Coronavirus - Health and preparedness aspects - II

[gwraigty]

Then went to a nearby Walmart. I don't know if it was the style of interaction at that particular store (rarely visit this particular Walmart because it's not as nice as your average Walmart), but some people seemed to really eager to get past me; two people did it. They repeated quickly "excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, excuse me.." then zipped past me.

At my Walmart this past Friday around 10 AM, it definitely was more crowded than usual. I felt a difference in the air, hard to describe, but only one person was downright hostile. She was going around the store with her shopping cart at a frantic pace and acted visibly annoyed at everyone she had to go around, including me. Yet her cart was mostly empty, every time I saw her, so she didn't appear to be stocking up. Neither did most other people. The stock of canned ready-to-eat beans and bags of rice were noticeably low. They had plenty of canned fruits, vegetables, and soups.

 

[gwraigty]

Why are people stocking up on bottles water for a virus threat. I don't understand this.

Read my post above. Some of us have health issues with our tap water.

 

[FIREd]

We now have 8 confirmed cases being treated at the main hospital in town and a significant cluster of 14 confirmed cases 30 miles away. So far I don't see any panic and I have seen only a handful of people wear masks.

People have been told to stop kissing or shaking hands when greeting one another. Most people seem to be following this recommendation. I have increased my personal space around people. I wash my hands frequently, particularly when I come home (or I use some hand sanitizer if water is not available). And I avoid confined spaces where crowds gather (stores, elevators, public transportation, etc...) when alternatives are available.

Otherwise, life goes on.

 

[ivinsfan]

Read my post above. Some of us have health issues with our tap water.

Well fair enough but it seems to be a common theme ..if you don't like your tap water ICOE where you don't want to leave your home , I recommend getting a good filtered water pitcher.

To me it seems like people are grabbing TP and bottled water without thinking things through.

 

[gwraigty]

Well fair enough but it seems to be a common theme ..if you don't like your tap water ICOE where you don't want to leave your home , I recommend getting a good filtered water pitcher.

I used to feel the same. I've used filters that go on the faucet and a filtered water pitcher. Each method had it's pros and cons, which I don't care to get into. For us, the cons to each one outweighed the pros and we prefer the method we're using now. YMMV.

 

[Fermion]

I guess I can see a couple of reasons to have some cases of bottled water.

1) If you need to move from your home for some reason, tossing a case of water you already have in the car might be better than trying to find one at the store during a crisis.

2) I guess there is a chance the workers at the electrical/water treatment plants could strike or get sick or what have you in the most dire of situations. I do not know how automated the infrastructure is but it seemed easier to buy a $3 case of water that I know I will eventually use than to try and figure out weaknesses in our infrastructure system.

 

[Boose]

We took a Vegas road trip this weekend, staying mid-Strip, and it seems just as busy as usual. I've only seen 3 people with masks, maybe immunocompromised. I brought more prescription meds than usual on this trip in the unlikely event we are quarantined in the hotel, but we haven't done anything else differently. Perhaps we are all fiddling while Rome burns!

At home I made sure we had at least 2 weeks' worth of sugar & salt for oral rehydration solution, bleach, rubbing alcohol, canned foods, meds, and kibble (for the cat). Working with kids at a public library, and living in a dense city neighborhood, I won't be able to avoid the virus if it lands in my area, but I want my spouse and I to responsibly self-quarantine if we get sick. My biggest concern is a disrupted supply chain for one of my meds, which causes horrible vertiginous SEs if discontinued quickly.

 

[Boose]

Also, a fun discovery at work: our earthquake kit is packed with N95 masks, at least 2 per employee. If we're told to go home due to social distancing recommendations, you bet I'm going to hand those around.

 

[socca]

I regularly go to the gym in part to celebrate living inside a healthy body. It would be a tad ironic if I caught COVID-19 there.

Given my current lifestyle, the gym and the grocery seem like the most likely avenues by which I could become infected. I'm currently not taking any special precautions, but am keeping an eye on the situation.

 

[TromboneAl]

In my area the public health authorities recommended that the citizens avoid crowded events and places. So, everybody went to the local Costco.

They had 50-80 foot lines outside the entrance waiting to get into the store - 12 people go out, and 12 people get to go in. Cash register lines were nearly to the back of the store for a while. Parking was unbelievably bad even for a Saturday at Costco.

This is remarkable and probably a preview of things to come. It may also be a self-perpetuating thing, as others see their neighbors stocking up and get FOMO.

