Re the Coronavirus

[HunnieBunnie]

I am wondering what everyone thinks about this virus and what is happening in your area. My state declared the state in emergency last week. Churches have suspended services. Many courts have closed their dockets for two weeks. 34 ISD's have shut down. Local universities are not resuming classes following Spring break. Libraries and the zoo are closed. My neighbourhood watch meeting last Saturday was cancelled. I have been getting emails from various businesses that I use. They have been writing to say how they are increasing sanitary procedures in their stores/shops, etc. Even CHANEL wrote me about this! The list goes on and on.

Experts say older people and/or people with underlying health problems are at greatest risk should they contract the virus. Some people have already died from it. I fall into this category. It worries me a lot. I do not go out a lot, but I do have to go to market at least once per week, and I occasionally have to stop for petrol. I am not going anywhere I absolutely do not have to go, though.

There are reports that many stores are sold out of disinfectants, hand sanitisers, loo rolls, and even some foods. I read about one man in the NE U.S. who purchased a bottle of Purell hand sanitiser one morning for $8 and sold it the same day on eBay for $138. That is crazy! People are panicking, and low-lifes are doing their best to profit on other people's fears and illnesses.

One of my friends thinks this will be over in about 4 more weeks, but I am not sure. Personally, I am worried about not being able to get basic household staples such as loo rolls. I received an email tonight from the dog food store. My dog's auto-ship of kibble has been delayed by 4-6 days because so many people are ordering their pet supplies on-line instead of going to the shops to buy them. I have enough people food on hand so that he will not go hungry, but I find this situation very distressing.

 

[NSquirrel]

In the UK our government is waking up to the problem, but only slowly advising what to do, e.g. avoid populated events, cafes, cinemas, theatres, etc. But by ‘advising’, they are delegating the responsibility to the businesses and people. Hence it is not the gov.’s fault if companies shutdown and lay people off on no pay. There will be a domino effect, whereby bills and rent, etc. cannot be paid. This then affects those up the chain and affects the whole economic structure of the country. This is obviously not just us, but everywhere.

We have the same emptying of shelves in supermarkets and shops. As for the elderly, over 70’s, they may need to self-isolate for four months especially if they have health problems. We are fortunately fairly fit and healthy and both just under 70 but we will be going out as little as possible. (Mother’s Day lunch this Sunday with our daughter in London has been cancelled, as have tickets to forthcoming ballet and opera performances, but these are minor inconveniences compared to those experienced by others.)

I was listening to a scientist involved the search for a vaccine on the radio this morning saying that until a vaccine is produced this could go on and on. Isolation, whether self or imposed, only delays the problem. Coming out of isolation could just start the virus spreading again. He suggested that this could go on for possibly 18 months! Obviously no one knows.

Worrying times! On the brighter side, it could be ebola or something worse - if there is anything worse than that.

Our health service is obviously doing the best it can and I don’t think anyone has anything but praise for what they are doing or their commitment, despite years of under-funding. Not forgetting that we are fortunate in that our NHS is effectively free (- we still obviously pay indirectly in taxes.) I saw on the TV a couple of days ago Italians, as a whole, applauding their health workers.

On a slightly different topic, one aspect here that has lost its news-worthiness is that a few weeks ago great areas and a great number of people were flooded out of their homes. One can only imagine their problems and then to have the virus...

We who are currently fit, healthy and have a roof over our heads plus food indoors, etc. are, as ever, very fortunate!

 

[HunnieBunnie]

Thanks for letting us know, NSquirrel. The government here is now asking everyone to refrain from attending any function/venue where there will be more than ten people present. Many places, e.g. museums, libraries, etc., have voluntarily closed down for at least two weeks. I have received several more emails from companies with whom I have done business from time to time. Last night Bath and Body Works announced it is voluntarily closing down all of it shops nationwide at least until the end of the month if not longer. They will continue to keep all employees on the payroll, though, which I think speaks very well of the company. Not every company is looking out for its employees, and as you say, NSquirrel, we are all effected financially sooner or later. The Federal government is looking into ways to provide relief to people who are forced out of work. My best friend's niece is a concert violinist and a tutor. All of her engagements across several states have been cancelled, and of course she has cancelled her students. The situation looks bleak for a lot of people right now.

