Corona Virus: It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

[Punisher]

saw this article...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/activ ... =DELLDHP17

What stood out for me was the Texas Governors' response to their rising numbers.
He claims that the numbers are unacceptable and then proceeds to accept them by doing nothing to mitigate them, not even requiring masks.

[pr0ner]

[raydude]

In the article about about Trump's Tulsa hate rally, this caught my eye:

“I don’t fear anything. If today is the day I die, today is the day I die," said Riniker, 62, who drove to Tulsa from his home in Arkansas earlier this week to attend what he said was his first political rally since Ronald Reagan was running for office. "I'm not paranoid, I'm not afraid."

Riniker brought a homemade mask that his neighbor had given him and said he would wear it "if the need arises," but doubted it would come that.

"I'm not stupid," he said Friday, on the eve of the rally. "I'm not going to jump in a den of snakes and sit in front of someone who is coughing uncontrollably. But I do have a mask just in case."

Proving, yet again, that people have no idea why masks were even recommended in the first place.

1)“I don’t fear anything. If today is the day I die, today is the day I die," I personally know people who have this attitude and I just don't get it. To me this means you have given up on taking any responsibility for your life and everything is just meant to be. Does this mean that you stop wearing seatbelts? cross the street without looking? take a nap on some railroad tracks cause you happen to be tired right then? You know a determined thief is gonna get into your house no matter what you do and if its meant to be, why not just take the doors off your house?
2) "I'm not paranoid" Paranoia "An unrealistic distrust of others or a feeling of being persecuted. Extreme degrees may be a sign of mental illness." so being concerned about a known virus is unrealistic?
3) He will wear the mask if the need arises... Does he have super-vision and can see the virus coming?

Sorry, but stuff like this really tweaks me.

Based on his age and the fact that he drove by himself I can only assume he is ok with the fact that if he dies from Covid-19, he dies alone and is buried alone.

[Unagi]

at least he admits the rally is a den of snakes.

[Smoove_B]

No one wants to talk about bathrooms:

Even if businesses allow bathroom use, bathrooms’ sheer design goes against everything we know we shouldn’t do in order to avoid coronavirus infection. Sure, you can wash your hands, and little walled bathroom stalls are useful as a blockade for disease-carrying respiratory droplets. But they are small enclosed rooms with high-touch surfaces like flush handles, door locks, and knobs, and sink faucets. Standing at a potentially crowded row of sinks while everyone washes their hands for 20 seconds undoes the safety precautions of social distancing. Not to mention the apparent biohazard of flushing, which can reportedly “fling coronavirus aerosols all over,” according to a study published last week in Physics of Fluid.

...

“Everyone I know is running into this problem every weekend,” Max, who lives in New York City and didn’t want to be identified, for privacy reasons, told VICE. “Public bathrooms are not an option, the lines are too long; my friend waited in line for like 30 minutes to pee at McCarren Park [in Greenpoint] the other day. I got out of line after ten minutes and peed near some warehouse a few blocks away, when I came back, she was still waiting.”

So unless you can freely and easily pee behind a bush (technically, a “crime”), the degree to which you’re able to hang out outside this summer is limited, now more than ever, by your ability to hold it. Or perhaps by your willingness to simply pee your pants.

Prediction - adult diaper shortage

[$iljanus]

No one wants to talk about bathrooms:

Even if businesses allow bathroom use, bathrooms’ sheer design goes against everything we know we shouldn’t do in order to avoid coronavirus infection. Sure, you can wash your hands, and little walled bathroom stalls are useful as a blockade for disease-carrying respiratory droplets. But they are small enclosed rooms with high-touch surfaces like flush handles, door locks, and knobs, and sink faucets. Standing at a potentially crowded row of sinks while everyone washes their hands for 20 seconds undoes the safety precautions of social distancing. Not to mention the apparent biohazard of flushing, which can reportedly “fling coronavirus aerosols all over,” according to a study published last week in Physics of Fluid.

...

“Everyone I know is running into this problem every weekend,” Max, who lives in New York City and didn’t want to be identified, for privacy reasons, told VICE. “Public bathrooms are not an option, the lines are too long; my friend waited in line for like 30 minutes to pee at McCarren Park [in Greenpoint] the other day. I got out of line after ten minutes and peed near some warehouse a few blocks away, when I came back, she was still waiting.”

So unless you can freely and easily pee behind a bush (technically, a “crime”), the degree to which you’re able to hang out outside this summer is limited, now more than ever, by your ability to hold it. Or perhaps by your willingness to simply pee your pants.

Prediction - adult diaper shortage

Time to develop some stillsuits...

[hepcat]

The selling point will be recycling your own urine into drinking water.

[Isgrimnur]

If it's good enough for the astronauts...

