2019 Novel Coronavirus

[kevo_55]

 

[Platypus Engineer]

I will see your murder hornets.

And raise you venomous caterpillars, exotic ticks, freakishly large snakes, turtles and alligators, and an apparent obesity epidemic among bears:

https://www.foxnews.com/science/hairy-caterpillar-virginia-puss-caterpillar-venomous-insect-hair

https://www.foxnews.com/science/rhode-island-exotic-tick-asian-longhorned-tick-disease-carrying

https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/florida-hunters-break-record-with-18-foot-python

https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/hunters-arkansas-longest-alligator-state-history

https://www.foxnews.com/science/massive-alligator-snapping-turtle-shell-shocks-dc-suburb

https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/fat-bear-week-winner-alaska-national-park

And the pictures of how the alligator was transported, dont show the Humane Scoiety

 

[Dothracki PE]

 

[Orchid PE]

That Friends one was great!

 

[Dothracki PE]

What is going on in the North/Northwest? 20% of Montana's total cases have been reported in the last week and Wisconsin reported over 20,000 cases in the last week.

 

[Road Guy]

Scores of wealthy people from California who do "summer" in Montana and then it leaps around?

 I dont know - sometimes you just gotta think it sort of moves around in tighter clusters from place to place.  My son is currently living in South Dakota and the spike looks big on a graph, but like everywhere else he said you cant really tell going around town because everything is pretty wide open (spaces) / "The Plains" -  Other than it is the end of harvest season I think in that area - people moving around..

 

[Dleg]

Surging all over right now, more than half of the states. I know I have seen CDC saying that small, in-home gatherings are one thing causing the current spread but I don't know. Where I am, we are seeing a big surge and it's being driven by some work clusters (probably people eating together on break), a lot of small and large in-home gatherings, and multi-generational homes. And this last one is unfortunately driving hospitalizations and deaths because of the old people living in these homes. 

I've had to crack down on my own staff to prevent workplace spread. I don't get the disconnect. They think they are doing the right thing because they wear their masks and socially distance at their work stations etc., but then when it's lunch time I catch them all together in one small room, masks off, talking up a storm. I really just don't get the disconnect there.  But I am guessing it must be pretty common. 

 

[Dothracki PE]

Surging all over right now, more than half of the states. I know I have seen CDC saying that small, in-home gatherings are one thing causing the current spread but I don't know. Where I am, we are seeing a big surge and it's being driven by some work clusters (probably people eating together on break), a lot of small and large in-home gatherings, and multi-generational homes. And this last one is unfortunately driving hospitalizations and deaths because of the old people living in these homes. 

I've had to crack down on my own staff to prevent workplace spread. I don't get the disconnect. They think they are doing the right thing because they wear their masks and socially distance at their work stations etc., but then when it's lunch time I catch them all together in one small room, masks off, talking up a storm. I really just don't get the disconnect there.  But I am guessing it must be pretty common. 

My coworkers do the same at lunch. I don't understand why. I'm perfectly fine eating by myself at my desk for now.

 

[Orchid PE]

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/10/13/science.abe5960

 

[JayKay PE]

I'm hitting a conundrum right now.  I am currently scheduled to travel home from Indiana to New York for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  My flight for Thanksgiving is a non-direct Southwest flight going from the IND airport (which is surprisingly one of the top airports in the US/was super clean and airy when I traveled in July), transfer in Baltimore (which is super clean, though fairly busy when I went through it), and then land in ISP airport (local airport that services Long Island, is super uncrowded even during normal travel).  Right now, my Christmas flight is a direct Delta flight from IND to JFK, but if that changes, which is super likely, I might just rebook a Southwest flight with the same flight path above and go into the local airport with less people vs. JFK.

Usually I'd be fine skipping Thanksgiving/travelling home to see family during the holidays, but I'm worried about my grandparents.  They're both getting up in years and this might be the last family gathering they're there for (grandma has had a few falls/surgeries to fix things and grandpa just had his 90th birthday).  I did travel home in July, and it wasn't too bad, but with cases surging up I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this.  I would drive, but it's a 13 hour drive that I'd have to do by myself...which might not be too safe combined with holiday traffic.  My grandpa and I are really close/he often asks about me to my parents when they visit almost every other day to help them, and I've promised him and my grandma that I was coming home.  I feel like if I don't come home it'll super hurt them emotionally (my grandpa has been waiting for me to come home/it's what he asks me every time we talk on the phone), and I feel like hurting them emotionally is just as bad as physically at their age.

I just...it would ******* kill me if I was the one who brought covid into their home, after they got through the first covid wave in NY.

 

[JayKay PE]

Ignore double post

 

[Road Guy]

You can get lower grade N95’s at Lowe’s and amazon, etc.

should make the airport and plane rides about as safe as you can get. (Relatively)

 

[JayKay PE]

You can get lower grade N95’s at Lowe’s and amazon, etc.

should make the airport and plane rides about as safe as you can get. (Relatively)

Could you maybe link me the Amazon/Lowe's listings, if you have them off-hand?  I don't want to accidentally order N-95s that should be getting used by healthcare workers.  I want to see if I can maybe get a covid test at work before I travel, but I'm unsure of their lead time/don't want to take a test that would be better used for a veteran.

