Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #110

[katydid23]

Thanks. I talked to my Mom last night, and it has been about a month since I took my test, my voice is still hoarse, and I have graduated now to a severe head cold. She could tell that I still sounded sick.

At least the fatigue is fading.

My husband caught Covid on Christmas Eve. Thank Goodness we caught it in time or we would have been at our son's home with the grand babies and grandparents the next day.

It's a full 2 months later and he still has inflamed lungs, which have required steroids a few times already. The doctor said he is seeing this with many of his prior covid patients---swollen lungs with respiratory issues.

 

[Coachbuilder]

Yes, the cruise ship offers many activities and entertainment. My husband and I are the only ones in our immediate family. However, we still travel with our families and take the same precautions.
You may not fall in a high-risk category and feel you don't need to take safeguards to protect yourself of any of your at-risk loved ones.

Did you take any of these precautions before 2019?

 

[ilovewings]

Did you take any of these precautions before 2019?

who took precautions before the pandemic? NOBODY- there was no need to! people were pretty care free prior to the pandemic---

 

[Lilibet]

Did you take any of these precautions before 2019?

Actually, my husband wore a mask on a flight from Oregon to NY in 2018. He didn’t want to catch a cold in the plane and ruin the trip. I didn’t share his concerns, which seemed a bit over-the-top to me at the time. But we weren’t facing the deadly covid-19 virus pandemic until 2020. For those who want to travel now, those precautions (masks, surgical gloves, sanitizer, etc) seem sensible to me, especially for someone over 65, which the OP is. I doubt any of us have forgotten the cruise ships with rampant covid that were forbidden to dock anywhere in 2020. Her cruise had been postponed at least twice since 2020 IIRC and there may have been money lost had she not gone now. Or she may have just finally felt safe going now taking sensible precautions. So she did the best she could to be safe. MOO

I’m not sure I get your point.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Is there any point in actually going? You might as well stay at home if you're that worried.

We weren't necessarily "worried", but at ages 74 (DH) and 73 (me), we don't want to take chances with our health. We went on the 10-night cruise and had a wonderful time. We were not aware that there was any illness while onboard with 3500+ passengers and 1500+ crew. Nothing wrong with taking extra precautions to keep ourselves healthy. JMO

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Did you take any of these precautions before 2019?

I have asthma and was advised by my allergy/asthma specialist many years ago to wear a mask on flights. I've always heeded her advice and wear a mask when I fly.

 

[Gemmie]

who took precautions before the pandemic? NOBODY- there was no need to! people were pretty care free prior to the pandemic---

"Nobody" isn't quite correct. Likely a lot of people but certainly not everyone.

I took precautions before the pandemic and know a few others as well. Sure, I wasn't crazy enough to walk around wearing a N95 mask every time I went out into public before Covid hit, but I did take precautions against the common cold and flu.

I don't call it germ phobia... I call it germ smart. I know how germs are passed (as does just about everyone) so I simply don't touch public things. I've watched people after Covid hit still using their dang fingertip on ATMs or store credit card machines, or grab a door handle with their bare hand! I think to myself.. "I wouldn't have done that". (I'm an analytical. Can you tell? LOL) I analyze everything. I can't turn that part of my brain off. I know how germs are caught so I take measures not to catch bugs. Simple as that.

For instance... if a public surface is meant to be touched (ATM machines, conference room phones, elevator buttons, door handles, etc.)... I simply don't touch them with my bare hand. I either use a knuckle or an object like the bottom of a pen or car key for elevator buttons or conf room phones (I even had someone in the conference room ask me why I did that), or I use my sleeve or the hem of my shirt for door handles. Those are just a few of the things that I've done for decades. I don't catch colds nor the flu (knocks on wood so as not to jinx myself) and I for darn sure do NOT want to catch Covid.

I've also noticed that some people still haven't smartened up about not sneezing into their hands. I had a dental tech walk into the room and sneeze into her hands. (Let's call her NOBODY.) Then she wanted to work on me! Needless to say, NOBODY and I had "a problem" and I never went back. LOL

 

[ilovewings]

"Nobody" isn't quite correct. Likely a lot of people but certainly not everyone.

I took precautions before the pandemic and know a few others as well. Sure, I wasn't crazy enough to walk around wearing a N95 mask every time I went out into public before Covid hit, but I did take precautions against the common cold and flu.

I don't call it germ phobia... I call it germ smart. I know how germs are passed (as does just about everyone) so I simply don't touch public things. I've watched people after Covid hit still using their dang fingertip on ATMs or store credit card machines in stores, or grab a door handle with their bare hand! I think to myself.. "I wouldn't have done that". (I'm an analytical. Can you tell? LOL) I analyze everything. I can't turn that part of my brain off. I know how germs are caught so I take measures not to catch bugs. Simple as that.

