We are not yet living under bridges. I am thankful for that.
I've seen this video before, but I don't think I noticed how quiet it is compared to today. Footsteps, hoofbeats, whistles, some buses, only a handful of cars.
2 You need to watch it in Smell-O-Vision
And I hate colorized films that were originally B&W or tinted at the time.
Yeah well, they didn't want you to like them ANYWAY.
When do we actually count days from? This is only the third day of the Bay Area SIP order's effect. I guess the national emergency was issued March 13th (Friday!), which would make this day seven.
Heh, I was counting from last Saturday, but I mis-counted.
For us, the last day of schools and work was all last Friday, which makes Saturday a very clear-cut choice for day 1 at home.
Today is my day 1, I guess. First day of working from home -- but for now the plan is that I will be going in to work every other day or so.
3.2: You are a purist! It's not like it's a classic film or something. It does look a little off, but it's important to combat Calvin's father's myth that the past was all in black and white.
Today is my day 1, I guess. First day of working from home -- but for now the plan is that I will be going in to work every other day or so.
3.2: You are a purist! It's not like it's a classic film or something. It does look a little off, but it's important to combat Calvin's father's myth that the past was all in black and white.
but for now the plan is that I will be going in to work every other day or so
Is that supposed to make sure that if you do get sick, you infect both your family and co-workers?
When Dinosaur Comics strayed a little into a softer world territory.
10: I couldn't figure out the logic of it, but that's probably the plan.
How credible is this Chinese claim of no new local infections? Does anyone have a good read?
They're lying because they can and Trump is so jealous.
Fresno went Shelter in Place as of 12:01 this morning. Last night my wife laid off all of her employees, since she runs a "non-essential business" and is prohibited from being open. (We'd already canceled all events earlier in the week, but now even pickup and delivery options are... discouraged.)
It's been a rough week to be a business owner; every day the rules changed and she'd have to spend half the day figuring out new operating procedures, only to have things change the next day. At least with no employees and no open hours, she's largely out of procedure changes. Now to decide if we can safely stiff our landlord rent at the end of the month...
Iberian Fury and the Infanta finally got their (negative) test results from Monday, so that's a relief.
17: Yippee! Glad to hear.
My good news: we just got an official written approval effectively meaning nine figures more federal dollars a year, possibly indefinitely. We had been waiting a long time and suspected the feds of intentionally slow-walking it to death, but either we were wrong or they just changed their minds.
This is day 3 for me. We were neglectful parents, or at least excessively devoted to our jobs, because we put Atossa in a daycare on Monday. For whatever it's worth, Cassandane had to go into work that day and I thought I'd have to until 7 AM or so. Also, we didn't actually make the decision to cancel our Japan trip until after that, so I'm now being more liberal with my PTO.
Late last night my supervisor called me and told me that someone who works on the same floor of the building as me has tested positive. Not one of the five or so people I work the most closely with, but still, I had assumed we'd get it either from Cassandane (did I mention she works for a branch of the government that sends people to 80 or so countries?) or the neighborhood. Can't keep a four-year-old inside all the time.
We are very certain we are on Day 7, because we had light fevers a week ago.
22: how light? Jamaal had a 99 yesterday. He says he's a little tired but basically fine.
Day 1: Megan and kid fevers in the 99s.
Day 2: Megan and kid, light dry cough.
Day 3: Megan, light dry cough, crashed and slept for unusual nap
Day 4: Megan, cough eases up. Megan, unusual headache, responds to ibuprofen. Partner feels tired/achey.
Day 5: everyone feels pretty mellow and regular, Megan again crashes for nap. We got this thing licked! Time to start gloating!!!!
Day 6: Partner feels tired/achey. Then, overnight, partner starts coughing, says lungs and heart hurt. Sleeps, breathing just fine.
Day 7: Partner is still achey, says it feels like flu, puked, says lungs have fluid. Am monitoring him carefully. Megan noticing maybe the return of the dry cough? And dizziness? Wouldn't notice either in a healthier backdrop.
So now I'm bracing for the second go-round, which is apparently the more serious one. If it stayed like the first week, this thing is cake. The kid hasn't had any symptoms since the initial low fever. Now I'm figuring we are day by day until this Sunday, Day 10, when my kid isn't contagious anymore and my healthy sister could maybe take him.
I'm feeling really confident about our self-diagnosis, but have no idea how to convey it after we're done. Maybe make t-shirts?
How do you know your lungs have fluid? I sometimes slosh when I move, but I figured that was by stomach.
Maybe its official color should be coral.
Dunno. He offered that description.
Oh, also, low appetite throughout the first week. Not no appetite at all, but calmly having small meals and then realizing I didn't snack either.
Is everyone okay vis-a-vis cabin fever and kids being home? Is anyone not okay? (We are okay, but it's completely reasonable to be losing your shit at this point.)
Did everyone catch that WHO is recommending against ibuprofen use for this?
Didn't catch that. I'll go look, thanks.
the science isn't good there yet, so it's a better-safe-than-sorry
... and now I look it up again they've rolled it back
27: Puking at the beginning of the second go-round is something people in my choir have been reporting.
31: No big tantrums so far. A few little ones. I feel a little guilty how much we're letting her watch TV and how we aren't doing anything productive or enriching, just TV, drawing, or playing. Just half an hour ago I gave her four choices: the distance learning assignment we got from her school (I'd read her a short story we got from her school and she'd answer a few multiple-choice questions about it), or an arts and crafts project I found in a Disney book, or playing quietly by herself, or bugging me and therefore getting punished by not getting to go to a neighborhood gathering this evening (more on that in a minute). She opted for skirting the edge of the last two options.
Neighborhood gatherings: some people bring out stereos and hang out on their front porches and walkways. The stereo owners stay behind their fence. There are also yardsticks, and 6-foot increments are marked on the sidewalk in chalk. Adults observe social distancing fairly well all things considered. Children could be better.
Yep. We're headed for it. I still think we'll be fine over all and I'm happy to have it early on.
early on and symptomatic (but not severe) certainly sounds preferable so long as we develop an effective immune response
Yep. We're headed for it. I still think we'll be fine over all and I'm happy to have it early on.
Glad that it sounds like it didn't hit you too seriously.
Well, we'll know that in a week. But a masseur once told me that I have 'good underlying vitality' and I loved the phrase. I keep telling myself that now. I'll be fine. I have good underlying vitality.
