Welcome to the Breakfast Show.......

[Foiled Again]

Good manners...
Can be a curse. Here I am, "safe" in an 0ver 55 only campground/residential place... and my very outgoing neighbors come walking over to thank me for getting their groceries or cooking a meal for them, or just because they (like me) are lonely and slightly stir crazy. Not 6 feet away, not wearing a mask, sitting in the lawn chairs, wanting to chat, etc.
And I do not want to confront them.
I HAVE BEEN COUGHING FOR 10 DAYS. But taking an allergy pill makes the symptoms go away, and there is all that pollen on the truck. And truth to tell, most of us have been meaning to have our hearing checked one of these days. Stand closer or shout and repeat "Eh, say again please." Good manners, yep.
The parents of the millennials have probably shouted themselves hoarse at the young people who think they are immortal. Changing the locks and making the kids sleep in the garage or shed "so I stay alive and keep your health insurance in force, that's why! Dumba$$!" Is probably the only alternative. And some day, the kids might have to choose their parent's nursing home... if both sides survive. Is the confrontation worth the angst?

I have no sanitized wipes, and I am not using my drinkin' likker to substitute. I am using Clorox and hot water to dip white cotton dish towels. They will stay damp hanging from the oven handle for hours. Gray haired lady smelling like a gray tank[emoji1787]

Thank goodness for Swanson's boxed broth. Pork and rice soup sounds [emoji21] but tastes OK and chicken is still impossible to find. Even made some homemade pasta... and smashed up a box of lasagna noodles to make bizarro noodles. Minestroni next?
I really give this stuff away because making it for a dozen is the same as for one or two. Wipes, I do need them stinkin' wipes. 2 tbsp bleach and half a sink of warm water, voila. Hand lotion every night.

[Lily&Me]

No wipes anywhere here, either, Paula, nor toilet paper for that matter.

In both Walgreens and the closest grocery this morning...huge expanses of shelves speak to the level of anxiety about all this.

I snagged some isopropyl alcohol on Edisto Island a couple of weeks ago, put it in a spray bottle and use it for surfaces and doorknobs after I have been out and brought bags back in.

Stay safe,

Maggie

[Foiled Again]

Believe it or not, most DOLLAR stores have some things like toilet paper and off brand wipes.

We have been preached to about flu epidemics for 50 years - get your shot - and both SARS and bird flu were non-events. And like Hurricane Katrina, we finally got caught. The LDS (later day saints, aka Mormons) have had regional warehouses all over the country and after Katrina they made FEMA look like chumps in terms of preparedness. We are "ramping up". Good. Would that we had started when China had 500 cases. Better late than never I suppose, but a curse on both political parties.
Would that I had a case of respirator masks too. So. Carrying on as best as I can. Sterilizing my throat with one margarita a night.[emoji849][emoji1784][emoji12]

[Landshark]

Unfortunately, when China had 500 cases, they didn't tell anyone about the lethality of this virus, and even "disappeared" some of their doctors who were trying to tell the truth.

And the administration caught so much flak when denying entry to people from China, can you imagine the uproar had all of those preventive measures started any earlier? No, I'm afraid Americans are a spoiled bunch of freedom-loving travellers and would not have accepted restrictions any sooner. Look at some of the posts of those who have continued to go camping/travelling at the prospect of being denied their freedom to roam.

Oh well, although our health officials may be (wrongly, IMO) accused of crying "Wolf" over the H1N1 or earlier viruses, we are well and truly caught now. I just hope our researchers can develop a vaccine in time for camping in late summer or fall, or at least for next year's season.

And fortunately (having prepared supplies for 6 vintage A/Ss that had to be sold in the divorce) I have a great supply of toilet paper, sanitizing wipes, Clorox, canned goods, etc., all that stuff people are raiding in the stores. Don't think I will have to leave the house for the next several weeks! I even have an N100 mask (one step better than an N95, bought for working with lead paint in restoring my old house) for when I eventually must leave for something!

Vivian

[rmkrum]

Yup. Ditto on the preparation. Raised three Eagle Scouts and was a Scout leader for many years. We stay prepared all the time.

[Fly at Night]

Have been storing a few crucial supplies in the FaN for years, but my reason was in case of "The Big One," - the killer earthquake that the seismologists say is overdue.

Please lord....don't let it happen now.

[Lily&Me]

Agreed, FaN.

I think we’re in for a rough road for quite awhile.

Stay safe up there

Maggie

[OTRA15]

Yes indeed, a rough road for quite a while . . .