For instance... if a public surface is meant to be touched (ATM machines, conference room phones, elevator buttons, door handles, etc.)... I simply don't touch them with my bare hand. I either used a knuckle or an object like the bottom of a pen or car key for elevator buttons or conf room phones (I even had someone in the conference room ask me why I did that), or I use my sleeve or the hem of my shirt for door handles. Those are just a few of the things that I've done for decades. I don't catch colds nor the flu (knocks on wood so as not to jinx myself) and I for darn sure do NOT want to catch Covid.

I've also noticed that some people still haven't smartened up about not sneezing into their hands. I had a dental tech walk into the room and sneeze into her hands. (Let's call her NOBODY.) Then she wanted to work on me! Needless to say NOBODY and I had "a problem" and I never went back. LOL

I understand the precautions you are describing pre pandemic: I was always careful too: for example when clients came into our office and I shook their hands ( yes we actually shook hands pre pandemic), as soon as they left I washed my hands- all the time. I did not use hand sanitizer very often until after the pandemic and now I use it every single time I get back in the car after grocery shopping-- When I initially described precautions though I was talking about masking, social distancing and hand washing among other post pandemic precautions: we were pretty care free prior to the pandemic in lots of ways- as far as I am concerned, life will never be quite the same as it was pre-pandemic. If someone like a dental tech walked into the room and sneezed into her hands and expected to work on my teeth, I would probably run out LOL

 

[Gemmie]

I understand the precautions you are describing pre pandemic: I was always careful too: for example when clients came into our office and I shook their hands ( yes we actually shook hands pre pandemic), as soon as they left I washed my hands- all the time. I did not use hand sanitizer very often until after the pandemic and now I use it every single time I get back in the car after grocery shopping-- When I initially described precautions though I was talking about masking, social distancing and hand washing among other post pandemic precautions: we were pretty care free prior to the pandemic in lots of ways- as far as I am concerned, life will never be quite the same as it was pre-pandemic. If someone like a dental tech walked into the room and sneezed into her hands and expected to work on my teeth, I would probably run out LOL

It was so gross! And she actually got pissy with me like my wanting her to wash her hands was a bad thing! She got all defensive over it (I don't get along well with defensive people. I find them difficult to talk/reason with as they turn things around because the problem isn't them in their eyes). The dentist even came in to see what was going on.

As for shaking hands... I too stopped doing that long ago in business settings, although admittedly not out of being germ smart. I never liked doing it but it was just something you were expected to do. However, I stopped after a large guy (I'm a petite woman) did the "Vise-Grip" handshake on me like he was trying to out-macho a petite middle aged woman. WTHeck?!?! It was so painful and drawn out that I almost fell to my knees with my hand still clutched in his meaty palm. Once released I did inspect my fingers to make sure nothing was broken. And no, I'm not overexaggerating. That was when I decided No more!

To me, it's a custom that should have been shelved long before Covid simply for the germ passing thing, let alone the bone-crusher handshake that some have to endure. What's funny to me are people's reactions when I say "I don't shake" when they extend their hand. Seriously... that's a custom that needs to go to the wayside! lol

 

[Niner]

snipped by me

To me, it's a custom that should have been shelved long before Covid simply for the germ passing thing, let alone the bone-crusher handshake that some have to endure. What's funny to me are people's reactions when I say "I don't shake" when they extend their hand. Seriously... that's a custom that needs to go to the wayside! lol

I totally agree! After one of those bone-crushing hand shakes - I do not shake hands anymore either. And I am petite person too. I just nod my head when introduced to someone.
We could bow like the Japanese. What other traditions are their in other countries?

 

[Gemmie]

I totally agree! After one of those bone-crushing hand shakes - I do not shake hands anymore either. And I am petite person too. I just nod my head when introduced to someone.
We could bow like the Japanese. What other traditions are their in other countries?

Out of the options... I'd vote for #'s 6, 7, or 8 (the least contact with someone), and there's no way I'm traveling to Greenland or Oceania if they sniff faces! LOL​

1. Stick out your tongue​

Tibet

2. Bump noses​

Qatar, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates

3. Air kiss on the cheek​

France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Latin America, Ukraine, and Québec, Canada

4. Rub noses (and sometimes foreheads)​

New Zealand

5. Shake hands​

Botswana, China, Germany, Zambia, Rwanda, and the Middle East

6. Clap your hands​

Zimbabwe and Mozambique

7. Put your hand on your heart​

Malaysia

8. Bow​

Cambodia, India, Nepal, Laos, Thailand, and Japan

9. Sniff faces​

Greenland and Tuvalu (Oceania)

Here’s How People Greet Each Other Around the World

From sticking out tongues to touching noses, here are some polite ways to say “hello” around the world.

www.afar.com

 

[Niner]

Out of the options... I'd vote for #'s 6, 7, or 8 (the least contact with someone), and there's no way I'm traveling to Greenland or Oceania if they sniff faces! LOL​

1. Stick out your tongue​

Tibet

2. Bump noses​

Qatar, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates

3. Air kiss on the cheek​

France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Latin America, Ukraine, and Québec, Canada

4. Rub noses (and sometimes foreheads)​

New Zealand

5. Shake hands​

Botswana, China, Germany, Zambia, Rwanda, and the Middle East

6. Clap your hands​

Zimbabwe and Mozambique

7. Put your hand on your heart​

Malaysia

8. Bow​

Cambodia, India, Nepal, Laos, Thailand, and Japan

9. Sniff faces​

Greenland and Tuvalu (Oceania)

Here’s How People Greet Each Other Around the World

From sticking out tongues to touching noses, here are some polite ways to say “hello” around the world.

www.afar.com

Oh - I like #6 - clap your hands!

