How has COVID-19 affected you personally?

Hand sanitizer isn't going to help much I'm afraid. I always commend practicing good basic hygiene, but I think it's been pretty confidently proven that washing your hands with soap is much more effective at preventing the spread of germs than hand sanitizer.

On a slightly related note, I currently work for Amazon Inc. in one of their busiest fulfillment centers in the Northeast (which is the company's busiest region in the country). Over the past few days, I've noticed a massive influx in medical gloves being shipped in. And I mean thousands of medical gloves! So many gloves that at the end of the day Saturday 9 out of 10 items coming in to be processed by my department were gloves!
On the personal side of things, management has been becoming increasingly paranoid about sanitizing the workplace (fine by me!) and has been giving us daily speeches on practicing good hygiene to prevent the spread of disease within the warehouse. I can't say I'm not slightly paranoid about what kind of germs could be hiding on the thousands of products I'm handling on a daily basis, though I'm not too concerned given that these products are ships over hundreds, if not thousands of miles before reaching me so any viruses which could have been on their surfaces will undoubtedly have died already. I'm more worried about a coworker unknowingly coming into work with the disease, now that there have been a couple confirmed cases on the virus in the state thanks to some commuting New Yorkers. The best I can do is continue wearing my gloves when handling product, avoid unnecessary contact, and always clean my hands before eating. I'm not too worried, but it seems this is now I concern I must keep at the back of my mind.

Until such a time when I am forced to do otherwise, I will be carrying on with my travel plans as normal. I'm going to Florida next week (probably won't do much animal-related unfortunately) and I hope to visit Chicago and some other zoo cities over the summer. Virus or no virus, I have animals to see.

~Thylo

 

Docilian Dreams and the COVID-19 Nightmare

 

I believe Dave is about 30 in body and 300 in spirit, so this is difficult advice to judge.

 

Because of my own similar age and pre-existing condition. (Type 1 diabetes) I’ve been doing some reading. The death rate for our age group is currently 0.2% or about 1 in 500. Diabetes has been calculated to increase the risk by 59%, or about 1 in 315. More broadly, pre-existing conditions carry a 79% increased risk, or about 1 in 280. If we assume that asthma is a bit riskier than the average pre-existing condition (let’s say it’s 100% riskier than baseline) that gives a risk of about 0.4% or 1 in 250.

Of course, this is death rate and not ‘serious illness’ rate.

 

Well, I will miss you all. Well, many of you. Well, a few.

 

There is something else to consider. You may never catch it.
You may catch it and never know it.
Your personal health/age/etc. may mean you stay out of the hospital.
But at the rate it is spreading and at the rate the older and immune-compromised are being affected, you may see your family, your community, even this community lose members.
Take care of yourselves but don't neglect those around you.
This shouldn't leave us all isolated, even if we are quarantined.

 

So well said, @Zooplantman.

I teach in New York City, and just over the weekend, my university (the third largest in the country) added to its many medical updates and lists of new protocols being followed, with a stream of college-specific letters about the specifics of continuing classes remotely. Although this is what has been done in all other hotspots worldwide, when this much specific planning suddenly comes down the pike, the closure of 23 college campuses in just our huge system is suddenly very likely. What really differentiates this from virtually any other natural disaster of my lifetime (except SARS, which was contained in Asia) is that it will effect every region, all regions. The US can not, for instance, mobilize all of its collective strengths and send human and financial resources to New Orleans for hurricane (Katrina) relief, or to California for wildfires, or to New Jersey for devastating "nor-Easter" flooding. When 49 states can assist 1, the effect is overwhelming. When all are immobilized in quarantine, there will be few knights able to ride to the rescue. We could be, as the wise @Zooplantman states, very isolated. The ability to "rally round" has helped with everything from natural disaster to world war, but this is the first time I'll have seen much more of an "every man for himself" emergency. Quarantine and isolation will be unlike anything seen here by anyone alive, feeling counterintuitive to everything we believe in about serving others. Everyman will be fighting alone for sustenance of health, working on the premise that saving each tree will be what ultimately saves the forest.

 

Korea is suffering from a shortage of sanitary products, especially disposable masks. The entire nation wants to buy masks, but the production capacity of mask factories in Korea is not keeping up. Therefore, starting this week, the government has decided to divide the days according to resident registration numbers so that only two masks can be purchased per week.

I'm not in a hurry because I still have a masks at home, but last Friday when I saw people lined up in front of the drugstore to buy mask, so I also stood in line and could bought two mask. To standing in line for buy just only 2 masks, and reuse of disposable masks multiple times is now a common sight in korea today...

 

Try to get some gloves if you can. People may disagree, but this virus can survive on hard surfaces, so if you touch one and then wipe your eye or touch your mouth, you could contract it. Try disposable gloves, and if they're all sold out, buy rubber dish-washing gloves--that kind that housewives wore before electronic dishwashers replaced them; they go farther up the arm, can be re-used, and can be sterilized with a spray of Lysol. If the disposable masks run out or are used too long, tie a bandana around your head, covering your mouth cowboy-style; you can wash it in hot water and alchohol in the sink each night so it's ready again for the next morning. Stay safe!

 

Apologies, my posting of the link above was meant to contain some context.

Although not entirely to do with the current outbreak this article provides some (perhaps much needed) perspective and relativity on what is meant by precaution and risk.

I don’t necessarily prescribe to 100% of the content of the article but much of it makes uncomfortable reading in an inconvenient truth kind of way.

 

My guess is that your risk is higher only if you get the virus anywhere near your face, mouth, or nose where, if contracted, it could make your breathing more labored and difficult than others'. All the more reason to exercise the typical cautions with due diligence: Wear gloves and masks, changing frequently; wash your hands constantly with antibacterial soap that you can add alcohol to for a virucidal component. We have a sterilizing agent here purchased in gallon concentrate called Odo-Ban, which I used for 20+ years to sterilize dog yards because it killed even the AIDS virus and other viruses instead of just bacteria. This product will not be selling out, because it's not billed as a hand-sanitizer. Buy at gallon for $10 and use the attached liter-sized spray bottle to dilute it to proper strength, to spritz your hands and clean surfaces. By all means, clean and sterilize your inhaler (without the cartridge) after every use, because it will have constant contact with your mouth and hands.

I hesitate to weigh in on a trip of such (to me) wonders, but you would not only be exposing yourself to more people, with an unknown spreading pattern, but performing all of your own sterilizing protocols adequately on the road will be much more difficult--and easier to shrug off and not bother to do. I know I live in constant faith that those cities will be there in the future for my (first!) visits; they're likely to be there for your future visits too.

 

I've copied this to give to my classes tomorrow. Thank you.

 

Were Brits, I don't think I have seen anyone other than a few funny posts on twitter of people wearing masks or gloves. Not really seen panic buying either, although the media is full of it. Just carrying on with normal life at the moment.

My work has stopped all international travel unless its critical, anyone travelling international outside of work may be asked to self isolate on return. May see the closure of the office but we all can generally work from home (very lucky).

 

The only people I've personally seen wearing masks are of East Asian descent.

I've not seen any panic-buying, but all the supermarkets I've been into recently have definitely been busier than usual, and the toilet roll issue is noticeable. The only brands left in Asda yesterday were the higher priced ones.

 

Sorry, but is wearing mask a wrong thing to do? You prevent your saliva from coughing to others and spreading disease. I feel a bit offense as a East Asian people.

 

Don't see why you're getting offended, I said I'd personally only seen East Asians wearing masks in this country, as a response to Taun saying the British aren't wearing masks.