. . . have been noticing the increased attention being paid to aerosol transmission of the virus, which they are thinking was happening all along, thus the "super spreader" parties/events/locations [think nursing homes] since February, and maybe earlier.

The added notion [re: aerosol transmission], that the virus may be mutating, has been mentioned as theoretically possible, but it may actually be happening without us knowing it, except by looking in the rear view mirror later this year.

Hopefully some lab somewhere is taking a very close look at the genome of this beast, in order to track its possible mutations.



Needless to say, extensive testing of every asymptomatic person would help a lot. Don't hold your breath . . . . . .

Stay safe.

Peter

[Gene]

People are catching up on what we have been talking about for weeks. More attention is being paid to it not ending in weeks or months, but more than a year with a possible respite during the summer. This already has gotten old, but people are adapting because they have to. I have been warning people about this for more than a month, but some don’t want to know and are dragged to awareness against their will. Sometimes it is close to home.

This week we are learning about Zoom, shopping less and going to paint the guest room next week. All trips delayed and may never happen this year. Seeing people when talking to them in a videoconference is better although all of us have been struggling to learn how.

I have been getting together every Friday morning with a group for 7 years. This group has been meeting for more than 15 years. We did video today and that gave me a sense of security. Now I know what day of the week it is. I saw friends. Contact in a society that has to separate is precious. If you are single, this must be even harder. We are hunkered down here and keeping busy. Writing about it helps my sanity too. I doubt I am the Samuel Pepys of this plague, but I hope we all help others when we tell our stories and share our knowledge.

[OTRA15]

Well said Gene . . . looking forward to your next column.

Yes, the video conferencing is great. We have been having extended family chats, and it does help a lot!

A new world . . . not sure how brave it is . . .

Peter

PS --I hope Zoom can police the recent hacking intrusions, and keep that resource safe for everyone.

[Foiled Again]

Saw something intriguing yesterday. India, South Korea and a number of other countries compel infant vaccination for tuberculosis, the BCG vaccine. The USA does not. There MAY be a lower death rate associated with having had this vaccine. It seems that it makes the lungs more resiliant against a variety of conditions. The USA's death rate is currently about 2%, and China's was 1%.

The USA has not pushed for BCG for two reasons. It is not 100% effective especially for TB that is not in the lungs, and once you have had this vaccine you will always test positive on the common skin test. Catching actual TB in the early stages requires x-rays or other more invasive, expensive testing if you've had the BCG.

Do not have any idea whether BCG would work for anyone already Covid19 positive....etc.

[rmkrum]

No clue here, but DW’s family is from Hong Kong and the BCG vaccine was also given there by the British. Along with a wide spectrum of vaccines against darn near everything running in those days.

And no argument about using them, either. I was passing through, noted to be short one vaccination, and was given it on the spot, free, and no choice on my part. Talk about a firm policy.

Here, it’s a paperwork nightmare and occasional chest X-rays because of the cheap tuberculin test used in the US. Pops positive very quickly if you ever had the BGC vaccine in early life. Interesting data point.

[OTRA15]

Good recent columns in Gene's paper FYI:

https://www.gjsentinel.com/opinion/columns/

"The (supply) chain of fools" by Greg Walcher is a good read IMO. [scroll down that page]

Looking forward to your next column, Gene.

Peter

[Gene]

The BCG vaccine, like any vaccine, would take a while to cause the creation of antibodies, but you would still be ahead of the game since it could stimulate antibodies before the disease stimulates them unless you didn't get the vaccine until the disease was well along its progress. But it might bolster your immune system. I expect no one knows yet. I don't know how long it takes to be effective but flu vaccine takes about two weeks. I plan to leave a message for my doctor about it tomorrow. This seems a lot more promising than the anti-malaria drug.

The columnist mentioned above, Greg Walcher, is a Washington lobbyist for two firms. He owns an orchard in a town several miles east of Grand Junction, but I don't know if he actually lives here. His company is a shell so far as I can find out and not related to a real company located in Minnesota with the same name. Several weeks ago he claimed wolves spread coronavirus. The truth is that coronaviruses are common and there is a version for canines. There is no proof that it can be caught by humans. I find his writing so tedious I rarely read his columns as they are basically: regulation bad, government bad, get rid of all of it.

I understand masks are now seen in lots of cities, but I don't know about here since we haven't gone into the city since last Tuesday. Our county has been slow in people socially distancing, wearing masks or stopping much driving. Local leadership is weak on this (and everything else) and information is hard to come by. While it is nice to get out, once we get there, it is about avoiding people, wiping things down, using uncomfortable masks, being anxious. Maybe we will go walk on some of the BLM trails nearby soon, or even on our property, but the treadmill downstairs is easier to use.