Can you not get tested? I know they're scarce, but that seems somewhat local.
I feel a little guilty how much we're letting her watch TV and how we aren't doing anything productive or enriching, just TV, drawing, or playing.
Give yourself a break. We can't expect 20 million parents to turn into instant home school experts. Besides, playing is enriching -- at her age it's her job.
Kids can pull out the stems and seeds. They should have something useful for part of the day.
Somebody started a whatsapp group for our street, in case people need stuff. Very obvious, very basic, everybody should do this (I didn't, because it didn't occur to me till somebody else did it.)
39: she's four, right? Let her play all day and read her a story now and then. She'll be fine.
We're okay. It's raining today which didn't really help but it's clear out now so the kids are outside until they burn out the crazy.
45: Thanks.
48: Nice idea, but it's not "let her play all day" so much as "play with her all day". She's not so great at entertaining herself.
It isn't obvious how we'd get tested. The drive-throughs are going up, but you need your doctor to make an appointment, which they'll only do if you're super sick. Or you can go to the emergency room, but if you're not super sick, they'll tell you to go have the flu at home.
The tests are still rationed and only applied for the sickest. We aren't there yet. An acquaintance (that I haven't been anywhere near) just had a doctor diagnose her with "presumptive COVID 19". I could push for a presumptive diagnosis, which I suppose could be good in reassuring people afterward.
If my partner gets any sicker, I'll push harder. If he gets substantially sicker, he'll need a doctor anyway and the test protocol will barely matter.
I suspect this will be different within a week.
we just got the district email about k-12 classes resuming next week online and I'm super annoyed. "No more than three hours a day!" they say. Times four kids. Plus Jammies teaching online under moderate scrutiny, and me mostly phoning it in but that's still some time, and I feel like we're going to be highly scheduled AND trapped, and that sucks a LOT.
This past week hasn't exactly been bad, but we do have some time dilation going on...
Also three of the kids have fevers in the 99-100 range. They're all acting normally though.
49: Our kid is "play with me all day" too at four and I was supposed to start a full-time job April 1, to go with my wife's full-time job. If the job even still exists, I can't get my head around how we're going to work it. Luckily, time dilation has April 1st feeling like eons from now. One day at a time!
The only day my guy had a fever, he was a little droopy but that's all. Coughed a bit the next day. Besides those, which were entirely miss-able, he hasn't shown any signs.
You guys could be starting...
The EPA says lemon is an effective disinfectant. If you add bleach.
Oh, heebie! That sounds like a complete mess. 4 kids, each in a different class, on-line at the same - ish time (and who might need technical assistance from parents). The parents, you and Jammies, both having to be on-line to teach for a considerable amount of time while your kids are on-line. Beyond the burden on human capabilities, your local network might not be up to it either.
49: my solution was to have a second kid but probably not a just in time solution
53: Selah's doctor the other day said they weren't considering anything under 100.4 a fever, but he was generally kind of jerky and also grain of salt.
I am so exhausted all the time and pretty sure my symptoms are just allergies and being totally wiped out. School is supposed to be 9-1, but this is the first day I haven't had at least one kid I would have pulled out for a doctor's appointment if school were in session and then I have to make up that missed time for that kid and for the other two I didn't supervise. Everything is falling through the cracks. But I'm pretty calm about that for the moment at least.
Thorn, I've been told that definition of fever too by a by-the-standards (slightly jerky) physician friend. I know it was meant to reassure me, but it felt dismissive. Allergies have been with me since mid-February and since my cough during allergy season is always productive I can't have COVID-19, right? Wishing calm and good health to everyone. To borrow from a Canadian tweeter, we'll get through this together ish.
Yeah. I just heard through two sources that testing is being made available starting today and will ramp up. Like I said, I suspect that by end of next week, we could get tested with only moderate difficulty. We might be able to get tested on Monday, if my partner is still as sick as he is now.
Yeah. I just heard through two sources that testing is being made available starting today and will ramp up. Like I said, I suspect that by end of next week, we could get tested with only moderate difficulty. We might be able to get tested on Monday, if my partner is still as sick as he is now.
64: I was annoyed because I was using it to say I didn't think she had COVID symptoms, just an elevated temperature in the 99s at times and he snapped at me anyway. But this is clearly a pretty awful time to be front-line at the Medicaid clinic with everything up in the air, so I shouldn't be so bitchy about it.
Is it just me or does the governor of California look like the bad guy in an 80s movie? Again, but different movies.
I guess I just noticed it isn't Jerry Brown anymore.
Is it just me or does the governor of California president of the United States look like the bad guy in an 80s movie? Again, but different movies.
Yeah, Gavin Newsom is super finger-guns. I've been unhappy with his water policy, but impressed with his handling of the pandemic, so he's earning back cred from me.
DUUUDE! Are you guys seeing the insider trading scandal breaking now? Buncha Senators left their closed-door briefing on the pandemic and immediately sold a lot of stock. It may catch Diane Feinstein as well and I would be delighted to see the last of her.
This insider trading scandal, holy shit
I just seen Burr mentioned. It's not even with worst thing an elected official named "Burr" has done.
It's probably not even the worst thing that specific Burr has done. Still, it looks pretty criminal.
Senator Richard Burr
Senator Kelly Loefner
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Ron Johnson
Senator Jim Inhofe
Looks like the Feinstein sales are maybe not insider trading, but maybe her spouse doing regular trading? I'd be bummed about that, because I'd love to see her resign. But maybe after the heat of the moment, the Feinstein ones won't look so bad.
This whole thing would be a lot easier if I wasn't wracked by body aches. I don't have a fever or anything, but it sucks.
Are the Russians taking this opportunity to spread false rumours by WhatsApp and social media that the capital is going into lockdown, the army is on the streets, Prince Philip is dead, and taking ibuprofen will kill you? You bet they are!
Prince Philip is dead
Could one tell the difference?
I suppose at least they aren't actually shipping thousands of tonnes of oil, grain, and strategic minerals to the coronavirus, and telling local Communist parties to encourage nurses to go on strike. So, you know, they're doing better than they did in the last global crisis.
Gavin Newsom is super finger-guns.
This is the best description of Newsom ever, like, that's him captured completely and succinctly.
Is he finger-gunner or finger-gunned?
When coronovirus hands me Poland on a petri dish then we can talk.
