- 11,906
- Marin County
I bought so much TP back in March that I think I honestly still have enough to last until next March.
I am part of the problem.
I am part of the problem.
COVID-19/Coronavirus Information and Support Thread (see OP for useful links)
- Thread starter baldgye
- 13,285 comments
- 647,119 views
- 4,559
- Minnesota
- TJ136
So our governor put new restrictions in place and saying we cannot gather outside of one household, meaning thanksgiving is cancelled but we can all go to Walmart
Lots are saying that was a bad move saying that.
Also saying that it won't work and that the measures put into place are not going to work because it's cold and people are inside now.
Yet so far no mention of the "flu" either, and it's about the time we're hearing about it.
So I guess it's lets have Thanksgiving at Walmart this year.
Lots are saying that was a bad move saying that.
Also saying that it won't work and that the measures put into place are not going to work because it's cold and people are inside now.
Yet so far no mention of the "flu" either, and it's about the time we're hearing about it.
So I guess it's lets have Thanksgiving at Walmart this year.
- 2,216
- Isle of Wight, UK
While I was in the Netherlands pre-lockdown I had an internal challenge going - could I live for six months independently without *ever* purchasing toilet paper?
I'm a ruthless and committed experimenter so by the time Coronavirus started to make global chatter (ahhh, better times) I was about 4 months into this experiment and doing well.
Students would vastly overpurchase and there was always a spare roll knocking around somewhere and if that failed, the shopping center were very generous with their stock. 4 months had gone by, including a week on graph paper (be very careful) as I stubbornly waited for someone else to buy some and a cold kept me from nicking any from the mall.
When the covid panic shopping started I was laughing - people were buying more toilet paper than I'd *stolen* in half a year and filling their carts with it.
I couldn't think of a less essential item. Pushed into a panic, the one luxury people choose to preserve is... Wiping their arse? After more than a few encounters with the graph paper I'd learned - in a pinch, you can clean yourself, if you have half a brain, you will find a way.
Meanwhile the shelves were still abundant with tinned and preserved foods. Quite why people think they will need to wipe their arse when they starve to death I'm not sure.
TL;Dr? Toilet paper is a luxury not a necessity and I have the data to prove it.
I'm a ruthless and committed experimenter so by the time Coronavirus started to make global chatter (ahhh, better times) I was about 4 months into this experiment and doing well.
Students would vastly overpurchase and there was always a spare roll knocking around somewhere and if that failed, the shopping center were very generous with their stock. 4 months had gone by, including a week on graph paper (be very careful) as I stubbornly waited for someone else to buy some and a cold kept me from nicking any from the mall.
When the covid panic shopping started I was laughing - people were buying more toilet paper than I'd *stolen* in half a year and filling their carts with it.
I couldn't think of a less essential item. Pushed into a panic, the one luxury people choose to preserve is... Wiping their arse? After more than a few encounters with the graph paper I'd learned - in a pinch, you can clean yourself, if you have half a brain, you will find a way.
Meanwhile the shelves were still abundant with tinned and preserved foods. Quite why people think they will need to wipe their arse when they starve to death I'm not sure.
TL;Dr? Toilet paper is a luxury not a necessity and I have the data to prove it.
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- 24,002
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
- 13,909
- Adelaide
- Neomone
It's worked in Australia. We've just been through winter. And yeah, you can separate people into smaller groups and limit contact by defining households, but those households still have to eat. My understanding is that a lot of people buy their food from Walmart, is your suggestion that those people just shouldn't eat? I mean, most Americans are generously proportioned and could maybe do with missing a meal or two, but no food at all seems a little harsh.
- 24,002
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
- 4,559
- Minnesota
- TJ136
- 29,372
- Glasgow
- GTP_Mars
The rationale/justification seems to be that businesses should have clear guidelines and restrictions imposed on people who enter, so people can't just do whatever they like, whereas at home it is more likely that some people will not self-impose restrictions and/or won't abide by suggested guidelines as much (or at all)...
It is annoying though, because at least at home you have full control over who is there and you can determine your own household rules, whereas in shops etc., there will always be some people who either cannot (rare) or will not (common) follow the guidelines.
But I guess it also comes down to other factors, such as the length of time you spend in each environment. While you could spend weeks on end with family cooped up in the same small rooms, you are likely only going to spend up to an hour in a shop, and maybe a couple of hours in a restaurant or other social environment - and that may not happen every day.
