If your H absolutely has to go or he'll lose his job then I guess that's a risk he should take, but why do you have to go?

You're right, I don't have to go. I guess I just assumed if one of us goes and gets it, the other would get it too anyway, ya know?

I don't think he'd lose his job, necessarily, but I also just don't think it'd look good. I don't know, they're a super tight group and he wants to go.

He said today that they're HM to Grenada was cancelled so maybe they'll start thinking about the wedding.

[suburbanzookeeper]

Our county is starting a random pool of antibody testing this week. I was randomly selected and was able to schedule DH to come with me so Friday we'll go in for the full blood draw (not just the finger poke). It'll be weird since we've been so careful with me and social distancing so it feels weird to walk into a school and sit that close to someone.

[rubytue]

Jul 6, 2020 16:40:52 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Not sure if people saw this since it was published on Friday, but it’s an interview with Fauci and other experts regarding the risks they themselves have been taking and not taking. So I feel good about how my household is doing.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/how-fauci-5-other-health-specialists-deal-with-covid-19-risks-in-their-everyday-lives/2020/07/02/d4665ed6-b6fb-11ea-a510-55bf26485c93_story.html

Thank you! I was looking for this bc I read it over the weeks, and it made me feel a lot better about what I’ve been doing. It also convinced me to mask up when I went to the dock for fireworks. 

[goldengirlz]

Jul 6, 2020 17:43:02 GMT -5 wildrice said:

Jul 6, 2020 17:20:59 GMT -5 goldengirlz said:

I feel this, but I also think it’s the opposite, at least where I am. Cases are going up BECAUSE of quarantine fatigue. We did everything right from the onset in California, where we had the first known community spread case and managed to shut things down pretty quickly (literally and figuratively).

Then counties, especially the red and purple ones, started to push Newsom to dial back restrictions and he did. And at first I was happy about it, because it felt like he was being very reasonable and moderate. And you’re absolutely right that people can’t put off things like MRIs and dental care forever (I feel that one HARD.)

But Newsom has blamed most of our climbing case counts on people gathering again, and I think this points to just how tricky it will be to get things anywhere close to “normal” again before we have a vaccine. I’m rooting for NY, NJ and CT to show us the way, but I’m also nervous.

ETA: FWIW, I think people who are cautiously opening up their bubbles and scheduling elective medical care and going to the beach are not the problem. It’s everyone who thinks we’re past this thing and if they just PRETEND things are normal, they will be.

It's true, it's a fine line. I think Texas has suffered largely because they opened up quickly and didn't require masks. I wish they had put a mask policy in place immediately and allowed things like MRIs and doctor visits to happen without opening EVERYTHING up and letting people just carry on as normal.

My mom getting an MRI is definitely not going to be a reason for a spike in cases, but her health is fragile enough that I worry more about her exposure to others. They are trying to be careful in medical facilities so hopefully it's fine, but the chances of running into someone who is positive with COVID is much higher for her now than it would have been in April when it was originally scheduled. It pisses me off because it didn't have to be that way!

Totally. It’s so hard. I’m sorry you’re worried and hope it’s uneventful.

[rubytue]

Jul 6, 2020 18:32:38 GMT -5 suburbanzookeeper said:

Our county is starting a random pool of antibody testing this week. I was randomly selected and was able to schedule DH to come with me so Friday we'll go in for the full blood draw (not just the finger poke). It'll be weird since we've been so careful with me and social distancing so it feels weird to walk into a school and sit that close to someone.

I’ve been for several medical appointments that require IVs or blood draws, and I’ve felt comfortable with the precautions being taken. Weird, yes. But not concerning.

[bears]

Jul 6, 2020 17:18:36 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

Jul 6, 2020 10:52:04 GMT -5 bears said:

Our fucking lieutenant governor, who is running for governor, has come out and said masks don't work.

He is a garbage person trying to grab power any way he can.

www.blueridgenow.com/news/20200705/forest-cawthorn-hold-july-4th-event-at-grandadrsquos-apples-in-hendersonville

It was such a horrible statement. So irresponsible. I really hope he does not become governor.

If he was governor, we'd be like Florida, Arizona, or Texas at this point.

I mean, we're still not great, but we be a lot worse off with Forest.

[wanderingback]

Jul 6, 2020 18:32:32 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Jul 6, 2020 17:16:23 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Why do you have to go?
If your H absolutely has to go or he'll lose his job then I guess that's a risk he should take, but why do you have to go?

You're right, I don't have to go. I guess I just assumed if one of us goes and gets it, the other would get it too anyway, ya know?

I don't think he'd lose his job, necessarily, but I also just don't think it'd look good. I don't know, they're a super tight group and he wants to go.

He said today that they're HM to Grenada was cancelled so maybe they'll start thinking about the wedding.