I suppose China did the equivalent of shipping thousands of tons of grain etc to the coronavirus: it shipped thousands of Chinese people to the coronavirus so it could infect them, by covering up initial reports, going ahead with mass banquets and parties, etc.
Did the Pickup line semi-disappear for anyone else?
Still accessible by the comments link here. But not on the front page, and getting an error when trying to post a comment: "No such entry '17170'."
Sorry, yeah, I'm waiting on a reply from "Timely Submissions" and am trying to avoid the appearance of previously published material. I will probably just hear "no" and then I'll make it reappear. I don't really have energy to shop it around a bunch; I just thought it might be cool to send it to the one venue I knew about for short humor and possibly makes a small amount of money (they do pay) to go to some good cause (for my own emotional reasons, almost certainly the creators in NYC who are being harmed right now. The Met Opera just laid off all its musicians).
Ah. pretend the next two are in that thread.
Me: SARS-CoV-2
You: Outgoing and fun and a bit of a rebel. Loves being the center of attention and breaking the rules. "Let's PAR-TAYYYYY!"
Me: SARS-CoV-2
You: A country whose citizenry pride themselves on faux self-reliance, and has a broken political system headed by a narcissistic grifter enabled by a confederacy of dunces.
I think that might be construed as harassment.
63. Puzzled by the magic of 100.4, but it's an exact number in Celsius: 38.
Foreigner defines a fever as a temperature of 103.
Thorn lives south of the Ohio. The more energetic Northerners balance out the national average.
||
Did your employer give you free grapes today? If not, my employer is better than yours.
|>
||
"When someone tries to divide you, then kill them. . . . Blessed are those who kill them. . . . We must cleanse our Egypt of this trash."|>
They struck a delightful balance between sweetness and tartness.
Trump says incorrectly that chloroquine, which has severe side effects at high doses, is approved for treating Covid. Some places are now seeing a run on chloroquine supplies and an increase in overdose symptoms including blindness. Heckuva job asshole.
For a moment I thought 93 was to 92.
It was certainly a different era that it seemed like an effective pickup line to boast of a high fever. Although I always felt that it was understood that the singer of "Hot-Blooded" wound up going home alone.
I'm happy to see Republican senators caught up in the insider trading scandal, but really, what is he said to have learned that *we* all didn't know as well? I'm sure you can look at posts here from the same time period and see (a) this thing is going to make a lot of people sick, many fatally, (b) Trump is a lying sack of shit for understating it; (c) we're going to end up with disruptions in the same direction as those of the countries dealing with this. And yes, we all knew that this was true. OK, no one said 'get out of equities, go all cash right now, you morons!' -- or maybe someone did, and I missed it. I do wish I'd had the sense to put 2 and 2 together, and go all cash.
Burr is a sack of shit.
I think part of the issue is he was using his public platform to talk up the market while privately dumping and telling high value donors to do so. Morally repugnant because spreading the alarm sooner could have saved lives. Illegal? People have been prosecuted for talking stocks up or down on public forums while cashing in on the resulting moves, but I think it would be hard to prosecute shorting/dumping the whole market. The senator who both dumped travel companies and bought telecommuting might be in more jeopardy, especially if she had info like "government contracts are going to Citrix while we anticipate remote working conditions."
Oh, I had the timing wrong. They were selling before we were talking.
I posted something about the stock market and bitcoin graphs being identical, but all my savings had been in gold since the run-up to Brexit anyway. Now they're all cash, though I'll go back into gold after the next big dip - pounds really aren't a good asset to be holding long-term. I told my mother bluntly to sell all her stocks a couple of days before things started going south, but of course she didn't listen. I really wish now I'd said it less elliptically here, too, but I was worried about looking clueless.
It would have been a lot of work to get out of my Vanguard Target fund, and the fees are higher in the 403b if you do that. Fidelity is a rip off.
I cut my losses on some company stock that I had been holding and shouldn't have, since holding your own company is bad anyway. Overall they're fine and committed to continuing to pay everyone (FT, contractors, interns, support staff) for the duration so I'm in good condition despite still having everything (college and retirement) in S&P index. We have a very large emergency reserve in cash. We told our biweekly house cleaner not to come any more but are continuing to pay her as if she were.
We have literally fled the city to stay isolated, nominally a vacation since we had planned to go away in April and that was canceled. I feel a little bad spending money renting a rural farmhouse for a couple weeks but I'll pretend it's doing my part for economic stimulus. It's helping keep the kids entertained though just because it's a change of scenery. They're more willing to have a different schedule doing online schoolwork vs playing games all the time at home.
FWIW, I think this is just a breathing space and the market still has a long way to fall. But I am not a financial expert by any stretch of the imagination.
After Katrina we put together an emergency supply cabinet. I just found that it has 5 N95 masks and 10 face masks not labeled (the kind you'd use doing construction/sanding etc.). Is it worth donating to the hospital even though they're 15 years old?
New York State joins California in a stay-home order from the governor.
Both governors sort of look like tools.
109: were you storing them at the farmhouse?
No when we were packing to go there and I was getting a first aid kit and flashlight/batteries I found them. I brought them along although I don't think we need them unless one family member gets sick and we try to isolate them which will never work anyway.
N95 masks expire after about 5 years I think they will not want them. The others aren't as much use for the hospital but they might ?
Keep them for when you need to saw wood for your stockade.
SP, I was wondering how that chloroquine thing was going to turn out, thanks for saving me a search. Masks that old, the rubber is probably failing; nothing like having the strap break in the middle of work. (At least when they break when you are putting them on, you grab another.)
Pickup lines are in the other thread.
I was able to resist my urge to flee the market until January 2019, when I moved 75% of the 401k to cash or cash equivalent or whatever the hell it is. I had to wait a year to be vindicated, but I have now done the one specific thing I wanted to do financially under Trump, which was to shield my 401k from the crash. Considering how many gains I missed in the interim, I feel I'm unlikely to be prosecuted, but since the rule of law is also crashing, maybe I shouldn't mention it?
Who's that actor who was good at playing evil CEOs in the 80's? Gray or graying slicked-back hair?
That's it. Gavin Newsom looks a little like a young Michael Douglas, especially when he grins toothily.
"Would you trust this man to conceal your family watch up his ass?"