 

[Dtail]

Even started wondering when playing Pickleball, all the folks touching the ball.
No cases yet in FLA, so good for now.

 

[powerplay]

Went to Trader Joe's this morning about 8:15am and the shelves looked like some locust had been through. There was still plenty of food to buy and even tp and paper towels on the shelf. It was much busier than usual for the early time. Saw a few cars in the parking lot filled with tp, paper towels, and bottled water. That was enough of an adventure so I decided against a Costco trip since there have been stories on social media of crowds and bare shelves.
I should be good with food now and even have a few masks around should I need or want them. Bought a box of N95 masks a couple of years ago to use when I did something that kicked up a lot of dust so probably have 6 or 7 left. When I started chemo I was given a box of procedure masks at the infusion center and encouraged to wear them while out and in crowds so have a few of those also. I even have lots of alcohol wipes that I needed during chemo to give myself injections at home after each treatment.
We had our first corona virus victim announced Friday in Oregon so I know many of the locals are wondering how many others may have it. Hoping that this all becomes a minor issue over the next few weeks/months.

 

[W2R]

In my area the public health authorities recommended that the citizens avoid crowded events and places. So, everybody went to the local Costco.

They had 50-80 foot lines outside the entrance waiting to get into the store - 12 people go out, and 12 people get to go in. Cash register lines were nearly to the back of the store for a while. Parking was unbelievably bad even for a Saturday at Costco.

So much for avoiding crowds.

Wow!!!! I can't even imagine!

It's as though we live in two different worlds, not just two parts of the same country. That would scare me so much.

Here, the situation is different (so far). Our restaurant was really crowded the past 2-3 days, and today we counted 13 sailboats out on the lake (where we usually see 2-3 at most when we go there to birdwatch every day). On the other hand, there seemed to be slightly fewer people than usual working out at our gym. I haven't been to grocery stores or Costco, but there's nothing on the news about big lines at stores here. But then, we haven't had any confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Louisiana according to the Louisiana Department of Health website, so maybe these crowds will appear once we do.

I'm just glad that Mardi Gras is over here, with its usual big crowds of people coming from all over the world. I am also extra glad that we are retired, because we can stay home a lot where we are away from crowds, sick people, and so on.

 

[misshathaway]

I regularly go to the gym in part to celebrate living inside a healthy body. It would be a tad ironic if I caught COVID-19 there.

I used to think that all the time when speeding to get to 5am swim.

My gym, LA Fitness, seems to be taking threats from every direction seriously. Last week they put up maps in the locker rooms of the exit route and procedure for an active shooter. This past week they are cleaning at a rate of at least twice what they used to do.

AFAIK we haven't had any cases yet close to here, but the gym population seems like it is a little sparser. I am hoping that pool chlorine offers some protection.

 

[NW-Bound]

Recipe for home made hydration solution:

1 quart water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar

I will just knock down my usual French onion soup, which has plenty of sodium. Then, follow with an ice cream some time later. That's my sugar. Or some candy.

I just had 1-1/2 quart of onion soup for brunch. What I have done is to prebrown a few pounds of onion, and refrigerate that. I can scoop out a portion to make my daily pot of soup. Most of the times, I am too lazy to go through the trouble of making my own beef broth, so just use a couple of tablespoons of this beef base. A pinch of thyme, a few grinds of black pepper, and I have my poor man's soup.

 

[Corporateburnout]

Even started wondering when playing Pickleball, all the folks touching the ball.
No cases yet in FLA, so good for now.

I thought of the same at my tennis club. We only had one case in my state but none in the neighbor state where I play. As a precaution, I wash my hands before and immediately after play.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

I agree, and yet I bought some bottled water yesterday.

Although the risk of being without water is low, the consequences of not having any when needed are pretty dire. That is, it's something that would drive you out of your cocoon. Or maybe it's just a knee jerk thing.

For earthquake preparedness, we have containers of water (along with a bottle of bleach with instructions Sharpied onto the bottle) molding away in our shed. I should probably dump/refill them.

Liquid bleach loses its effectiveness after about six months (in the container). About 20% per year supposedly.

Once diluted in water, it loses effectiveness quickly. For example, if you mix it 1:9 (1 part bleach, 9 parts water) for cleaning. If you are going to let it sit a few days, you should start with a higher concentration (e.g. 1:4 or 1:5).

 

[FIREd]

Those grocery store drive-thrus are becoming handy to avoid crowded stores.

 

[gromit]

The Clorox website FAQ offered the following in response to a bleach shelf life question.