 

[Gemmie]

Oh - I like #6 - clap your hands!

And then there's now the Elbow Bump some are doing post-Covid. I like that option (although it wasn't listed in the article I posted).

 

[Niner]

And then there's now the Elbow Bump some are doing post-Covid. I like that option (although it wasn't listed in the article I posted).

Probably because it's a "new" thing. Guess no countries do that.

 

[Sundog]

I totally agree! After one of those bone-crushing hand shakes - I do not shake hands anymore either. And I am petite person too. I just nod my head when introduced to someone.
We could bow like the Japanese. What other traditions are their in other countries?

Native Americans in the U.S. don't shake hands.

Edited to add -- JMO and JM Experience.

 

[Niner]

Native Americans in the U.S. don't shake hands.

How do they acknowledge the other person? If you know.

 

[CSIDreamer]

Did you take any of these precautions before 2019?

I'm extremely conservative and the baiting in this comment is obvious.

Every single person gets to choose their path. I masked when I was forced to mask. I, regrettably, got the vax in 2021. I've also never had Covid.

Seek first to understand. A lot of people are still terrified, and justifiably so.

All JMO

 

[Sundog]

How do they acknowledge the other person? If you know.

I can only speak from my experience of attending academic conferences and seminars and interacting with people from across the country. Different cultures and countries have different forms of greeting, different gestures of greeting, if gestures are involved.

My experience is that a slight head nod would do it to acknowledge the other person's presence and introductions. But hands would not be part of the gesture of greeting.

Lots of cultures have adopted the Western model of hand-shaking in a business context, but in some cultures a very light handshake is the norm, to use a strong handshake would show disrespect. And in some countries, a light handshake with a lingering effect is the gesture that is most common. It's more like hand-holding after the light shake, for a lingering period longer than the Western handshake, and this is for many Asian countries that have adopted hand-shaking in a business or formal context. And then, of course, there are rules of etiquette about shaking the elder or highest status person's hand first, and some countries have rules of etiquette about shaking hands with individuals of the opposite gender.

Different forms of greeting, and gestures of greeting, good to know about when you travel and/or interact with other cultures even in your home country!

 

[CSIDreamer]

I can only speak from my experience of attending academic conferences and seminars and interacting with people from across the country. Different cultures and countries have different forms of greeting, different gestures of greeting, if gestures are involved.

My experience is that a slight head nod would do it to acknowledge the other person's presence and introductions. But hands would not be part of the gesture of greeting.

Lots of cultures have adopted the Western model of hand-shaking in a business context, but in some cultures a very light handshake is the norm, to use a strong handshake would show disrespect. And in some countries, a light handshake with a lingering effect is the gesture that is most common. It's more like hand-holding after the light shake, for a lingering period longer than the Western handshake, and this is for many Asian countries that have adopted hand-shaking in a business or formal context. And then, of course, there are rules of etiquette about shaking the elder or highest status person's hands first, and some countries have rules of etiquette about shaking hands with the opposite gender.

Different forms of greeting, and gestures of greeting, good to know about when you travel and/or interact with other cultures even in your home country!

I like the idea of head nods. Generally speaking, I hate having strangers touch me lol. JMO

 

[ilovewings]

It was so gross! And she actually got pissy with me like my wanting her to wash her hands was a bad thing! She got all defensive over it (I don't get along well with defensive people. I find them difficult to talk/reason with as they turn things around because the problem isn't them in their eyes). The dentist even came in to see what was going on.

As for shaking hands... I too stopped doing that long ago in business settings, although admittedly not out of being germ smart. I never liked doing it but it was just something you were expected to do. However, I stopped after a large guy (I'm a petite woman) did the "Vise-Grip" handshake on me like he was trying to out-macho a petite middle aged woman. WTHeck?!?! It was so painful and drawn out that I almost fell to my knees with my hand still clutched in his meaty palm. Once released I did inspect my fingers to make sure nothing was broken. And no, I'm not overexaggerating. That was when I decided No more!

To me, it's a custom that should have been shelved long before Covid simply for the germ passing thing, let alone the bone-crusher handshake that some have to endure. What's funny to me are people's reactions when I say "I don't shake" when they extend their hand. Seriously... that's a custom that needs to go to the wayside! lol

Your bone crusher hand shake story cracked me up!