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Thread: Corona Virus Pandemic Preparedness

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    California
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    Default Re: Corona Virus Pandemic Preparedness

    Due to rapidly increasing COVID-19 (Coronavirus) cases, the state of California has been shutdown/locked down. All businesses have been closed, with the exception of grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, emergency services, and hospitals. Citizens are urged to call, or email their primary care doctors if they feel ill. They are not to go to the hospitals, or medical centers unless instructed to do so, or there iis an immediate emergency. Video appointments are being used whenever possible. Citizens are been told to stay home unless there is an immediate need. Those who have to venture out are instructed to maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet, wash hands fot 20 seconds, and use hand sanitizer when soap and water is unavailable. Right now, hand sanitizer is not to be found anywhere. If you don't already have some, it is too late. Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces three times a day is encouraged. Skeptics are finally starting to believe that this is a real emergency. Governor Newsom announced that CA students will likely not return to school until the fall.

    Please post the current conditions in your area. Your general location to fine. This helps others to see what might be headed their way, so they can prepare as much as possible. It also supports those who are already locked down. It helps us to feel more connected and less isolated. Worry, panic, and fear run rapid when citzens feel out of control and helpless. This situatin is financially crippling for thousands (soon to be hundreds of thousands), of people who no longer can go to work. Rent/house payments, bills, taxes, and daily living expenses continue. This is just the beginning in CA. It could go on for a very long time. Lets stay connected by sharing what we know, while trying to stay safe. Regardless of where you live globally, you are being affected by this one way or another. Know that you are not alone. We are all in this together.

    Thanks for sharing Joan. I wish I could help you. I wish I could help everyone. We can at least stick together. That we can do!

    There are 4O,000,000 people in CA who have been locked down with no end in sight. That is terrifying!!
    Last edited by Budsters Mom; 03-20-2020 at 10:57 AM. Reason: To add
    Kathy and Angel Buddy. The mightiest of all lizard hunters!

  2. #12
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    Apr 2010
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    7,965

    Default Re: Corona Virus Pandemic Preparedness

    Dear Family,
    I came here today to make sure you are all ok as can be during these challenging times. It is very scary when we do not have control. So far hubby, Koko and I are fine. We lost a family member to cancer in nyc on Monday and we could not attend the funeral as we are high risk, hubby very high risk, we worry about our sister in Manhattan trying to process her husband’s death with chaos all around her. She is 78 with illnesses and we cannot be with her.
    We have businesses ordered closed everyday but are not yet on lock down though we should be. We cannot get hand sanitizer, disinfective spray, many supplies are not available.
    My husband needs to take the drug they are touting as a treatment for covid for his rheumatoid arthritis. He has been on it a year. Yesterday, the pharmacy said they had none and it was on back order. Thankfully, the pharmacist he knows recognized him and gave him a 90 day supply, they only had a few pills let. I h ave been told there is a shortage of albuterol which I need for my asthma. I need to call the clinic Monday to try to sort that out. The clinic is closed and is only doing telemed visits. Those visits are overbooked and the system is breaking down.
    Starting Monday, I will be working from home. I’m not sure if the business can survive another deep recession.
    I had to be pretty aggressive and outspoken to get my boss to develop a Covid19 policy. When he finally did, I told him, it wasn’t enough. We have some older employees besides me and they need a safe work environment. I have pushed as hard as I could but have no idea what will happen now that I am not there physically to preach to them.
    We now have a nursing home in our village with an out break. We have a state population of over 5 million but can only process 400 tests a day. Only the seriously ill that meet outdated requirements are being tested.
    My thoughts and prayers are with all of you. Stay safe and well. I will check in as I can.
    Saying goodbye to the work dogs yesterday was really hard because I have no idea when I will see them again.
    I’m hoping the sore throat I have this morning is allergies.
    Love you all. We will get through this together.
    love,
    addy, zoe and koko


    My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet. ~Edith Wharton

    Memory is the power to gather roses in the winter

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    California
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    Default Re: Corona Virus Pandemic Preparedness

