Too many just really don't care if they spread this to at risk people. Which is sad and so selfish. Humans really do make me weep. Who gave you the right to decide if someone who is immune compromised or at risk.......who gave you the right to decide if they get sick and possibly die? There is too much that is still not known about how this stays airborne. Not enough study of this virus. The thing is.....there are a limited number of ventilators in any given hospital and they won't be near enough if this spreads like it could and infects everyone at once. What do we do then? And then....will you still be out and about acting like nothing is wrong? I mean it's one thing if the government were suggesting total lockdown for no reason. I really would rather be classified as someone who overreacted and stayed safe by staying home, then find out everywhere I went just spread stuff to innocent people. This is so much more than just about you. I'm sorry that there are people who just don't give a fuck.

~
 

Your one hell of a decent person :) ~ Just :rubberducky: lol I'm proud to know you in our silent world of friends !

~
 

CORONAVIRUS is just NOT for the compromised ~ JD its for everyone and anyone ~ becarefull ~ oy :hamactor::hamactor::hamactor::hamactor::bunchflow ers:

Thank you!!!

I know it's for everyone. I'm saying for myself.. Im not shutting my life down over fear... Etc...

Interesting article
 

This was a really good read IMO.
https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/03...mylv8kmerctHHA

For those of us trying ”social distancing, ” (hard for me because I'm super social) what are you doing to beat the boredom? My wife and I tried an at home date night where we did some tutorials for advanced western swing dancing, which helped a lot. You can only watch so much Netflix.

Complete list of every state health department's coronavirus website
 

From CNN: As the novel coronavirus outbreak continues to spread across the US and its territories, health departments have created landing pages where people can go to get the latest information about the virus in their specific location.

CNN’s list includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Guam:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/healt...rnd/index.html

Thanks for posting this Orema.

It confirms 3 cases for my area which we heard 2 were in Bainbridge and 1 in Port Orchard.

We now have 2 confirmed cases at my university. The patients are being quarantined by the university in private housing.

So smart. So far we have cleaned out the pantry and the freezer. Going to do the spice cabinet next. I'm hoping to get some deep cleaning done during this self-imposed banishment from society. We have also been playing Yahtzee.

What? Nobody’s watching Walking Dead reruns? :scarytv:

I am doing household projects, taxes, watching too much media coverage, avoiding watching the stock market. Not necessarily in that order…

Orema, that's super informative. Thank you.

Everything is so hour by hour. We keep making plans at work and then they change and change again.

We are preparing to close our child care center except for maybe keep one room open just for children of staff. We have 9 staff members who are single parents and don't have the support system to work their jobs full time if they don't have child care and we need them at work for as long as we can have them.

Since we don't have all of the children we usually have, we are re-purposing all of the food we had for them and the cook we have for the daycare centers to cook meals for our housing residents and children who don't have food at home and are used to getting breakfast and lunch with us. Our advocates who work in the courthouse and child protective, where buildings are closing, will come work to help pack up food for our people who need it.
My daughter got her job back working in my building while her school is closed. We put her on front desk where she usually works but she was more needed in my housing department so she's been hard at work making hygiene packs and tomorrow she will start packing food boxes for the quarantined so we are ready to deliver when that happens. Our mental health counselors will be delivering meals to our off campus clients during their more quiet hours.

I did find out today that the public health department has a system in place to bring food to those who are quarantined. It's a great relief. I don't know if they are prepared to serve as many as will need but at least there is a plan in place.

After a debriefing with CDC today I was told I am doing a great job. I really needed to hear that so that made me happy.

I've got 2 weeks until I can head home. I'm in the safest place in healthcare in the OR. I wear masks and gowns all day and constantly scrubbing my hands...yet I'm absolutely terrified for my mom who is 83 years old. The fatality rate for people her age is 15%. So it absolutely drives me livid when I hear ignorant people say how they aren't following the recommendations set out for us at this time. Let me give you a reality check. In Italy, their healthcare system is so overwhelmed that they are having to make life and death choices for people. A 30-year-old mother of 2 will get the vent over a 69-year-old grandmother. THAT IS REALITY! Our country hasn't gotten there YET but don't kid yourself to think it can't/won't happen. Let me give you another reality check....Italy has a bed ratio of 3.8 beds per 1000 people...the USA?? We have 2.4 beds per1000 people. See the problem??? Italy has run out of beds and ventilators...We aren't talking about a 3rd world country...we are talking about a modern, revolutionized country. Stop being selfish and think about others.
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N95 masks fulfill the filtering efficiency criteria of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and are approved for protection against droplet and airborne transmission of 95% of particles greater than 0.3 microns in size. N95 masks, which must be fit tested, are believed to offer protection against the contact and droplet spread of the coronavirus.

