COVID-19 Shutdown Exit Strategy?

[Nemo2]

Buy clothes/shoes

I love paradoxes! Leaving the house to buy shoes that you wouldn't need if you didn't leave the house.

 

[Gumby]

Things look a little differently here in CT, where we have the 5th highest percentage of cases in the country at 4435 per million population and the 3rd highest percentage of deaths (271/M).

 

[Midpack]

Things look a little differently here in CT, where we have the 5th highest percentage of cases in the country at 4435 per million population and the 3rd highest percentage of deaths (271/M).

It is very regional so far at least. I don’t know but many people in Alaska, North Dakota, Wyoming, and a few others may be scratching their heads watching the rest of us.

 

[Amethyst]

Don't assume. I have had all of this year's landscaping supplies delivered. Supporting the economy while keeping ourselves out of the stores.

And yes, it is essential, if you are a plant person with a bare, drab yard. It is essential to the spirit, which is currently undergoing a drubbing.

Yes we pick up non-essentials if we’re shopping for truly essential items, but I know lots of people aren’t, e.g. everyone is doing all kinds of landscaping projects around their homes - that can’t be essential?

 

[Gumby]

It is very regional so far at least. I don’t know but many people in Alaska, North Dakota, Wyoming, and a few others may be scratching their heads watching the rest of us.

They may be amused, but they are not immune. Here in our little state (~50 mi. by 100 mi.), we have 32 acute care hospitals. When the virus gets to those places, and it probably will, I suspect the medical situation will be grim.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

Results show that the doubling time early in the epidemic in Wuhan was 2.3–3.3 days. Assuming a serial interval of 6–9 days, we calculated a median R0 value of 5.7 (95% CI 3.8–8.9).

We further show that active surveillance, contact tracing, quarantine, and early strong social distancing efforts are needed to stop transmission of the virus.

Not disputing this data (or that R0 value could shoot up again), but current 5 day rolling average days to double # positives (as of yesterday) is now 17 days, and deaths 9.5 days. (Deaths changes trail new cases by a week or so - cases #days to double 5-day rolling average was around 9 on April 8th). I track this data daily using https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRwAqp96T9sYYq2-i7Tj0pvTf6XVHjDSMIKBdZHXiCGGdNC0ypEU9NbngS8mxea55JuCFuua1MUeOj5/pubhtml# as my input data.

 

[W2R]

I’d do all those things, and add:
6. Buy clothes/shoes (I need new running shoes NOW). There are lots of retailers that we’ll sorely miss eventually.

Running shoes: If your last pair of running shoes was satisfactory, look at them and figure out the brand and size. Go online and find the same model of running shoes in your brand, and order them in your size. Problem solved! I have been using the same brand (New Balance) and model (990, 991, 993, etc) and size, ordered online for the past twenty years. They fit beautifully, every time.

I do the same with clothes, and Amazon lets me return any that don't fit. I haven't had to do that yet.

7. Go to our dentist, we both missed our regular cleaning/checkup already.

YES!!! I forgot this one.

8. Go boating, we can’t here, suspended indefinitely.
9. Play league golf, suspended indefinitely. And only walking is allowed which cuts out lots of seniors.
10. Go to concerts, theater, neighborhood events (6-7/yr). We talk to our neighbors from a distance, but getting together at each other’s homes has stopped cold - that really sucks for us.

None of these apply for me.

11. And we’re trying to meet the stay at home intent by not going shopping specifically for non-essential items. Yes we pick up non-essentials if we’re shopping for truly essential items, but I know lots of people aren’t, e.g. everyone is doing all kinds of landscaping projects around their homes - that can’t be essential?

I haven't been shopping for anything at all, essential or non-essential, except take-out lunch.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

Running shoes: If your last pair of running shoes was satisfactory, look at them and figure out the brand and size. Go online and find the same model of running shoes in your brand, and order them in your size. Problem solved! I have been using the same brand (New Balance) and model (990, 991, 993, etc) and size, ordered online for the past twenty years. They fit beautifully, every time.

+1 on this. When I was *really* running (Marathons) I would order 3-4 pairs of a shoe that I liked...knowing that they (the manufacturer) would sooner rather than later "enhance" it (ruining what was a great shoe).

 

[statsman]

In reality, most of the things I would do are relatively minor, I suppose, but I still want to do them. Here are some of the things I would be doing if the lockdown were lifted, that I can't do now ...

Adding to what has already been said by others (dentist, haircuts, chiropractor, etc.), my list would include:

• See our DD. She is *THE* reason we moved from Silicon Valley (California) to central Texas. She lives 20-25 minutes away from us, but we haven't seen her in six weeks. Part of it is she started a new job right after last seeing her. During the two weeks she went into work before they sent everyone home, she and a fellow new manager were exposed to someone (possibly two workers) who tested positive for COVID-19. So, she stayed at her apartment working (one of the fortunate ones to be able to do so) for at least two weeks before planning to see us at Easter. Then she was required to go back into work to help coordinate the distribution of computers for their entire team to be able to work from home. Once again, she decided she would wait at least two weeks before considering seeing us. Two weeks passed this Monday.
• Go to a nursery and pick out new plants for our house we moved into last June. We're re-doing the front yard shrub/perennial bed plus adding some trees to the back yard lawn area. Choice of plants are different here in Texas than they were in California. Similar hardiness zone, but that's about where the similarities end. It would be nice to be able to walk around a nursery (not Lowes, Home Depot, or Walmart, although fine for common plants).
• My DW and I need to re-do our trust. Our trust lawyer back in California recommended seeing someone here in Texas because there might be some different rules on how the trust needs to updated or rewritten.
• We need to purchase a guest room mattress set and family room furniture. The guest room bed is occasionally used by me because DW and I can have quite differing sleep/awake patterns.
• DD would like to purchase a new car. She would also like at least one of us to go with her as this is something she hasn't done before.
• I can't speak for my DW, but I need to beef up my clothes for the Texas summer. I picked up some items last year, learning what works and what really doesn't. I prefer buying clothes I've tried on.