Some markets have changed their hours mainly to try to control people from over purchasing certain items like disinfectants, loo rolls, etc., which is some of the most selfish and least civic minded things anyone could do in a situation like this. I think most businesses are trying to be very sensible and practical about the situation, aside from the flea markets. Much to my chagrin, the flea markets do not seem to want to shut down, and if ever there was a venue that should shut down during this sort of crisis, it is the flea markets.

I am not going out for any reason other than to replenish food and sundries and petrol. I am putting off doctor appointments, taking my motor in for annual inspection, etc., but I think you are right that this could quieten down after 3-4 weeks and then flare up again for the next 18 months until they develop a vaccine. Meanwhilst, my next door neighbour continues to man his booth at one of the local flea markets. It has me very worried for both our sakes. He is in his mid 70s and has underlying health problems. Plus, we share the common areas in this property. If he contracts the virus, I am almost certain to contract it as well. I have hinted to him MANY times that it is not at all a good idea to attend the flea market all day Saturday and Sunday, but he seems adamant. Most days he barely brings home $30. To me, $30 is not worth the risk to anyone's health and safety, especially to his and my own given our ages and general health. None of can afford to think "it cannot happen to me." It can happen to all of us, and many of us could actually become so sick that we die.

I must go to the market one day this week. I dread going, and I am afraid of what I will not find available given all of the hoarding behaviour. Still waiting to hear that my dog's kibble has shipped, too, as he is now totally out of kibble. I have had his kibble on auto-ship for ages. It never even occurred to me that his kibble would be effected by this situation. I am slightly perturbed that the company would not make sure their auto-ship clients's orders were filled before any new orders came in thanks to this virus.

ETA: Just received another email from CHANEL. They are closing their boutiques for the next two weeks. Then, more emails came in. Saks Off Fifth, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorfs, and Last Call are all closing all stores for at least the next two weeks.

Received a message from a dear friend in another state. Her city has been put under Martial Law. I fear we will be next, but I think it will be necessary because there are too many people like my neighbour who continue to behave as if nothing is wrong.

 

[HunnieBunnie]

Well, people hear are going bonkers panic buying bread, loo rolls, disinfectants, etc. I have not been to market in more than a week and need to go. A friend told me yesterday that she went to four different groceries yesterday and could not find any bread or loo rolls. The newspapers are reporting on the stories of the empty shelves with no bread, no loo rolls, no disinfectants, etc. I belled on the markets near me a short while ago. I was told they have some bread this morning, but the truck with loo rolls did not make it in last night, and there is nothing available. The woman told me they hope it comes in tonight. They are normally open until midnight, but they now are closing at 10 p.m. A lot of items are now only one to a customer. Surely this panic purchasing will end as people run out of money and/or storage room.

This is insane! This would make more sense if manufacturers said there was a severe shortage of raw materials and/or no plant and machinery to make the products, but otherwise, I do not understand this at all.

 

[scifan57]

I see the same shortages in the grocery store I work in. Milk and dairy are not being restocked as fast as it’s selling. We get a small amount of bread every day that sells out quite quickly. For customers at my store the best time to shop is as soon as they open the doors in the morning.
Seniors are allowed in an hour before everybody else so they can get their shopping done without being lost in a crowd. Business at grocery stores, unlike most other businesses is booming. My store has had record sales for the last couple of weeks and the employees can work as many hours as they want with no restrictions on overtime.

 

[J. A.]

We had the same shortages here in Austria. As supermarket chains proved there‘s enough in stock for everyone, the situation has improved this week.

In Austria, young men are allowed to do community service instead of military service. We call it „Zivildienst“. Many of them are helping in aid groups, such as the Red Cross. These days, they‘re also helping with filling shelves in markets and supermarkets.

