Mostly Apolitical Thread for Discussing/Venting our Rational/Irrational COVID-19 Fears and Experiences in 2020

xxp Yeah, Belgium had the 'honor' for a while. Not sure how it's now, compared to others, but numbers in Belgium comparatively still crazy high.

ums otm, I won't speak to any other country beyond the U.S., but it's really fucking hard for me to ascribe well intentioned tiredness to a huge chunk of the population that has been literally screaming for seven months that wearing a damned mask for 15 minutes is the height of tyranny.

it's a piece of the puzzle

it's both.

there are well-intentioned tired people that are very understandably exhausted with the whole situation.
and then there are people screaming for seven months that wearing a damned mask for 15 minutes is the height of tyranny.

what makes it confusing is that the patriots/screamers sometimes like to moonlight as well-intentioned but very understandably exhausted people, depending on who they talk to.

Numbers were low where we live, so we’ve been taking the calculated risk of relaxing our immediate contacts to include things like in person school and some physical activities that seemed worth it after sitting at home for six months. The plan was to not be around more vulnerable people without having at least a 7 day isolation, but I’ve learned that the vulnerable ones aren’t always compliant with that. We had a surprise visit from a relative in her 70s who “distanced” by staying outside, but gradually got up close with our kids, then thought it would be fine to use our bathroom despite my discomfort with it (for her sake!). So while part of me just wants to say fuck it, can’t be responsible for other people’s choices, I guess we effectively have to change our behaviour because that’s all we can actually control.

Yeah, much of the past year has just been about learning to relinquish control without complete sinking into despair. Thankfully the people in my life have been mostly mindful but there are still instances of their behavior and exposure that make me cringe but there's nothing I can do but tell them that I want them to remain safe + healthy. And remain holed up in my hermetically-sealed biodome for another eight months.

We celebrated the birthday of a friend and mine in the former's backyard. He set up tables and chairs so that the six guests could sit together but at least 10 feet away from the nearest person. He ordered us to bring our own liquor/coolers; he provided ice. No food or snacks -- we had to come already fed. It worked out beautifully: for South Florida the weather was pleasant, and we're all close enough not to have balked at his regulations (we're often the same ones in our families).

I share this anecdote because even as the epidemic is intenser than ever so is the way it taxes our mental resources. Do what you can safely to distract yourselves.

A South Dakota ER nurse @JodiDoering says her Covid-19 patients often “don’t want to believe that Covid is real.”

“Their last dying words are, ‘This can’t be happening. It’s not real.’ And when they should be... Facetiming their families, they’re filled with anger and hatred.” pic.twitter.com/tgUgP6znAT

— New Day (@NewDay) November 16, 2020

our backyard hangouts (or front porch) involve safe distances, but people do go inside to use the bathroom (one at a time). we've also been doing the thing where everyone brings their own coolers for drinks!

As I understand it, going inisde to use a bathroom is not a significant risk in COVID terms - the risk is from extended time together indoors (15 minutes+).

We don't have a lot of information about COVID survival on surfaces like sinks and door handles and such, but we do seem to have a lot on breathing/talking/singing in close proximity for extended periods of time.

Anecdotally, as I said, my daughter went into my sister's house for 20-ish minutes and emerged with a positive case of... strep throat.

put south dakota nurse on fox news imo

it would be weird to expose them to truth for a few minutes, but it might change a few minds

As I understand it, going inisde to use a bathroom is not a significant risk in COVID terms - the risk is from extended time together indoors (15 minutes+).

This is good! In this house there's a half-bathroom right inside the sliding doors that open to a porch, which is how we've had ~3 small, outdoor, distanced visits from friends & family. We just leave the doors open for airflow and no one lingers or goes further inside.

I was wondering other day while I was out with my 12 year old son shopping for some winter boots that whenever he will end up having his first tequila shot if it will remind him immediately of this pandemic

when will the "individual responsibility doesn't matter! the government botched the response, which means you can't spread covid because orange man bad" crowd learn that none of us are remotely angry at essential workers or people who HAVE to be outside and around people, it's the people who have the choice not to, and do so anyway for frivolous reasons, who generally tend to be privileged

won't somebody think of the demoralized nyu undergrads

Yes, don't worry guys, the USA is not the only country with idiots, people are going stir crazy the world over.

― Boring blighters bloaters (Tom D.), Monday, November 16, 2020 9:47 AM (six hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

And I'm loath to call a lot of them idiots for that reason.

― Boring blighters bloaters (Tom D.), Monday, November 16, 2020 9:47 AM (six hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

this is not what's happening in the US.

well, it is like it's happening everywhere, but it's not the reason the great plains are the worst places to be on earth right now.

