Close to Home Reports

[Hards Alumni]

A co-worker has it.  He left Wednesday morning, had a test on Thursday, and got the positive result Friday evening.  (We were still going into the building up until Saturday).  He's 65 and seems to be in decent-enough health, but that's still very, very scary.

I feel selfish for worrying about myself at a time like this, but waiting to find out if I'm sick is turning me into Jackson Nicholson-in-The Shining-crazy.  I last saw the infected on Wednesday, so in about two hours it'll be 5 days since I was in the same room as him.  I keep reading the average incubation period is right around now.

This has made me a little crazy, but physically nothing to worry about.  I've yet to have any fever, and you wouldn't believe me if I told you how often I've been checking.  I don't think I've had any shortness of breath, but if you lay in bed and wonder if you're having breathing problems, you'll eventually have breathing problems.

You shouldn't, I'm sure you have people that depend on you, and it can be scary to think about what happens to them if you're out of commission for a little while.

[Archies Bat]

Parents aren't sick, and their boat met up with another boat last night for 'supplies'.  The passengers were given masks with dinner.  The hallways were sprayed last night.

So much for the stomach flu.  According to my WhatsApp my mother hasn't looked at her messages since last night when the boats met up.

I absolutely disgusted by the entire situation.  Broward county is voting today whether or not they are allowing the ship to dock when it gets to Ft. Lauderdale.  So they may be stuck on a zombie ship for God knows how long.

I should have mentioned that the ship they are on is the Holland America Zaandam.

I just saw on CNN that the Zaandam is transiting the canal, so hopefully so is the new ship.

[Hards Alumni]

I just saw on CNN that the Zaandam is transiting the canal, so hopefully so is the new ship.

Both ships are through at this point.  Next hard step will be getting Florida to let them dock.  You would think that shouldn't be a problem, but of course it is.

[Coleman]

https://nos.nl/artikel/2328804-veel-patienten-op-ic-met-overgewicht-maar-ga-nu-niet-te-streng-dieten.html

If you have a translator in your browser, 80% of Covid19 patients in ICUs in the Netherlands are obese.  A comment on the article said its 70% in UK, but I can't confirm that news.

Wouldn't surprise me, though.

That's really bad news for the US of A

[Coleman]

I am not accusing anyone on this board of this, but it is kinda killing me to see all of these comments online about people who are dying or in ICU..."oh, well they had asthma" or "yeah but they are in their 70s."

Old people and people with prexisting conditions are still people. Their deaths matter as much as a healthy person's death.

I know it is probably an internal coping mechanism to help healthy people feel better about their chances, but it really doesn't change the gravity of the situation we are in.

[lawdog77]

Both ships are through at this point.  Next hard step will be getting Florida to let them dock.  You would think that shouldn't be a problem, but of course it is.

Can they use Abbott's new test in this situation?

[MU82]

I am not accusing anyone on this board of this, but it is kinda killing me to see all of these comments online about people who are dying or in ICU..."oh, well they had asthma" or "yeah but they are in their 70s."

Old people and people with prexisting conditions are still people. Their deaths matter as much as a healthy person's death.

I know it is probably an internal coping mechanism to help healthy people feel better about their chances, but it really doesn't change the gravity of the situation we are in.

I am seeing more and more of this too, Coleman. Some even using "only" in front of 100,000 possible deaths.

And you know that many of these folks believe that a one-day fetus must be protected at all costs because, you know, all life is precious.

Sadly, as is the case with many things, this will only hit people in the you-know-where when somebody they love dies. It's a shame that it has to come down to that.

[cheebs09]

I am seeing more and more of this too, Coleman. Some even using "only" in front of 100,000 possible deaths.

And you know that many of these folks believe that a one-day fetus must be protected at all costs because, you know, all life is precious.

Sadly, as is the case with many things, this will only hit people in the you-know-where when somebody they love dies. It's a shame that it has to come down to that.

I think it's just human nature and a way to help explain the numbers. It's much scarier if 80% of people in ICU are perfectly healthy and of all ages. It's still a tragedy for each person who dies, but it is a way to cope knowing it's unlikely to happen to me.

I think the 100K relief comes from the fact that 1 million deaths has been thrown around for the US. In comparison, 100K is good news. However, it's still very sad that 100k will die.

[forgetful]

I am seeing more and more of this too, Coleman. Some even using "only" in front of 100,000 possible deaths.

And you know that many of these folks believe that a one-day fetus must be protected at all costs because, you know, all life is precious.

Sadly, as is the case with many things, this will only hit people in the you-know-where when somebody they love dies. It's a shame that it has to come down to that.

I think this is a basic psychological response to lessen the impact on the individual. People are afraid, if they can lessen the fear, by a rationalization it gives them the ability to deny their reality.

Denial is a coping mechanism.

[pbiflyer]

Both ships are through at this point.  Next hard step will be getting Florida to let them dock.  You would think that shouldn't be a problem, but of course it is.