 

[HunnieBunnie]

It is an ill wind....eh, scifan57? J.A. I am sure there will be enough for everyone here, too, but you cannot convince some people of this fact. I think that is a good idea about trading off community service for military service, though.

The pet supply company finally shipped my dog's kibble yesterday, and it was to be delivered today, so I had to wait in for the FedEx chap this morning. I did not trust that his food would be safe just sitting outside. Thankfully, FedEx showed up by noon, and we were off immediately after he put down the box. We drove to the nearest market, one where we do a fair amount of shopping normally. I belled them this morning, and as you said scifan57, they told me the best time to come in is first thing in the morning, but they said they do have quite a rush at 7 a.m. They said they are reserving 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for seniors, disabled, and people with compromised immune systems.

I managed to get some tomatoes, some asparagus, and something from the deli. All of the bottled water was gone. They have been out of loo rolls for a couple of days so far and expected a delivery last night, but they said the truck never made it. They hope it will come tonight. The shelves were bare in the paper goods aisle as well as the cleaning products aisle. There were a few loaves of bread left on the bread aisle, but they were not my brand, so I passed them by.

This sort of behaviour on the part of some people upsets me for several reasons. It demonstrates not only that they cannot reason their way out of a paper bag, but that if they in the face of a relatively minor disaster (compared to Titanic's sinking, WWi, WWII, 911, the Spanish Flu, the Black Death, etc.) their attitude is "every man for himself," and worse, "if I can make a buck off of buying up hand sanitiser, loo rolls, etc., and selling them for a huge profit, that is just great. It is a sad, sad commentary on the human race (not that it is the first by any means!).

I may try to get to Walmart early tomorrow morning to look for bread and a few other items I normally use. For all the panic over the virus, I did not notice any less people out and about or any less traffic on the roads, though. We have been stuck indoors for at least a week already due to almost constant rain, so after I paid for my items at the market, I took my dog to the park for a long walk. It was breezy, sunny, but very hot and humid, and more rain is predicted through next Wednesday. Once we were home, my dog drank a big bowl of water and then happily settled in on his rug whilst I put away our shopping and started some rice cooking. Then, as if things were not already miserable enough, he decided he had a hair stuck in his throat and would not stop coughing until he managed to regurgitate all that water, stomach acid, and part of his undigested breakfast all over the living room floor and his freshly laundered rug. I was so chagrined. Anyone want a 95 lb. Lab??

I swear, I feel like I cannot take one more thing this week without going completely doolally!!

 

[NSquirrel]

HunnieBunnie >>their attitude is "every man for himself,"

I think possibly one problem here, in particular, is politician-credibility. When someone who has lied possibly compulsively tells you that there is no problem....

I imagine /hope that emptying the aisles will decrease soon. Supermarkets can help, which they are doing by limiting the number of purchases of certain items per customer and opening at certain times only for the elderly, nurses and essential workers, but they are subject to an anti-monopoly law to ensure that they remain competitive. (The supermarkets are asking for this aspect of the law to be waived for the time being.)

Meanwhile we have been told that 'Britain can turn the tide in 12 weeks.' How the tide will actually turn will no doubt be announced in 12 weeks and a couple of days. 'Turning the tide' can be interpreted a great number of ways - as the journalists have noted.

Many of us had already stocked up with a Brexit cupboard, which is now a CoronaVirus cupboard. (And not to offend anyone's politics, but may well have to revert to a Brexit, or is it post-Brexit, cupboard again in nine months time. 'No deal' and the economic let alone health effects of CoronaVirus; that will be fun - NOT!)

 

[NSquirrel]

and on a lighter note; from today's copy of The Telegraph.

 

[Pinkpoison]

Here in the UK schools are closed from today, Now on the news, Pubs, Clubs, Cafes, Restaurants, Gyms, Theatres ect ect are to be closed from tonight

 

[HunnieBunnie]

More and more non-essential shops are closing here. I just had an email from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. All of their shops that do not carry substantial amounts of cleaners are being closed---some 800 locations. As painful as it is to do, it makes sense. My friend in Oklahoma said almost all non-essential shops have closed as well as gun and horse shows, museums, and even the Indian operated casinos. She said a 50 year old man in her area passed yesterday from the virus. I do not mean to sound pessimistic, but I expect a lot more people are going to perish before this is over.