"..here’s a little background on the shelf-life of Clorox® Regular Bleach2:
The active ingredient in bleach, sodium hypochlorite, naturally breaks down into salt and water. The rate of breakdown increases rapidly when bleach is stored in extreme hot or freezing temperatures, or when a bottle is more than one year old. Generally, bleach stored at room temperature (~70°F) has a shelf life of one year, but after that point it should be replaced."


So a real old bottle of bleach is basically brand name sea water.

 

[TromboneAl]

Liquid bleach loses its effectiveness after about six months (in the container). About 20% per year supposedly.

Thanks for saving me from a GI disaster! Gromit too. Will buy more.

Here's a question: can I use bleach to decontaminate the water then wait a day for the chlorine taste to go away?

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

Thanks for saving me from a GI disaster! Gromit too. Will buy more.

Here's a question: can I use bleach to decontaminate the water then wait a day for the chlorine taste to go away?

Personally, too much hassle. I use this for hiking: https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-SP128-Filtration-System/dp/B00FA2RLX2/ref=asc_df_B00FA2RLX2/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167131408724&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=178093350296815446&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004604&hvtargid=pla-308859112483&psc=1

Super light, works great.

You could have these for backup (e.g. some kind of issue with the filter): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009I3T3S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I keep both of these in my back pack.

 

[SeattleRocks]

Update in Seattle

We had the first death here. And now a nursing home got hit and two more people are confirmed with it and sadly, they are reporting that another 50 people are showing symptoms but haven't had their tests come back yet to confirm. But it doesn't look good.

If incubation times are the 2-3 weeks that they have been saying, that nursing home just outside of Seattle could be a pretty bad thing.

On the prep front. I read through the majority of these posts, so sorry if I am redundant on anything. But just got back from Costco, there was ALOT of people stocking up. Got to hand it to Costco, they are doing a great job. Went to the local grocery store too and they had a lot of empty shelves, hand sanitizer, canned good, TP and over the counter meds are pretty much gone.

One thing I haven't seen posted here is to also remember to stock up for the animals you may have just in case you may have to hunker down. We picked up a bunch of dog food (canned and dry) for our dog just in case.

For us, we planned on 60 days worth of food. We got a lot of powdered milk and also egg beaters because I found out you can freeze them! A lot of canned veggies, fruit and tuna/salmon. A ton of TP, wipes, paper towels etc pretty much what everybody else has been buying.

We have some water, but I am not sure water will be affected if we have to quarantine ourselves. Am I thinking about this incorrectly and need to get more water? There is a large river literally 2 blocks from us that I could always draw from if I had to. Already have the water purification stuff.

I am also considering getting a mac-daddy medical kit (that includes IVs) from Amazon just in case the hospitals get overrun. There are a lot of good options. Better safe then sorry.

Lastly, for the first time, I am considering getting a gun. Not trying to wade into political debates here, never been a gun person, but have been thinking about it. Would be good to have a couple of pistols and a shotgun along with a combat knife with enough ammo just in case. Really been debating this. But if things go crazy, I don't want to be on the wrong side of this thing.

We are going to go live our lives and get out, but just do all the precautions, but if this thing even starts to look like it is going to get bad, I am hunkering down and taking the next 30 days at home and ride it out.

Prayers and good luck to everybody. Like Bill Gates just recently said, this could be the pandemic we have all been waiting on...

 

[audreyh1]

I find it very upsetting that the CDC has been extremely narrow in their profile of people who are likely sick with coronavirus. Until a couple of days ago they were ignoring travelers from Japan and northern Italy. And even deciding someone with all the classic symptoms and recently returned from Japan "wasn't sick enough" to test.

The CDC says they thought he wasn't sick enough - even though public health experts say most coronavirus cases are more minor, and it flies in the face of what the CDC said on a press call on Friday.

https://abc7ny.com/5974999/

Meanwhile, there are suddenly local outbreaks in multiple locations.

 

[brewer12345]

Seattle, if you decide a firearm is something you feel is necessary, I strongly suggest you skip the handgun. They require a fair bit of practice to become proficient and in a time of stress you are unlikely to be able to hit much. A 12 gauge pump action shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot is what you want. Rarely have issues mechanically, very simple to use, stop a threat quickly, and readily available. I know if I saw someone levelling one at me I would be hitting the dirt or running away.

A Mossberg 500, (Mossberg) Maverick 88, or Remington 870 would be ideal.

 

[MichaelB]

Do we really need to get into civil unrest? Why don’t we just stick to the health issues.