I would like to apologize for our Florida governor who is doing everything he can to prevent this. He is doing everything he can to make Florida's numbers look better and keeping businesses open, no matter the human cost.

[Hards Alumni]

I would like to apologize for our Florida governor who is doing everything he can to prevent this. He is doing everything he can to make Florida's numbers look better and keeping businesses open, no matter the human cost.

I think the worst optics of it all is that beaches are open, and they won't let two cruise ships dock...  like wtf is that logic?

[🏀]

I think the worst optics of it all is that beaches are open, and they won't let two cruise ships dock...  like wtf is that logic?

I get the logic, it's just flawed and fallacious.

[pbiflyer]

I think the worst optics of it all is that beaches are open, and they won't let two cruise ships dock...  like wtf is that logic?

Sadly, our governor won't issue a statewide lock down. It is up to each county/city to determine and enforce. So you have a wide variety of situations. In South Florida, no one is allowed on the beaches. Panhandle in some places and other more', um conservative places, it is a free for all or not at all enforced. 

[GooooMarquette]

I do recall hearing somewhere that obesity is a risk factor.

Obesity frequently causes respiratory difficulties, so perhaps obese people who weren't symptomatic before contracting COVID were close to the edge, and then got pushed over....

Just a theory....

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/obesity-hypoventilation-syndrome

[Coleman]

I really wish we had widespread testing.

I have zero symptoms and am probably fine, but I am having movers/packers into my home in 2 weeks. After that, I will be going to live with my in-laws who are in their 60s and have some medical issues.

It sure would be nice to know I am not infected before going to their house.

[GooooMarquette]

I really wish we had widespread testing.

I have zero symptoms and am probably fine, but I am having movers/packers into my home in 2 weeks. After that, I will be going to live with my in-laws who are in their 60s and have some medical issues.

It sure would be nice to know I am not infected before going to their house.

It's far from ideal, but maybe you or someone you know could make a homemade mask to wear while interacting with the movers. They certainly aren't as effective as commercial N95 masks, but some data suggest they are probably  better than nothing. Here is a peer-reviewed study out of the Netherlands from 2008 (not specific to COVID-19, of course, but suggestive that it could still help):

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440799/

And of course, wash your hands often and ask that the movers do the same.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

It's far from ideal, but maybe you or someone you know could make a homemade mask to wear while interacting with the movers. They certainly aren't as effective as commercial N95 masks, but some data suggest they are probably  better than nothing. Here is a peer-reviewed study out of the Netherlands from 2008 (not specific to COVID-19, of course, but suggestive that it could still help):

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440799/

And of course, wash your hands often and ask that the movers do the same.

Have a conversation with the company beforehand to see what safeguards they have in place already.  They likely have this thought through.

[tower912]

Daughter is an occupational therapist in suburban Baltimore.   Out of masks.   Now using homemade masks that they take home every night and clean themselves.

[MU82]

Daughter is an occupational therapist in suburban Baltimore.   Out of masks.   Now using homemade masks that they take home every night and clean themselves.

I'm sure I join the many who appreciate your daughter's courage, service and work ethic, and who hope she comes out of this A-OK.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Daughter is an occupational therapist in suburban Baltimore.   Out of masks.   Now using homemade masks that they take home every night and clean themselves.

Where have been you tower?

[tower912]

Lenten resolution.    Just broke it for this update.    See you April 13.

[MUDPT]

Wife and I both work in hospitals in Madison. Had close friends tested, but no positives yet. Feel super anxious before going to work and calm/ peaceful when I'm there, like getting in the zone. Waiting for a ramp up, if there is one.

[GooooMarquette]

Story on MPR News today about a couple from Ely, MN who are on the Zaandam with Hards' parents.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/03/31/minnesota-couple-fights-illness-and-waits-for-cruise-to-end-after-fellow-passengers-die?fbclid=IwAR0th3xE2HU15uJpYShZ0sVKuoFfa17sTfPBMgYoSXeEviXod-o3GQp8jj0

[Jockey]

There are American citizens on the ship. Why isn't the Navy airlifting them to a quarantined area? Now the governor says he will not allow them off the ship in Florida. He had no problem with letting kids come down for spring break. He encouraged them to spread the disease all around the country, but now he wants to play tough guy with senior citizens?

Criminal!

[GooooMarquette]

There are American citizens on the ship. Why isn't the Navy airlifting them to a quarantined area? Now the governor says he will not allow them off the ship in Florida. He had no problem with letting kids come down for spring break. He encouraged them to spread the disease all around the country, but now he wants to play tough guy with senior citizens?

Criminal!

Not only that, FL still doesn't have a stay at home order in place. So while these people can't even get off the boat to a quarantined area, millions of possibly infected people can wander free. That will kill a heck of a lot more Floridians than a few people moved from a boat to quarantine.