[El Guapo]

So, here's the family conundrum here. As of now, we are currently scheduled to go to Disney World at the end of August (we were originally scheduled to do it mid-April, but the park was closed down then). Disney World is set to re-open mid-July. Until late July, I can reschedule everything at essentially no cost. I'm not at Smoove-level of risk aversion, but I am fairly concerned (especially with the current trends in Florida). My wife's not especially concerned, however, nor are my kids (for what that's worth).

So, the question is whether I exert my fatherly authority and say that we have to reschedule, presumably either for end of December or for sometime in 2021. The other question is whether I impose restrictions to lower the risk - I could say that we have to drive (as painful as that would be with kids from Boston) rather than fly, I could say no rides where you're indoors with other people (I probably would do this), etc. And Disney is adding additional safety procedures (mandatory masks, temperature screenings at entry, more limited attendance at parks, etc.).

Thoughts / recommendations?

[Smoove_B]

I''ll wait until others chime in before I ruin everything.

[noxiousdog]

So, here's the family conundrum here. As of now, we are currently scheduled to go to Disney World at the end of August (we were originally scheduled to do it mid-April, but the park was closed down then). Disney World is set to re-open mid-July. Until late July, I can reschedule everything at essentially no cost. I'm not at Smoove-level of risk aversion, but I am fairly concerned (especially with the current trends in Florida). My wife's not especially concerned, however, nor are my kids (for what that's worth).

So, the question is whether I exert my fatherly authority and say that we have to reschedule, presumably either for end of December or for sometime in 2021. The other question is whether I impose restrictions to lower the risk - I could say that we have to drive (as painful as that would be with kids from Boston) rather than fly, I could say no rides where you're indoors with other people (I probably would do this), etc. And Disney is adding additional safety procedures (mandatory masks, temperature screenings at entry, more limited attendance at parks, etc.).

Thoughts / recommendations?

If you go, you should plan on catching coronavirus. If you're ok with that, then go ahead.

I'm not being snarky. Some things are worth taking a risk. You're young enough to be relatively safe, but quarantine when you get back.

[stessier]

So, here's the family conundrum here. As of now, we are currently scheduled to go to Disney World at the end of August (we were originally scheduled to do it mid-April, but the park was closed down then). Disney World is set to re-open mid-July. Until late July, I can reschedule everything at essentially no cost. I'm not at Smoove-level of risk aversion, but I am fairly concerned (especially with the current trends in Florida). My wife's not especially concerned, however, nor are my kids (for what that's worth).

So, the question is whether I exert my fatherly authority and say that we have to reschedule, presumably either for end of December or for sometime in 2021. The other question is whether I impose restrictions to lower the risk - I could say that we have to drive (as painful as that would be with kids from Boston) rather than fly, I could say no rides where you're indoors with other people (I probably would do this), etc. And Disney is adding additional safety procedures (mandatory masks, temperature screenings at entry, more limited attendance at parks, etc.).

Thoughts / recommendations?

How old are your kids? My family did that drive when I was 13 (2 adults, 4 kids in a station wagon) and it is not to be underestimated...although there are far more entertainment options available today.

Personally I'd just reschedule for next year, assuming you don't have kids on the verge of going to college. We'll know so much more then that you can make a very informed decision even if we don't have a vaccine. It will also give Disney plenty of time to get very good at doing what they do.

If you decide you must go as soon as possible, I'd try to wait until Disney had been open for a few weeks before making the decision on exactly when to go. That would give you time to see how they are dealing with things and look at online reviews to see if the experience you'll be getting is the one you are looking for.

[NickAragua]

So, here's the family conundrum here. As of now, we are currently scheduled to go to Disney World at the end of August (we were originally scheduled to do it mid-April, but the park was closed down then). Disney World is set to re-open mid-July. Until late July, I can reschedule everything at essentially no cost. I'm not at Smoove-level of risk aversion, but I am fairly concerned (especially with the current trends in Florida). My wife's not especially concerned, however, nor are my kids (for what that's worth).

So, the question is whether I exert my fatherly authority and say that we have to reschedule, presumably either for end of December or for sometime in 2021. The other question is whether I impose restrictions to lower the risk - I could say that we have to drive (as painful as that would be with kids from Boston) rather than fly, I could say no rides where you're indoors with other people (I probably would do this), etc. And Disney is adding additional safety procedures (mandatory masks, temperature screenings at entry, more limited attendance at parks, etc.).

Thoughts / recommendations?

Personally, you couldn't pay me to fly right now. And Florida? Holy shit, by the time Florida gets done with the coronavirus, it'll be underwater. The other consideration is that Florida during the summer is intolerable in my experience.

