Hey all. Been away for a while because I broke my ankle.
The way 2020 is going, I don't think I ever want to leave my house again.
The county next to mine reported an 80 percent increase in virus cases for the past two weeks. That is super scary.
State officials monitoring COVID-19 spike Morgan County
The news keeps showing local protests and the protestors are standing right next to each other.
Pictures of the protestors -
PHOTOS: Group marches for change in downtown Huntsville
My fear and anxiety just keep on escalating.
The Twilight Zone continues.
Hi Kensie - so sorry to hear about your ankle. And even more sad to hear about your fear and anxiety. I think most of us have gone through cycles of this.
Yes, the protestors are out standing next to each other and shouting and running about. It's possible some of them will infect each other. It looks like Memorial Day activities have caused upticks in various places.
But the overall strategy each of us must take remains the same. Get yourself a comfortable mask. Even a surgical mask is better than no mask, but if I were wearing a surgical mask, I'd probably also wear a face shield and/or a neck gaiter. I am in a high risk category due to age and possessing a particular gene that is associated with greater mortality from CoVid. Still, I really don't want to get any more irrational about my fears than I already am!
Something like this:
Bucket Hat Non-Detachable Face Shield
in addition to a mask, of course. 3M N95 filters are available on Amazon and I got masks that have a pocket to insert one (plus two layers of fabric, outside layer is fairly waterproof). While the virus is itself very tiny, it needs water molecules to transport itself very far, and you need to get a pretty good dose of virus to get the disease (more than 1-2 virions).
The forum on mask-making and the research of
@JaneEyre gave me hope. It took a while for everything to arrive. I had an uncomfortable N95 mask that I constantly fiddled with and felt like I couldn't breathe. SO, my new system is in place. Then, I research where I'm going. I don't know what I'd do if my workplace were lax.
People on this forum (and on other forums, like TripAdvisor) have been so helpful to me in reducing anxiety. My main problem right now is not exploding at people wearing their masks on their necks and I'm very angry at US airlines for not enforcing mask rules - but glad to know of it.
ANYWAY, those protesting people are infecting each other - and then their families and possibly, coworkers. Are you in a vulnerable workplace? Because if so, I suggest wearing the above costume (get a crazy looking neck gaiter and practice a steely-eyed glare in the mirror). Increase social distancing to 10 feet. Ask for permission to come to work earlier or later than others. Stay out of shared hallways.
If you share more details about your situation, there are many WSers who will have specific advice and hopefully, that will help with the anxiety (I know that it does with mine - I have to keep reminding myself that I have few reasons to go outside my current, relatively safe bubble). If there are protests right before school starts and I'm going back to the classroom, I'll probably take a leave until 30 days has passed from the protest dates. But the protest situation in your area will calm down or come in cycles. 30 days is an extremely conservative, probably unnecessary time period - but we each can make that decision for ourselves. Your employer has an obligation to accommodate you reasonably (such as giving you an office with a door).