Household mixing probably poses a greater risk because of time, proximity and lower PPE use because people 'feel' safer while at home with close friends or family. Sadly, when the prevalence of the virus is relatively high, this is a bad mixture that is likely to result in more transmission.
- 4,559
- Minnesota
- TJ136
Here, there is no "limit" on stores, as they say it's not a justifiable defense to limit.
Which again makes no sense.
Even though other places have to have less than 50%.
It's just like we can shop where ever with who ever at any time yet we cannot visit parents due to the risk being much greater than being in a store that has no limit? (And yes I do get that stores can act on it by themselves)
- 29,372
- Glasgow
- GTP_Mars
Yeh, that makes little to no sense.
Shops here have limits, and most have security on the door to stop people entering over a certain limit.
I laughed yesterday, though, when I went to buy a pair of jeans at lunchtime, and there was a sign saying that the shop's capacity was 127 people.
127?? It was a fairly big shop, but still... that's ridiculous. My lab is about a quarter of the size of that shop and our capacity is 9 people.
-
It all comes back to individuals making sensible decisions on top of what regulations and guidelines there are.
Right now, it's a good idea to shop alone, to limit all social contact to the bare minimum (which for me is absolutely zero in person contact outside of work
), limit contact inside work to an absolute minimum too (and for me, that also means working alone virtually all day ), keeping > 2 metres away from others as much as possible, avoiding being in the same place indoors with other people for longer than absolutely necessary, and wearing a mask when in the company of others at all times, unless sitting outdoors or in a very well ventilated indoor space.Even with all the guidance and laws in Scotland right now, though, I could (if I chose to) do virtually none of that... and I'm sure some people do.
On Saturday, the main street in my part of town was mobbed - and a newly opened fish and chip restaurant was packed, with precious little social distancing by the looks of it - and no face masks (since it was a restaurant). I could go there for lunch with my elderly parents every day if we wanted to, but it is a spectacularly bad idea.... which made me feel bad for the people I could see in there, who seemed blissfully unaware of the fact that a nice weekend lunch treat in a COVID hotspot is not very clever.
Joey D
Premium
- 47,512
- Lakes of the North, MI
- GTP_Joey
- GTP Joey
Looks like the Oxford vaccine is showing promising results.
Covid: Oxford vaccine shows 'encouraging' immune response in older adults
Also, the vaccine is apparently a Chad:
Covid: Oxford vaccine shows 'encouraging' immune response in older adults
Also, the vaccine is apparently a Chad:
- 4,559
- Minnesota
- TJ136
Yeh, that makes little to no sense.
Shops here have limits, and most have security on the door to stop people entering over a certain limit.
I laughed yesterday, though, when I went to buy a pair of jeans at lunchtime, and there was a sign saying that the shop's capacity was 127 people.
127?? It was a fairly big shop, but still... that's ridiculous. My lab is about a quarter of the size of that shop and our capacity is 9 people.
-
It all comes back to individuals making sensible decisions on top of what regulations and guidelines there are.
Right now, it's a good idea to shop alone, to limit all social contact to the bare minimum (which for me is absolutely zero in person contact outside of work
Even with all the guidance and laws in Scotland right now, though, I could (if I chose to) do virtually none of that... and I'm sure some people do.
On Saturday, the main street in my part of town was mobbed - and a newly opened fish and chip restaurant was packed, with precious little social distancing by the looks of it - and no face masks (since it was a restaurant). I could go there for lunch with my elderly parents every day if we wanted to, but it is a spectacularly bad idea.... which made me feel bad for the people I could see in there, who seemed blissfully unaware of the fact that a nice weekend lunch treat in a COVID hotspot is not very clever.
Since March until recent, stores here were limited to 50%.
Now it's like who cares we're not in there long enough to make a issue.
Now it's like close these things down, open more of that.
So I guess I will just have a night in.
- 2,977
- Columbus, Ohio
Please don't come to Ohio. It's not looking too great here.
For reference, here's what it looked like at the start of October:
For reference, here's what it looked like at the start of October:
- 20,991
- NJ/USA
- Blitzbay
- Blitzbay
I've been to a Jewish prayer for a congregation maybe 6 times total since March. The ones I went to at my own synagogue I felt less comfortable at because more than 1 person walked into the area not wearing a mask.
