Is it safe ????

[Klubbie]

I've been looking at the numbers in Greene County, MO. 96 covid cases and 75 people have recovered. That leaves 21 people with active cases. I just looked it up and the two main hospitals have over 200 ICU beds between them. If all of them require ICU that is only 10 percent of capacity. I wish the news would tell what percent of capacity of ICU beds and ventilators are currently utilized. I think that would help.

Anecdotal evidence but at my wife's hospital ICU is low capacity and they have over 90 ventilators available. I have no perspective on if 90 is a lot, but she says it is so I will take her word for it.

 

[RobbieB]

There is no safety, just various levels of danger.

 

[2017ish]

I've been looking at the numbers in Greene County, MO. 96 covid cases and 75 people have recovered. That leaves 21 people with active cases. I just looked it up and the two main hospitals have over 200 ICU beds between them. If all of them require ICU that is only 10 percent of capacity. I wish the news would tell what percent of capacity of ICU beds and ventilators are currently utilized. I think that would help.

We have two good friends who are docs in Springfield (each at one of the two systems). Planning to drive to MO (STL and Springfield) to visit our folks (80-92 years old), as well as our friends, this next week. We'll wear masks when staying with folks--relying on Argonne lab's material research. After seeing parents, we'll spend a day or two with friends.

Bottom line, our restaurants aren't open yet, we've not been around people much, and we haven't started traveling. Barring unprecedented speed in vaccine development, this is likely the safest time for the next year to spend time with parents.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

There are many things trying to kill us. COVID19 is but one of them.

I'm out every day, in fact I just got back from a nice 5+ mile 14 minute 38 second pace walk (a little slower than usual but I was overdressed). No mask, no gloves, but then again only saw a couple people walking during the entire trip.

In stores is a different matter. I haven't been in a store since 3/13, except for 3 unavoidable trips to my local post office. When I did those, I did so as early after they opened as possible, wore gloves plus my one and only one p100 mask. Since that is the only place its been worn, and it gets to sit in my vehicle dash getting heat and sun, I think it is still ok to use (I do wear gloves when I put it on and I use hand sanitizer before/after).

All of my grocery shopping has been done by either: Walmart curbside (anything needing refrigeration, frozen, or perishable), Sam's club ups'd to my house, or Amazon prime.

Eventually, I will need to go into a store. I might do that tomorrow, as I need to get some tomato and other vegetable plants from a local nursery. While I can get them sort of outside, I will need to go inside to pay. I've got a bunch of seeds started at home (thanks to an Aerogarden seed starter), but some things I can't realistically do from seed (like tomato plants, at least not this late).

A couple/few weeks from now, my school year will be wrapped up at which point I might get more restless. (This time of year I am extremely busy with grading.)

I did make a huge strategic error this year. I usually teach a couple distance learning classes in the summer, which ironically are like I am doing now. Early this year (Jan) I decided NOT to do this this summer, as I wanted to do some multi-week Appalachian Trail section hikes and/or a longish Southwest wander around vacation/checkout. Now it looks like neither of those are possible, which is a bummer. I certainly can do some local hikes, but I've done all of the AT reasonably (i.e. day hike) near me. Even the logistics, e.g. drop of car and hitch a ride to the other end of the section seem much more problematic. So if I am stuck at home, it wouldn't have been too bad doing a couple classes.

 

[Calico]

I've been looking at the numbers in Greene County, MO. 96 covid cases and 75 people have recovered. That leaves 21 people with active cases. I just looked it up and the two main hospitals have over 200 ICU beds between them. If all of them require ICU that is only 10 percent of capacity. I wish the news would tell what percent of capacity of ICU beds and ventilators are currently utilized. I think that would help.

It definitely helps!

My state department of health and human services has a very detailed dashboard on their website with that information, and it is updated daily. They frequently add new categories of data - yesterday they added "cases by zip code" for example. Prior to that they only had cases broken down geographically by county.

