Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #87

[margarita25]

I started out doing the spray it and leave it method. Can of Lysol at the front door.
(Southern Hospitality Covid style)

I am very sensitive to aerosols, Lysol, chemicals, so I have a diluted bleach water bucket assembly line thing going in the hallway for cold items that have to come in immediately. I made the mistake very early on of getting bleach water inside my frozen vegetables, so everything varies on the type of packaging or surface as to how I approach it. Paper wrapped meat immediately goes into a container or ziplock and paper thrown away. Frozen vegetables get transferred into a ziplock. Beer cans go right in the bleach bucket, carried to the sink, rinsed and put away. This is also efficient for items which are completely airsealed in plastic like cheese blocks. I may also wash it with soap or transfer packaging. You don’t need a lot bleach for the bleach bucket which is good, a dilution with some water, and you’re good to go. One bucket can take care of multiple items as well, as opposed to using wipes, which I can’t say I’ve seen since March anyway. And next to the bleach bucket is one kitty litter sized tray where the clean items go, I carry them into the kitchen. I may even wipe down/rinse again to get the bleach chemical off the package before I put it away. Very often I transfer the contents into my own packaging if it does not compromise freshness. And this way it’s not a big deal if I accidentally touch my face. Dry goods stay at the door and get put away a few days later.

Are all these extreme measures? Absolutely. But it makes being in my kitchen, cooking and handling items much more comfortable/enjoyable. And there is less need for washing your hands every time you touch or grab something, say when you’re cooking stuff that is delivered the same day. Yes, it’s a lot of time, work and effort, and can take some time especially with larger deliveries of cold items. Again, for me, it’s about peace of mind.

Eta: I also prefer produce which is not “openly and loosely exposed to the elements”, for example cilantro, when possible. This has been quite a trial and error process and experience, which I may expound on further in the grocery thread. I have copied over this morning’s discussion on grocery stores, grocery delivery, surfaces, packages, etc. to continue here.

 

[pocketaccent]

Thank you for going into details about Instacart. I was using it occasionally before CoVid because I just had no time to go through a store (everything is so crowded here, and some stores are not in areas I consider safe).

I now understand that I have to be at my computer while they shop. I take the time to go through and choose substitutes or say "no substitute" if I really want a particular item. It's gotten to feel a bit like going to Vegas - sometimes I get lucky!

All the shoppers wear masks (in the store and at our door).

It is more expensive, but we decided that since we're not commuting, we'd apply our gas money toward groceries. I comparison shop at Amazon as well. We have changed our entire way of eating (we do not do takeout any more). DH is doing an elimination diet for food allergies, so we eat the same things over and over.

So...we stock up on some things that really work for us, and I can go three weeks between deliveries. I joined the Instacart program so I get ⅔ off the service fee (something like that) and there's no "delivery fee." I do tip as well as we can afford to.

I walked by our neighborhood grocery store just last week - mask compliance looked to be about 50% with no attempt to get people to mask up (I'd have to drive to a "better" part of town to get into a store with more compliance).

Instacart has been offering really really generous promotions lately. So watch for your promotion emails from Instacart. You must click the offer from your email and validate.

I've received $50 off of $75 purchase and free delivery. Offer good 2 times. (I thought there was a catch but no, it was for real).

Then I received $25 off of $35 purchase and free delivery. Offer good 4 times.

I have another new offer waiting to be used. $40 off of $75 purchase.
They are really spoiling me.

 

[margarita25]

Instacart has been offering really really generous promotions lately. So watch for your promotion emails from Instacart. You must click the offer from your email and validate.

I've received $50 off of $75 purchase and free delivery. Offer good 2 times. (I thought there was a catch but no, it was for real).

Then I received $25 off of $35 purchase and free delivery. Offer good 4 times.

I have another new offer waiting to be used. $40 off of $75 purchase.
They are really spoiling me.

(Whhhhaaaat omg who knew. I rarely check my junk box or that email address! Thank you!)

 

[MimosaMornings]

Fauci: COVID vaccine may be available in April, says he would take it

“Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert who has guided the U.S. through the pandemic, projected Americans could expect their first doses of an approved coronavirus vaccine as early as April.

