What impact has the corona virus on you?

I just read through a detailed email from the dean of the engineering faculty. By the end, I was in what I believe to be a mini panic attack, and I don't say that lightly. Just all the weight of the current measures, plus facing the reality of having all online school this summer when I'm barely coping now (end of semester rush), is... a lot. Plus facing having to move at the end of the month and not being sure if we can even move in the first place. Inter-regional movements are now restricted although not completely blocked for the time being. We can't go see our families for Easter anymore. Still, if this is what it takes for the next little bit, I'll live with it. Just hope I don't lose my sanity.

Sorry to hear, the whole thing is frustrating. 
I agree with alldat, I think we will lose many of our civil liberties permanently. I know some point to the Spanish flu era of the 1920s but our country was very different then, still in that pull yourself up by your bootstraps mode. I'm trying to not give in to fear, God is still in control, but it's hard to watch this.

I was surprised at the traffic at 4AM this morning while on the way to work. It looked like a normal day even with a state mandated lock down. I didn't see a cop at all, I figured they would be out. 

We were told by our employer to have our work ID's available to show that we work at an essential business if pulled over. We also have a letter on company letterhead that we are supposed to show the police that states we are an essential business.

My city's called an emergency meeting for 6 PM to discuss whether or not to lock us down--never mind that we have had no confirmed cases yet.

MikeInFla wrote:

I was surprised at the traffic at 4AM this morning while on the way to work. It looked like a normal day even with a state mandated lock down. I didn't see a cop at all, I figured they would be out. 

We were told by our employer to have our work ID's available to show that we work at an essential business if pulled over. We also have a letter on company letterhead that we are supposed to show the police that states we are an essential business.

We got our "papers" earlier this week.  I feel like we've slipped into wartime.

alldatndensum wrote:

But, with the virus stuff, we are trying to save a little and eat more at home.  We've had home cooked meals almost every day.

We rarely eat out and I was intending to keep it that way (have a bunch of stuff in the freezer), but felt convicted to "love my neighbor" and help keep their businesses afloat. I realize many should get various assistance from the govmint but that may be too little too late.

Normaniac wrote:

Starting soon, we'll have to have our temps checked at the workplace before we clock in.

Which seems stupid given that you can have it and transmit it well before symptoms develop or without ever getting any symptoms. That is a big reason why this has been so widespread. People think they're perfectly fine and ignore the guidelines, spreading it to others.

Driven wrote:

I just read through a detailed email from the dean of the engineering faculty. By the end, I was in what I believe to be a mini panic attack, and I don't say that lightly. Just all the weight of the current measures, plus facing the reality of having all online school this summer when I'm barely coping now (end of semester rush), is... a lot. Plus facing having to move at the end of the month and not being sure if we can even move in the first place. Inter-regional movements are now restricted although not completely blocked for the time being. We can't go see our families for Easter anymore. Still, if this is what it takes for the next little bit, I'll live with it. Just hope I don't lose my sanity.

2 Tim 1:7. You can do this, especially now that you have a helpmate. Enjoy having all this time together when you're not cramming for courses.

Normaniac wrote:

My city's called an emergency meeting for 6 PM to discuss whether or not to lock us down--never mind that we have had no confirmed cases yet.

You should be thankful that your city is catching it earlier than some parts of the country so it shouldn't be as bad for you then. The country as a whole is predicted to peak on the 15th. Indiana is to peak on the 19th since we started getting cases a little later. Had everyone stayed at home sooner than we did, it would have been much easier on the whole country.

Today was unpaid for me. I'm working next week and then will be laid off for a few weeks. I volunteered for it though I expect I would have been anyway, being pretty new. I hope to finish my garage.

We help people we know who have a restaurant.
We ordered menus at their restaurants.

How are you doing?
Do you have to work at home?
Are you in quarantaine?
How is it to have your kids around because the schools are closed?

We now have a curfew of 10p to 5a. Then I hear the news this morning says a city wide basic stay at home unless going to work (for essentials), shopping or even laundry. Don’t know how much this is gonna affect life.

Went for a drive this morning (had to get out of the house after being cooped up working at home all week), and when passing by Banner Medical Center on Thunderbird, it was eerie seeing all the makeshift tents set up in the parking lot.  Later drove to a nearby park and completed the first re-write (on my old bucket of bolts W7 laptop) of this weeks review for the site, the Retroactive re-issue to Saint's Time's End.

