Coronavirus ~ COVID-19

[Kätzchen]

So, Governor Kate Brown signed an executive order today making it mandatory for social distancing and not going anywhere, unless you are part of the work force that supplies critical support to keep the state infrastructure from collapsing. We have a fragile economy in Oregon, especially outside the metro area. Coastal communities depend on tourism. Guess what people did this past weekend? They flocked to coastal communities, putting fragile communities at higher risk of catching the virus. Oh, the Governor was upset that people are not exercising personal responsibility in face of a deadly virus that is claiming lives, left and right. So people will comply with this order or there will be severe consequences. For everyone.

I can't stay long, but I did work 9 hours today. I return to work tomorrow. Our work campus is virtually down 80 percent in on-campus attendance, but we still won't know how much longer our campus will be open. Our situation is heavily monitored by fed/state governing agencies, so we're not sure how long too many of us will hang on to our jobs. If we do lose them, we will always be on-boarded once the moratorium is lifted. But how long the moratorium lasts, depends on people following instructions and not violating the moratorium set in place.

We now join the ranks of several other states in adhering to a strict moratorium that includes social distancing, and not going anywhere and staying home, unless you are required to be on the job.

I found a link the other night, if anyone is interested in looking at it. It gives you an idea on how covid 19 is possibly being spread. Like I was saying last night, after talking with my mom by phone yesterday, my mom is convinced that this virus is airborne. She's no expert, but she was born during the depression, she's been an RN for over 53 years, and it made me sit up straight when she shared her ideas on how this is being transmitted. She might not be correct, but on the other hand, the scientific medical community is leaning toward the possibility that covid-19 is an airborne disease. Check out the link and see what you think and if it helps you to better see how difficult it is for anybody in the medical community to narrow in on whether it is or is not an airborne disease.

Link ~~>>>> VIRTUS

On campus, we are sanitizing and sanitizing repeatedly, and maintaining social distance. We take this crisis very seriously. My heart goes out to all the communities in metropolitan areas as well as those affected in smaller rural communities and for those down on the coast in our state.

[Kelt]

Just got a PSA from the county:

“The County has issued an amended COVID-19 public health order giving it the discretion to close down beaches if social distancing rules aren’t enforced. County Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten made the announcement during a news conference Monday.

Gatherings larger than 10 people have been seen at beaches in recent days. Wooten said if local cities and municipalities cannot enforce social gathering orders, the public health order will allow the shutdown of city parks and beaches.

Social distancing requires staying six feet away from others who are not in your immediate family to reduce the risk of transmission and slow the spread of the disease.”

Great, asshole teenagers just have to screw it up for everybody else…

Guess I’m just a pissed off old fogey

[FireSignFemme]

Originally Posted by Kelt

Just got a PSA from the county: Guess I’m just a pissed off old fogey

Well you're in good company then.

[charley]

While on my walkabout yesterday, I sat down for a few minutes and saw a car pull up and two young people get out, and then they put on these "surgical type" gloves and walked into Timmy's. They came out 5 minutes later and went back into their car, still wearing the same gloves, opening up the car doors with their gloves on and they drove off. I could see the guy had put both hands on the steering wheel with their gloves still on. And, I thought, oh, how stupid, the same gloves that had touched god knows what (like opening doors, counters, etc.) now touching their steering wheel etc. and probably everything else that one normally touches while in a car, and they drove off. So, all the germs that they may have touched now transferred to their car. Apparently, as I have seen explained on TV by various doctors, the virus can last on hard surfaces up to several days.

I have seen on TV doctors explaining how even when talking with someone = since the virus lodges in the lungs - that the breath may carry microscopic particles, and of course, the breath will spread these particles, hence the necessity of social-distancing - 6 feet (2 metres). The doctor said that even a slight cough can push these particles in the air and they can hang several feet and float in the air for more than a few seconds.

So, I can understand easily that there are various ways that the virus can spread.

For several weeks, every time I have left any place to buy stuff to store up with I use hand sanitizers immediately - all the stores I have used all have automatic door sensors which open up automatically when you pass in front, so I don't have to touch public handles - also washing my hands when I enter my home. At one point, when picking up a basket in a store, I used hand sanitizer to wipe down the handles and edges of the basket (which I later explained to this really old couple who walked in the store and who stared at me and what I was doing - I wasn't the only who did this, btw - fortunately, this supermarket had these hand sanitizers in a container right by the baskets), I have been careful to keep my distance when talking with anyone.

I have become a germophobe - 'abundance of caution'.