But Michael Douglas also played other characters besides evil CEOs. How about Robert Davi, or Richard Lynch, or Ray Wise?
Update:
My partner was real sick yesterday; 24 hours of achey flu, slept the night-day-night through. Said his heart and lungs hurt. He's up today, doing mostly fine. And I didn't get worse. So now I'm hoping that we've passed the worst of it and will have had mild cases after all. Six more days to go for a full 14 days.
Now I'm wondering how to show people that we already had it. T-shirts? Saying we had it, with the dates? Armband? Were there historical plague symbols for that? Symbols besides the scars from huge boils.
This says that WHO data is not reliable enough.
Glad for 126. I've also had the thought 126.last.
But - pessimistically - seeing survivors out and about might seriously sabotage morale and compliance for those still locked down.
They should have to shuffle slowly while holding their arms out in front of them.
I would say Gavin Newsom looks more like young Ronny Cox, but an image search reveals that Ronny Cox is one of those unfortunate guys who was never young.
Nope, except fleetingly upon reading that question. But basically no.
130: Excellent suggestion. They should also move slowly so as not to spook the uninfected and repeat something about Covid-19 straaaiiins constantly, so no one is confused as to their healthy status.
Senator Kelly Loefner
I was amazed to find out the Senator Loefner (R)-Georgia, who I'd never heard of, is a recently-appointed Senator who got filthy rich owning a Bitcoin exchange.
2020 is wild.
I just found out I was definitely exposed Monday before this last, which I guess means the incredibly mild sore throat and very occasional dry cough I've had is a little more likely to be it, but I feel like I read something that said if your case is too mild you might not even get immunity, so this go trip is not even going to get me the lousy t-shirt.
87: I see that #CoronaPickupLines and #CovidPickupLines are both things on Twitter, so I don't know if they are likely to pick it up. Hope you're feeling better soon, and the symptoms have nothing to do with the exposure.
135: Her husband is the chair of the New York Stock Exchange, FFS.
Stupid dog tore open a pack of toilet paper and shredded some of it.
I assume not being able to reach your own butt is frustrating.
There was a limit on toilet paper at the grocery store today, two packs per customer. Fine. But all that was left was individual rolls, and so I bought exactly two, individually wrapped rolls. Great.
That's not enough to keep a dog entertained for very long.
My coworker in the library got a pack of 9 mega rolls. She was so excited she sent me a picture
She could cut it with crepe paper and have some bags on the street by morning.
Both the dog and I can reach our own butts, thank you.
Over 600 died yesterday in Italy.
How's that working out for you?
timing is everything in comedy, 148.
We've been instructed to take our computers home today, so it sounds like we're finally going to start telecommuting. There are rumors that the mayor is going to issue a stay in place order today, which would certainly be in keeping with the general trend from the local authorities. We're up to 12 confirmed cases statewide, 4 of them in Anchorage.
timing is everything in comedy, 148.
timing is everything in comedy, 148.
Amadea might get laid off today. She'll know in a couple hours. (She has other sources of income and plenty of savings, and my job is plenty secure, so we'll be fine. Still, yikes.)
timing is everything in comedy, Kobe.
Jesus Christ; I am the Grim Quipper. (I even previewed that time ....)
Thank you for the beautiful thing, Stormcrow. All the best to you & A., teo...
158 to 147! We're playing Gallows Humor Chess or something.
We just got word from my kid's school that it will be closed until April 24. But 600 dead in a day is bad too.
Update: She is going to take the layoff. I guess there's some discretion about who they lay off, and she can weather it much better than most of her colleagues.
162: That's good of her. Will she be able to get unemployment benefits?
If it weren't for unemployment benefits, everyone who got laid off would shit on the floor on their way out.
She should be able to, but they may be limited because she has other sources of income.
My co-worker has apparently just broken up with his girlfriend, but they're still living together - that must be a weird experience.
I'm in the Netherlands now. I always check at the store here, and they always have plenty of toilet paper. What they are completely out of is the local version of Tylenol. Since aspirin and Advil will kill you if you have the coronavirus, that just leaves pain. (Not that I'm actually in pain, but I'm now paranoid.)
137: I was told the ones on Twitter weren't as funny as my eventual doc, but probably not.
She should be able to, but they may be limited because she has other sources of income.
I would think having something incoming would only enhance your eventual ability to shit on the floor.
I'm sure she's quite capable of shitting on the floor, but she's been working from home so I hope she doesn't.
126: Now I'm wondering how to show people that we already had it.
I really think you have to be tested to say in good conscience that you have had it. Betcha considerably more than half the people with those symptoms haven't had it. (I spent much of December with mild to moderate Covid-like symptoms. My wife was trying to convince me that I had had it, but I don't think you can make the timeline work -- and nobody caught it from me.)
It's kicking off in London: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/mar/20/london-hospitals-struggle-to-cope-with-coronavirus-surge
"I had to turn my operating theatre into a four-bed ICU and we are intubating two or three patients every eight hours or so," said a doctor at one London hospital. An intensive care unit consultant at another hospital said: "The place is in panic stations trying to cope safely with the numbers of patients coming out of our ears.",..
Speaking of the Northwick Park critical incident, a senior manager at another London trust said it raised serious concerns about the ability of the capital's hospitals to deal with the surge in patients. "Given we're in the low foothills of this virus, this is fucking petrifying," the official told the Health Service Journal.
Not loving this "Cuomo for VP" shit I'm seeing in my feed.
Just got back from the grocery store. Paper products cleaned out (no toilet paper, no paper towels), and a 2-per-customer limit on pasta. Otherwise, the aisles seemed very well-stocked, nothing out of the ordinary. What gave it a somewhat apocalyptic feel is that we had to wait in line outside, as they were only letting in one person at a time. And we had to stand on strips of fluorescent tape, about 6 feet apart from one another.
I'm sure it's still not enough, but we are finally starting to see substantial growth in number of people in the US tested.
Subtracting from cumulative totals to get daily counts:
March 5: 357
March 12: 2,349
March 17: 13,243
March 18: 21,538
March 19: 27,372
March 20: 34,654
Someone should mention the idea of assembly lines and replaceable parts.
We just had our first official case in town. The other case in town didn't count because the person lived in Massachusetts.
177: Some states are stopping reports of negative tests. Not sure why, but be careful about assuming test numbers over the past few days.
