(Not) Camping during Covid-19 season

[BayouBiker]

The WP could have been writing about this year's flu as every word written applies. The flu is deadly and dangerous, transmission grows exponentially etc.

The double standards and inconsistency in approach is telling. Does anybody think they are performing a public service and merely reporting facts?

there will come a day when the news cycle has run its course and people are no longer drawn to the sensationalist, when there is no more political capital to be had. Society will again move along coping with yet another in a long line of viral born illnesses, some more deadly than others, some targeting one group, another targeting another, a third not discriminating so much.

The key to effectively managing the onset of novel virus transmission is to have a strategy and plan and then follow it, while tuning out the Chicken Littles with their personal agendas. As it is now, our leaders are having to respond to the virus and a myriad of unnecessary panic born side effects and there seem to be people everywhere quite happy to fan the flames.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

I was just reading an article in the NYT about the NY attorney who has coronavirus.

He was in the hospital for four days diagnosed with pneumonia before he was found to have the virus...coming in contact with dozens of staff, visitors, family members, medical personnel, other patients, transferred to different rooms in the hospital and then by ambulance as his conditioned worsened to an ICU at a different hospital.

All before he was found to have the coronavirus and without being in isolation or anyone using protective gear.

3 of his family members now have the virus, along with the neighbor who drove him to the hospital.

Medical personnel who had contact with him are in quarantine, unable therefore to work and staff their hospital.

He’s 50 years old, in critical condition and on a ventilator.

This is just beginning.

Maggie

Let me say also that I thought the previous dog pile on Maggie was unfair.

And Maggie will confirm that the two of us disagree most of the time, regardless of the subject matter, and I'm not given to gratuitous bolstering of anyone.

There is zero doubt that there is media hysteria being generated about COVID-19, and misinformation being spread.

But there is also enough isolated and anecdotal data in the American context to suggest that we should handle this thing cautiously, especially given the number of unknowns.

#flattenthecurve is a trending hashtag. It needs to be. It's the mantra here. This idea comes from the CDC, not the Chinese.

And given that we are in the groove of flu comparisons, below this generic curve-flattening image, I've pasted a real-life estimated curve flattening example from the National Academy of Sciences.

[Lily&Me]

And then there was the town in England in the 1600’s that self isolated during a plague epidemic, preventing the spread of this deadly disease...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyam


They did what they could, and it was effective.

And thank you, IB, for your support and...as always...your facts.

Maggie

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by Alreddawg19

Here is a video to lighten the mood and help your hand washing

https://youtu.be/5jhwyAsZAvo

Anyone else notice this video was fron '2012 and produced in Washington State (ground zero of the current outbreak).

[ROBERT CROSS]

Best advice I've heard, if you feel sick, stay home until you feel better. If concerned call your doctor before doing/going anywhere.

Do NOT walk into the hospital with flu symptoms, and contaminate,(disable) all those you come in contact with should you test positive.

I have comprehensive government healthcare...VA advised the same. Call your Primary Care Team BEFORE just walking in to the hospital.
The VA will compensate any urgent care facility, if testing is authorized.

Bob
🇺🇸

[DMP]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Best advice I've heard, if you feel sick, stay home until you feel better. If concerned call your doctor before doing/going anywhere.

Do NOT walk into the hospital with flu symptoms, and contaminate,(disable) all those you come in contact with should you test positive.

I have comprehensive government healthcare...VA advised the same. Call your Primary Care Team BEFORE just walking in to the hospital.
The VA will compensate any urgent care facility, if testing is authorized.

Bob
🇺🇸

Amen! Thank you , Bob. Please everyone, let common sense reign. My husband and I are both in healthcare. If you have any of the symptoms of the virus (read them on the CDC website), do not call or walk into your doctor’s office or any acute care facility.They do NOT have tests there. Go to your health department and ask to be tested. Guess what for those of you fretting about the testing- the CDC didn’t HAVE a reliable test for this virus until a few weeks ago. So lets stop demanding things that are not even available.

Having been in the industry for over 35 years, I know the #1 prevention for infectious disease is handwashing. Frankly, I’m amazed that we have to tell people that, but just as I taught my children and am teaching my grandchildren too, I have taught my patients to wash their hands and keep their hands away from their face - regardless of their diagnosis at discharge from the hospital. Simple to do and most effective to protect ourselves.

And on the flu, well, I cannot work unless I’ve had the flu vaccine, no matter how efficacious it is that year. I want to protect you, my patient, from me as well as protect myself from you. Stay healthy friends, enjoy the road!

Now about bioweaponry....

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by DMP

Amen! Thank you , Bob. Please everyone, let common sense reign. My husband and I are both in healthcare. If you have any of the symptoms of the virus (read them on the CDC website), do not call or walk into your doctor’s office or any acute care facility.They do NOT have tests there. Go to your health department and ask to be tested. Guess what for those of you fretting about the testing- the CDC didn’t HAVE a reliable test for this virus until a few weeks ago. So lets stop demanding things that are not even available.

Having been in the industry for over 35 years, I know the #1 prevention for infectious disease is handwashing. Frankly, I’m amazed that we have to tell people that, but just as I taught my children and am teaching my grandchildren too, I have taught my patients to wash their hands and keep their hands away from their face - regardless of their diagnosis at discharge from the hospital. Simple to do and most effective to protect ourselves.

And on the flu, well, I cannot work unless I’ve had the flu vaccine, no matter how efficacious it is that year. I want to protect you, my patient, from me as well as protect myself from you. Stay healthy friends, enjoy the road!