    So glad to see that you, hubby and Koko are okay. Wish it under better circumstances. CA has been out of hand sanitizer, disenfecting wipes, toilet paper, baby wipes, etc. We all can be creative when it come to toilet paper and baby wipes. As far as disenfecting products, the CDC has given some recommendations. A bleach solution of 1/3 cup bleach to a gallon of water, full strength rubbing alcohol and full strength 3% Hydrogen peroxide are all effective disenfectants. You might have some of these things at home already. Instructions are to clean as usual, then apply disenfectant and leave wet to air dry. Common surfaces in your home, should be diinfected at least 3 times a day. I am out of disinfecting wipes, but have several packages of baby wipes. I use them to clean up in the classroom because we don't have a sink. I am creating my own disinfecting wipes by using the products above with my baby wipes. The more creative we are right now, the better off we will be. As far a hand sanitzer, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, several times a day. Apply lotion to prtect them. Above all. Be smart to stay safe.

    Addy... Mom died unexpectantly three months ago. I still have dad with. We are OK so far. Thank you so much for posting the conditions in your area. I wish more of our family would do the same.
    Last edited by Budsters Mom; 03-21-2020 at 04:45 PM. Reason: To add
    Kathy and Angel Buddy. The mightiest of all lizard hunters!

  4. #14
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    Default Re: Corona Virus Pandemic Preparedness

    Since CA is on lockdown, there is only a very few essential services open. I ventured out to Walmart and Target this morning, wearing my mask and gloves. I looked like I was ready to perform surgery. This is the first time I have left the house is almost a week. I did manage to snatch up a few needed items at Walmart before heading to Target a few blocks away. There is almost nothing left at either store in the way of groceries. The things I did manage to buy, were items being put on the shelves at that exact moment. You can't miss them among multiple rows of empty shelves. I moved on to target and had some luck there also. Almost everything is limited to one or two items. I did manage to grab some soup as it was being shelved. A very loud commotion broke out in the baby section. Security was called over the loud speaker. Three women were fighting over baby wipes that had just been delivered.They were attempting to grab them out of each other's hands and screaming at the top of their lungs, about whether the older lady even had a baby. You don't have to have a baby to use wipes. You might use them for other purposes. I do myself. Baby wipes are a huge commodity right now, but fighting over them? It is totally nuts here. The panic has taken over. It's scary. I went home thinking that I was much better off than many right now and thankful for that.!
    Last edited by Budsters Mom; 03-21-2020 at 05:37 PM.
    Kathy and Angel Buddy. The mightiest of all lizard hunters!

  5. #15
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    Apr 2009
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    York, PA.
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    Default Re: Corona Virus Pandemic Preparedness

    I live in York County, PA. we have had 6 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 in my County, a total of 370 coronavirus cases in PA., and two deaths have been reported in Pennsylvania, 1 was in Allegheny County which is 3 hours from where I live. This virus is awful.

    I am fine, been mostly home bound since this started, a couple trips to the grocery store and to see my Uncle whose wife just passed last Tuesday. My Uncle's wife was my Mom's sister and the last living sibling, cancer took her from us, she was 83 years old and they were married for 66 years, I will miss her so much.

    I've been tending my flower beds, pruning, and getting to those projects around the house that have been put off, trying to keep myself busy. My sweet boy Jax turned 1 year old February 26!! He is such a good boy, except when he's irritating the cat! So, what is everyone else doing to pass the time while home bound?

    Hugs to all, Lori

  6. #16
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    Georgia
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    Default Re: Corona Virus Pandemic Preparedness

    Oh Addy, I know these are definitely not good days, but it’s still so good to hear from you. Please do keep updating us, and for sure I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you guys! And all our family!

    Well, we’ve completed our first full week of self-isolation. Fortunately, hubby has been able to shift pretty effectively to working from home. He has a new telephone headset on order from Amazon, because much of his work is now involving telephone communication. Luna and I like having him around. It’s especially comforting to me, because being the Queen of Worry that I am, he can at least help distract me, or shall we say, refocus me. “Don’t you think it would be better if you turned off the news for awhile?”

    Like everywhere else, we suffer from a dearth of sanitizing supplies. Early last week, there was a general run on groceries, too, and there are still holes but many stocks have now been resupplied. And yes, I even spotted some toilet paper back on the shelf yesterday! Aside from grocery store runs and walking Luna, I’m otherwise staying inside and puttering around the house. We’re not even seeing any friends during the next couple of weeks. There’s strangely a bit of physical calm that comes with the isolation, alongside the mental worry.

