Corona virus mania

[KenB259]

Well the mass hysteria has made it to mid-Michigan. Toilet paper is no where to be found along with hand sanitizer. The local grocery store is completely out of all meat, produce and bread. Why does everyone think only of theirselves and not worry that their neighbor that may be hungry but has no food because people are stockpiling more than they even need. Schools are shutting down entire towns and cities and the Secretary of State offices all closed as well. I hope this crisis is over soon.


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[WarEagle90]

Ken, its the same way here in the southeast. We had our first reported case today and everyone has gone nuts. Don't get me wrong, I think we all need to take this virus seriously, but do it with some common sense. We as a society make every event like this much worse when we panic. And what the heck is up with the run on toilet paper??? Do these folks usually only buy one roll at a time? That's one of those things that you should ALWAYS have 6 months to a years supply on hand, its cheap and doesn't go bad. Sorry for the rant, but when you run a 24/7/365 operation that cannot just shut down no matter the circumstances and all the panic is putting stress on the supply chain and employees, one needs to vent every now and then. Thanks for allowing me to do that. Now, back to our regularly scheduled program ......... oh, I forgot, that's been cancelled too.

 

[bsshog40]

Here in W. Tx also! I just don't understand the toilet paper rush. The covid-19 is a respiratory virus. What does that have to do with the lower half of your body. Lol The local markets here have now put up limitations on buying most of these products so there will be more for others. It's a shame that the media is what's putting most of these people in a frenzy. It needs to be taken seriously but there are limitations. The sky is not falling chicken little!! We have had more people already die of the flu than the corona virus in the last month! The CDC shows that there have been 22,000- 55,000 deaths from the flu in the period of Oct 2019 thru mar 7th 2020. I don't see anyone freaking out about that!!
CDC Flu Statistics

 

[Dalecamino]

LOL! I just saw on FB some genius posted... " Covid 19 discovered in toilet paper"

 

[jttheclockman]

I sure wish people here and everywhere else STOP comparing this with the flu. It is not the flu. When people are comparing numbers of this to the flu they are misleading. Look at the percentages not the total numbers because we do not know what that number is. We just started testing herein the USA. Flu is known and we know how to test for it or what to look for. This we do not. The more tests done that number will increase quickly. If this is not stopped we can surpass those numbers just like the stock market dipping. If you are taking it lightly you are a fool. If you gather where people are you are a candidate. If you stay holed up with your stash of guns then no worries. Oh yea how many people are killed with guns. Yea this is my rant. This will affect us all in some way or other. Not sure what we learned from the swine flu but just maybe that is why all the closures. Trying not to duplicate that virus. Be patient and be aware and practice good hygiene even when this is over and protect those neighbors that you talk about.

 

[bsshog40]

The virus has Flu-like symptoms! It is recognized by individuals has having flu like symptoms. The reason most people are freaking out is that the media doesn't report the many cases that have already passed thru people and they lived!! Everyone should take precautions for getting any kind of virus. But to try to believe that you have to stop your life and live in a cave is also very foolish!

 

[jttheclockman]

The virus has Flu-like symptoms! It is recognized by individuals has having flu like symptoms. The reason most people are freaking out is that the media doesn't report the many cases that have already passed thru people and they lived!! Everyone should take precautions for getting any kind of virus. But to try to believe that you have to stop your life and live in a cave is also very foolish!
View attachment 235026

Do as you wish DOCTOR Know it all We do not know who has had it or still has it. Cant you get that. They are not shutting down countries for nothing. You think they want to create hardship for so many and what this will cause to everyone's economy. Believe what you want and do not be a fool like that basketball player did.

 

[CREID]

LOL! I just saw on FB some genius posted... " Covid 19 discovered in toilet paper"

I seen that too.

 

[bsshog40]

Do as you wish DOCTOR Know it all We do not know who has had it or still has it. Cant you get that. They are not shutting down countries for nothing. You think they want to create hardship for so many and what this will cause to everyone's economy. Believe what you want and do not be a fool like that basketball player did.

No need to be rude!!!! We are adults and are allowed our life's decisions and opinions! I respect yours and hope you respect mine. There are other news networks out there that give more truth than what the big 3 would have a person believe.