The dashboard shows number of tests done; number of cases; numbers hospitalized; number of deaths; beds (regular and ICU) and ventilators in use/available; breakdown of cases and deaths by age/gender/race/county. It also shows the numbers of cases in congregate living facilities (nursing homes; group homes; prisons).

Every weekday the public health director and the emergency management director for the state hold televised updates and take questions from the media (remotely by phone). If there are any significant announcements or changes, the governor joins them - usually once or twice a week.

I feel extremely lucky to be living in an area known for world-class medical, research, and scientific facilities.

I also feel extremely lucky to be living in a state with a governor who takes the medical and public health data seriously, and who has developed a three-part plan for slowly "reopening" the state based on that data.

Have you checked to see if your state department of health has any comparable data on its website? It is very helpful to be able to see the trends and which direction things are going.

 

[Ready]

My health club reopened yesterday. I wear a mask when I walk through the front door to check in but I take it off to play pickleball and swim in the pool (both outdoors). It feels so nice to be getting exercise again! It almost feels back to normal for me.

 

[Dtail]

My health club reopened yesterday. I wear a mask when I walk through the front door to check in but I take it off to play pickleball and swim in the pool (both outdoors). It feels so nice to be getting exercise again! It almost feels back to normal for me.

So you are not concerned with the sometimes closeness in doubles pickleball at the "kitchen"?
I am not there yet and was playing 6x weekly before.

 

[brewer12345]

I am staying hunkered in the bunker. I went all out and got in the cab of my buddy's truck to go fishing this morning, but that is only because I know he has been as quarantined as I have.

 

[Ready]

So you are not concerned with the sometimes closeness in doubles pickleball at the "kitchen"?
I am not there yet and was playing 6x weekly before.

I’m sure there is some risk relative to staying in my house all day but I just can’t do it anymore. I bring hand sanitizer, make sure I don’t touch my face, and wash my hands frequently. And I swim after pickleball so I figure soaking in a pool filled with chlorine should sanitize me pretty well.

We don’t shake hands, don’t tap paddles, and stay on our side of the court. We are only using two of the four courts so there is more than 50 feet between us and the next court.

I’m comfortable with it. If I lived in a really bad hot spot I might not be, but we have very few cases in Orange County so I think it’s an acceptable risk.

 

[Dtail]

I’m sure there is some risk relative to staying in my house all day but I just can’t do it anymore. I bring hand sanitizer, make sure I don’t touch my face, and wash my hands frequently. And I swim after pickleball so I figure soaking in a pool filled with chlorine should sanitize me pretty well.

We don’t shake hands, don’t tap paddles, and stay on our side of the court. We are only using two of the four courts so there is more than 50 feet between us and the next court.

I’m comfortable with it. If I lived in a really bad hot spot I might not be, but we have very few cases in Orange County so I think it’s an acceptable risk.

Does your "we" reference mean your SO?
For me, my pickleball partner can be anyone, so scarier for me.

 

[slingshot]

We live in a county of 4.5 million and there have been 154 deaths reported. And I'm not sure if all deaths in a Covid positive person are counted or only if Covid is the actual cause of death. Can't get a straight answer on the question. Anyway, our zipcode is still listed as between 1-5 cases and the zipcodes on either side of us are low numbers also.
That being said, we still limit our shopping trips to one big box store on Wednesday (just the past 2 weeks) and a quick duck in to the corner pharmacy for TP on Friday. Gloves for both stores, mask for grocery store but no mask at pharm. My reasoning is that I am going in for one item, very easy to keep distance and the workers are all wearing masks.
Gloves off and hand sanitize back in car. Five minute trip home, wash hands, disinfect car, doorknobs, switches, wash hands again.
NO masks, NO gloves for exercise of horses six days weekly outside. There are other people at the barn but horses make it easy to stay 6 feet apart.
I like our states Data Dashboard. It shows number or hospital ICU beds filled, how many ventilators available, etc. Somewhere around 10% of our beds have Covid patients.
My reality does not match much of the news but I'm not ready to let down my guard and go visiting yet.