    I still miss my mom daily, but I’m so grateful that she’s spared this world crisis. We used to talk about all the challenges her generation — and she personally — faced. Losing the family farm and being penniless during the Great Depression, working as a nurse in the days before antibiotics, all the sacrifices and the long and uncertain separation from my dad during WWII, polio and other epidemics pre-vaccination, etc. I wondered whether my generation would have the moxie to stand up to any of those challenges. I still do. I sure hope so! I hope we can all pull together in a way that would make “The Greatest Generation” proud of us. But I *am* glad that my mom, herself, was spared this final worry.

    So that’s today’s report from Atlanta. Unsurprisingly, by far we’re reporting the most diagnosed cases of Corona in the state. I so wish the governor would issue a total state lockdown like California, but since he hasn’t so far, individual cities are starting to get more aggressive on their own. Restaurants, etc, are closed here, but I know that there are offices still open around me (I see cars in the parking lots as I drive by). But with the diagnosed cases and deaths escalating, I’m hoping there will be more complete closures coming this week. We shall see.

    Take care, everybody, and stay safe!

  7. #17
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    Default Re: Corona Virus Pandemic Preparedness

    And Lori, I’m so sorry about your aunt. That’s probably the hardest thing of all about this new isolation — to not be able to spend more time with family and friends in their times of need. The photos of family members waving outside the windows of quarantined nursing homes is so heartbreaking!

    I know you’ll miss your aunt so much. Such a sad time in so many ways.

  8. #18
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    Mar 2009
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    rural central ARK
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    Default Re: Corona Virus Pandemic Preparedness

    This is long, so grab a cup of tea.

    According to the official Arkansas information, which I trust this much: _____, there are 118 positives, 154 under investigation, 501 being monitored, and 367 previously investigated who tested negative as of yesterday. Why don't I trust that information? Here is why -

    On Thurs, March 12th, my neighbor spent the day shopping with her only daughter. On Sat, the 14th, she spent the day shopping with her 2 nieces, by her daughter. Her daughter's new nephew, who works in a hospital the next county over, was exposed to the virus approximately 2 weeks ago and tested positive this past Monday, 3/16/20. He went to church and sat with his family, including my neighbor, the Sunday before, the 15th of March. Wed, the 18th, her daughter and son-in-law, were quarantined, as was the niece who is married to the fellow who tested positive. The other niece, none of the members of their church, none of the friends who had been over to his house, nor my neighbor have been quarantined. And according to my neighbor none of them have even been contacted by health officials for any reason. Most of them continue to work, shop, and gather at church.

    One of our new neighbors doesn't have a TV capable of watching the news; he is very poor and has an old analog TV he uses to watch movies on. He doesn't have a radio nor a vehicle that would have a radio. Yesterday he came over to another neighbor's house to inform them they needed to get to the store and stock up because there was a very bad virus going around. He had just learned about it from a family member he had called to ask them to bring him some groceries and supplies. He was stunned to say the least. Several of us had been wondering about his behavior because people have been in and out of his house daily at all hours of the day and night. Day before yesterday 5 vehicles were parked at his place with 4-5 people literally crawling over each other as they worked on 2 of the trucks. Were none of them aware of the virus either? How many other people who I see out and about as if oblivious actually are as oblivious as our new neighbor?

    In talking to doctors and nurses in my state they all say, to a man/woman, that what we are being told is false...that there are many, many more cases in our state that have tested positive and countless others who show every indication of having the virus but can't, and won't, be tested because they don't fit the CDC guidelines. Quite a few of those cases are their coworkers and peers.