That being said, basically you want to decide on what's worse: 1% chance of croaking or the endless needling/haranguing/screeching you'll get when you put your foot down.

[$iljanus]

The measures being taken to reopen the country are a bit of an experiment. I would take into account which state is most equipped to deal with local flareups, has good contact tracing infrastructure, and the political will to instigate measures to lock down businesses as needed along with promoting public distancing and mask wearing. I have faith that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts would do what's needed along with having a fairly compliant population.

Does Florida fit that bill? Will visitors from other states comply with social distancing and mask wearing? Just some thoughts and I'll leave it there.

[Smoove_B]

In unrelated news, holy shit snacks

This isn't looking good, folks

[stessier]

While SC's hospital bed utilization rate dropped into the 60%'s this weekend, our county is the state hot-spot and the report said 50% of our hospital beds were taken by Covid patients. They didn't report what percent of the total of the county's hospital beds were filled (reporting fail!), but that doesn't sound good.

[El Guapo]

I''ll wait until others chime in before I ruin everything.

I mean...I know.

Still, I figure it's good to get input and a sanity check.

[Smoove_B]

Also, there's been lots of talk in the last few weeks (likely because some people are considering vacations) on what is better from a risk perspective - driving or flying.

In short, driving might not be safer than flying. So many variables to consider and so much trust to place in others.

Spoiler:

I don't trust other people

[LordMortis]

Thoughts / recommendations?

NOPE! August is a month away and Florida is still on the upswing. So I repeat. NOPE! (from a guy who still seldom leaves his house from an area that had been on the downswing for over a month)

[Holman]

So, here's the family conundrum here. As of now, we are currently scheduled to go to Disney World at the end of August (we were originally scheduled to do it mid-April, but the park was closed down then). Disney World is set to re-open mid-July. Until late July, I can reschedule everything at essentially no cost. I'm not at Smoove-level of risk aversion, but I am fairly concerned (especially with the current trends in Florida). My wife's not especially concerned, however, nor are my kids (for what that's worth).

So, the question is whether I exert my fatherly authority and say that we have to reschedule, presumably either for end of December or for sometime in 2021. The other question is whether I impose restrictions to lower the risk - I could say that we have to drive (as painful as that would be with kids from Boston) rather than fly, I could say no rides where you're indoors with other people (I probably would do this), etc. And Disney is adding additional safety procedures (mandatory masks, temperature screenings at entry, more limited attendance at parks, etc.).

Thoughts / recommendations?

I can’t see more than half of people wearing masks correctly while walking around Disney in a Florida August.

Masks are hot and uncomfortable and summer is really going to be a problem for them.

[$iljanus]

Yeah it sucks but I'm hoping that next year will be better for everyone traveling. (after flu season that is....)

[Zaxxon]

Flying a family of four to Florida to pay Disney prices without the Disney experience, plus a side bonus of possible/likely Coronavirus exposure? I'd recommend passing.

And in fact I did pass, as we were scheduled to go in October.

Maybe driving helps, maybe it doesn't, but the core Disney experience is going to be missing at a minimum through the remainder of 2020. If I were betting, I'd peg a return to normal at very slim chance before 2022.

[Jaymann]

I''ll wait until others chime in before I ruin everything.

I mean...I know.

Still, I figure it's good to get input and a sanity check.

Just say no. Buy them a video game system.

[YellowKing]

We had to cancel a trip to Universal for Halloween Horror Nights. And I'm REALLY bummed because it's the 30th anniversary and it was going to be a super cool time to go.

However, I just can't justify it. I feel like I'd spend more time worrying about the virus/lamenting how abnormal everything was than I would having fun.

We're just rolling the vacation funds over to next year. The good news is it means we'll have that much more money in 2021 to maybe make an extra trip or two somewhere.

[Smoove_B]

We're just rolling the vacation funds over to next year. The good news is it means we'll have that much more money in 2021 to maybe make an extra trip or two somewhere.

...in 2022.

[msteelers]

Flying a family of four to Florida to pay Disney prices without the Disney experience, plus a side bonus of possible/likely Coronavirus exposure? I'd recommend passing.

And in fact I did pass, as we were scheduled to go in October.

Maybe driving helps, maybe it doesn't, but the core Disney experience is going to be missing at a minimum through the remainder of 2020. If I were betting, I'd peg a return to normal at very slim chance before 2022.

This.

We have annual passes, and I've toyed with the idea of heading up there just to walk around the parks (not doing any of the actual rides). But there's no way I could tell someone that it's a good idea to come down here now and pay Disney prices to not get the full experience.

[El Guapo]

I''ll wait until others chime in before I ruin everything.

I mean...I know.

Still, I figure it's good to get input and a sanity check.

Just say no. Buy them a video game system.

