How Is Covid-19 Impacting Life in Your City?

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

It's a respiratory illness, no? You can lube up with the hand sanitizer, but ultimately you're gonna breathe that virus in, right? That shit don't make no sense!

Not exactly.

- It’s not entirely a respiratory illness although the deaths almost all seem to be from respiratory failure. But recently there’s some attention being paid to the gastrointestinal component (including diarrhea).

- The expelled droplets that people breathe or cough out are heavy enough that they only travel 3 - 6 ft and then settle on surfaces where you can pick them up on hands. But they are saying if you stay 6 feet from other people you aren’t going to breathe it in.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

It's a respiratory illness, no? You can lube up with the hand sanitizer, but ultimately you're gonna breathe that virus in, right? That shit don't make no sense!

I think it stays on surfaces for awhile, so if you touch something and then unknowingly touch your face out of habit as literally everyone does, then you can get it.

[Handro]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

Not exactly.

- It’s not entirely a respiratory illness although the deaths almost all seem to be from respiratory failure. But recently there’s some attention being paid to the gastrointestinal component (including diarrhea).

- The expelled droplets that people breathe or cough out are heavy enough that they only travel 3 - 6 ft and then settle on surfaces where you can pick them up on hands. But they are saying if you stay 6 feet from other people you aren’t going to breathe it in.

So how long does the disease "live" in the droplets once it lands on a surface? Michael Osterholm (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Osterholm) said that the whole "wash your hands!" thing was basically to quell anxiety, and give people a sense of control.

Clearly, wash your hands, but does it really do anything to protect against corona specifically?

I'm debating going to the gym this evening. On the one hand, seems to be tempting fate. On the other, not that hard to stay 3-6 feet away from people at the gym and to wash my hands before I touch my face.

[WonderlandPark3]

Rumor is we are shutting down production tomorrow. Will see. Def. getting real.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by WonderlandPark3

Rumor is we are shutting down production tomorrow. Will see. Def. getting real.

production of what?

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Handro

So how long does the disease "live" in the droplets once it lands on a surface? Michael Osterholm (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Osterholm) said that the whole "wash your hands!" thing was basically to quell anxiety, and give people a sense of control.

As if people never washed their hands regularly before? I'm sure some of you have seen this meme floating around?


I've already accepted the fact that I may eventually be exposed to COVID-19; if worse came to worse, I live in California, I could always apply for state disability insurance, if I had to miss work.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by JManc

It's the fear of not being in control and one thing we can control is running out and buying stuff for the apocalypse. In three months, these idiots who hoarded toilet paper by the bulk will be giving it away because it's taking up half a closet.

Toilet paper lasts until the cockroaches eat it. I've been a hoarder forever because I have an irrational fear of discovering I'm out in the middle of acute need. So I am currently using TP I bought 2 years ago (it's stacked in the garage, not a closet). I wouldn't worry about what's being hoarded eventually getting used.

I was thinking about buying Kimberly-Clark until I realized however great their sales may be now (TP, Kleenex), it's just pulling forward demand. When the crisis is over, demand will collapse because whatever the hoarders buy they can use the rest of their lives. It won't go bad.

[WonderlandPark3]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

production of what?

edit double post

[WonderlandPark3]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

production of what?

TV show. We would have shut down around April 1 otherwise. Rumors all over Hollywood of shows shutting down.

Looks like Broadway in NYC is shutting down imminently.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

I've already accepted the fact that I may eventually be exposed to COVID-19; if worse came to worse, I live in California, I could always apply for state disability insurance, if I had to miss work.

Your problem comes if you aren't exposed, just laid off because your employer shuts or has no business. Under current rules to get unemployment, which is hardly sufficient anyway, you have to be looking for work. Not only is nobody likely to be hiring but we don't want people out looking for work right now. That needs to be fixed.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Handro

So how long does the disease "live" in the droplets once it lands on a surface?

I'm debating going to the gym this evening. On the one hand, seems to be tempting fate. On the other, not that hard to stay 3-6 feet away from people at the gym and to wash my hands before I touch my face.

How long can the new coronavirus last on surfaces?
By Yasemin Saplakoglu - Staff Writer 19 hours ago

. . . how long can the new coronavirus linger on surfaces, anyway? The short answer is, we don't know. A new analysis found that the virus can remain viable in the air for up to 3 hours, on copper for up to 4 hours, on cardboard up to 24 hours and on plastic and stainless steel up to 2 to 3 days. However, this study, which was published in the preprint database medRxiv on Wednesday (March 11), has not yet yet been peer-reviewed.

Another study published in February in The Journal of Hospital Infection analyzed several dozen previously published papers on human coronaviruses (other than the new coronavirus) to get a better idea of how long they can survive outside of the body.

They concluded that if this new coronavirus resembles other human coronaviruses, such as its "cousins" that cause SARS and MERS, it can stay on surfaces — such as metal, glass or plastic — for as long as nine days (In comparison, flu viruses can last on surfaces for only about 48 hours.)

But some of them don't remain active for as long at temperatures higher than 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius).

https://www.livescience.com/how-long...-surfaces.html

People touch their faces without realizing it. One video went viral of some "expert" telling people not to touch their faces WHILE REPEATEDLY TOUCHING HER FACE.

Interesting sidebar re gym. I was watching some financial show and one participant suggested people can all go out and buy Peleton machines so the don't need to go to the gym. Another person on the show remarked, "Well, people in OUR demographic can do that anyway." Another reminder the rich have more money than the rest of us (or used to).

[Handro]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

As if people never washed their hands regularly before?