I've been to grocery stores almost weekly and while supply levels have fluctuated, the same people can't be trusted to follow protocol (myself included in terms of one way aisles, although I try to make sure nobody is in the aisle if I go the wrong way). People can't be bothered to cover their nose with their masks or stay at a proper distance. A vaccine might be on the way, but people are so selfish and deluded by incompetent leadership to think about a collective good.
Danoff
Premium
- 34,044
- Mile High City
Please don't come to Ohio. It's not looking too great here.
For reference, here's what it looked like at the start of October:
That red "O" in the Ohio logo there would look good as a covid ball.
- 24,638
- Anoka, MN
I’m not arguing that people aren’t being selfish jackasses, merely that it seems odd to complain that you can't do something that isn't essential but can still do something that very much is. You need to eat to survive, you don't need to go to family or religious gatherings.
And yet, they still seem to be a Covid hotbed while I really couldn't find much in the way of outbreaks tied to grocery stores, just a bunch of articles saying there is a risk of getting it there and how they can't keep shelves stocked.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/us/coronavirus-churches-outbreaks.html
https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article244755952.html
https://wchstv.com/news/local/jackson-county-church-outbreak-reported-after-revival
I'd imagine the difference is with social gatherings you're standing around talking, whereas with stores your actual face to face contact is minimal, reducing the amount of time potentially exposed.
McLaren
Premium
- 45,620
- Texas
Not sure I understand this take. Yeah, no one's limited the amount of people into a store, but most people don't walk into a store expecting to be packed like sardines; most people keep their distance from each other, virus or no virus.
Meanwhile, the entire purpose of church is to congregate as many people together.
FPV MIC
Premium
- 4,328
- Australia
- GT-MIC
And as quick as we were put into lockdown we will be released from lockdown, effective tomorrow at11.59pm, with exercise allowed immediately (🤬 they're quick, this information has just been released and joggers are already out 
).
All because of one 🤬 🤬 piece of 🤬 lying!!!
Marshall says one close contact “deliberately misled” the state’s contact tracing team.
“We now know that they lied,” he said.
A worker at the Stamford medi-hotel, who was feared to have contracted the virus after ordering a pizza from Woodville Pizza Bar, was actually an employee there.
This makes them a close contact another medi-hotel worker at Peppers whose second job was also at the pizza bar.
The revelation has significantly abated fears that the virus had spread rampantly throughout the community.
Marshall says health authorities remain extremely concerned about the cluster and need to find and isolate a whole new group of possible contacts.
“I will not let the conduct of one individual keep these restrictions in place,” he said.
“The selfish actions of this individual have affected families, businesses and social groups and are completely and utterly unacceptable.”
SA Health will be throwing significant resources into contact tracing the contacts of the Woodville Pizza Bar case as they are forced to “start from scratch”.
https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/heal...rday-with-zero-new-cases-identified-c-1616975
Edit: It also seems we're far from out of the woods yet:
).All because of one 🤬 🤬 piece of 🤬 lying!!!
Marshall says one close contact “deliberately misled” the state’s contact tracing team.
“We now know that they lied,” he said.
A worker at the Stamford medi-hotel, who was feared to have contracted the virus after ordering a pizza from Woodville Pizza Bar, was actually an employee there.
This makes them a close contact another medi-hotel worker at Peppers whose second job was also at the pizza bar.
The revelation has significantly abated fears that the virus had spread rampantly throughout the community.
Marshall says health authorities remain extremely concerned about the cluster and need to find and isolate a whole new group of possible contacts.
“I will not let the conduct of one individual keep these restrictions in place,” he said.
“The selfish actions of this individual have affected families, businesses and social groups and are completely and utterly unacceptable.”
SA Health will be throwing significant resources into contact tracing the contacts of the Woodville Pizza Bar case as they are forced to “start from scratch”.
https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/heal...rday-with-zero-new-cases-identified-c-1616975
Edit: It also seems we're far from out of the woods yet:
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- 29,372
- Glasgow
- GTP_Mars
My old boss is furious at the shops being closed in Scotland from 6pm tonight... he thinks that it is pointless and will only cause a surge in people going shopping between the point where it was announced (on Tuesday) and put into effect (6pm tonight), and also guarantee busier shops when the restrictions are lifted, which is scheduled for exactly two weeks before Xmas. He has a point... these restrictions will probably cause more people to try going to shops at the same time, resulting in queues and more frustration, which in turn will lead to more shop workers being verbally and physically abused... this latter part is an utter disgrace, but it is already a massive problem. Perhaps a better way would be to keep shops open but to arrange more specific opening hours for different groups.
