Health Issues The Everything Covid 19 Thread

My favourite shop for cosmetics & make up.

I know, I can't wait to visit the shop when it opens. So many vegan products.

I might get an antibody test today. They're available in my neighborhood, free of charge.

That is good. How effective are they meant to be? I wonder when we will get them here.

ETA - just saw breaking news Coronavirus: Free antibody tests to be available on NHS after deal made with Roche, government says | UK News | Sky News
 
I got the antibody test! I'll get the results in 3 - 5 days.

But what does that mean? if you are positive, well, they don't know if you are then immune. And... the test itself seems to be unreliable. I don't think any of the tests are CDC approved.

Anyway, let us know. I'm rooting for ya! Oh. Wait. What am i rooting for + or - ?
 
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So except for a brief trip to get Birthday Cupcakes, I made my first visit to a grocery store since .... January or February. I also went at 7 AM - the special senior citizen time. The store was pretty empty but I did see a number of people who did not appear to be senior citizens. The grocery store I went to was a smallish upscale store that is never crowded. They have also installed a greeter with sanitizer and masks for those who forgot theirs and gloves for anyone who wants some. They even have a portable sink with soap and water outside.

I felt compelled to go to the store because I forgot to put bananas on my Supermarket online/curbside shopping list. And I was out of bananas. I HAVE to have bananas. Also, there were enough items that for the past month I haven't been able to get from the supermarket, i.e. flaxseed.

Thanks to my cupcake expedition and what I've read here I knew about the arrows. So I'm going down the freezer aisle looking for nondairy frozen dessert and a pair of senior citizens are coming at me. I look down and check and I'm going the right way. So I get within about 10 feet of them and say, "you are going the wrong way." And they say, "What?"

Gosh I was so tempted to go into the Trains, Planes, and Automobiles scene. But I was good and just pointed out the arrow.

 
But what does that mean? if you are positive, well, they don't know if you are then immune. And... the test itself seems to be unreliable. I don't think any of the tests are CDC approved.

Anyway, let us know. I'm rooting for ya! Oh. Wait. What am i rooting for + or - ?

But as more data comes in, it could attain more meaning.

It'll give me some indication as to whether or not I've been exposed. I'll take a "positive," to mean, "possibly carrying some immunity and less likely to be infected," and a negative to mean, "probably not exposed to the virus."

It's one of those things that's harmless yet slightly informative or at least interesting.
 
Unexcusable behavior caught on camera!

Medical professional having to deal with an unruly patient trying to take off their mask
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Today I ventured into the mall in town. Having checked 3 supermarkets for whole wheat flour, I decided to go a little further to see if I could find some.

No luck. The pervasive fear (of either a virus or the fear of other people fearing a virus) has led many to hoard whole wheat. Still. I was told it's unavailable at the warehouse. I went online to the company that sells the kind I get - and they are not selling it due to unprecedented demand.

I have never hoarded anything or overbought during this (what I believe to be)partially manufactured and way overblown crisis. Maybe I should next time - because I believe a "next time" is going to happen. Another planned event that avoids the "mistakes" that the planners made on this one. Maybe later this year. Maybe in a few or several years. They aren't going to give up on fortifying their world bodies to lord it over governments worldwide, either on this or other crises.

The mall was also, sadly, about at 1/3 capacity in the food court, in terms of shops open. Many shops were closed or otherwise indicated as out of business - with spaces available to rent. Parking was (for the first time I've ever seen it in around 20 years), completely free.

I got a lovely falafel wrap that was very good. The proprietors almost falling over in thankfullness for the business they were receiving.

I enjoyed the falafel wrap and just felt disgusted at the whole day.
 
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we are getting shelf stripping here again, a month or so ago i thought it was people getting scared and hoarding things, but some online have been saying that people have been buying stuff up to sell on at a marked up price. which is very frustrating if this turns out to be the case.
 
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i also have been shopping but going to food places is problematic as you have to sign a register if you go to any cafe, eatery, restaurant, and some takeway bars.

i was confronted with one today at a cafe but i got spooked by it and filled it out in a messy illegible way and now they have my name but not my phone number, im worried they will be angry with me for not filling it out.

it scared me as it was a clipboard with a list of customers names and phone numbers, sitting there on the table... public to anyone who entered the cafe.

i think i will stay away from cafes and restaurants for a while, it is too much for me, the being in a public addressbook thing.
 