Interestingly, the tents were completely unoccupied.  You would think with the coronavirus spreading like it is, there would be a long line of cars waiting for its occupants to get tested.  I do not wish to give everyone false hope, but perhaps it means the coronavirus is not wide spread as reported or is starting to subside.  That said, the fact the tents were unoccupied might not mean anything either...

Again, I do not want to get anyone's hopes up, but I am hoping that in the near future the worst will be over and everyone can get back to a normal routine in life.

Also, keep in mind I have been 'media distancing' the past couple weeks and have not watched the news or visited any news related sites, so am not completely up to date in terms of what is going on (and really do not wish to).  All the bad news only serves to heighten anxiety levels.

Good news is that the extremely hot weather is just around the corner in Arizona.  I recall reading online that virus' do not handle the heat all that well, so we will see how the coronavirus does when the forecast hovers between 115 to 120 degrees...

Seeing things like this at local hospitals here combined with constantly changing "facts" from the top experts on the virus, and there are many people who are feeling more and more like we've been duped.   Oh, no one in their right mind is saying that there is no virus.  There are many that see this as the US government wiping their butts with the Constitution and way over-reaching their authorities.  Sadly, there are many more people who are crying out for the government to do more as they trust them to be their savior.




I need to do this myself.  My anxiety levels are high but mostly due to anger over this.  I also don't feel that the government is going to give back all the freedoms they have taken away during this.  They have seen just how easily they can make the commoners cry out to them for a solution.  This is just the test run, folks, and it makes me angry to see.

Keeping in mind I have been 'media distancing' as of late, here is my official position regarding the coronavirus:

I did read online this past week that in the US, the coronavirus has infected roughly 190k people and left 3k dead, which translated to a mortality percentage of 1.5%.  Problem is that this does not take into account the cases that went unreported due to either the individual not knowing they had coronavirus or the symptoms were not extreme enough to warrant testing.  Hence, in my opinion the numbers are much higher (in terms of the former) and correspondingly a lot lower (latter).  I am willing to guess the US mortality percentage is actually well below 1%, perhaps inline with the German mortality percentage of .30%.

That said, I do not feel we should dismiss or overlook coronavirus either in that from what I understand we do not have any natural immunity to it, while it is much more contagious than the seasonal flu.  What makes coronavirus problematic is that those infected can spread it for several weeks before becoming symptomatic (again, my understanding).

Also keep in mind that the previous two flu pandemics in 1957 and 1968 (according to online resources) resulted in 100k deaths, respectively, in the US alone.  When you think about it, after the passing of over 50 years, perhaps a flu pandemic is long overdue.

Where I have problems, however, is with the doomsayers that suggest the coronavirus is expected to kill up to 240k people in the US alone.  Really?  Providing the 1.5% mortality rate is accurate, what is 240k 1.5% of.  Based upon my math, it would be 16 million.  So how do we go from 190k to 16 million infected when most people are social distancing, practicing proper hygiene and obeying government mandated stay at home orders?  The only way (in my opinion) we could realize such numbers is if President Trump prematurely orders everyone to return to work, kids to return to school and all athletic events (in which large numbers of people are packing into stadiums and arenas) rescheduled.

I do not wish to come across numb to the loss of life or any potential 'mortality percentages', but am I out of line to suggest that if we can keep the total number of deaths from coronavirus in the US below 5 figures, we can declare a moral victory?

I'm just mad the swap meet is closed

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I'm just mad the swap meet is closed

LOL! Same here, along with all the local antique malls and thrift stores. 

Dynamis wrote:

Also keep in mind that the previous two flu pandemics in 1957 and 1968 (according to online resources) resulted in 100k deaths, respectively, in the US alone.  When you think about it, after the passing of over 50 years, perhaps a flu pandemic is long overdue.

Where I have problems, however, is with the doomsayers that suggest the coronavirus is expected to kill up to 240k people in the US alone.  Really?  Providing the 1.5% mortality rate is accurate, what is 240k 1.5% of.  Based upon my math, it would be 16 million.  So how do we go from 190k to 16 million infected when most people are social distancing, practicing proper hygiene and obeying government mandated stay at home orders?  The only way (in my opinion) we could realize such numbers is if President Trump prematurely orders everyone to return to work, kids to return to school and all athletic events (in which large numbers of people are packing into stadiums and arenas) rescheduled.

I do not wish to come across numb to the loss of life or any potential 'mortality percentages', but am I out of line to suggest that if we can keep the total number of deaths from coronavirus in the US below 5 figures, we can declare a moral victory?

For one there's no way it will be below 5 figures. We're already at nearly 10,000 deaths and the peak is almost 2 weeks off. Long-term projection is over 80K. It may not seem bad to you, but AZ isn't being hit very hard by it.