[rmkrum]

FYI: Riverside County California, where we live, has made face covers in public mandatory. Was even mentioned on the evening news on ABC.

My veterinarian son has pointed out that cats and dogs have their own viruses but they do not spread to humans. Their fur, however, easily could pick up viruses from infected people. No petting by strangers, period. I’m glad our pups are professional couch potatoes...

Stay safe out there.





At least I have a pack of four good buddies to stay with me and DW while my badly broken ankle heals up. Only downside is that it’s hard to clear them off so I can get up.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

My veterinarian son has pointed out that cats and dogs have their own viruses but they do not spread to humans. Their fur, however, easily could pick up viruses from infected people. No petting by strangers, period. I’m glad our pups are professional couch potatoes...

I have been mentioning this to people for weeks--you can pick up the virus organism (?) from your pet's coat--and everyone has pooh-poohed the idea. Having caught a rip-roaring case of poison ivy from my dog's coat many years ago, I knew we could pick up this miserable virus the same way. My Doberman is a beautiful, dignified specimen of the breed (I'm really NOT prejudiced! ), and passersby--if they don't cross the street to avoid passing by him--always want to pet him, in which I have always indulged them, but now I do not. I'm so glad to have my non-scientific assessment verified by your DVM son, and find my precautions justified.

Last week I posted that I was good for supplies for weeks, but today found that I needed fresh veggies and fruit to avoid scurvy so went out to Fred Meyers at 7 AM, the hour for us oldies. I wore a mask (N100) and so did almost everyone else, I was glad to see, although there were not that many shoppers at all. While there was no hand sanitizer on the shelves, Clorox wipes were available, and TP, and plenty of fresh produce, but no ordinary eggs. So maybe the first panic-buying has subsided? Hope so...

Streets were almost empty. And this is a small city (50,000?) where we have only one confirmed case of COVID in town, and only 4 here in the Southeastern part of the state, so people seem to be taking the precautions seriously. I hope this means that we might have smoothed the curve sufficiently to not overwhelm our one not-so-large hospital when the inevitable happens. Or maybe there might be a vaccine available by the time it hits us hard? I live in hope. And I hope that this morning's purchases will last for another 3-4 weeks. I go out only to walk my boy, and speak only with neighbors/walk acquaintances and only from the 6' distance, so we are all educated in safe behaviors, we just have to observe them.

Good luck all, and stay home unless going out for food!

Vivian

[Landshark]

rmkrum,

Your couch potatoes are really cute! I almost regret my house rule of no dogs on furniture, but if he were on the couch, there would be no room for me, I'm afraid.

Vivian

[Gene]

The Bronx Zoo reported a tiger had Covid-19 and other big cats were sick too. Viruses can jump between species, but which ones is the question. The theory is this disease came from bats. Just because big cats can get it, that doesn’t mean house cats can. A new disease has lots and lots of questions.

Whether the virus can survive on fur is unanswered, but I think the virus would break up fairly fast. The actual particle is not that strong and survives best on hard surfaces. A moving surface would likely break it apart after a while. Outside the virus is less likely to survive too because of wind, sun, rain and movement stressing the particle. That’s not to say not to be careful, but some risks are less dangerous than others.

We eat a lot of fresh veggies and fruit, so we have to go to the store weekly, but our habits are to go several times a week, so adjustments have to be made in long term habits. In a pinch, canned stuff can substitute, but tastes canned. Don’t want scurvy or ricketts.

[Foiled Again]

Frozen veggies taste better than canned. I use Walmart pickup service, and got makings for spaghetti sauce but (blush) did not focus on can size. 6.3 pounds of tomatoes! Lucky I have a surplus of vacuum bags and a cabana with it's own refrigerator!
You are smart if you know a tomato is really a fruit, not a vegetable. You are REALLY smart if you don't put one in a fruit salad[emoji14]

[rmkrum]

Vivian,

We cover all our furniture with dog-resistant throws. Interestingly they actually stay off the furniture and bed in the Airstream for the most part. They seem to think of it as a big shiny doghouse.

They are all smallish dogs. The white ones are Maltese mix of some sort, about 12 pounds each. We have a 12 pound mostly black ‘stealth’ Pomeranian Chihuahua mix and a much bigger Tibetan Terrier at 26 pounds. Fortunately that one prefers to either sleep on a different couch or the arm of the chair. If he decides to need lap time it’s a struggle for the owner of the lap. Fortunately he only needs that for 20-30 minutes or so every few days.

They are all rescues with their own sad stories, but are great companions.