 

[gwraigty]

Not a huge deal to me but a whole lot of people are seriously pissed off. So pissed that i'm concerned violence could cause more problems than the virus

+1

I'm also concerned about when food banks can't feed people anymore. What happens when hungry people become desperate people?

I understand that some people equate staying at home with not being able to go out and have fun. That's only a part of it and not what I'm concerned with. I can entertain myself at home just fine. I'm more concerned with being able to go to a store to try on shoes or clothing, either of which I do sparingly and only when necessary. I can go years without buying new clothes, but not forever. People being able to renew their driver's licenses, get their teeth cleaned, etc. Not fun stuff, but necessary that isn't possible right now.

 

[SecondCor521]

I haven't read the whole thread (I'll probably go back and do that soon), but the White House has published their plan, which is widely available through many news sources but is not yet on whitehouse.gov. Here's a link to CNN's copy:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/read-guidelines-for-opening-america/index.html

 

[brewer12345]

I haven't read the whole thread (I'll probably go back and do that soon), but the White House has published their plan, which is widely available through many news sources but is not yet on whitehouse.gov. Here's a link to CNN's copy:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/read-guidelines-for-opening-america/index.html

Where's the beef?

 

[MuirWannabe]

WH plan seems rational to me. It’s science based, which I guess was all the worry[emoji4]. We will see.

I still don’t understand the market response though. This is gonna go slowly. And we’ve scared the crap out of people. Most won’t just be jumping back into normal very quickly.

 

[donheff]

So do we switch to a new thread to discuss the national three phase strategy or cover it here?

Edit: nevermind, I posted that before seeing posts on the plan. So here’s good.

 

[brewer12345]

WH plan seems rational to me. It’s science based, which I guess was all the worry[emoji4]. We will see.

I still don’t understand the market response though. This is gonna go slowly. And we’ve scared the crap out of people. Most won’t just be jumping back into normal very quickly.

I don't see a bunch of the preconditions for reopening anything being reality, stuff like readily available testing and ppe, effective treatment, etc. This just looks like a great rope a dope for a second wave.

 

[RobbieB]

I need a haircut bad. Stuff is in my ears making them itch.

 

[Midpack]

Running shoes: If your last pair of running shoes was satisfactory, look at them and figure out the brand and size. Go online and find the same model of running shoes in your brand, and order them in your size. Problem solved! I have been using the same brand (New Balance) and model (990, 991, 993, etc) and size, ordered online for the past twenty years. They fit beautifully, every time.

I realize I could just buy the same shoes, but I don’t want the same. I rarely buy the same model twice, and even change brands some. But if I get much more wear, I’m going to have to chance online shoes.

 

[Aerides]

I realize I could just buy the same shoes, but I don’t want the same. I rarely buy the same model twice, and even change brands some. But if I get much more wear, I’m going to have to chance online shoes.

That is why there is zappos. You order a few, play shoe store in your living room, find what you like return the rest.

Don't like the idea of intentionally returning? Meh - it's baked into their business plan, they are rarely the lowest price, don't price match, and are owned by Amazon.

 

[Keim]

I don't see a bunch of the preconditions for reopening anything being reality, stuff like readily available testing and ppe, effective treatment, etc. This just looks like a great rope a dope for a second wave.

Was just talking about this with DW. Plan seems reasonable. Except we don't have adequate tests, and if we did we can't make it mandatory. Except we don't have adequate ppe. Except different states will implement differently giving us an ununiform approach.

Except except except.

I fear a clusterduck.

 

[Midpack]

That is why there is zappos. You order a few, play shoe store in your living room, find what you like return the rest.

Don't like the idea of intentionally returning? Meh - it's baked into their business plan, they are rarely the lowest price, don't price match, and are owned by Amazon.

I typically prefer buying many items online, but don’t like that built in return model for clothes or especially shoes, but I may have to try it out.

 

[Aerides]

Here are some of the things I would be doing if the lockdown were lifted, that I can't do now:

1. Go out to eat at a restaurant.
2. Go to the gym.
3. Go to the grocery store or other store with my face uncovered as is customary for American women.
4. Get my hair cut.
5. Say hi and "pass the time of day" with strangers that I encounter while out and about. Engage in the minor interactions and mutual minor kindnesses that go with that, and that restore one's faith in humanity. Make a friend or do a good deed. Feel like I'm not the last person left alive on earth.

Things I will do when the lockdown lifts, that will not give me any risk:

Parks - I love to run and walk and explore nature parks locally.
Beach - I can plonk myself down to read by the water for an afternoon (I also like to park at the beach to run up and down A1A which has an awesome golf cart sidewalk for safe flat asphalt running.

Both of these things I did in before-times with zero interaction with other folks, other than passing by on a path.

 

[Keim]

I wonder how returned clothes are disinfected in the COVID era.

 

[Retire2013]

I'm for a slow, gradual, responsible reopening of our economy.

+1

 

[RobbieB]

Anything is better than this crap.

 

[Helen]

That is why there is zappos. You order a few, play shoe store in your living room, find what you like return the rest.

Don't like the idea of intentionally returning? Meh - it's baked into their business plan, they are rarely the lowest price, don't price match, and are owned by Amazon.

In addition to free returns, Zappos paid for all the funerals of the people killed in the Las Vegas shooting. I didn't know they were owned by Amazon.