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I’m hoarding less food as I have been fortunate to get a weekly curbside pickup slot for groceries. What I’m still trying to over-buy on is sanitizer...I have several packs of Lysol wipes. I can’t believe it’s still hard to come by. I have two bottles of alcohol and still finding most stores are out of stock. I know I can get by on food even is it isn’t stuff that I would normally buy. I’ve mentioned before there is ample food to meet our needs even if it may not be what we want or prefer. But I’m annoyed that there is still a shortage of cleaning/disinfecting supplies. I Would think by now enough time has gone by that more could be produced.

The same with masks. I did find the masks I had purchased when H1N1 broke out a few years ago. I remember going online finding vendors who could supply N95’s for the nurses at work l. I ended up buying a box for myself and a box of regular surgical masks. They’ve been in my closet for years. Then when covid reared it’s ugly head the masks were in storage and I couldn’t find them. I did have a small box of surgical masks that I bought for cleaning out the attic when we were selling our house. So I was glad to have those. Then I made a few cloth ones from tshirts and I love the sock ones.

And I’ve gone off track. Bottom line I’m trying not to hoard but I don’t think I’ll feel comfortable for awhile so I will make sure I have some basics on hand. I think what’s going to happen is, most people are going to jump at the first sign of something like this happening again. I definitely got caught without enough toilet paper. By the time I realized what was happening the shelves were empty. I ended up getting a case of that ridiculously large size toilet paper from Home Depot. But hey. It worked lol. And that will be my emergency stock going forward as I can now buy regular toilet paper again.

Yakkity yakkity yak lol.
 
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While I'm glad the city is starting to recover, I kind of wish social distancing could continue. I dread having to deal with the more negative aspects of human society again.

I should get the results of my antibody test in a few days. I'll find out which test they used and how reliable it seems to be.
 
So....we've been told for so long prior to this that we should limit using antiseptic cleaners and all that stuff stronger than just regular surfectants because they strengthen bacteria making them more resistant to antibiotics, and more deadly

and what's the deal with wipes? People go crazy to have a tub of what seems to be long lasting paperish wipes moistened with what you could put together in a spray bottle. We have them everywhere at work, and when I got one for a table that needed a wipe, it just streaked- wasn't even wet
We're now just profiting Clorox, and P&G and Lysol corps

What's the next ecoli outbreak or other bacterial outbreak?
 
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So....we've been told for so long prior to this that we should limit using antiseptic cleaners and all that stuff stronger than just regular surfectants because they strengthen bacteria making them more resistant to antibiotics, and more deadly

and what's the deal with wipes? People go crazy to have a tub of what seems to be long lasting paperish wipes moistened with what you could put together in a spray bottle. We have them everywhere at work, and when I got one for a table that needed a wipe, it just streaked- wasn't even wet
We're now just profiting Clorox, and P&G and Lysol corps

What's the next ecoli outbreak or other bacterial outbreak?

I have been wondering that as well and so have resisted the whole antiseptic cleaners stuff. If washing our hands with soap is good enough to get rid of the virus then why isn't that enough for other surfaces?

I personally am more concerned about "air transmission" than about surfaces although I do wash my hands after being out use the hand santizer in stores on the way in and the way out. So I wear my mask even within my highrise to take the garbage out and get the mail. We have a limit in our building of max 2 in the elevators so that is a good thing.

Emma JC
 
Now they're playing down the risk of surface transmissions. Thank goodness! I have to say I was not wiping everything down, I would avoid it for a while, but I only did the wipe of groceries once before realizing it was such an ocd trigger!
Elavators, hallways, any small space esp restrooms are where I'm most sheilded up
I'm now wondering how bad it is to have the nose exposed? Everyone has their nose exposed when they start talking, or deliberately. The mask just starts slipping down, which is why I favor the higher nose shield. But then again, is just nose breathing that bad?
Anyway, the most it's really affecting me is my lost overtime. I'm working harder than ever both on new product repairs I have to discern myself, and providing work and training to the production workers who are 'helping' repair. I'm losing a good $400 a month and needing things!
 
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