 

[Dalecamino]

I'm not going to panic. And I could stand to lose a few pounds...even twenty. Wash my hands as often as possible, and use sanitizer. A guy named Joe claims 150 million people have been killed with guns. I doubt that's accurate. When 2A was written, we weren't being charged by Deer. John, they DO know how to test for this virus, and are actively doing so. Might switch over to FOX!

 

[dogcatcher]

The media reports fools buying all of the toilet paper, then the media gets blamed for the panic buying of toilet paper. What? The idiots and fools bought on their own ignorance.

 

[WarEagle90]

As I stated before, we all need to take this very serious, but in our modern society there is only so much we can do. We cannot simply tell everyone to stay home and shut everything down. Every time another business or school or government office shuts down, it has unintended consequences and no one is talking about that. There is a tipping point in which we will lose basic sanitation which is absolutely critical to maintaining healthy communities. Its easy to say "well, if everyone would just stay home for a few weeks". And that is exactly what the media is pushing, all of them. But who will provide police protection, fire protection or sewer service. What will we do when we can't provide drinking water to our hospitals and homes because the supply chain breaks down simply due to panic or our employees are having to stay home to attend to children due to school closures? Be diligent, don't travel unnecessarily, wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, clean hard surfaces often, follow the CDC guidelines, but please, please don't panic. Use a common sense approach and let's all work together to get through these hard times.

 

[frank123]

Fear driven people believe and do irrational things.

 

[leehljp]

The fear of the panic buyers caused me to check out an app on my smart phone: Sam's Club's "Scan&Go". I am a member of Sam's Club so all I had to do was check in with PW on my phone and go to Sams today and get some meds that I had just run out of.

I entered into Sams - the parking lot was full, so I suspected it would be a mad house inside. Sure enough it was a mad house with the main isles filled with people lined up to check out. All checkout lanes were open and checkout lines were about 75 feet or more.

I went down the isle next to the outside walls to the back, found a few things LOML wanted, went to the far side from the entrance, up the outside wall to the med section up front on the far wall from the entrance. I opened my Scan&Go app, scanned the 9 items (3 meds) on my phone, paid for it at that point and walked out (well, let the door checker scan the bar code on my phone's scan&go app. Everyone else waited about 20 to 30 minutes in the check out lines. I spent no time there. Love the scan & go feature! I missed the crowd altogether!

I'll never go through another checkout line there. Now, I am looking or an app like this for all of my shopping places!

 

[duncsuss]

Today my company announced our plan which takes immediate effect: anyone who can work from home will, and anyone who can work part of their job from home will. Fewer people in the plant means that those who must be present (because we are a manufacturing company) are less likely to come into contact with people who may be contagious. Everyone in the plant to keep their hands off other people's stuff (keyboards, mice, etc.) and to keep a six foot distance from each other.

People who contract covid-19 shed the virus into their exhaled breath and can infect others before they have symptoms themselves. By the time they are coughing, it's too late. The current thinking is that we will all get covid-19, the objective is to not all get it at once. A small percentage of people who get the disease will require intensive care, but if everyone gets sick at the same time that small percentage will be too much for the hospitals to handle. Flatten the curve, spread it out over a longer time period, and there's a chance that the health services will not be overloaded. (There's also the optimistic view that the extra time will give them an opportunity to increase their capacity to provide intensive care to critically ill patients.)

 

[TonyL]

One of the "sins" of all this...is that many people rather be "right" than know the truth. They will say they don't, but they do. I know because I used to be one of those folks and if I didn't call someone a name out loud, I did it under my breath. Yeah, I had some facts and may have even been right more times than not, but I sucked at communicating it.

As much good, as the media does or does not do, they always will be paid by the number of eyes balls watching them or mouse clicks. It doesn't mean they are wrong, but I need to be mindful of that. Doctors attended medical school, unfortunately, I only have one bio and one chemistry class under my belt. That should make doctors better equipped than me (and they are), but doesn't mean they know (in case of relatively new illness) or that they are willing to tell truth. Cr@9, doctor's used to smoke like chimneys!