Tbf the Great Plains are always awful

love it or leave it

the badlands are extra bad right now

whoa whoa whoa whoa

You mean it isn't the Uk?

sorry to report that you must try harder

1 Belgium 1,255.74 (deaths per million)
2 Peru 1,082.02
3 Spain 866.01
4 Argentina 788.54
5 Brazil 785.59
6 Chile 781.92
7 United Kingdom 775.68
8 Mexico 772.42
9 Bolivia 768.6
10 Moldova 759.7
11 Italy 750.1
12 Ecuador 748.72
13 USA 746.9
14 Panama 676.57
15 Colombia 676.03
16 North Macedonia 626.36
17 France 625.83
18 Sweden 599.29
19 Armenia 596.07
20 Czechia 581.83
21 Bosnia and Herzegovina 572.25
22 Iran 500.43
23 Netherlands 485.38
24 Romania 461.14
25 Kosovo 458.13
26 Ireland 400.49
27 Switzerland 392.89
28 Slovenia 381.71
29 South Africa 345.66
30 Portugal 329.23
31 Hungary 316.99
32 Costa Rica 306.29
33 Bulgaria 305.34
34 Israel 301.77
35 Iraq 296.87
36 Puerto Rico 292.76
37 Canada 292.66
38 Honduras 289.65
39 Poland 272.52
40 Oman 268.95
41 Croatia 257.9
42 Guatemala 236.81
43 Russia 227.78

146 Thailand 0.86
147 Papua New Guinea 0.8
148 Vietnam 0.36
149 Tanzania 0.36
150 Burundi 0.09

Not bad though.

Tbf the Great Plains are always awful

― All cars are bad (Euler), Monday, November 16, 2020 1:41 PM (thirty-nine minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

How bout you go fuck yourself

Belgium only has 1/6 the population, they're really going for it.

Will keep this spreadsheet open for a few hours if anyone has other countries they want to ask about.

(The USA is at 245,162 total deaths on today's figures, with a 50% per-day increase: guessing that as weekend counting comes in, the president's score might cross a quarter-million. India is the only country other than Brazil with a total score over 100k, and they have 1.3billion population.)

Tbf the Great Plains are always awful

― All cars are bad (Euler), Monday, November 16, 2020 1:41 PM (thirty-nine minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

How bout you go fuck yourself

I've lived there for brief periods, spent a fair amount of time traveling in it.

It's certain some of the most beautiful country on the continent, much better than anything on the eastern fucking seaboard, that's for sure.

Euler doesn’t even live in America anymore, don’t listen to his America opinions

Admittedly, my reaction wouldn't have been so strong if I'd known you'd lived there at all, so my apologies. Thought it was typical "coastal person moved to France" type of situation.

I lived there for eight years. How about you?

― All cars are bad (Euler)

god the way Sinatra sings this line devastates me

I’ve never lived on the east coast, just Deep South, Midwest, Great Plains and the Bay Area for a couple of years.

Knew the Bay Area part from other threads.

I think that I have a tendency to defend "flyover" country, mostly because I think it's so beautiful. Like, you want to see an ugly state? Come to Pennsylvania. Total shithole.

But Western Nebraska? Wyoming? the Dakotas? Beautiful.

Now, that's not to say anything of the honkies living in those places, who are mostly terrible from my time spent with 'em, but...

Yeah I came to appreciate the beauty of the Flint Hills, my home during that time, but it was no place for culture.

I think most of the country is pretty or full of pretty stuff except for, basically, Indiana, much of Ohio, most of Illinois ... I'm not even sure Illinois has a single national park. Kansas has never impressed me, either.

PA is really pretty, I don't know what you're talking about.

god the way Sinatra sings this line devastates me

lol

Southern Indiana is very pretty. It's also mostly a place you very much don't want to visit, unfortunately.

PS is so beautiful!!! lol c'mon now

I mean PA obv. The hills all along 80 are gorgeous, so is the farm country around Lancaster, in a different way. Lancaster itself as a city is a jewel box! Admittedly I have a friend who grew up in rural NE PA and she says it killed her soul (she lives literally on the other side of the world now in Aus, I guess that's how far she had to go to get away), but it's objectively beautiful.

Tbf the Great Plains are always awful

How bout you go fuck yourself

Wasn't there a period when ILX wondered why all the valuable women posters were leaving?

rural NE PA

can confirm is beautiful, soul-killing

I grew up in SE PA and it was more gorgeous than I could ever appreciate at the time. Not soul killing, imo.

I mean, compared to Chicagoland, Pennsylvania is pretty, but that's not saying much.

And xpost to Aimless, bless your heart.

Anyway, new restrictions here in Philly mean I just requested a million library books and will have a heavy saddle-bag riding my bike home from campus later this week.

lol at all y'all yinz acting like you know every corner of every state commonwealth

bless your heart

have nice day and thank you for shopping ILX

i'll have a BLESSED day instead thank you very much

Too blessed to be stressed, right.

lol at all y'all yinz acting like you know every corner of every state commonwealth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNj6spCtUE0

I'm surprised, if not exactly shocked, that I know at least a couple of families doing a whole house quarantine for 14 days in advance of Thanksgiving, with whoever they plan to be with supposedly doing the same. My family has never been particularly sentimental, and Thanksgiving in particular has never been a big deal. I like the food a lot, but at the end of the day ... it's just another day. And yet even acknowledging that not everyone feels the same, given the circumstances I'm not sure why anyone would risk a bigger family gathering just for the sake of tradition. I do appreciate that they are being as safe as they can, but what does it even mean these days? You'd think that anyone aware and cautious enough to quarantine for 14 days would also be aware of the inherant risk regardless of precautions. Like, why not just plan a feast to end all feasts when this thing has run its course, rather than risk putting someone in the dinner party in danger?

My house and another are in a 14 day quarantine right now as we will be traveling to stay with in Chicago later this week. Nothing traditional about this to us as we’ve never hung out with these friends for any holidays but we trust them (more than our families) plus our sons birthdays are a day apart this coming weekend and we want to give them something at least sort of fun. Especially because our kid is an only and desperately needs to interact with others.