Front-line health care workers are expected to get their first doses by the end of December or early January. After prioritizing people at risk of infection or severe disease, the healthy general population can expect first doses of a vaccine starting in April and through July if all continues on track, Fauci told the USA TODAY Editorial Board on Wednesday.

April through July of next year.

 

[pocketaccent]

I am very sensitive to aerosols, Lysol, chemicals, so I have a diluted bleach water bucket assembly line thing going in the hallway for cold items that have to come in immediately. I made the mistake very early on of getting bleach water inside my frozen vegetables, so everything varies on the type of packaging or surface as to how I approach it. Paper wrapped meat immediately goes into a container or ziplock and paper thrown away. Frozen vegetables get transferred into a ziplock. Beer cans go right in the bleach bucket, carried to the sink, rinsed and put away. This is also efficient for items which are completely airsealed in plastic like cheese blocks. I may also wash it with soap or transfer packaging. You don’t need a lot bleach for the bleach bucket which is good, a dilution with some water, and you’re good to go. One bucket can take care of multiple items as well, as opposed to using wipes, which I can’t say I’ve seen since March anyway. And next to the bleach bucket is one kitty litter sized tray where the clean items go, I carry them into the kitchen. I may even wipe down/rinse again to get the bleach chemical off the package before I put it away. Very often I transfer the contents into my own packaging if it does not compromise freshness. And this way it’s not a big deal if I accidentally touch my face. Dry goods stay at the door and get put away a few days later.

Are all these extreme measures? Absolutely. But it makes being in my kitchen, cooking and handling items much more comfortable/enjoyable. And there is less need for washing your hands every time you touch or grab something, say when you’re cooking stuff that is delivered the same day. Yes, it’s a lot of time, work and effort, and can take some time especially with larger deliveries of cold items. Again, for me, it’s about peace of mind.

Eta: I also prefer produce which is not “openly and loosely exposed to the elements”, for example cilantro, when possible. This has been quite a trial and error process and experience, which I may expound on further in the grocery thread. I have copied over this morning’s discussion on grocery stores, grocery delivery, surfaces, packages, etc. to continue here.

I used to quarantine and/or disinfect grocery items in the beginning. Not anymore.

Now I just put them away as I normally did in pre-pandemic times. Then I wash my hands thoroughly, spray and wipe my counter tops and refrigerator handles with isopropyl alcohol that I keep in a pretty glass spray bottle.
I think that the most important thing to remember is not to touch your face with unwashed hands at all times, not just during grocery unpacking.

Though I'm super cautious against airborne transmission, I'm not too worried about surface transmission. The virus can't fly from the surface to you, IMO. They only float in the air when an infected person expels them for you to inhale. So I never touch my face with uncleaned hands. IMO.

 

[margarita25]

I used to quarantine and/or disinfect grocery items in the beginning. Not anymore.

Now I just put them away as I normally did in pre-pandemic times. Then I wash my hands thoroughly, spray and wipe my counter tops and refrigerator handles with isopropyl alcohol that I keep in a pretty glass spray bottle.
I think that the most important thing to remember is not to touch your face with unwashed hands at all times, not just during grocery unpacking.

Though I'm super cautious against airborne transmission, I'm not too worried about surface transmission. The virus can't fly from the surface to you, IMO. They only float in the air when infected person expels them for you to inhale. So I never touch my face with uncleaned hands. IMO.

(Yeah like I said, there is no resistance from me as far as my measures being totally over the top LOL. )

 

[pocketaccent]

(Yeah like I said, there is no resistance from me as far as my measures being totally over the top LOL. )

Haha, your peace of mind plays a great deal in determining how to stay and feel safe. I remember your quandary about how to disinfect potatoes when the pandemic started. Somebody gave really funny solution and we all laughed about it. I forgot what the solution was.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Children's Grief Awareness Day always lands on the Thursday before Thanksgiving, a reminder that, as we head in to holidays, to keep these children and their families in mind.

There's a local organization that does that year-round. It's called Friends Way.