Now about bioweaponry....

You are welcome...

Bob
🇺🇸

A conformation email I just received...

[Lily&Me]

This map from John Hopkins University updates confirmed coronavirus case numbers around the world in almost real time.

If it has been posted before, I apologize for the duplication.

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/a...23467b48e9ecf6

Maggie

[InterBlog]

I'm watching a live broadcast as Houston and Harris County (home to about 7 million people) are jointly shutting *EVERYTHING* down in the way of gatherings, effective tonight. They are canceling the remainder of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which is unprecedented for us.

The elected officials and the medical experts are channeling the main points made in this thread, including the best-available stats (as imperfect as they are). They are trying frantically to flatten the curve, end of story.

The economic impacts will be severe, but so will the health system impacts if appropriate steps are not taken.

[azflycaster]

This thread is open again. Many posts have been removed for various reason. Stay on topic, Airforums is not a place to express your political views.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by BayouBiker

What part of the human condition causes one to panic over 20 deaths in the US, 4,000 worldwide, but seemingly shrug over ~ 20,000 US deaths (so far) and ~500,000 worldwide? What makes people fear events that might not happen but not fear serious and certain events already playing out when they are direct analogs to each other? Is it rational to panic over such things? Is it rational to make predictions that contradict available facts based on a handful of cherry picked circumstances? Is it rational to claim nobody knows diddly and then turn right around and claim to know what is going to happen in the future?

Glad this was reopened. I’ve been wanting to add my $0.02 on this question...


I think a couple things.

First - we are wired to fill in the blanks. This is why transparency and factual information (not manipulated by marketing or politics) is critical. Absent specific, reliable information, we will fill in the blanks for ourselves. Fed misinformation (whether in good or bad faith) sends us in the wrong directions. Since a small fraction of the population has meaningful knowledge on the topic, we need to avail ourselves of those truly in the know and detune the noise from all other sources.

In fact, according to the Worldometer site mentioned earlier, at the time I’m writing this, there are 130,166 known cases (1,381 in the US), of which 4,754 have resulted in fatalities (38 in the US - nearly double the number since you quoted 20 - so certainly worth watching if it continues doubling weekly, no?).

Second - I don’t believe there is a need for panic. I believe - based on my non-expert understanding gleaned from actual experts - that things like cancelling sporting events, schools going virtual, and the basics like washing hands, not touching faces, changing our social interaction processes, etc., is about “flattening the curve” (mentioned earlier in this string) in an effort to prevent the virus from spreading to the point of taxing communities’ ability to respond.

It’s just smart precautions.

Disruptive? Sure.

Panic-driven? Not at all.

Keep calm, do what the scientists tell you to do.

We’ll figure it out.

Be well everyone!

[Janet H]

OK folks - let's get back to the original topic: are you going to be camping or have your plans changed because of C-19 concerns? If so, will how you travel or camp be changed?

[skyguyscott]

Well, I think many folks are going to seriously consider this a staycation year and opt for seeing the USA's smaller overlooked attractions rather than traveling abroad or going to wherever the crowds usually go.

A wonderful getaway to a remote BLM site with a few friends or family, exploring the quieter places sounds like a a great experience. Perhaps AS will end up selling even more campers this year.

If the RV industry is smart, they should subtly play up the "get-away-from-it-all" angle this year.

[Lily&Me]

Lily and I are currently in South Carolina, and I have noticed at the campground we’ve been for the last 12 or so days that people are all maintaining a safe distance from each other, and not reaching forward to shake hands when meeting.

Everyone is very aware, otherwise activities seem to be going on as usual.

I have planned since last year to take my grands in June to Glacier and back on the train.

Depending on what the coronavirus is doing by the middle of May, we may take the Interstate out instead.

Would need to stay in camping cabins or motels, but that plus the amenities of the Interstate would allow for more social distancing than the train.

We’ll see what another couple of months brings to all this.

Maggie

[FCloud9]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Great post [#74], thanks!

Peter

[emoji106]

[DMP]

Originally Posted by Janet H

OK folks - let's get back to the original topic: are you going to be camping or have your plans changed because of C-19 concerns? If so, will how you travel or camp be changed?

STAY HOME. There is nothing about this event to take lightly!

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Great post [#74], thanks!

Peter

Originally Posted by FCloud9

[emoji106]

Thanks for the thumbs-up. That post is now #69, for everyone's information.

Thanks again,

Peter

[Goin camping]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

This thread is open again. Many posts have been removed for various reason. Stay on topic, Airforums is not a place to express your political views.

Thank you Richard. I will try to behave.

Am I going camping? Sure am. Next week as a matter of fact.

We know little of this virus and from what we know I am at the top of the list for having a bad time of it. Old, on chemo and no immune system and my lungs are damaged.

What I won't be doing is camping in campgrounds. Since we live in the Mojave Desert I will be boondocking nowhere near anybody. Figure that is the safest way to camp. Also my favorite.

Be informed. Plan accordingly and get out and enjoy.

[OTRA15]

Well said.

We plan on going to one of our local [and rural] parks, as soon as we get the water on. That is a month or so away, and will depend on how this thing progresses. Daily awareness is vital!

Peter

[KelloggKid]

My wife and I are both in our 70's. I've had bronchitis more times than I can count, pneumonia twice and have COPD so from all I've read I'm considered high risk. I take this virus very seriously.

That said, it seems to me that I'll encounter far fewer people while camping than I would if I stayed home. Add in the lower fuel costs and the prospects of empty campsites and we are probably going to double the amount of camping we do this year.