164- I heard of someone who actually did that. I hired someone from a round of layoffs are another company, the guy I hired said he witnessed a coworker do it on the way out.
167: "Since aspirin and Advil will kill you if you have the coronavirus"
This is not true and you should feel bad for telling people this because it means they will be needlessly in pain.
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/low-dose-aspirin/
182: Hate to see you go. Love to watch you leave.
Fuck you, dude. I have literally never heard of a special low-dose aspirin that's not an NSAID, and I am not a fucking doctor. If anyone is forming their medical opinions based on my comments on Unfogged, they deserve what they get.
I have a recurring medical condition that requires me to take large amounts of ibuprofen. The condition had just cleared up the day before the news came out of France that implicated it in worsening the coronavirus symptoms. It was pretty frightening.
I kind of get annoyed with these comparisons with Italy where we're two weeks behind them on the number of confirmed cases. For one, our hospital capacity is very different, so just because Italy's hospitals got overwhelmed with X cases doesn't mean they will in the US. And if they actually want to make a point about doubling time, then you should compare points in time relative to the size of the entire country. Like, 100 cases in Italy is on par with 500 cases in the US. So use those as your starting numbers.
I dislike it because I worry that if it's easy to poke holes in something that's meant to communicate gravitas, then it sabotages its message.
There's now some controversy about whether ibuprofen is really bad or not.
For Covid-19, that is. Or not controversy, just disagreement.
185, no, fuck you for spreading bullshit rumours and needlessly terrifying people because you can't be bothered to google. Ibuprofen won't kill you if you have COVID. Aspirin won't kill you if you have COVID.
"There is currently no strong evidence that non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or high-dose aspirin can make coronavirus (COVID-19) worse.
But until we have more information, take paracetamol to treat the symptoms of coronavirus, unless your doctor has told you paracetamol is not suitable for you.
Low-dose aspirin does not act as an NSAID. You can continue to take this medicine as usual, whether you have symptoms of coronavirus or not."
That's the NHS. Today.
"Currently, no antiviral medication is recommended to treat COVID-19. Treatment is directed at relieving symptoms and may include:
Pain relievers (ibuprofen or acetaminophen)
Cough syrup or medication
Rest
Fluid intake"
That's the Mayo Clinic. Yesterday.
I kind of get annoyed with these comparisons with Italy where we're two weeks behind them on the number of confirmed cases. For one, our hospital capacity is very different, so just because Italy's hospitals got overwhelmed with X cases doesn't mean they will in the US. And if they actually want to make a point about doubling time, then you should compare points in time relative to the size of the entire country. Like, 100 cases in Italy is on par with 500 cases in the US. So use those as your starting numbers.
This has been driving me crazy too. Absolute numbers aren't meaningful here! The countries are vastly different sizes, in addition to whatever other differences there are in demographics and hospital capacity.
Surely 184 should be "Hate to see you leave. Love to watch you go."
I really think you have to be tested to say in good conscience that you have had it. Betcha considerably more than half the people with those symptoms haven't had it
Lalalalalala. I can't hear you.
186: You mean, because we have less per capita hospital capacity than Italy? True, their population is older. But where I live, in MA, our population is older too. We have been pushing so hard for so long to do things on an outpatient basis that we have seriously cut the number of beds.
194: MA is old by US standards but not compared to Italy. Median age in Italy is 45.5 years. Median age in Massachusetts is 39.4. Demographically, that's huge.
11 - it took me years to realize that Dinosaur Comics just uses the same art over and over again.
185.last: I was briefly worried but have since been reassured and I'm back to taking my 6 at a time several times a day. Though I guess that means I should stock up on more.
I am in Ottawa, Canada; and my son is in northeastern NJ; and I am NOT okay.
After arguing with said son for 2-3 weeks, I finally got him to agree to come up to Canada to ride out this storm (okay, I actually offered him a cash bribe, which is a bit ridiculous, but you do what you've got to do as a parent...). Next day, yesterday, the US State Dept warned Americans to come home or risk being denied entry to the country. My son balked, and is now refusing to come up to Canada (entry to which he is entitled as his birthright, since he has dual US-Canadian citizenship), since he doesn't want to be "locked out" of the US. Which is totally understandable, of course, except that he doesn't understand the difference between the two countries in terms of their preparations for a global pandemic (Canada has been testing for COVID-19 at about 10x the rate of the US, and is clearly taking the threat of the virus more seriously...).
I am seriously freaking out, and I am basically not okay.
Also, fuck you, Megan. You don't get to determine your immunity any more than antivaxxers do.
JPJ, I am so sorry. That sounds so stressful.
Sure, we could try sympathy, but lately the style is to tell people to fuck themselves.
but lately the style is to tell people to fuck themselves.
And to wear onions on our belts. People are saying it has tremendous potential. We'll see what happens.
I supposed I'd find this virus more stressful if I wasn't working such long hours. The biggest change is that I have a shitty desk chair at home.
Fuck you, Moby. It's barely lunchtime.
Fuck each and every one of you, and to all a fucking good night.
Here's the health minister of France, 2 days ago saying to avoid NSAIDs.
A hearty good morning "fuck you" to everyone but JPJ.
As a pendant to Moby's Law that the only thing worse than an independent parent is a dependent one, we can add that the only thing worse than a dependent child is an independent one.
So I discovered one of my 16yo students is studying nursing (and staying in a dormitory, attached to a hospital, and dissecting cadavers, while yes still being in HS, which apparently is all possible) and so presumably will be pressed into actual duties pretty soon.
Lots of people are still in high school.
215: I'm assuming on a train after taking your last whiskey.
I'm sure more boys would stay longer in school if offered the chance to dissect cadavers.
Cheering: this Mount Sinai researcher just published what may become a test for COVID immunity, which would be great for health workers and many others. (We could swap immune unemployed people into essential work!)
i've either got a hellaciously poorly timed bad head cold complete with fever or the current plague, but rather than hoping it's the plague à la megan i'm terrified bc have asthma, a history of bad autoimmune disorders, & my better half is older than me by a fair margin & has ckd. if i give this to him and he dies i am not exaggerating- i will never forgive myself. he is the love of my life. i still don't qualify for test, but my dr. clearly jumpy about our situation. so tbh i've been applying large doses of "that's her way of handling stress, we're all stressed" to your posts megan. they aren't easy for everyone to read.
DQ! take zinc lozenges now. We all want you both safe and healthy.