When I hear , "Listen to me or your an idiot.", "I know more than you, so shut up stupid.", etc. - you lose me (my loss I guess). And it is too bad, because the manner in which something is delivered makes a difference and the real/best advice may get undermined, ignored, or fail to reach others because of its delivery. I wish the media, and others that are really trying to help folks would realize that.

Side story: Someone very close to me, does not want to vaccinate her kids (this is not whether or not vaccinations are good or bad, please wait until the end if you haven't nodded off by now ) Here's my point, my "close somebody" is telling all that you are killing your kids if you vaccinate them, you are stupid, you don't know what you are doing etc. (again, she may be right, I don't know). That was that was 2 months ago. The same person is now eagerly awaiting a vaccine for the corona virus to give herself and her 4 daughters (my grandnieces). We just don't know. In this case, no one is an expert nor is anyone a fool.

Stay safe my friends. I start a new job on the 23rd, my activity will be way down. I am not dead unless you read about it in the papers. Coincidentally, I am working for a Doctors' practice (women's' radiology stuff). Fortunately, I am in the corporate accounting office not among patients. I went into the office today to fill out the new employee documentation. I remember 3 bottles of hand sanitizer, but forgot my wallet with my driver's licence in it LOL.

Over a decade ago, when I decided to stop being such an idiot, I chose t live by this and it has served me well.

 

[TonyL]

Today my company announced our plan which takes immediate effect: anyone who can work from home will, and anyone who can work part of their job from home will. Fewer people in the plant means that those who must be present (because we are a manufacturing company) are less likely to come into contact with people who may be contagious. Everyone in the plant to keep their hands off other people's stuff (keyboards, mice, etc.) and to keep a six foot distance from each other.

People who contract covid-19 shed the virus into their exhaled breath and can infect others before they have symptoms themselves. By the time they are coughing, it's too late. The current thinking is that we will all get covid-19, the objective is to not all get it at once. A small percentage of people who get the disease will require intensive care, but if everyone gets sick at the same time that small percentage will be too much for the hospitals to handle. Flatten the curve, spread it out over a longer time period, and there's a chance that the health services will not be overloaded. (There's also the optimistic view that the extra time will give them an opportunity to increase their capacity to provide intensive care to critically ill patients.)

Thanks Duncan.

 

[jttheclockman]

Chuck yes they know how to but there seems to be various tests and which one is better who knows. Hopefully they all work. As I said maybe they are or did learn things from when the Swine flu went through and the trouble that caused. No one knows who has it or how many or how many will die and those numbers will be skewed until the year is up and who knows if next year there is a different outbreak. The virus is not new but the strain is and so far it looks like it is not an airborne thing and is a contact thing so somewhat easier to control. I believe everyday they are learning more. Just before I see on the news that there are doctors and techs working on a antibiotic shot designed just for the elderly being they seemed to be the most vulnerable. But again probably a year away. Need to be sure the shot is safe. Who knows if down the road this shows up in some way that has side effects in some other area of the body if you get it. We just do not know. But yes we need to heed the warnings and do our part to protect ourselves and family. Panic will get nowhere fast. But do not take it lightly. People walking around in hazmat suits is not for fun. Do as you wish but it is here and we need to deal with it.

 

[leehljp]

Peanut Butter is a very healthy food - for most people, but deadly for some; individual people are different; Meds that make most people drowsy, zings my middle daughter and myself up like a double dose of Red Bull; Meds that work for some, don't work for others.

On doctors: Doctors are human too. Some have personalities that memorize without fault what they have been taught and following prescribed lists of determining an illness cause, but are not good at analyzing or observing multiple causes; Some are excellent at analyzing, observing and discerning when a reaction is a combination of several things interacting.

No one thing is the best thing for everyone. Hopefully three different vaccines will help, and we hope the developers can figure out who does best with which kind.