I'm just kinda freaking out.  I was totally fine with traveling a couple days ago, but with things getting...worse in Indiana (aka: I wear my mask while walking outside and people act like I'm crazy), I'm getting concerned with the holiday travel.

 

[Road Guy]

I bought some of the shelf at Lowe’s, I still see them here available.

all I see now on Amazon are the KN95’s - but they are listed as an alternate even for healthcare when n95’s are not available (I had to fly for work a bunch a few weeks ago) ended up using the ones from Lowe’s - 

the hospitals seem to have enough they are just being there useful cheapo self with their supply. But I don’t think is common folk can buy the hospital stuff - unless you buy a truck load from Honeywell 

 

[blybrook PE]

@JayKay PE, as someone who has traveled for work and previously a safety coordinator for those that traveled, the KN95's from Lowe's or Amazon are generally your best bet if you don't want to go through the hassle of getting a half face respirator and proper filters.

Lowes: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Dasheng-5-Pack-Disposable-Sanding-and-Fiberglass-Disposable-Respirator/1002826938 

There are several from Amazon available, just make sure that they have a minimum of 5 layers. 

Also, the issue with getting a test before you go only confirms that you did not have it before you traveled. That is why some states have required a test upon arrival (or 72 hours prior to arrival) and another 7-10 days after arrival; just to clear you from not contracting anything during travel.

The Mrs. has to take a test 3 days before each rotation and another the day of flight to the site. Once on site, they have to wear masks at all times and eat in their rooms (essentially a loose quarantine as they do go to work and have meetings with social distancing daily). The last notice I saw from the jobsite was that masks were required at all times, except when in your own room eating or in the field without anyone within 30' of you,  from the time you leave on the plane to get there to after you get off the plane after your rotation while traveling home.

Safe travels.

 

[envirotex]

I would really be more worried about the choice of airline more than anything else with travel.  Southwest seems like they are going above and beyond compared to others for air travel during the pandemic...I haven't flown any where, yet, but Southwest will probably be my only choice.

 

[Road Guy]

^ those are the ones I bought - I think as long as you feel dry and thirsty after wearing them an hour plus then that means they are working   (well working better than most of the masks I saw on the plane)  I wear a procedural mask over them also - 

Southwest has been good in my experience (but thats the only airline I have flown recetnly) - its probably for good reason but no booze allowed on their planes.   They claim to bring in fresh air every 5-7 minutes but I dont know how you really prove that?

But the only thing they or your really cant control is if there is an asympotiomatic person sitting right in front of you or very close.

Id be more concerned about just being in the airport during busy times, Id maybe try and adjust the dates away from the busier days if possible?

The wifes neice, who was the flower girl in our wedding 26 years ago, has been trying to get married since just before this all went down, so they finally just went o Savannah and didnt tell anyone and got married last weekend, I think they just couldnt see a scenario where any kind of wedding would leave them guilt free and might cause some unintended consequences.

 

[Supe]

Charlotte airport was stupid.  They put like 8 foot tall sneeze guards throughout the security line.  Somehow sticking everyone in a plastic box together is better than having any ventilation?  Flight on American was dumb too.  Flights were full, and they can't bring drinks around, but somehow it's still safe for stewardess to walk around and try to get you to sign up for credit cards?  Everyone was drinking anyways, just stuck paying airport price for food and drinks they brought onboard.  

 

[bwin12]

I'm hitting a conundrum right now.

I say for that distance, with those circumstances- drive.

In early July we went to my in-laws, we drove 19 hours with a 7, 3.5 and 1 year old. The in-laws are older and more in the danger zone, like you we wanted to lower our risk of giving them the gift of covid, but still see them. The only exposure to the public was gas stations, and that was manageable. Also, think about it this way- from the time you leave your house to the time you get to your destination when flying is probably 8 hours with a layover. Add 3 and you've driven there. 

In late July we flew to my parents- Southwest DEN to Baltimore to Portland, ME. It was fine. My parents are younger, healthy and really don't give a **** about covid. It was odd how empty the airport was. I never felt in danger/at risk. 

 

[JayKay PE]

@blybrook PE Thanks for the info!  My plan if things are really bad is to semi-quarantine at my parents and try to get a test in NYS.  I've been using cloth masks/I wash them every week after one day of use, but I wanted something a little more robust while traveling/when I potentially see my grandparents.  Last time when I travelled in July I wore my fabric mask for the majority of the time except when I was eating (and putting my mask back on immediately afterwards) or when I was in my old bedroom.  

@bwin12, the flight itself even with the layover is a little under 5 hours and since I have TSA pre-check, I can shave the time before I enter the first airport.  Layover seems to be around an hour and a half, and Baltimore airport  I know how to social distance.  Driving would be 13 hours, minimum without traffic, with just myself.  Adding the time from driving into/out of the NYC area during Thanksgiving, I can easily see another 2 hours of traffic just trying to get off of Long Island.  I'd like to drive/prefer to drive, but I usually hit around 9.5 hours as my max and I don't feel 'safe' pulling off to a rest area to take a quick nap/stretch for an hour as someone traveling by themselves?