"I say that Children's Grief Awareness day is every day, but even more so, it can get lost in the hustle and bustle of holidays and planning and just making sure we're paying attention to kids and their needs," said Ryan Loiselle, program director of Friends Way, Rhode Island's only bereavement center for children and their families, offering in person, and now virtual support.
Children's Grief Awareness Day: Recognizing needs of grieving children

*So many of our world’s children ~our future~ have had their lives devastated with loss this year. How many have lost parents, siblings, grandparents, family and friends to this annihilating deadly virus?

Dear Heaven above, send your blessed angels to watch over and guide our children to understanding and peace.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Whoa, the Corona Task force had a presser today!

11Alive - White House coronavirus task force to hold first press briefing in months | Facebook

ETA or if you prefer Youtube

 

[Seenit]

Children's Grief Awareness Day always lands on the Thursday before Thanksgiving, a reminder that, as we head in to holidays, to keep these children and their families in mind.

There's a local organization that does that year-round. It's called Friends Way.

"I say that Children's Grief Awareness day is every day, but even more so, it can get lost in the hustle and bustle of holidays and planning and just making sure we're paying attention to kids and their needs," said Ryan Loiselle, program director of Friends Way, Rhode Island's only bereavement center for children and their families, offering in person, and now virtual support.
Children's Grief Awareness Day: Recognizing needs of grieving children

*So many of our world’s children ~our future~ have had their lives devastated with loss this year. How many have lost parents, siblings, grandparents, family and friends to this annihilating deadly virus?

Dear Heaven above, send your blessed angels to watch over and guide our children to understanding and peace.

Oh, my....that was beautifully done.

 

[margarita25]

Haha, your peace of mind plays a great deal in determining how to stay and feel safe. I remember your quandary about how to disinfect potatoes when the pandemic started. Somebody gave really funny solution and we all laughed about it. I forgot what the solution was.

(Good memory lol! Iirc, it was @JaneEyre who said something about not to worry, just let the potatoes cough in the corner with my weed )

Whoa, the Corona Task force had a presser today!

11Alive - White House coronavirus task force to hold first press briefing in months | Facebook

ETA or if you prefer Youtube

Who?

 

[anneg]

Not just COVID: Nursing home neglect deaths surge in shadows


WARNING: Graphic.

Utterly heartbreaking.

 

[Rocco]

Sanford Health CEO: I got COVID-19, so I don't have to wear a mask as a 'symbolic gesture' | Grand Forks Herald

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The president and CEO of one of the nation's largest non-profit health systems says he won't be wearing a mask at work because he's recovered from COVID-19, and doing so would only be a "symbolic gesture" because he considers himself immune from the virus.

 

[MimosaMornings]

Everyone doesn’t take covid precautions. This mom learned that the hard way. — The Washington Post

“On Sunday, when Kathleen Schmidt got a group message that her 12-year-old daughter’s last soccer game of the season was suddenly being canceled, she and her husband both quickly guessed what happened: One of the players had gotten the coronavirus.

That night, her hunch was confirmed: A player on the team her daughter had played one week earlier had tested positive. Alarmed, the 48-year-old book publicist asked a flurry of other questions and learned that the player had attended the game that day despite having a sibling at home who had tested positive.

“It never occurred to me that a parent would send their kid into a game knowing that their other kid was home with covid,” Schmidt, who lives in New Jersey, said.

She says she assumed all the families would be following the same league-mandated protocols, as well was local and state-level guidance. The experience has been a wake-up call.”

That’s quite an assumption......

 

[10ofRods]

I used to quarantine and/or disinfect grocery items in the beginning. Not anymore.

Now I just put them away as I normally did in pre-pandemic times. Then I wash my hands thoroughly, spray and wipe my counter tops and refrigerator handles with isopropyl alcohol that I keep in a pretty glass spray bottle.
I think that the most important thing to remember is not to touch your face with unwashed hands at all times, not just during grocery unpacking.

Though I'm super cautious against airborne transmission, I'm not too worried about surface transmission. The virus can't fly from the surface to you, IMO. They only float in the air when an infected person expels them for you to inhale. So I never touch my face with uncleaned hands. IMO.

This is almost exactly what I do. I am pretty proud of myself for not touching my face (I wash hands about every 3-5 minutes - my watch finally has a key function in my life).

I believe that the science shows that surface transmission is extremely unlikely. I would have to give up every hope of ever venturing out of my house if I thought surface transmission were a big thing. Washing hands is important, though.