 

[Dehn0045]

The lack of testing availability is central to the problem in the US. It is my opinion that the media did not cause the panic, but rather the uncertainty related to the lack of good information about where and how bad the problem actually is. Sun Tzu taught us about this in the 6th century BC, it's not a new concept, know your enemy. As of yesterday's published data the US completed about 17,000 tests with 2000 coming back positive. The vast majority of these tests completed in the last week, and mostly by public health labs and not the CDC. With a greater than 10% hit rate, it seems like there are probably a lot more cases out there that we are not seeing. We should have seen this coming 2-3 weeks ago (read about Dr. Helen Chu and the Seattle flu study, she deserves much appreciation from every American.), this was about the time that the public was being told by the highest officials in our government that the virus was contained and we would soon have 0 cases . Now we have 2000 with what seems to be a massive number of cases that we just aren't seeing. This is what caused the panic, not the media. Two weeks ago when I went to stock up on food and supplies, almost no one else was, the problem was contained, right?

The 2009 swine flu was a big deal. We are still dealing with it today, it is the "bad" flu or Influenza type A. It kills a lot of people. The best data available suggests that COVID-19 could be worse, much worse. There are lessons to be learned from prior pandemics and epidemics. But just because prior pandemics didn't seem that bad doesn't mean they couldn't have been much worse. I'll repeat a quote that I read today: Here is the thing to understand about flattening the curve. It only works if we take necessary measures before they seem necessary. And if it works, people will think we over-reacted. We have to be willing to look like we over-reacted.

It is my opinion that this is going to get worse, much worse. As bad as Italy's current situation? Maybe. Maybe worse. Hopefully not. We need to be prepared and know what to expect or there will be increasing panic every time something worse happens. For now I won't be "buying stocks". Maybe when the international public health crisis is resolved, maybe then I will buy some stocks. It is a long road ahead. It's going to be bad, don't panic.

 

[Dehn0045]

Additional note: according to all experts I have heard a vaccine is a minimum of about 18 months out. The thought of a vaccine soon is happy talk. Treatments will likely improve, which will help, but a vaccine won't happen any sooner.

 

[Dehn0045]

As I stated before, we all need to take this very serious, but in our modern society there is only so much we can do. We cannot simply tell everyone to stay home and shut everything down. Every time another business or school or government office shuts down, it has unintended consequences and no one is talking about that. There is a tipping point in which we will lose basic sanitation which is absolutely critical to maintaining healthy communities. Its easy to say "well, if everyone would just stay home for a few weeks". And that is exactly what the media is pushing, all of them. But who will provide police protection, fire protection or sewer service. What will we do when we can't provide drinking water to our hospitals and homes because the supply chain breaks down simply due to panic or our employees are having to stay home to attend to children due to school closures? Be diligent, don't travel unnecessarily, wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, clean hard surfaces often, follow the CDC guidelines, but please, please don't panic. Use a common sense approach and let's all work together to get through these hard times.

Well said. I think that once we have better eyes on the problem then things will open back up slowly. If we increase healthcare capacity then we will be able to treat those that hit hard and the rest will contribute to the eventual herd immunity. Great Britain seems to be taking the approach that getting people sick in the summer will be best, so then by the time seasonal flu rolls around they will be past the peak. This is their justification for keeping schools open and events happening. Seems like a risky move, but might be right.

 

[KenB259]

The fear of the panic buyers caused me to check out an app on my smart phone: Sam's Club's "Scan&Go". I am a member of Sam's Club so all I had to do was check in with PW on my phone and go to Sams today and get some meds that I had just run out of.

I entered into Sams - the parking lot was full, so I suspected it would be a mad house inside. Sure enough it was a mad house with the main isles filled with people lined up to check out. All checkout lanes were open and checkout lines were about 75 feet or more.

I went down the isle next to the outside walls to the back, found a few things LOML wanted, went to the far side from the entrance, up the outside wall to the med section up front on the far wall from the entrance. I opened my Scan&Go app, scanned the 9 items (3 meds) on my phone, paid for it at that point and walked out (well, let the door checker scan the bar code on my phone's scan&go app. Everyone else waited about 20 to 30 minutes in the check out lines. I spent no time there. Love the scan & go feature! I missed the crowd altogether!

I'll never go through another checkout line there. Now, I am looking or an app like this for all of my shopping places!