Unfortunately yea. How often do you use public restrooms? The amount of men (assume women too, but can't speak on it) that don't wash their hands with soap is insane. I have to imagine that if you don't wash your hands in the bathroom, you aren't randomly washing your hands for good hygiene other times throughout the day.

My sisters extended family in Italy was so excited by this "new method" to prevent the spread of coronavirus: sneezing/coughing into your elbow. There its uncommon to keep hand soap anywhere but the bathroom since it's uncommon to wash your hands before/after cooking/eating. Its surprising but not shocking at how it has spread there...

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

https://www.livescience.com/how-long...-surfaces.html

People touch their faces without realizing it. One video went viral of some "expert" telling people not to touch their faces WHILE REPEATEDLY TOUCHING HER FACE.

Good thing I'm washing my hands frequently!

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

Your problem comes if you aren't exposed, just laid off because your employer shuts or has no business. Under current rules to get unemployment, which is hardly sufficient anyway, you have to be looking for work. Not only is nobody likely to be hiring but we don't want people out looking for work right now. That needs to be fixed.

You have to be looking for work, yes, but if your company does not dispute that you were laid off or not terminated for cause, then you qualify for unemployment. That's how the California EDD works, anyway (I work in HR).

To be denied unemployment benefits, basically a person has to be terminated for gross negligence or willful misconduct. For example, a person can be terminated if the employer feels they weren't "up to speed," but that doesn't constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct, and wouldn't disqualify them from getting unemployment.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

You have to be looking for work, yes, but if your company does not dispute that you were laid off or not terminated for cause, then you qualify for unemployment. That's how the California EDD works, anyway (I work in HR).

To be denied unemployment benefits, basically a person has to be terminated for gross negligence or willful misconduct. For example, a person can be terminated if the employer feels they weren't "up to speed," but that doesn't constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct, and wouldn't disqualify them from getting unemployment.

So since we have an expert, I'm worried about my friend. He works for a major hotel chain at a San Francisco location. With all the conventions cancelled and tourism from Asia and now Europe shut off, hotels in the city are empty. So he was not given any "hours". Not fired, not formally laid off. Just no "hours" so he isn't working. He told me he was applying for unemployment. But how does that work since I guess he's still technically employed?

[muppet]

Disturbing images, scene from an Italian hospital - and these are the 'lucky' ones who got access to ventilation machines, while hundreds are dying because of lack of


https://news.sky.com/video/inside-th...ients-11954241

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

So since we have an expert, I'm worried about my friend. He works for a major hotel chain at a San Francisco location. With all the conventions cancelled and tourism from Asia and now Europe shut off, hotels in the city are empty. So he was not given any "hours". Not fired, not formally laid off. Just no "hours" so he isn't working. He told me he was applying for unemployment. But how does that work since I guess he's still technically employed?

I'm no expert, but anyway, yes, he can apply for unemployment. If you are a full-time employee and your hours were reduced, and you weren't officially made a "part-time" employee, and if you are not being scheduled to work because "things have slowed down," you can apply and be approved for unemployment benefits.

If you are a seasonal worker, a contract worker, or officially signed up for a temporary job with a company where you know the date of when your job will end, you can't apply for unemployment. Well, you can apply, but you'll be denied.

[tdawg]

That video looks straight out of Soderbergh's Contagion. Terrifying.

[hauntedheadnc]

Originally Posted by tdawg

That video looks straight out of Soderbergh's Contagion. Terrifying.

Funny you should say that:

Contagion’s Screenwriter on Watching His Movie Go Viral: Scott Z. Burns on why the coronavirus pandemic is better—and worse—than the one he imagined.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

I'm no expert, but anyway, yes, he can apply for unemployment. If you are a full-time employee and your hours were reduced, and you weren't officially made a "part-time" employee, and if you are not being scheduled to work because "things have slowed down," you can apply and be approved for unemployment benefits.

If you are a seasonal worker, a contract worker, or officially signed up for a temporary job with a company where you know the date of when your job will end, you can't apply for unemployment. Well, you can apply, but you'll be denied.

My friend has been working for them for 12 years. He gets (or has gotten) full benefits (which are excellent) so I assume he's officially full time (when I once was a part-time employee I got no benefits so I think that's a "tell" but it's all I know about it).

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by muppet

Disturbing images, scene from an Italian hospital - and these are the 'lucky' ones who got access to ventilation machines, while hundreds are dying because of lack of

The scariest thing about that photo is the patients lying on their stomachs. That's a desparation move:

Prone positioning in patients with moderate and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.
Taccone P1, Pesenti A, Latini R, Polli F, Vagginelli F, Mietto C, Caspani L, Raimondi F, Bordone G, Iapichino G, Mancebo J, Guérin C, Ayzac L, Blanch L, Fumagalli R, Tognoni G, Gattinoni L; Prone-Supine II Study Group.

Abstract

CONTEXT:
Post hoc analysis of a previous trial has suggested that prone positioning may improve survival in patients with severe hypoxemia and with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

OBJECTIVE:
To assess possible outcome benefits of prone positioning in patients with moderate and severe hypoxemia who are affected by ARDS.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS:
The Prone-Supine II Study, a multicenter, unblinded, randomized controlled trial conducted in 23 centers in Italy and 2 in Spain. Patients were 342 adults with ARDS receiving mechanical ventilation, enrolled from February 2004 through June 2008 and prospectively stratified into subgroups with moderate (n = 192) and severe (n = 150) hypoxemia.

CONCLUSION:
Data from this study indicate that prone positioning does not provide significant survival benefit in patients with ARDS or in subgroups of patients with moderate and severe hypoxemia.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19903918

In other words, they are trying it because there's nothing else they can do for these people but it probably won't work.