Take care. That's a lot to deal with.
So, according to Nextdoor, somebody down the street tried to do the "go outside and sing with the neighbors" thing and somebody else called the police because either the caller sucked, the singing sucked, or it's a bad idea to make too much noise at 10pm.
Oh, DQ, rest up and take good care of yourself and your better half. Thinking of you.
Oh DQ, do rest up and do remember that in this climate every symptom which a year ago would have been a cold or man flu at worst is now a marker of something much worse. But the tedious old-fashioned coronavirii which cause colds are still around and still very prevalent. The odds are very good that this is what you have.
Let me know if you need anything, DQ.
RASHIDA TLAIB PUT TWO TRILLION DOLLAR COINS IN HER RESPONSE PROPOSAL!
Rest up and be well, dq! Thinking of you.
Lalalalalala. I can't hear you.
I understand completely. I was very receptive to my wife's notion that my December cold was Covid-19.
I wish you strength, dq, and let me know if I should come pick up your laundry or anything.
I keep on thinking about the Doctor's Hospital closure -- four years ago already, really? I wonder if there's any fucking chance they can reopen it with disaster funds; afaik it hasn't been demolished.
thank you everyone. bright side: kid playing sooooo much music 😍.
re: 173
Two of the guys on my "Year 2 Dads" Whatsapp group work in planning/resourcing for the NHS. One of them sent a very emotional plea last night, as he walked past our local "micropub" which was heaving with people for the last night before pubs are forced to close.
He has spent the week trying to arrange critical care for cancer patients, and to get enough respirators and ICU beds setup for covid patients. According to him, they have managed a 500% increase in ventilators and ICU beds in the past week or so. And they are just about to fill the last few of them ...* At which point, they have to start deciding who lives and who dies. He was very clear that we are really not aware of how bad things already are.
* Northwick Park is part of my local NHS Trust, but he works at a different hospital elsewhere in London, although another friend does work there.
@186: The size of the population doesn't matter until the number of infected becomes a significant percentage of the population. It starts with one victim, goes to 2 goes to 4, etc. It progresses the same regardless of the total population. As the number of victims gets large, there are fewer available uninfected people so at some point the growth rate slows noticeably. Obviously this happens sooner and at a smaller number in the smaller population. Initially, when the number infected
Part of my comment disappeared.
Initially, when the number infected
Obviously the comment system doesn't like less than signs. Anyway as long as the number of infected people is a small percentage of the population it's appropriate to compare total numbers of infections between Italy and the US.
You are using less than sign. The software reads an angle bracket
I'm torn as to whether to try and bring my boys back from Japan. There, the government has been making noises about allowing schools to reopen in April. Hitsuji had an email from his school a couple of days ago saying they're intending to start on the 8th. But there's growing clusters of cases in neighboring prefectures, and I have the feeling that the numbers will probably start going exponential just about then. If his school doesn't reopen, both boys could just stay with their grandparents, who have them on strict lockdown so they're going stir-crazy. Tatsu is due to come back to the UK in May, and start university in the UK in September.
Emotionally I really want them to come home, and at the moment there are still no travel restrictions from Japan. I think they would prefer to be here, too, and I feel bad about their grandparents having to be responsible for them in such testing times. But the grandparents swear blind that they want them there (they won't take any money from me to help with their board despite much pressing). And the Japanese medical system is so much better than it is here, that Hitsuji would definitely get better care there if he came down with the virus (he has asthma). If things do get really bad, social cohesion is also less likely to break down in Japan.
I can't make a decision until we know about the school, which could be a couple of weeks; my guess is that like the Olympics, the school will keep saying that it's definitely going to go ahead until some external force makes it cancel at the last minute. But I need to decide in my mind what to do if it does close.
For everyone's reference, you can get less than (<) signs to render in HTML by typing "& lt;" (remove quotation marks and spaces), and greater than (>) by typing "& gt;". Try it now! FUN QUARANTINE ACTIVITY
Ume, that sounds tough and I have no real advice. I suppose the best approach is to compare worst-case scenarios either way, then estimate probability of those scenarios, and then go with your gut... but it sounds like a lousy situation, I'm sorry.
Yeah, that is a hard decision. I'd also take into account the potential risk from the flight itself - and potential crushes at airports.
I can't remember which thread opened with a discussion of how after 9/11 Americans felt it their patriotic duty to run up their credit card debt. But this, from the NYT, seems relevant:
"We're staying open until someone forces us to shut down," Beau McKee, the general manager at Not Watson's Kitchen and Bar in Knoxville, said in a telephone interview, as dishes clattered in the background. "I feel like those people that are vulnerable know who they are and they should be careful, and we should continue testing. But small businesses are getting crushed."
Mr. McKee said he has grown increasingly worried about how the virus could affect his own father, in his 70s, but that there were other worries too. "At least we can offer a handful of people good-paying jobs and when we get out of this and we're on the other side, we'll hopefully have gained more clientele by doing so because we kind of stuck it out and didn't wave the white flag," he said.
And now I am going to watch a John Wayne movie, and then read Gibbon on the plague of Justinian, with all that misery marshalled into perfect sentences.
Ume, that sounds so hard. I'm so sorry.
Thanks, everyone. It would help if my ex would respond to my email asking what he thinks. Though I guess I have to cut him a bit of slack at the moment.
One of the most frivolously fun movies around, that's now on Prime, is The Court Jester.
Have a heart, man, dq hate-blogged it years ago. (How on earth do I remember this? However, I think the 8yo would enjoy it.)
The sidebar has gone into isolation.
ume - does your ex being a doctor weigh in the balance? re access to care? what heart wrenching decision. thinking of you both, you & nw.
Ume, that is a really tough one. I feel you.
DQ, please take care of yourself.
we can add that the only thing worse than a dependent child is an independent one.
Oh God, yeah.
Ume, that is a really tough one. I feel you.
DQ, please take care of yourself.
we can add that the only thing worse than a dependent child is an independent one.
Oh God, yeah.
Why does the sidebar of who commented recently disappear at times?
Why does the sidebar of who commented recently disappear at times?
Why does the sidebar of who commented recently disappear at times?
Best and warmest wishes to you dq and Ume.
My sister, a cop (a police detective, actually), texted me both yesterday and today, warning me to a have a 2-weeks supply of food and necessities on hand. I believe we're about to go on lockdown in a serious way (with the provincial and/or fed govts invoking emergency powers to enforce an official quarantine....).