My wife and I absolutely love that app. We are also Sam's members and we have been using it for quite awhile. The Meijer stores here in Michigan have a similar app and we had that as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app

 

[Mortalis]

Before we all start panicking and building our end of the world shelters, please become more educated by uses the professional sources and not just the media. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a website with all the current up to date information.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

WHO is continuously monitoring and responding to this pandemic. This questions and answers page will be updated as more is known about COVID-19, how it spreads and how it is affecting people worldwide. For more information, regularly check the WHO coronavirus pages. https://www.who.int/covid-19

www.who.int

Coronavirus is not something new. It is around us all the time. There are strains that are obviously undiscovered until they manifest themselves and most of those are due to animal to human interaction.
The chances of an alert and preventive minded person to contract Covid-19 are low. Please read from the above linked info page from WHO how the virus is transmitted and how to help prevent contraction.

Please just be safe and aware.

 

[Cwalker935]

I have mixed feelings about all the Corona Virus situation. On one hand, many people are over reacting by hoarding basic goods that we all need. We do lose many people to the flu and the flu is so contagious that it cannot be contained. On the other hand Covid19 seems to be a particularly nasty bug for at risk people. There is a limited supply of test kits and there is a danger of it becoming more widespread before we get our testing ramped up to where it needs to be. As such there is a need to take prudent action. Given the uncertainties, I think some overreaction by our officials is better than an under reaction.

 

[TonyL]

One of the things I do when I meet someone is say, "Out of respect for your health, I am not going to shake your hand." It seems to put the other party at ease. To be honest, my friends, used to call me "Felix" (Unger, not The Cat) - I am not a germaphobe, but I have been grabbing bathroom doorknobs with paper towels for 40 years. I was a hospice volunteer and much of what I was trained to do when serving hospice patients is what I have been doing for decades. I played baseball in HS and college (I was a pitcher), so I used to spit, scratch, touch rubbed - up balls (baseballs ) with the best of them. However, when not on the field, I practiced the above. Funny stuff.

 

[jttheclockman]

The lack of testing availability is central to the problem in the US. It is my opinion that the media did not cause the panic, but rather the uncertainty related to the lack of good information about where and how bad the problem actually is. Sun Tzu taught us about this in the 6th century BC, it's not a new concept, know your enemy. As of yesterday's published data the US completed about 17,000 tests with 2000 coming back positive. The vast majority of these tests completed in the last week, and mostly by public health labs and not the CDC. With a greater than 10% hit rate, it seems like there are probably a lot more cases out there that we are not seeing. We should have seen this coming 2-3 weeks ago (read about Dr. Helen Chu and the Seattle flu study, she deserves much appreciation from every American.), this was about the time that the public was being told by the highest officials in our government that the virus was contained and we would soon have 0 cases . Now we have 2000 with what seems to be a massive number of cases that we just aren't seeing. This is what caused the panic, not the media. Two weeks ago when I went to stock up on food and supplies, almost no one else was, the problem was contained, right?

The 2009 swine flu was a big deal. We are still dealing with it today, it is the "bad" flu or Influenza type A. It kills a lot of people. The best data available suggests that COVID-19 could be worse, much worse. There are lessons to be learned from prior pandemics and epidemics. But just because prior pandemics didn't seem that bad doesn't mean they couldn't have been much worse. I'll repeat a quote that I read today: Here is the thing to understand about flattening the curve. It only works if we take necessary measures before they seem necessary. And if it works, people will think we over-reacted. We have to be willing to look like we over-reacted.

It is my opinion that this is going to get worse, much worse. As bad as Italy's current situation? Maybe. Maybe worse. Hopefully not. We need to be prepared and know what to expect or there will be increasing panic every time something worse happens. For now I won't be "buying stocks". Maybe when the international public health crisis is resolved, maybe then I will buy some stocks. It is a long road ahead. It's going to be bad, don't panic.

Well put Sam.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I'm not going to panic over the virus... I am in the at risk age group, but healthy.... my wife is also in the at risk age group, with one or two of the under lying conditions (diabetic, heart problems, etc.)... we are using common sense as you would with any other problem... we wash our hands often, stay close to home, don't travel, etc... we've not stocked up on TP yet, though.

We do need to make a trip to grocers this weekend to stock up on a few staples...we normally only shop once a month and it's approaching that time of the month... after that, just going to stay home and play in the shop.