    Our Governor is an idiot who until just the last 3-4 days has been telling the residents here than the virus was contained in ARK - that all our cases stemmed from the original case in Pine Bluff and that all those contacts had been tracked down and quarantined. Further, there had been no spread of the virus from out of state or other sources, in spite of the fact that we have an international airport in Little Rock with connections in NY, CA, WA to name a few. On March the 13th he announced that Walmart parking lots across the state would have drive-thru testing centers...there is no sign that is going to happen. He has failed to close nonessential establishments still as of yesterday. Bars and restaurants were all open until the 19th, but hotels and motels are still in business as are all the private clubs, lake resorts and their private restaurants, bars, etc. Salons, cigarette stores, liquor stores, etc. are to operate or not as they deem best. Those closed bars and restaurants? They can now change their useage to anything such as selling groceries, alcohol, etc. in order to remain open. Most daycares remain open tho all our schools are closed until mid April at least. I dog sit to help supplement my income and everyone of my bookings has cancelled plans with the exception of one who is coming tomorrow. They are staying at one of those lake resorts and trust the establishment there to have a virus free environment....even tho people from all over the country come to those resorts starting this time of year. This baby is my last booking for a while and they were given explicit instructions for dropping her and her things off and for picking her up. Not only can I not risk exposure I can't be party to helping others be exposed to and spread the virus. OH! and that original case in Pine Bluff? He is no longer mentioned and the official reports now say the first official case was in Fayetteville on 3/18/20, seven days later, which is in the northern part of the state while Pine Bluff is in the southern part.

    Yeah, my confidence level is very high, she said sarcastically.

    As for the state of things around here, it is the same as elsewhere. The grocery shelves in Kroger where I shop are mostly empty and the products that do come in have increased in price. I was lucky enough to be in the store when the bread I like was delivered. What used to cost around $2.50 a loaf is now almost $4.00. There is no flour, baking powder or soda, no sugar or yeast, or dry milk for making your own bread...a few small bags of corn meal were all that was available. At first, fresh produce is what was all out of stock but that seems to have changed and there were plenty of fresh veggies and fruits in the bins. There are no chicken parts nor ground chicken, no ground nor roast beef, no pork chops, shoulders or roasts. A few high end cuts of beef, a little bison and lamb were all that was in the meat department. Some fish was left, mostly salmon, sword fish, and tuna. Interestingly, the only frozen seafoods that were left were those products sourced in China, which I have refused to purchase since the melamine dog food poisoning in 2007. The selections for lunch meats and hot dogs was limited as well. Some canned sardines, mackerel, herring, and very little canned tuna were on the shelf; no canned chicken, and one can of turkey spam was left. Frozen veggies were getting slim as were all the frozen pizzas and meals but not one single package of chicken nuggets, etc that many kids like to eat. No soups except for the ones that cost $2.00 a can and up, and those selections were limited. Maybe 50 cans total of canned veggies were on the shelf. One bag of brown rice was left, no white rice but several options for gourmet rice products like Jasmine, Basmati, Arborio, Black, and Wild Grain. A few pastas like elbow macaroni and spaghetti were available as were Bow Tie, Linguini, and Penne but all the Rotini was gone. There were some egg noodles left but most of them were whole grain. The pastas made from lentils and chickpeas were still plenty available. Maybe 6 jars of prepared pasta sauce left. No paper products at all with the exception of one lonely, beat up box of Kleenex which I grabbed gratefully. There were a few packages of baby wipes available but diapers seemed to be well stocked. Very little milk, sour cream, eggs or cheese left but there seemed to be plenty of yogurt. On every shelf a sign had been taped that asked shoppers to limit their purchases to 2 items...some to one item such as the nonexistent TP and paper towels. Oddly enough there were plenty of chips, cookies, nuts, Cokes (brand), and candy available as were vitamins and such, including cold and flu OTC products. The pharmacy, which typically opens at 7AM, was still closed at 9AM....they were running out of medications when I picked up my latest prescription on the 16th.

    Yes, I spent way too much time walking around the store in my mask (purchased in 2015 for yard work) and gloves, which I always have on hand, in an astounded daze looking at the state of my once well-stocked store.

    I tried to do the grocery pick up from both Kroger and WalMart but before I could finish selecting items, the ones I had already put in my cart were changed to "out of stock". Paper and OTC products are in-store purchases only. Pick-up dates are a week out.

    The WalMart in the next town over was closed for a day because of shoppers fighting over items. Thankfully I haven't seen any ugliness when I've been out but several instances of goodness and kindness instead such as one lady pulling canned veggies out of her cart and putting the into the cart of an elderly lady who was staring at the empty shelves as if she were lost.