 

[Ready]

Does your "we" reference mean your SO?
For me, my pickleball partner can be anyone, so scarier for me.

No, he does not like pickleball so I have a variety of partners. Today we played with a married couple but they did not want to play together so I ended up with one of them as my partner.

I would not be comfortable going to a public park with 50 people showing up and lining up their paddles waiting for their turn to play. But my club is mostly a tennis place. They have 27 tennis courts but only 4 pickleball courts. And many of the pickleball players are elderly and have not come back yet. So when I show up and arrange a foursome it’s just us,

 

[Jerry1]

Without gloves you can wash or gel your hands between handling different objects. So I only use gloves to pick up an object from another person, then take them off so I don't cross-contaminate other objects.

I never wear gloves because it seemed easier to just carry and use hand sanitizer. But my hands are paying a price.

There's no reason you can't wash nitrile gloves while you are wearing them. I have been using them for housework for decades (I have burn scars on one palm, which otherwise gets dry and cracked) and I wash the gloves constantly. It's easier on my poor hands.

I'll second that. I used to use 'em and lose 'em. They're disposable right? Then I realized one day I can wash and reuse them just like my hands. The same would apply on the road with had sanitizer.

Thanks for confirming. I was thinking the same - wear gloves and use hand sanitizer. Should be no different than what I'm doing now, just way easier on my hands.

To the OP, I'm pretty much staying put except for groceries. I also ordered some KN95 masks to help protect myself. I'm in the camp that thinks we're probably all going to get it, but I would like to get it later than sooner. I don't want to need the hospital right now and the near future may hold a better treatment option(s). I'm not, however, looking forward to a vaccine. I'm not anti vaccine, but I'm not excited about a vaccine that is rushed to market. I'm sure all practical precautions will be taken, but nothing works like time to test something like a vaccine. Plus, no matter how mild, I really hate getting sick.

 

[Dtail]

No, he does not like pickleball so I have a variety of partners. Today we played with a married couple but they did not want to play together so I ended up with one of them as my partner.

I would not be comfortable going to a public park with 50 people showing up and lining up their paddles waiting for their turn to play. But my club is mostly a tennis place. They have 27 tennis courts but only 4 pickleball courts. And many of the pickleball players are elderly and have not come back yet. So when I show up and arrange a foursome it’s just us,

Understand that. Different circumstances.
I play at different places and at all 3 places there are players who are just shy of thinking of this event as a glorified hoax and they could be my partner easily at random.
So will stay away for now and see what develops.
Thanks for responding.

 

[brewer12345]

Heh, some of the things my nitrile gloves encounter I am not eager to try to wash off. Rendering lard or deer tallow makes you happy disposable gloves were invented.

 

[Car-Guy]

Will I eat inside at restaurants, go to stores, etc = Yes

Will I wear a mask = sometimes if I'm in areas of more than just a few people

Will I wear gloves anywhere = no, unless required by law

Will I use hand sanitizers = yes, whenever I'm in a public place and get back in the car

Will I wait for the medical pros to say it's okay to go outside =

 

[rk911]

Famous line from the movie Marathon Man just prior to Dustin Hoffman receiving a root canal, sans novicane but bears asking again to this sage group.

With states and locales opening back up what is everyone's feeling as to treading back out into public; yes, no, mask, no mask, gloves, no gloves or shelter in place until the medical pros say it is safe ?

Sorry if this question has been asked before I just don't have the energy to go through all the other covid threads. So please excuse me, while I kiss the sky.

kiss the sky? i thot it was "...scuse me while i kiss this guy...".

i wear a mask in grocery stores to make others comfortable and so they don't freak out.

https://youtu.be/tuafhcg843c

we don't eat out much and when we do it's usually take out anyway. exceptions are b'fasts and lunches w/my buds and my wife's excursions with her buds. my group is usually between 5-12 people so while i'm willing i'm not sure the restaurants will be. there are a lot of bugs that can kill plus i'm wondering if it's more risky to drive 5-miles to the restaurant than to have lunch with my friends.