The bolded is not true at all.
It's definitely better for 1 person to go than both of you to go in regards to risk mitigation, especially if you're going to be around 200 people for an extended period of time. So if he wants to go then that's on him.
That's good that he won't lose his job for not going. I was about to say, sounds like a toxic work environment if that were the case. 
I hope you all can make the best decision for your family.

[aurora]

Jul 6, 2020 15:14:29 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Jul 6, 2020 12:46:08 GMT -5 susquehanna said:

Harvard has announced that all students will take online classes this coming academic year.

Freshman are invited to live on campus in the fall. Seniors are invited to live on campus in the spring. Students whose degrees require on campus research will be invited to live on campus, I believe.

Those who are on campus will be required to take a Covid-19 test once every three days.

www.bostonherald.com/2020/07/06/all-harvard-university-students-will-take-online-classes-this-fall-amid-coronavirus/

Immigration has ruled that all international students who are taking all online classes must return to their countries

What a mess.

www.ice.gov/news/releases/sevp-modifies-temporary-exemptions-nonimmigrant-students-taking-online-courses-during#

Aaargh, F this administration and their anti-American (racist) immigration BS.

This is going to force universities to choose between killing people and destroying programs. Graduate science and engineering programs would not survive the elimination of international students.

My heart goes out to all of the students who are working so hard to get a good education, sacrificing so much to be here, and then being reminded in such a brutal way that they aren't welcome.

[basilosaurus]

Though I'm nearly 4 months stuck in a country that's not usa, and not the country I've been living in the last 2 years, despite all the stress it's caused (like my condo owner deciding to sell before end of lease, and I can't get back to pack or move stress), I have to admit i'm relieved I get at least another 6 weeks before potentially being forced back to America. I don't envy the chaos and fear so many are going through. And just plain fatigue.

Locally (island wide) we haven't had a case since I think early April and only had 5 total, no deaths. Bars are still closed-ish. Restaurants can be open, but most are still empty of dine in. Mask usage has slipped from nearly 100% (mandated by law since mid March until June, still semi mandated but not enforced like it was initially with police and army) to, idk, 80%? It's 90* give or take a few year round so anti mask nuts can kiss my sweaty ass crack.

I'm still mostly staying home. I wish my pool were open like others here, idk why it's still closed, but overall nearly the same as i was at the height of restrictions. My only personal difference is I can go to more shops to get sundries I've needed, and I can be out after 7p. And more restaurants are open for take away/ delivery.

[Velar Fricative]

We truly are going backwards. Places experiencing outbreaks are running out of testing supplies so have to resort to only testing those with symptoms, which will surely increase positivity rates. There is so much deja vu I am feeling when I read these details. And now what? Does Trump help out because it’s no longer a blue state virus? Does he just keep lying and insisting anyone can get a test? This is horrifying.

But also, how much of this is also the result of these governors thinking this would remain a blue state virus and not preparing accordingly? What a shitshow.

www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/us/coronavirus-test-shortage.html

[DotAndBuzz]

this week is getting really hard.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

PDQ

My parents live 3 hours away in central Ohio. We see them regularly during normal times - Maybe once a month, if not more. I haven't seen them since Christmas. My mom is struggling, mentally. My brother lives in town, but she's trying to stay distant-is from him and his kids. They've seen each other a bit more, but have completely isolated since last Monday to try to come up and see us, and my girls. Would be 10 days of isolation to prep to come up to see us for the weekend. We also have gone nowhere except me to the store. H, however, has to go to work. He has an exposure risk potential at work, but it's relatively low, and we've been able to mitigate so far. No one got sick in our house during the worst of it, which has definitely passed here (it's not over, but we're not in the craziness of April any more). But it's still a possibility, until there's a vaccine (so....who the F knows how long).

My parents were supposed to come up this weekend. H is ADAMANTLY opposed. Like, extremely. He wants them to stay in a hotel, or not come at all. My mom ins't comfortable with that, as there's no way of knowing how well it's cleaned, who was in the room/lobby before, mask situation, etc. I want them to stay in the (finished) basement, and we're going to mostly play outside anyways. H and I are at an impasse, and I feel like I don't have anyone impartial to bounce this off of, since everyone is so invested in the situation, and has such strong feelings about what's safe/what's overkill. I've reached my breaking point, and the idea of not seeing my parents for another 18 months....I just can't. But H is 100% uncompromising (even if we wear masks when we're near them, in the basement), so I'm stuck. Us going there is not an option (for too many reasons that I won't get into).

And please don't start with the "well, if you give it to them, they could die, and you'll never see them again," (I know this, obviously) or "I don't get to see mine but once every year, if I'm lucky." That's not my norm. That's not my kids' norm. I am truly torn, and I can hear the loneliness and depression in my mom's voice. It broke me tonight, and I just don't know what to do.