As per usual, though, it is the minority of idiots who are ruining it for everyone else. If everyone who can wear a mask did wear a mask, and social distancing was adhered to, and shop workers did not face disgusting abuse, threats and even assault for daring to keep other customers safe, then there would be no need for shop closures... but alas, this is not the case.
As per usual, though, it is the minority of idiots who are ruining it for everyone else. If everyone who can wear a mask did wear a mask, and social distancing was adhered to, and shop workers did not face disgusting abuse, threats and even assault for daring to keep other customers safe, then there would be no need for shop closures... but alas, this is not the case.
- 4,039
- Derbyshire, UK
- DG Silva
After spending many years working in different types of shops and retail environments, as well as customer support, I can assure you that nothing will stop an pr.... person suffering from an over-inflated ego that they are right to treat shop workers worse than the scrapings of the bottom of their shoes. The biggest problem is a lack of empathy from people who have never been in the same position, and who are under the misguided and often mis-quoted idea that 'the customer is always right' - because often, they're not.
A lot of issues stem from a lack of understanding from the individual that circumstances beyond the control of the individual, or the company, have led to the position they're in. Items which have been misused will always fail, that doesn't mean that it's faulty. 10 people queueing in a shop that is only allocated 4 members of staff will lead to delays.
There will always be other people who want the same item as you want so stock will run out. Manufacturing around the world has ground to a halt, especially for non-essential items, so retailers can only get what they do. Coronavirus has been going on for so long now that it seems to be in the background, the majority of consumers simply fail to understand that manufacturing and processing factories are still closed as a result, and supply issues still exist.
Considering we spent weeks clapping and banging saucepans on a Thursday in support for the NHS and other 'key workers' (who, in the UK at least, basically seems to be anyone with a job), there is an awful lot of people who have no compassion or understanding for, or even simply care about, anyone else than themselves.
- 35,429
- Downtown North Dakota
- Cy-Fi
You can tell things are getting worse here as more people are getting tested.
Two weeks ago, the testing line took me 5 minutes to get through.
Last week, it was 20 minutes.
Yesterday, about 75 minutes.
Testing will be closed next Thursday for Thanksgiving so I'll be back in on December 2nd or 3rd.
Two weeks ago, the testing line took me 5 minutes to get through.
Last week, it was 20 minutes.
Yesterday, about 75 minutes.
Testing will be closed next Thursday for Thanksgiving so I'll be back in on December 2nd or 3rd.
Joey D
Premium
- 47,512
- Lakes of the North, MI
- GTP_Joey
- GTP Joey
One thing I think people are failing to realize is that despite the calls for more testing, there's a finite resource. At my hospital, we have enough tests, but we don't have the staff to actually perform the tests. Since diverting more people to the hospital to take care of already sick people, we're down to only have the capacity to test between 1,500-2,000 people per day and those appointments are filled almost instantly. The labs are working around the clock too. I'm surprised you're actually able to get tested weekly like this, but it's nice to see that in NoDak you're still able to do this to help keep you and your family safe-ish.
Thankfully, if I need to be tested I just go to employee health, but for a vast majority of people, they don't have this luxury (who would though being tested for COVID in a timely manner would be a luxury?).
- 35,429
- Downtown North Dakota
- Cy-Fi
The state has stopped contact tracing because they can't keep up but I haven't heard anything about not keeping up with the tests. For the Thursday and Sunday testing on campus, there have been about 1,500 or so each week. Results have been showing up late Saturday to sometime Sunday.
My wife probably could, too, but is "letting" me do it instead.
- 30,003
- a baby, candy, it's like taking.
- TexRex72
Speaking of testing capacity, my daughter was concerned she might be experiencing symptoms and got tested last Friday (test came back negative; just getting that out of the way) after deciding Thursday to [except for getting tested] self-quarantine for two weeks. They told her that because it was late in the day, she likely wouldn't get results until Tuesday. She got them yesterday.
killerjimbag
(Banned)
- 4,018
- The Great White North
- abetterplaya
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