    I'm not worried about food for myself at this point but I am for my dogs. Some folk have called me a dog food snob and I accept that title gladly. But I just ordered a much lower quality food than I would typically use for my babies from Amazon because it was all they had that I could afford. Chewy is out of my range on everything they had in stock that I looked at and the pet stores here are running out of stock...what they do have has doubled or tripled in cost as well. My last trip to Kroger most of my purchases were on fresh veggies I can cook to supplement the dog food they do have trying to stretch it out as much as possible. I had some chicken breasts in the freezer already so I added those to their mix.

    As for TP in my home, I told Glynda that due to IBS my normal TP purchase for the month looks like panic buying to start with. I wasn't really concerned until this latest trip to Kroger. My month is running out as is my month's supply and I am not at all confident things will have improved by the time it does. I have been taking steps to limit use every way I can when at all possible and that has allowed me to have a bit more than I normally would at this point in the month but that extra bit is soon going to be gone. I have been eyeing my stock of plastic grocery bags with a new eye the last few days. In addition, I am trying to flush as little as possible. With around 100 homes in our mobile home park and 90% of those families home now, including children, I foresee major sewer issues in our future. Not only from the extra TP going thru the pipes but from some folk flushing things they shouldn't - like Kleenex, paper towels, wipes, etc. So as Kathy said, creativity is the name of the game these days!

    Now I will leave you with a funny conversation I had with one of our former members named Louise, Munchie's mom. She told me about the husband of one of her girlfriends who came out of the bathroom where he had been preparing to go to town with 2 sanitary napkins taped over his mouth since he hadn't been able to find any masks...and he was serious! In our discussion about the TP shortage, I told her my garden hose was charged; only one neighbor might be able to see me and if he did he could not use my hose! She said if she couldn't get any TP she was just gonna go scoot across her neighbors lawn like a dog.

    Ya'll take care of yourselves because you are all much to precious to risk.
    Hugs,
    Leslie

    PS....Addy, sore throats are not allowed among this family! Please let us know how you are doing when you can.
    "May you know that absence is full of tender presence and that nothing is ever lost or forgotten." John O'Donahue, "Eternal Echoes"

    Death is not a changing of worlds as most imagine, as much as the walls of this world infinitely expanding.

  9. #19
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    Mar 2009
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    rural central ARK
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    Default Re: Corona Virus Pandemic Preparedness

    Lori, I am so sorry about your Aunt and for what your uncle and family are having to endure on top of this loss due to this crisis. Sending virtual hugs to you and lifting prayers for you all.
    (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS) )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) )))
    "May you know that absence is full of tender presence and that nothing is ever lost or forgotten." John O'Donahue, "Eternal Echoes"

    Death is not a changing of worlds as most imagine, as much as the walls of this world infinitely expanding.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    California
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    Default Re: Corona Virus Pandemic Preparedness

    Thank you all for your updates. So glad to hear that you all are doing as well as can be expected. This is a very scary, uncertain time. In a democratic society, idiots are free to be idiots! I did not realize the scope of idiots that run free in CA! Nothing has changed for CA. Confirmed cases are multiplying by the hour/possibly minutes. Only severe cases are even being tested. There is less than 2000 ventilators available for use in CA. That's for a population of over 40 MILLION people! Obviously, many thousands of people are not going to get care. Governor's Newsom has requested a hospital ship with 1000 beds to be sent to California. The other one is being dispersed to New York. Hospitals are trying to remain afloat under multiple times the load they are used to sevicing. Healthcare workers are being force to work without protective gear, as there is none available. They are being instructed to wear a bandanna over their faces, since all the masks are gone. CA is still on lockdown and probably will be for several weeks. It is definitely for the best. The healthcare industry is bursting as it is.

    In the midst of every crisis, I try to find one good thing. So here's my one good thing… Since we are in isolation, that puts my dad and I together for 24/7. Neither of us have been too crazy about this, because we are both used to our space. However, this is the time that I have with him. I will probably never have such concentrated time with just the two of us ever again. Since losing my mom three months ago, I am going to value the time I have left with dad, even though he is an exasperating old man that drives me crazy! So there it is! We both are well for now.
    Keep posting family. Let us all know how you are holding up.
    Kathy and Angel Buddy. The mightiest of all lizard hunters!

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