Good luck Ume. My 2 cents - basically, they're probably safer in Japan. How might Tatsu's university place be affected? Might he benefit from an enforced gap year/semester in Japan?
230: It looks like the state has already reopened two hospitals that were closed, and is paying to expand another that was on its last legs, so not impossible they could do the same with Doctor's Hospital. Probably would only be temporary though.
I also got a similar text message two days ago from my cop sibling. Do I get right that you're talking about Canada? It seems implausible that this would be coordinated between the US and Canada. I think it's a weird cop game of telephone. We're already on "shelter in place" here and it doesn't mean you can't go grocery shopping. Although "unless you're relatives with a cop you won't get to eat for a week" would be on brand for Republicans, it's pretty hard to imagine that actually happening. We're on pretty full lockdown here in the bay area, and it doesn't mean you can't go grocery shopping. You can't just close grocery stores without warning people who aren't relatives of cops.
Yes: Ontario, Canada. You CAN just close grocery stores without warning people who aren't relatives of cops, and I believe this is about to happen.
And the US and Canada are doing this at the same time because why? None of it makes any sense.
A message (thinly-veiled threat) from Canada's Health Minister. This thing is happening.
US and Canada NOT in sync in any meaningful way. I am talking about Canada.
What did "Stafford act" get edited to in the Canadian version?
My cop brother is in the US and is sending the same thing at the same time.
I only wish the Americans were heeding the advice of the Canadian authorities...
They're just not going to surprise close grocery stores. That's insane. How would doctors eat? We may see what we already have in CA gone wider, and we may see stronger enforcement. But the idea that suddenly groceries will close and people will starve while two weeks of food rots on the shelf is completely crazy, no matter how many cops forward it.
They're going to give a warning: 12 hours, or perhaps 24 hours, from now, this act goes into effect. They don't want people to starve; they just want to slow down the rapid spread of this evil virus.
Then everyone crowds into the store at the same time? It all runs out because they don't keep two weeks of stuff for everyone on hand in the grocery? If you're a doctor on shift during that window you starve? It doesn't make any sense. Everywhere grocery stores have stayed open, except in parts of China and there they had a centralized system to deliver groceries directly to apartment buildings.
Canada's Health Minister has basically said, 'If you cannot do this [social distancing] voluntarily, we will make you do it.'
It doesn't make any sense.
None of this makes any sense, I agree. But they are trying to prevent a public health emergency, where they don't have enough ventilators for the people who cannot breathe.
Yes they might start enforcing closing of non-essential businesses more thoroughly, or put restrictions on leaving the house outside of certain reasons. That doesn't mean you need two weeks of groceries on hand. Grocery shopping is essential and will stay open. At worst you see some kind of rationing and/or metering.
I'm thinking identical chain messages appearing simultaneously in the US and Canada are more likely to originate from internet rumors than from coordinated national policies.
For the past few weeks, they've been telling us (in Ontario) that we should have a 2-week supply of food and prescription drugs at hand. I sort of doubt that they've just been playing around; and I believe they're about to get serious about enforcing quarantine.
I may be wrong, though. Because, honestly, I have no idea what's going, what's coming next.
There is definitely some right-wing USian noise about how the government is coming to take away your guns. Lots of crazy stuff on the internets. But that doesn't mean the Canadian authorities aren't preparing to invoke emergency powers in order to slow down the spread of this disease. Mark my words.
267 doesn't sound like groceries will be unavailable for two weeks. It sounds more like people will not be allowed out without justification, so bring a grocery list or other proof with you. Two weeks of food would save you a lot of hassle, but if it saves you from starvation the virus isn't your society's biggest problem at that point.
They're going to give a warning: 12 hours, or perhaps 24 hours, from now, this act goes into effect. They don't want people to starve; they just want to slow down the rapid spread of this evil virus
Lol, let's cause a super spreader event in order to slow down the rapid spread of the evil virus.
Had to run out for some unavoidable business but picked myself up a digital thermometer.
Anyone notice that the Johns Hopkins COVID tracker page still lists over 700 cases on "cruise ship" I thought everyone on any cruise ship anywhere had already been debarked.
JPJ, thanks, and sympathy for your situation too. It's really really tough.
does your ex being a doctor weigh in the balance? re access to care?
I suppose it should. In practice, though, I expect he'll be so busy (not to mention potentially infected/infectious) that I doubt he'll be available for family whatever happens. [Minus the infectious bit, this would be consistent with his career pre-virus.]
My 2 cents - basically, they're probably safer in Japan. How might Tatsu's university place be affected?
Fuck knows what's going to happen with university this autumn. The UK has cancelled summer exams (GCSEs and A levels), and instead students are going to be graded by teachers on the basis of their work so far. Universities have already offered places for September based on predicted grades, but of course they offer many more than they can actually fill. So even if it's feasible for classes to reopen by then, how are they are going to decide which of the offers to honor? My guess is that they'll stay online, but who knows at this point.
I think that shutting down grocery stores would be insane, for all the reasons mentioned above. Jane, you have every reason to be distressed, but this is panicky thinking. Getting people off the streets and out of bars is urgent. Collapsing the food distribution system is not, and won't help anyone.
Anyone notice that the Johns Hopkins COVID tracker page still lists over 700 cases on "cruise ship" I thought everyone on any cruise ship anywhere had already been debarked
I think that's just to differentiate them from the rest of the Japanese figures.
We had exactly this in the UK on Friday. Prince Philip was dead and the Army was being deployed to enforce a complete lockdown. None of it was true. It's just people spreading rumours. (Quite a few of them in Russia, of course; FT had a good report.)
286: yeah, or indeed from their home country figures. The Diamond Princess was kind of a special case so doesn't make sense to roll it into other categories.
286, 288 Ah, that makes sense, thanks.
My own personal update: after nearly two weeks at my parents' - I'm now semi-stranded here, working remotely - they have not gotten sick with additional respiratory problems, so it seems likely that my own feeling mildly sick a few days after arriving was the result of getting whatever cold or flu they had, which is what brought me to visit.
I still feel some occasional tightness in my chest, but I have no trouble breathing, no actual cough, and no fever, so I'm guessing it's more likely anxiety. I'm worried about the future, especially for my dad*, but I feel some relief that it doesn't look like I unwittingly took a new virus with me by rushing to see them.