I blocked the entrance to my cubicle and wrote in large letters on poster board "KEEP OUT - NO EXCEPTIONS! IF YOU HAVE A SOFTWARE ISSUE, I AM HAPPY TO HELP YOU ... IF YOU HAVE A HARD COPY YOU WISH TO SHOW ME, TAKE A PHOTO OF IT WITH YOUR CAMERA, SEND IT TO ME, WE CAN DISCUSS THEN. YOU MAY SPEAK TO ME WHERE YOU ARE STANDING OR EMAIL/PHONE ME.

Like others, I have washed my hands so much ... they feel dry and crunchy ... but it is a small price to pay. I had to have my friend at work, Dr. Laura, dig a splinter from my palm and that helped a lot to be rid of it. We both washed and disinfected well before contact with each other.

I'm a social worker and we've been told it’s ”business as usual” except for postponing some court hearings. I live in a rural area in east texas and there are no confirmed cases in my county (although it’s really hard to confirm when there are no tests to take or not nearly enough test). I'm feeling frustrated as we have the capacity to work from home but I was informed today as someone in management I have to be present in the office to help assure workers of the situation and help with morale (which makes no sense to me). but the most frustrating is how it seems hourly they are sending new emails with additional directions and directives. It's impossible to keep up.

It definitely was not business as usual at my work campus today. Hardly anyone at work, out of nearly 3K, at our work site? I read in our local news coverage that our state recorded it's first death due to Co-vid 19. That seems super concerning since it seems that the time span (course of duration) seems relatively short? Super worrisome and it scares me.

Our employer cut our hours of operation down big time. My hours on duty will be less than 6.5 hours/day (5 days/wk, mon-fri), until this health crisis ends, if it ends at all.

I feel like we are living in the Time of Cholera, or The Time of Polio, or as it is: The Time of Co-vid 19. It's like some evil unseen organism that is equipped to take you down a very ugly path, with no way of knowing if you'll survive or if you won't be around any longer. It's so freaking sad and scary.

I wonder what people will do who can't live on less than what they earn and I wonder how long before the economy tanks and leaves everyone in a situation that out-classes the Depression era. As I see it, we're in for some super hard times. Survival of the fittest.

So far, I'm okay. But not for long, if this health scare continues down this very horrible path that everyone will endure.

Keeping my fingers crossed for the best outcome possible, for every one.

I think I'll be okay - at least, I think I've got everything covered that I can (food, work from home, plenty of TP). But what concerns me most is that my boy works in a major chain grocery store. They have _increased_ his hours, although they are shutting the store early every night (8 pm) so they can clean and disinfect and restock shelves. He has a bunch of concerns I had not even thought about:

• He says about 70% of people "get it" and are patient and polite. But the other 30% are just concerned about themselves, and just want to know why the store doesn't have their favorite whatever and when will they have it, and are impatient in the long lines and rude to the workers and other customers.
• Apparently when restocking the store, they are unable to completely restock. If _all_ Publix grocery stores are sold out of a thing, say chicken, then they can't redistribute. They are _all_ out. And when the restocking trucks come, they don't have as much as they used to. So if they are used to getting 20 crates of chicken with every chicken truck delivery, they might only get 2 crates. (I think this is when people will really start to hoard - when they notice that not only is the store out of something, it never gets fully restocked. And that could lead to more panic.)
• He says they are cleaning things that have never been cleaned before, and this is hard on his body. I mean, he's not a young kid any more.

The panic and bad moods really wear on him. I mean, he's in a customer service job, and he's used to it, but the volume of it is wearing on him. He's also working in a place where he could so easily catch COVID-19. He washes his hands and uses sanitizer, but he's around so many people. And he is immunocompromised - he has lung problems. And I have a pretty weak immune system too - but I can't just kick him out of the house and do "social distancing". He has places he could stay, but none of them are better than here.

I also hope we don't get on each other's nerves. We're not used to being around each other this much.

I may be working from home...not sure yet.

Company has boxes of lap tops they are updating and loading programs on.

Those are my concerns at my job, too. Crowds are getting panicky and harried. We had a fight in the parking lot the other day. There have been screaming matches in the aisles over God knows what. Scuttlebutt is that the police-not a rent a cop- I mean police-will be stationed there.

And I'm pooped, and paranoid every time I cough. My son with literally no immune system is behind quarantine. If not at work, I'm at home (true, with plenty to do besides fooling around online ;).

I found out today from my doctor that it's a matter of when, not if, I get exposed due to my job. Those crowds are doing the exact opposite of what is recommended; lots of people in a confined place. Thanksgiving for a virus.

I'm healthy, so I'm not as worried about myself at this point. What I fear are the elderly who shop with us. I've volunteered to do shopping for them in my condo complex, which was gratefully accepted.

First of all, Gráinne, it is so good to see you here on BFP! It feels like it has been a long while.