Hmmmm, this actually isn't a terrible idea. "We'll go in 2021, PLUS you get a Switch!" isn't a bad pitch, plus I would get a Switch out of it.

[raydude]

I''ll wait until others chime in before I ruin everything.

I mean...I know.

Still, I figure it's good to get input and a sanity check.

Just say no. Buy them a video game system.

Hmmmm, this actually isn't a terrible idea. "We'll go in 2021, PLUS you get a Switch!" isn't a bad pitch, plus I would get a Switch out of it.

I would go this route. If I were going to Disney World this year. We're hoping to go next year for my 50th birthday but not if Covid-19 is still with us. I'd settle for a PS5 and an 8" Dobsonian telescope instead.

[Isgrimnur]

I''ll wait until others chime in before I ruin everything.

I mean...I know.

Still, I figure it's good to get input and a sanity check.

Just say no. Buy them a video game system.

Hmmmm, this actually isn't a terrible idea. "We'll go in 2021, PLUS you get a Switch!" isn't a bad pitch, plus I would get a Switch out of it.

PS4 and the Kingdom Hearts series.

[Zaxxon]

I''ll wait until others chime in before I ruin everything.

I mean...I know.

Still, I figure it's good to get input and a sanity check.

Just say no. Buy them a video game system.

Hmmmm, this actually isn't a terrible idea. "We'll go in 2021, PLUS you get a Switch!" isn't a bad pitch, plus I would get a Switch out of it.

Speaking as a Switch owner, you would not regret this plan. So much goodness on Switch right now, aided by the fact that the Switch itself is awesome.

[LawBeefaroni]

Are Switches available? I tried to get one on a whim last month and couldn't find one.

[Zaxxon]

Are Switches available? I tried to get one on a whim last month and couldn't find one.

It's difficult. The Lite is more available than the 'real' Switch, but both are hard to find.

[El Guapo]

Are Switches available? I tried to get one on a whim last month and couldn't find one.

It's difficult. The Lite is more available than the 'real' Switch, but both are hard to find.

That's unfortunate. Though I wouldn't need it until late August, at least.

[coopasonic]

Are Switches available? I tried to get one on a whim last month and couldn't find one.

It's difficult. The Lite is more available than the 'real' Switch, but both are hard to find.

That's unfortunate. Though I wouldn't need it until late August, at least.

I'll make you deal. I'll sell you mine for HALF(!) the cost of a Disneyworld family vacation for 4 including airfare and lodging.

[Holman]

We're just rolling the vacation funds over to next year. The good news is it means we'll have that much more money in 2021 to maybe make an extra trip or two somewhere.

We're doing the same. The plan is to save up for a trip to Europe when we have time.

Except, well, oops.

(NYT:) E.U. May Bar American Travelers as It Reopens Borders, Citing Failures on Virus

European Union countries rushing to revive their economies and reopen their borders after months of coronavirus restrictions are prepared to block Americans from entering because the United States has failed to control the scourge, according to draft lists of acceptable travelers reviewed by The New York Times.

That prospect, which would lump American visitors in with Russians and Brazilians as unwelcome, is a stinging blow to American prestige in the world and a repudiation of President Trump’s handling of the virus in the United States, which has more than 2.3 million cases and upward of 120,000 deaths, more than any other country.

[Zaxxon]

/me puts self in shoes of a European.

Yep, checks out. GTFO, Americans.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

While SC's hospital bed utilization rate dropped into the 60%'s this weekend, our county is the state hot-spot and the report said 50% of our hospital beds were taken by Covid patients. They didn't report what percent of the total of the county's hospital beds were filled (reporting fail!), but that doesn't sound good.

I was doing fieldwork on Edisto Beach yesterday afternoon and the beach was packed. The only people wearing a face mask were my field partner and me.

[Blackhawk]

I''ll wait until others chime in before I ruin everything.

I mean...I know.

Still, I figure it's good to get input and a sanity check.

Just say no. Buy them a video game system.

That would be my approach. Maybe or maybe not a video game system, but I'd turn the narrative from 'cancelled vacation' into 'this frees up money for the other cool thing!' Video game system, trampoline, above ground pool, new (whatever.)

[LawBeefaroni]

I''ll wait until others chime in before I ruin everything.

I mean...I know.

Still, I figure it's good to get input and a sanity check.

Just say no. Buy them a video game system.

That would be my approach. Maybe or maybe not a video game system, but I'd turn the narrative from 'cancelled vacation' into 'this frees up money for the other cool thing!' Video game system, trampoline, above ground pool, new (whatever.)

Trampolines and pools are even harder to find than Switches!

[malchior]

Pool parts are also in short supply. I just went to 4 pool stores looking for a simple gasket for a valve. Doh.