The problem is there are a great number of people that are not practicing the high 5 very well. I have not verified it personally but there are apparently some megachurches still having normal service, which seems incredibly irresponsible if true. We Americans love our freedom after all.

I think it is a very valid concern if the govmint reduces the restrictions too soon because it will just start increasing the rate of spread again (e.g., that peak date above is calculated based on keeping full high 5 restrictions through MAY). HOWEVER, there is also a very valid concern that these restrictions could result in more harm to more people because of the financial/emotional/medical system strain (suicide, people not getting surgeries they need, bankruptcy, etc).

Dynamis wrote:

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I'm just mad the swap meet is closed

LOL! Same here, along with all the local antique malls and thrift stores. 

I usually hit our local swap meet every other weekend, and 3 or 4 different thrift stores once a week. So it's really sucked the last 3 weeks. I so hoped the swap meet would've finally been open this weekend... yeh.. should've called before I drove there   I mean, it's out in the open, here in the desert where it's sunny and warm. Ah well...

So I have a question? We have to open things back up eventually and the virus will still be here. What then? We can't keep going to lock down mode everytime people get sick. Not trying to be insensitive but trying to look at this logically.

I think when a vaccine or other cure comes out, it'll be better. I'm just afraid of a second wave of a different strain like what happened with the Spanish flu.

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So I have a question? We have to open things back up eventually and the virus will still be here. What then? We can't keep going to lock down mode everytime people get sick. Not trying to be insensitive but trying to look at this logically.

I am hoping for a gradual easing of restrictions.  Perhaps first allowing people to return to work while at the same time non-essential businesses (such as the local swap meet!) can open.  Restaurants can serve customers in the dining area.

As for activities in which large numbers of people congregate such as church services, concerts and sporting events might be later, perhaps after Memorial Day?

In the UK all the closures are doing is supressing the virus so that everyone still gets it, but it's much more spaced out.  That way the NHS can cope with the disease, and more lives will be saved.

I'm on Furlough now, which is frustrating, but at least I can sort the garden out. 

I believe the virus is real, and that we need to take precautions.

However, info keeps changing and the Demoncrats have tried to weaponize this over and over.  First they attack the Pres. when he restricts flights from China.  Then, they attack again when he shuts down air travel from affected countries unless you are a citizen returning home.  Then, they say that the malaria drug he wanted to use wouldn't do anything for the virus, but it is working.  The stimulus package has more relief for corporations that can weather this better than the local business owner.  The other pieces of pork spending do nothing but further the Democrat agenda like more funding for abortions, Amtrak, etc.  An abortion is essential?  Amtrak is essential?  Even this shutdown wrecked the strongest economy the USA has ever known which is something the Left wants so they can push more social programs for more social control.  It also, in their mind, hurts Trump's re-election effort as most people will vote for a sitting president based on how the overall economy is doing.  Call me a conspiracy nut if you want, but the Democrats have definitely tried to derail America, and even now Pelosi is calling for another investigation into the POTUS for yet another impeachment attempt.

Then, you add to this how all the early models about the Corona-virus have been proven wrong and have been readjusted multiple times, the changing info from the W.H.O. about that we need only to wash our hands and sanitize things and that masks don't help into the new call for people to wear homemade masks that are literally 0% effective in stopping viruses and gloves.  Folks, this was more than a virus threat/pandemic--it is an all out political coup against our President and our freedoms.  Sadly, people have bought into the fear and now see their government as their Lord and Savior.

It is time to put people back to work and then hold China accountable for their either reckless handling of this mess or their intended attack on the free nations and markets of the world to expand their global marketshare.  We should NEVER deal with a Communist regime EVER again.

Okay, Chris, you're a conspiracy nut.

Don't worry Chris, I am with you 100%.  This thing is being completely blown out of proportion and the Left is especially twisting it all for their benefit.  It's awful...  And America will likely never be as free as we were prior to this.

alldatndensum wrote:

....

It is time to put people back to work and then hold China accountable for their either reckless handling of this mess or their intended attack on the free nations and markets of the world to expand their global marketshare.  We should NEVER deal with a Communist regime EVER again.

I'm not necessarily a pro-union kind of guy...but I have been screaming the same chant for years.  Get us out of China.  There is no reason we need to keep sending all of our wealth to a country who treats their citizens so horribly.

There are approximately 380,000 cases in the U.S. right now....that's 1/10th of 1% of the population.
Yes, it's tragic for those who have died, and for the families involved, but we shouldn't wreck the economy for a generation over it.