I've read lots of studies and watched lots of experimental evidence in real time - I'm convinced that surface transmission for this virus only affects the very vulnerable. Personally, I've always believed that unless a person has an actual immune disorder (or is over 85) that total isolation from microbes is also not healthy.

I think if I lived with someone immune-compromised or older than 80, my views would be different. My husband is more careful than I am, but we both kind of supervise the other.

Everyone doesn’t take covid precautions. This mom learned that the hard way. — The Washington Post

“On Sunday, when Kathleen Schmidt got a group message that her 12-year-old daughter’s last soccer game of the season was suddenly being canceled, she and her husband both quickly guessed what happened: One of the players had gotten the coronavirus.

That night, her hunch was confirmed: A player on the team her daughter had played one week earlier had tested positive. Alarmed, the 48-year-old book publicist asked a flurry of other questions and learned that the player had attended the game that day despite having a sibling at home who had tested positive.

“It never occurred to me that a parent would send their kid into a game knowing that their other kid was home with covid,” Schmidt, who lives in New Jersey, said.

She says she assumed all the families would be following the same league-mandated protocols, as well was local and state-level guidance. The experience has been a wake-up call.”

That’s quite an assumption......

This is such a good cautionary story. Isn't it crazy? That at this point in time, people don't realize that even if their kid is asymptomatic (or "barely sick," as I so often hear), it's NOT OKAY to send them out into the world if they are POSITIVE FOR COVID. Yes, I'm yelling.

What are we supposed to do with this set of behaviors? How can schools cope? Rapid tests for every kid, every day seem to be the only answer - or widespread acceptance of a vaccine. Oof. Well, I hope everyone here is convinced (and can convinced their loved ones) that vaccines (go Moderna!) are the key to public health.

 

[Reasonable & Just]

Sanford Health CEO: I got COVID-19, so I don't have to wear a mask as a 'symbolic gesture' | Grand Forks Herald

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The president and CEO of one of the nation's largest non-profit health systems says he won't be wearing a mask at work because he's recovered from COVID-19, and doing so would only be a "symbolic gesture" because he considers himself immune from the virus.

Mother of pearl. Head of a health care system "considers himself immune". How did we get here?

 

[margarita25]

Mother of pearl. Head of a health care system "considers himself immune". How did we get here?

Don’t shoot the messenger, but BBC might have some insight:

Now I'm better, and maybe I'm immune - Trump
After three days in a military hospital being treated for Covid, President Trump returned to the White House with a highly choreographed and controversial entrance.

Despite still being contagious, he took off his mask, walked inside the residence and delivered a short speech to supporters.

"Now I'm better, and maybe I'm immune," he said. The statement conflicted with what his doctors said about how he will need ongoing treatment.

Published
5 October
Section
BBC News

eta @Reasonable & Just

 

[MimosaMornings]

Mother of pearl. Head of a health care system "considers himself immune". How did we get here?

Someone needs to plug him up and do a hard reset or reboot him.

 

[MimosaMornings]

Don’t shoot the messenger, but BBC might have some insight:

Now I'm better, and maybe I'm immune - Trump
After three days in a military hospital being treated for Covid, President Trump returned to the White House with a highly choreographed and controversial entrance.

Despite still being contagious, he took off his mask, walked inside the residence and delivered a short speech to supporters.

"Now I'm better, and maybe I'm immune," he said. The statement conflicted with what his doctors said about how he will need ongoing treatment.

Published
5 October
Section
BBC News

Perhaps a reboot

 

[SouthAussie]

Whoa, the Corona Task force had a presser today!

11Alive - White House coronavirus task force to hold first press briefing in months | Facebook

ETA or if you prefer Youtube

(For others, skip the first 22:30 mins because it is just the camera waiting for someone to show up and speak.)

Good to hear they are continuing on the same mission they have been on all year ... which is to "save American lives".

VP Pence:
"We slowed the spread, we flattened the curve, we saved lives."
"As we see cases rising, we know the American people know what to do."
"We have worked 7 days a week, all through this year, to make sure the American people have access to the care that we would want any member of our family to have."
"Effective therapies are already available, they are widely known among the American people."
"America has never been more prepared to combat this virus than we are today."