I contacted my city's Emergency Management Office today to ask about the flea markets. Had to leave a voicemail. They still have not belled me back. I do not think many people have a lot of confidence in politicians under normal circumstances, much less in this situation. Just talking to the average person answering phones at the city does not inspire confidence. Most of them sound like the last person you would want to depend upon in a crisis---total space cadets.

I caught a snippet of news last night. Doctors said if you contract the virus and survive, you are not immune forever thereafter. It is not like chicken pox for example. You could become reinfected within a year. To my mind, this begets a never ending cycle of flareups until everyone can be vaccinated against it, which will not be for at least a year and half.

We are also 900K short of ventilators in the U.S. as well. Hospitals are not equipped for the potential number of sick and dying patients. One ventilator manufacturer representative interviewed said that the company has already been contacted by quite wealthy individuals who want to buy ventilators for themselves. I guess this should be expected, and today, it was revealed that many of our politicians in Washington DUMPED TONS OF THEIR STOCK before announcements were made to the public about all of this. I guess all of this comes as no big surprise, but it disgusts me. I think this is going to become a lot worse before it becomes better, and we shall see the true colours of many, many people.

I am deeply perturbed by the flea markets remaining open because no one has told them they must shut down at least for a few weeks. I am also shocked and angered by the number of people I saw out and about yesterday. Many people who are off work are treating this time as a holiday instead of quarantine time. The streets should have noticeably less traffic than normal. Shops should be at least half empty. I saw more people at the park yesterday than I ever would have done in the early afternoon on a Thursday, and most of them were out in groups with their children walking around as though it was a Summer holiday. The only thing I did not see was families picnicking and grilling on the ground. I think the park should be okay for most people to visit to walk, but good grief, there is enough in our homes to keep us occupied, surely! Most people have cable or satellite telly. Most people have computers and mobiles. Most people would normally tell you they have unfinished projects to complete at home and hobbies they have neglected due to busy work schedules and family demands. Most people have plenty of housework to do. Now would be a good time to practise cooking skills, painting, writing, yoga, etc., but no, we have a catastrophe on our hands so lets everyone go out, mill about, and gawk.

By the way, whilst I am thinking about it, re cleaners, etc., please everyone remember that simple white vinegar will kill anything living on your fruits and veggies before you cook and eat them. Scrubbing your countertops with white vinegar or salt should also kill anything living on the counters. Commercial cleaners are fine, but there are alternatives that are extremely effective.

My friend in Spain said everything is on lockdown there, but she feels secure enough at home. She said so far she has not found too much difficulty purchasing food and other essentials. The population over there is behaving with a lot more common sense than they are here.

 

[NSquirrel]

HunnieBunnie wrt white vinegar

If you don’t mind me saying. Personally I am not sure about this. Years ago I kept seeing white vinegar being the answer for almost everything. So many posts coming up made me suspicious, so I thought that I would try something. I typed white vinegar and HIV into google and several hits came back saying that it cured HIV. Since then, well I may be quite wrong and that it is OK.

 

[HunnieBunnie]

Well, everyone should use whatever they have on hand that they think will help. White vinegar is extremely acrid. I have used it to sanitise fruits and veggies for years. I think spraying it on counters and letting it dry would kill just about anything there, but that is just my opinion. HIV is transmitted by exchange of body fluids such as semen, and by needles, blood transfusions, etc., so I would not expect white vinegar to be much help in the case of HIV. I believe it is a very useful thing to have and to use, though. I use it around the house for a variety of things. Makes an excellent glass cleaner, too.

 

[J. A.]

Does vinegar really help to kill viruses? - Times of India

 

[NSquirrel]

HunnieBunnie
>> HIV is transmitted by exchange of body fluids... so I would not expect white vinegar to be much help in the case of HIV

Which was exactly why I tried it as I knew the answer.

Good to hear, though, that it helps with your fruit and vegetables, etc.