[lilibet]

I just learned that the local community band held a concert over the weekend. The audience was set up like a drive in, where people parked in a field and sat in front of their cars, but the band was all set up next to each other just like normal. Having been in band I know how easily people get spit sprayed on them, how much you're breathing on each other, and just how horrible of an idea this was. I can't understand how anyone thought this was a good idea.

[JayhawkGirl]

@@@
I’ve been tracking my county’s #s since 6/17, when it started to seem to me our young adult/teen age groups rather than 80+ year olds cases were going up. They are, as is our % positive. We were down to a 7 day moving average of below 2% positive as we reopened in May. We are up to 8.3% this weekend.

Our governor was stripped of a lot of authority at the end of May, but has advised to not move out of phase 3, our last before full opening. Thankfully our county decided to follow the state guidance, but there’s no real enforcement or endorsement happening.

Also, we can’t see our hospital numbers anymore. I’m very curious how our open beds & ICU beds are looking. The county lost access to the data on June 19 and cannot figure out how to get to it anymore. Pick up the phone and call the hospitals, there are not that many! Seriously, it’s Kansas City metro - I think we have 5 inpatient hospitals to track in our county.

[Velar Fricative]

jlt19 - I agree that if someone from your household must go, have your H go by himself. There are many instances of people even in crowded households not getting infected by a covid+ housemate, so no need to double your household exposure.

goldengirlz - I think NY and NJ have been similar to CA re: moving forward into new phases. 2 weeks is too fast to move forward, IMO, and I think Cuomo ultimately bowed down to some pressure on that. It could really be luck that we haven’t seen an uptick after reopening (parts of the state began reopening on 5/15). I can’t recall what CA’s numbers were like when they began reopening though.

[lemoncupcake]

DotAndBuzz - is he worried about you all exposing your parents, or your parents exposing you? Or is he worried about him exposing them because he’s going to work?

[formerlyak]

Jul 6, 2020 20:04:33 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

jlt19 - I agree that if someone from your household must go, have your H go by himself. There are many instances of people even in crowded households not getting infected by a covid+ housemate, so no need to double your household exposure.

goldengirlz - I think NY and NJ have been similar to CA re: moving forward into new phases. 2 weeks is too fast to move forward, IMO, and I think Cuomo ultimately bowed down to some pressure on that. It could really be luck that we haven’t seen an uptick after reopening (parts of the state began reopening on 5/15). I can’t recall what CA’s numbers were like when they began reopening though.

Someone posted this on MM Moms and I like that the graphs for each state indicate when the state started to reopen. For most states, it seems to have taken at least 6 weeks after reopening started to see any significant increases.

www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/national/coronavirus-us-cases-deaths/

[Velar Fricative]

Bolsonaro is showing symptoms and will get a test.

www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/world/americas/brazil-bolsonaro-covid-test.html

[wildrice]

DotAndBuzz, what is your H's concern? I think I'm on team you/your mom - nothing about that situation sounds unsafe to me. Would your H feel more comfortable if your parents isolated the full 14 days before coming?

I think I'd be comfortable seeing my parents under those circumstances. I haven't seen them since Christmas either but they are a flight away. If they were 3 hours away I am sure I would have seen them already. It would be different if they were out running around doing a million things and weren't being careful, but it sounds like they've been taking reasonable precautions and would be low risk.

[Velar Fricative]

Jul 6, 2020 20:15:27 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

Jul 6, 2020 20:04:33 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

jlt19 - I agree that if someone from your household must go, have your H go by himself. There are many instances of people even in crowded households not getting infected by a covid+ housemate, so no need to double your household exposure.

goldengirlz - I think NY and NJ have been similar to CA re: moving forward into new phases. 2 weeks is too fast to move forward, IMO, and I think Cuomo ultimately bowed down to some pressure on that. It could really be luck that we haven’t seen an uptick after reopening (parts of the state began reopening on 5/15). I can’t recall what CA’s numbers were like when they began reopening though.

Someone posted this on MM Moms and I like that the graphs for each state indicate when the state started to reopen. For most states, it seems to have taken at least 6 weeks after reopening started to see any significant increases.

www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/national/coronavirus-us-cases-deaths/

Love that, thanks! It’s baffling how CA and NY had roughly the same number of cases (NY slightly higher) at reopening and have different outcomes. I thought CA was broken into regions (or maybe just individual counties?) with regard to reopening and didn’t all open at once, which is why the Bay Area isn’t dealing with the same situation as LA County, for example.

[rubytue]

DotAndBuzz, read the link Velar Fricative, posted a page or so back. Fauci said his daughter came up from New Orleans and stayed in their basement for 14 days. If Fauci can have people in his basement, maybe your H will consider it?

[Velar Fricative]

Jul 6, 2020 20:29:16 GMT -5 rubytue said:

DotAndBuzz, read the link Velar Fricative, posted a page or so back. Fauci said his daughter came up from New Orleans and stayed in their basement for 14 days. If Fauci can have people in his basement, maybe your H will consider it?