 

[rk911]

There is no safety, just various levels of danger.

correct. life itself is risky from the moment one wakes up and decides to vacate the rack until one climbs back in hours later. lots of fear about CV19 these days i think because it's new, kinda, and because the media can't help themselves from screamng...PANIC!!

there are lots of nasty bugs out there. how many here wore disposable gloves or took a bath in hand sanitizer to pump gas or shop before CV19. a few but guessing not very many. a poster on my local NextDoor forum recently reported needing to see a doctor to treat her hands. seems her palms and fingers had dried out so badly from excessive use of sanitizer causing cracking and cuts resulting in bleeding. that's either fear or compulsion...maybe both. no, thanks.

to each their own but i don't intend to live the rest of my life wearing a moon suit, real or virtual.

 

[Oz investor]

Famous line from the movie Marathon Man just prior to Dustin Hoffman receiving a root canal, sans novicane but bears asking again to this sage group.

With states and locales opening back up what is everyone's feeling as to treading back out into public; yes, no, mask, no mask, gloves, no gloves or shelter in place until the medical pros say it is safe ?

Sorry if this question has been asked before I just don't have the energy to go through all the other covid threads. So please excuse me, while I kiss the sky.

will there be 'herd immunity with this virus ( the seasonal flu , and rush for vaccines suggest NOT )

will surviving the virus give you any sort of immunity .... the debate is ongoing on that

is the virus a one-hit wonder , ( if you survive there is no lasting damage ) the debate is ongoing there and much more research needed

given that surgical masks reduce the chance of YOU spreading the virus to others and less effective of protecting you from others , that might be a personal choice Asia would consider you polite or just cautions the West thinks differently

gloves ... since the risk of the virus entering through undamaged hands is trivial gloves only stop your from touching vulnerable body parts later allowing the virus in SOoo in THEORY a clear visor that stops you touching your face until you have washed your hands , might work better

if you are a high risk person ( with known comorbidities like i am ) , staying home might be the better choice .. try wearing a N95 mask when your lung function is only 40% ( because the surgical masks don't stop much ) and passing out which will probably cause all sorts of extra risks , like going to a hospital full of already sick people

if you are worried phone your GP , mine rings me because i am a great little cash cow ( and i am part of an international medical trial , they would REALLY like me to survive until at least March 2022 )

cheers

but sorry there is still much to understand about this virus , if you understand your own current health that might be a better guide

against me statistically are age , gender , existing illnesses

on my side are blood type , and hair color (and ability to self manufacture vitamin D ) and my very slim build

but of course that data is sketchy as well to create those statistics

 

[martyp]

Whether it is safe or not depends on where you are. New York City will be different than a small town in the country. The antibody tests may be rubbish but if you were a confirmed Covid hospital patient then you are in the clear. Otherwise the vast majority of the population is still susceptible. Even if NYC already has 25% infected that still leaves 75% to go.

Everyone by now knows the basic hygiene procedures. They are not hard to do. There is no excuse not to do them. Avoid or be wary of spending a long time in confined spaces with a lot of people.

As things open up be aware that new infections take a 2-14 days to show symptoms. It will probably take a week or for you to know if your region has a case of runaway infections. That will be week or two too late.

Everyone’s risk tolerance is different. Whether or not it is safe for you is up to you. Whether or not you care to do at least the minimum to protect others is up to you as well.

 

[atmsmshr]

Famous line from the movie Marathon Man just prior to Dustin Hoffman receiving a root canal, sans novicane but bears asking again to this sage group.

With states and locales opening back up what is everyone's feeling as to treading back out into public; yes, no, mask, no mask, gloves, no gloves or shelter in place until the medical pros say it is safe ?

Awesome movie. OTOH, Hoffman got repeatedly drilled by Olivier after saying IT WAS SAFE, and VERY safe.