* Although given a diagnosis he had last fall, he's in remarkably good shape now. But he has a treatment regime that requires regular hospital visits, which is part of why I haven't gone home yet.
This has probably been linked to here before, by apostropher if no one else, but it turns out that there is a Flemish song about "Cry cry, masturbate, cry" and I thought the blog might need a little cheering.
That's what we call "going Dutch"
Unfortunate that OneDrive links automatically open in a Microsoft app linked to my work account.
How am I just finding out now that the VP of Taiwan is Johns Hopkins trained epidemiologist? Surely it was mentioned here.
Mark my words.
Delong uses an accounting phrase that I like a lot: He refers to "marking your beliefs to market." It refers to the accounting practice of valuing securities according to their current value, rather than their original cost. Delong advises you adjust your opinions to accommodate new facts (which seems obvious, but we all know how tough that is, and how many excuses we can come up with for not doing so).
My prediction is that JPJ is going to need to modify her beliefs in two respects: She'll need to treat her sibling's assertions with a bit more skepticism, and she'll gain a little faith in Canada's government as a rational and benign actor.
But if they close the grocery stores, mark my words, I'll mark my beliefs to market.
Certainly a rumor, JPJ. The Canadian government may be indeed planning to invoke emergency powers, and the CDC has been telling people to have extra food/meds on hand for weeks, but there's no reason to take seriously the idea that they're going to close grocery stores in a way that mimics American right wing rumor mills.
(Also earthquakes cannot be predicted. In case that's important to your locality.)
SP, please accept my apologies. Blame it on hackers.
279 Isn't the stated rationale -- you should have 2 weeks of essentials in case you (or a family member) test positive and you, individually, get actually locked down -- sufficient?
Microsoft's new motto: it's a feature, not a hack.
Sympathies for everyone who is dealing with immediate concerns for your nearest and(/or) dearest; that sounds wrenching.
I feel fortunate that my parents are fairly well situated to be able to completely isolate themselves (they enjoy each other's company, have activities that they enjoy and space to get outside and still be isolated); I'm not sure how long that will be a practical solution, but for now it's an easy enough way to deal with the uncertainty.
My dad is a germophobe and a hoarder. I'm sure he's gloating.
300 I'll keep that in mind as I wrestle with Workstation that my workplace is making us use now that we're working remotely. I mean wtf was wrong with email, Whatsapp, and add Zoom if you must.
So, my sister isn't a cop but she is a prosecutor. She said everybody is about to get shut down also. She won't confirm her source is the cops, but it seems a safe assumption. Anyway, out of an abundance of caution, I'm spreading unfounded rumors. Prince Philip died in the 2019 car accident and his role has been played by an MI-7 agent (they started it again just for this) because Philip is the only one that can stop the queen from eating human flesh on camera.
Our last food trip was a week ago, so I went again and got maybe 50% more than I would normally get. The store was fine, but trip was awful because somebody went out of their way to let me personally know that if I was over 60, which they weren't sure about but just in case, I could go to the store before it opens for regular people who are only 48 years old and seem pretty active even for 48.
Both parts of 304 are 100-proof oak-aged Moby. Applause.
Thanks, but 304.2 is literal fact.
304.1 needs to be expanded into some AO3 fanfic.
Moby, you don't look at all over 60 and they were just wrong. (Maybe people suck at categorization in Pgh. I'd get misgendered every couple years, and misgentiled pretty often. Admittedly mostly only around Sukkot.)
Anyway, I know it's mostly just increased testing--the disease isn't going to spread super-exponentially--but the US having a case increase today almost thrice Italy's (and Italy only updates once a day and the US continually, so read that as so far) is irrationally concerning. It's just: wow, cases increased at a 58% rate today. Eep. (I know this is irrational, don't mind me.)
I still think I need a haircut. My temples are really gray.
Anyway, not that it matters directly to you now, the stores are pretty well stocked and not crowded here. Even toilet paper was there, but not a name brand.
Anyway, not that it matters directly to you now, the stores are pretty well stocked and not crowded here. Even toilet paper was there, but not a name brand.
I went to TJ's and bought only one bottle of their grapefruit pomelo handsuit even though I wanted to buy 3, because I didn't want to hoard. They were limiting the number of people in the store, and had tape to show 6 feet distances, but it was kind of scary. Some people were wearing masks, some were being appropriately distant and others seemed clueless. Next time I will buy 3 - not because I worry about stores running out, but because I want to limit my trips there.
So, next time Tim will go to the bigger store.
She'll need to treat her sibling's assertions with a bit more skepticism, and she'll gain a little faith in Canada's government as a rational and benign actor.
I have a reasonable amount of faith in the Canadian govt as a rational actor. And yes, as NW points out in 285, collapsing the food distribution system would be utter madness. So I'm wrong about the grocery stores, and of course pharmacies must remain open, as well. Though possibly (probably?) with restricted hours for both.
But I do think they're going to invoke emergency powers, and I support the use of more stringent measures. We have thousands of people coming back from Florida and other holiday destinations; and while many (perhaps most) will voluntarily comply with the request to self-isolate for 14 days, too many will not (because they're clueless, or stupidly defiant, or whatever). The "request" to self-isolate should be a demand, with fines for non-compliance.
I didn't mean to mimic, as per Cala's 297, US right-wing rumor mills, and I apologize for posting anything that contributes to panic-mongering.
grapefruit pomelo handsuit
Is "Gloves" depreciated now?
Duh. I hate it when I make a stupid typo while making fun of a stupid typo.
My understanding is that the usual practical reason to invoke emergency powers has little to do with controlling individuals and a lot to do with controlling the multitudinous levels of government without having to have every city council etc. have a meeting about what to do next.
Also: I am aware that self-isolation is just not realistic for too many of our citizens. Reading the advice/guidelines (work from home; stay in a separate room; use a separate bathroom), it's pretty clear that the ideal self-isolator is a white-collar worker/professional in a single-family home with more than one bathroom. Many people could not even begin to meet those criteria (they live rough on the streets; they live in a rooming house; they live in a shared apt with only one bathroom...).
But anyone who can meet those criteria should do so (and people who can afford to take a holiday in the Caribbean are more likely than not to meet those criteria...).
Thanks for a great Blog, has helped me in many ways.