I'm glad you're getting police at your store. Maybe it will make some people at least give a second thought before they act out. And maybe they can at least protect the employees.

I think the same kind of thing is happening with the news now that happened with 9/11. People hear about COVID-19 on the news and on TV over and over and over, and it just makes them more paranoid. I noticed when I was looking for something to watch on Netflix the other day that "Pandemic", the docuseries, was in the top 10 shows for that day. "Outbreak", the movie, was also in the top 10. It's like people just keep feeding it to themselves.

I admit, I'm guilty of that too. For awhile, I was listening to "NPR News Now" and the "BBC News" every hour on the hour. I am now limiting myself to one hour and five minutes of news a day: a half hour of "BBC News" and the half-hour show "Marketplace" the financial news, and one five-minute episode of "NPR News Now".

Stay healthy, Gráinne. It is really good of you to do some shopping for the elderly people you know. I wish I could convince my 80-year-old mother to stay out of the Kroger - my sister would do any shopping she needs - but she has her habits and the onset of dementia has begun, which keeps her from remembering what the fuss is all about.

As of 3 pm central time...

I officially work from home!

Was given laptop, keyboard, paperwork and instructions to do my job.

12 of us were picked to work from home due to work performance, attendance, etc.

Idk about the others remaining at the office.

I know I'm on sporadically but this is a favorite site :).

And I hear you about the news. Between the virus, the election, and impeachment earlier, I had to say "Enough". I want important information from reliable sources, but I limit myself for my own peace of mind.

Stay well :)

In NY we are trying to put out fires as they come. In my housing program and in our emergency domestic violence shelter we are begging hospitals to not release people who live in our buildings until they have a proper diagnosis but we are out of test kits and they are sending people back. Public health has made some noise about trying to find alternative housing for the homeless if they are diagnosed, like a hotel room, but that is not in place at this time. They are staying in contact with everyone who is on quarantine and bringing meals to the homeless or single/elderly individuals who are on quarantine. Right now they are really looking at full shelter quarantines and food drop offs. But all of the shelters are full. We need a code blue system to go into effect so that those who are still completely homeless have a place to be when quarantined but all of the buildings that would normally be code blue are closed until further notice.

Here's an update of sorts:

Property MGMT and building stakeholders in our work campus district meet today to decide if they close our entire work campus by Friday.

It's not looking good, for anybody.

I took some measures yesterday by making sure I had ample cash supply on hand (30 dys or more), so I minimize the risk of having to use an ATM or the added risk of going anywhere where ppl are congregating in bigger numbers.

I will know by the end of today if I have been laid off from work.

A business member leaving work yesterday, stopped to tell me that they wait hourly, each day, for notification to close business by the FTC (Fed.Trade.Comm.). That is the big hammer that might slam by Friday.

Also, I have a medical appt that was scheduled weeks ago and I got a call from that facility this morning that my medical appt (it's an over-nighter) has been moved to a facility that has greater safety for these types of tests. I will know by tomorrow if they keep my appt or they cancel it until further notice.


Not sure what will happen over the next 72 hours, but holding good thoughts for us all.

<<<<<<~~~ :vigil: :vigil: :vigil:

~
 

You have to keep reminding yourself that it's temporary ~ it's hard seeing people having to make these decisions .New York just put a ship off their coast. I think that was a good move on Cuomo's part (what an amazing family ) .NY is in good hands. hopefully he will continue progressing in his political career.

I heard that the U.S. Navy Hospital ship has 1000 beds. It will be stationed in New York Harbor.

I'm working in the office. A lot of my work involves copying large files from the server to my hard drive or to Dropbox, OneDrive, the internets, etc. and it takes forever when I work from home. So, it's been approved for me to come into the office. I live nearby. Most people are working from home. We probably have 5% workforce onsite, if that.

I'm a bit compulsive when it comes to washing my hands (old habits die hard) so I'm not too concerned in the regard, but I put on disposable rubber gloves and wipe down everything as soon as I come in the office.

We've had a lot of client cancellations, but they're also wanting virtual access and that's been keeping me busy.

I'm in Southern California and the streets and highways are always busy. This is the only place I've been where there are traffic jams on the weekend. Not now. The streets are almost bare at least compared to what I'm used to seeing.

This is the third time we've had hard times since I've been working here. Right after 9/11, in 2008, and now. No new hires or pay increases, and soon some of us will have to take a 5-10% pay cut. It beats being laid off, though it may come to that, too. I'm doing good for now, other than being in a funk.

Hoping everyone stays safe and protected.

With so many people working from home, and the other precautions you have taken, I expect you're better off than a lot of other people right now.

Sorry to hear about the pay cuts and no pay increases. That really sucks. It seems kind of early in the game for the higher ups to be that specific with that kind of information though. Are you sure they're really in financial straits and not just taking advantage of the situation? (Of course, who can be sure of anything?)