Like some others have said:

- Covid-19 infection dashboards are like a week or two look back in the mirror, and probably undercount community spread anywhere from 10-50 times depending on the number of asymptomatic carriers and testing limitations.

- Patchwork enforcement for use of masks and how/when to open local economies. My unscientific study is the younger someone is the less likely they are to wear a mask.

- Useless gloves. Many people don't know how to practice contamination control and will reach for their cell phone, credit card, glasses while wearing gloves. Leaving them on the ground in grocery parking lots is another sad observation.

But we crave interaction with people. Every Friday for 3 weeks, I sent out a text inviting people to happy hour in the street under the oaks of our neighborhood. We BYOB, chairs and imaginary 6 foot poles. About 8-12 people that practice isolation otherwise. Keeps us connected. We have shown only 1 covid-19 case reported in April for our zip code - I know it is an echo of an indicator but I look at the county and zip code data every day.

atom

 

[donheff]

Yesterday, DW and and I visited with friends on their front lawn. Seven total. We brought beach chairs and sat about 10 feet apart. It was nice to spend a couple of hours face to face. If it turns out that such social distancing isn't sufficient to prevent the virus then I assume it is just a matter of time till we get it almost no matter what we do. Well, maybe Brewer will make it, provided he really knows what his fishing buddy has been up to.

 

[athena53]

I wrote a long wheeze on this and then deleted it.

I live alone, so sheltering in place has meant I haven't hugged anyone since all of us in the small tour group hugged our Bolivian tour guide as he saw us off at the airport. That was mid-March. Haven't seen my grandchildren since mid-February, haven't seen the guy I'm dating since I left on my trip in early March. I HAVE been doing my own grocery shopping but have limited the number of trips- no short stops to fill in on what's depleted, Costco every 2 weeks instead of weekly.

I'm relaxing a bit but still wary. BF and I will likely visit in mid-May, probably dinner at my place. His company finally has him working from home and that started 2 weeks ago. Maybe go visit DS, DDIL and the grandchildren in early June and bring my bicycle so I don't have to go to the gym even if it's open. I do NOT want to bring COVID-19 into their house.

Yesterday I did my first truly non-essential trip- to the locally-owned nursery to buy plants. Going on Saturday was a mistake- it was VERY popular and they've been open all along so it wasn't just pent-up demand. I had to wait 15 minutes in line to check out. Lots of couples, less than half the people wearing masks, but this was more open-air than a typical big-box store. I didn't wear my mask when I was in the outside areas.

One step at a time. I'm watching the numbers like a hawk (aware that increased availability of testing in our state, for example, can result in an artificial spike in reported cases) and also observing the behavior of my fellow humans. If too many are swarming out and not wearing masks I'll be more cautious in anticipation of another wave of cases.

 

[cooch96]

Marathon Man is a gem where the movie was better than the book. I remember a line in the book where the MC went out to fetch a chocolate egg cream. I remember having absolutely no idea what that was. The internet was no help (pre-google days) and every older person I asked either didn’t remember what they were or couldn’t describe them well. Seemed they weren’t ever common in the Midwest.

Years later I learned it was a sort of cream soda made with actual cream or whole milk. No egg ingredient at all.

 

[Rianne]

Good question, OP. Our local #'s went from 105 to 169 in 7 days, due to extended testing. I assume the next few days will go higher. DH just went for his 2nd Covid test. First was negative. The Dr called and asked him to get a 2nd because his symptoms are textbook Covid. 103.8 temp, sweating, chills, headache, dizziness, slight cough. His temp has fluctuated but not below 99, often over 100, with Tylenol and Ibuprofen.


We've been super careful since mid March. Masks, gloves and only going to grocery store and pharmacy. Distancing from everyone, family and neighbors. We can't figure out where he picked this up. I will continue to wear my mask and social distance. Will keep this up until some proven treatment or our numbers-locally-drastically improved.