That is the best possible argument! I’m sorry DotAndBuzz. I do feel like we know more about what is low-risk. Not zero-risk of course, but I was an anxious mess for a while and then felt most comfortable hanging out in the backyard sitting apart. I think adding masks would make this a super low-risk situation. Also, what’s testing like in your area (is it easy to test and is the turnaround within 2-3 days)? Depending on what concerns your H, maybe everyone can get tested and then isolate as much as possible while waiting for results?

[DotAndBuzz]

He’s afraid of them being exposed, as well as bringing it to us. They’re in a hot spot of the state, but hyper locally, there’s not much in their little area, and they go nowhere. But that doesn’t matter at all to him. He looks at raw numbers (and he’s not a dumb, obstinate person, I promise).

He’s just highly risk averse, and I get it, but....it’s not going to get better, especially once fall and flu season hits. Then we won’t be able to be outside because the weather is shit here starting around mid/late October.

He said he’ll go to a hotel for 2 weeks if they come up. He’s that extreme about it.

[wanderingback]

DotAndBuzz is your H worried that your mom is going to give you covid? Can she get tested before she comes? Obviously not a guarantee but that’s what everyone I know who has been traveling has been doing. I hope that your H comes around so that you all can have a nice visit. Or he could go to a hotel if he’s concerned?

[Saudade]

DotAndBuzz, I'd straight up let him go to a hotel for 2 weeks. he has appropriate ppe at work and your parents have been isolating. he's being extreme and letting his irrational anxiety get the best of him

[goldengirlz]

Jul 6, 2020 20:04:33 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

jlt19 - I agree that if someone from your household must go, have your H go by himself. There are many instances of people even in crowded households not getting infected by a covid+ housemate, so no need to double your household exposure.

goldengirlz - I think NY and NJ have been similar to CA re: moving forward into new phases. 2 weeks is too fast to move forward, IMO, and I think Cuomo ultimately bowed down to some pressure on that. It could really be luck that we haven’t seen an uptick after reopening (parts of the state began reopening on 5/15). I can’t recall what CA’s numbers were like when they began reopening though.

California’s curve was completely different from the Northeast in that we never really hit a peak. When we reopened, our curve was still gently sloping up.

The prevailing story here is that we got complacent. So I wonder if NYers are generally more cautious because they’ve seen firsthand how bad this can be. I don’t think Californians had that reckoning until very, very recently.

[formerlyak]

Jul 6, 2020 20:28:08 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Jul 6, 2020 20:15:27 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

Someone posted this on MM Moms and I like that the graphs for each state indicate when the state started to reopen. For most states, it seems to have taken at least 6 weeks after reopening started to see any significant increases.

www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/national/coronavirus-us-cases-deaths/

Love that, thanks! It’s baffling how CA and NY had roughly the same number of cases (NY slightly higher) at reopening and have different outcomes. I thought CA was broken into regions (or maybe just individual counties?) with regard to reopening and didn’t all open at once, which is why the Bay Area isn’t dealing with the same situation as LA County, for example.

This is correct with regard to CA. Counties did not all open at the same time. LA did open earlier than the Bay Area, but there were rural counties that opened even before us here in LA. It looks like their date is the very beginning of reopening, so when the smaller counties started.

[eddy]

I also think he is being irrational DotAndBuzz. Everything you all are doing is appropriate.

And I get it. We went to my dad’s house this weekend. We hadn’t seen him in 6 months. We live far enough away that it has to be an overnight visit. I felt like it was now or never for a visit. 😫

[DotAndBuzz]

wanderingback,
I offered to ask them to do that. He said it was pointless because "they could get exposed right after the test, so what's the point. And if they get tested, then I should too." Um.....OK? So do that? But he doesn't think he needs to since there's not a "known" exposure. *facepalm*

Thank you everyone. I had a long chat with my bff tonight, who is also taking this super seriously, and she basically said the same. He's being irrational, his anxiety is beyond, and if he wants to go to a hotel, well, bye.

Fun extra fact? He started this goddamn pandemic on a fucking GOLF TRIP IN CALIFORNIA. Flew out there after WATCHING the numbers shoot up on the west coast, shared a room with a guy from another part of California, didn't cut it short, and flew back the day our state shut down schools. But, you know, god forbid I see my parents for a weekend after isolating for over a week. Now I'm just pissed, and frankly, am more than happy to let him sit in a hotel for 2 weeks if that's his hill to die on.

[ny96]

I’m sorry DotAndBuzz. My mother is coming to visit us soon for no good reason other than we haven’t seen her for 8 months and we miss her. We have been socially distancing for the most part (I’ve been going into work a couple times a week). We’re going to all get tested before she comes. I need this for my mental health.