Re the homeless, I heard that someplace, probably New York or Cali, was considering buying motels to house them. Maybe just renting rooms would be sufficient. But it might put people into closer contact. I don't know. If we had good testing we could isolate the sick, but we don't yet.

Thank you, GeorgiaMa'am. I”m reading between the lines but am sure of what’s to come—it’s just a matter of when. Ours is a face-to-face business with some virtual offerings.

The info we all received so far is: there have been a high number of cancellations, there is a freeze on traveling and purchases unless it’s paid for by clients, all is being done to keep the company functioning, and we’re in this together. From that information, I’m presuming I know what’s coming.

If there are pay cuts, I think they’ll reinstated pay raises and promotions once the company is strong again as they did after 9/11 and the recession in 2008. They didn’t use those disasters as reasons to keep salaries low—as some other companies did.

I work for a good and relatively transparent company. They won’t institute any harsh measures until it’s necessary. We’re having a virtual all company meeting tomorrow and I’ll know more.

Edit: They didn’t even use those disasters to weed out people. Which they could have and were encouraged to get rid of people. They waited and cleaned house in 2014. They were upfront in doing it, too. They said, here’s some money, it’s been good knowing you, but you gotta go.

I have a little bit of good news that came my way today.

I was told that I will be given an expanded full time schedule, when I was worried that I would be one of the few who would lose their job. I am on short duty status the rest of this week, but come Monday my new schedule goes into effect. So that is one less thing to worry about now, since it turns out I will have job security going forward.

I kind of got some worrying news though. I've been hurdling another process to be hired in a different role of work and my ability to be hired rests on passing two tests and a health test administered by an medical facility that partners with the contingent employer. I got news today that the CDC issued mandates to particular medical facilities and that my health related employer test for this Sunday night was canceled, until the CDC lifts restrictions they issued today.


I followed up with my medical clinic, where my primary doctor practices, and they too got the CDC memo and they are canceling all appts until the CDC lifts restrictions it issued today. So my end of the month doctor appts were cancelled today as well. It's looking like it will be mid-to-late summer before I can successfully transition into my new role with the new employer, but I am so grateful tonight that my current employer and property management voted to keep me on and expand my duties and hours of on-duty work, so I have job security.


Our building went into full crises mode and now visitors to our building can only be admitted if they have an appt and be screened via on-site security. Our building is taking as many steps as it can to limit risk of exposure and reduce the chance that anything could remotely happen. The entire building is operating with only the necessary skilled professionals it needs to maintain safety and security, so we have migrated into what we call "After Hours Protocol" to limit risks and improve safety for all.

I know the worst of the Covid-19 virus crisis is not over nor has it peaked a threshold, but at least tonight I feel somewhat more secure than I did last night. I feel so very fortunate when it could have been entirely different.


I want to say thanks to our Sister-Femme friend, Ocean, for creating this vital thread for members in our community. It's a life-line of information and I appreciate it so much. Thanks Ocean. :bunchflowers: :tea:

(((( katzchen ))))) yvw :) Congrats ! they will probably start you on that new position pronto ! they are going to be taking seniors in med. school's nursing etc. to fill the needs of the people. They are not even prepared in employment as well as supply's. Yanno, first Trump said ~ don't worry it's a hoax ,then it will go away with the heat lollol that still cracks me up then he said it creeped up on us ~ he can't get his story straight. !

(SMH) Isn't It Ironic? LGBTQ Circuit Party Spreads COVID-19
 

"An estimated 10,000 LGBTQ people partied at the Winter Party in Miami, which was held as scheduled in Miami despite public health warnings to limit or cancel large gatherings of people to stop the spread of the disease. The coronavirus has been labeled a global pandemic by the World Health Organization.

"And one party-goer just tested positive for COVID-19."

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/03/...ronavirus-now/

gatherings & community spread
 

good grief !! Ya know, some peeps think, "well, I'm young, so if I get it, it will be mild, I'll get over it and that's that", but that's so stupid, 'cause it is the spread that may affect people who are auto-immune affected, have underlying medical problems or just older, and it is they who are the most vulnerable - one wonders what the f* is wrong with some people, who don't understand or care about what community spread means.

Spring Break students party on...
 

btw, the LGBTQ people are not the only ones partying on at Florida beaches:

Spring breakers:

https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/...es-finally.jpg

Ok I am NOT a computer guru. :( I just tried to post the link to this article without success but it will make your blood boil. "Kushner Coronavirus Team Sparks Confusion, Plaudits Inside White House Response Efforts'' which was printed in the Washington Post. Trump should be removed from office and his whole family thrown in prison for the rest of their valueless and pathetic lives. What next.....after Jared gets his brother a giant government contract with all the billions of dollars being thrown around, Ivanka will be importing fashion face masks for our brave people on the front line?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ts/ar-BB11nNpy

Hopefully this is it nh?