 

[greenacres2]

Like so many other times, keeping a level head and positive attitude are the roots of peace and civility. From that starting point, challenges are faced with a much better perspective. At 64 with a 15 year history of taking an injectable specialty drug (immuno-suppressant for rheumatoid arthritis)--i'm in the at risk population for almost everything except winning the lotto!! But--my life is good, and i'll make a few pens this weekend. Maybe even a bowl...or a bottle stopper.

Positive note for me is that i'm eligible for 32 personal days off/year. I usually reserve about 10 of those for "just in case" in the 4th quarter, and routinely leave 6-8 days on the table (salaried, so there is no carry forward to the next year). Got a message this morning that our company is adding 10 days to everyone's balance this year--preferably to be used for sick time, but not actually restricted. With only 63 employees, that is a huge investment on the part of our owners--and especially generous for the 7 or 8 people who are in their first year and only eligible for 5-8 PTO days. Since my function is really a grind in the 4th quarter--i'll probably leave most of those extra days unused (i hope!!), but am really grateful to see our young staff being well cared for.

Keep a clear head, clean hands, and warm heart--and wait for the 401(k) balance to come back up a little, and all will be well!!
earl

 

[studioseven]

Don't forget Y2K.

Seven

 

[WriteON]

Hoarding. People are animals. Period. As for heeding warning...I'll heed. It's like the hurricane evacuation when people comply and are pissed off they did so and there was no storm. I'll go with the warning. As for the toilet paper I'm speechless. But I'm resourceful. I have a case of blue paper shop towels haha. Regardless. Be safe be cool. Easy does it. Let's call it a slight inconvenience.... hopefully that's all it is. As bad as we might end up...others will be worse off.... but we'll have the nicest pen collection in the poor house.

 

[Bob in SF]

Like all makers of good cheer, I always try to look and act (cautiously) on the bright side.

Today's shop goal is to create a 6" wide finely honed skew to turn toilet paper out of carefully selected germ-free logs.

The real turning challenge is plush 2 ply.

Enjoy your family and shop time.

- Bob

 

[nobdyspecial]

Just a hypothesis here:
What is the impact of the words we choose when communicating about this issue? especially the word "panic".

Panic is caused by fear, either of the known or unknown. We panic and rush to some action without taking the time to think things through calmly and rationally. Yet much of the criticism I'm seeing of "Panic" seem to advocate a naive position, as if the opposite of panic action is simply no action at al; a denial of the situation we face.

The world is in a real emergency situation that is getting worse by the day. That's not panic, that's fact.
How we respond to that fact will dictate how we act.
I would encourage everyone to stay informed, calm, and then make rational decisions that acknowledge the seriousness of situation.
Don't panic, but be prepared.

JMHO

 

[Curly]

Cotton wood is just the thing Bob and here is the machine you want.

 

[Bob in SF]

Curly - Perfect - many thanks - I'll run 2 of them in parallel for 2 ply - cotton wood is a charmin suggestion.

 

[greenacres2]

Curly - Perfect - many thanks - I'll run 2 of them in parallel for 2 ply - cotton wood is a charmin suggestion.

I'd like two rolls, bookmatched if you please Bob. Thanks so much!!
earl

 

[Curly]

You could use Walnut and the Cotton wood for a segmented look. Remember to add some Aloe Vera to the glue. Be kind to your nether regions.

 

[bsshog40]

I guess the virus doesn't panic me as much as others as we have our own crisis in W. Tx. Oil prices have dropped drastically and that is affecting more people here than the virus is. Oil rigs are laying down, companies stopping production and lots of people are getting laid off already. We have no cases of the virus in this area, so the predominate crisis here is people losing jobs and homes.

 

[jimmyz]

Well, Jeff wanted to get some long conversations this weekend for testing a new upgrade. Guess he got it!

As for me, this virus is a good excuse to go down to my shop and make something! Hope you all do the same. Stay safe and keep those great-looking pens coming. I need ideas.

 

[Charlie_W]

Like all makers of good cheer, I always try to look and act (cautiously) on the bright side.

Today's shop goal is to create a 6" wide finely honed skew to turn toilet paper out of carefully selected germ-free logs.

The real turning challenge is plush 2 ply.

Enjoy your family and shop time.

- Bob

Thanks Bob!!! That gave us both a laugh!!
Take care