Thank you kindly for your support. A number of my friends/neighbors think I am being too cautious (and I live in Manhattan, which was originally the epicenter of the virus in America) but I don't care -- this virus is too deadly to play around with. So happy that your family has not contracted the virus although what a pain this is for your family everytime your young child gets sick (and at that age they constantly do). Regarding colleges, even touching the banisters on stairways or faucets in shared bathrooms or inhaling aerosoled steamy air from showers could lead to potential transmission never mind simply walking down shared hallways or dining halls. Also, in classrooms, is one supposed to participate in class with a mask on? Will the professor lecture with/without a mask on? I can see a million points of vulnerability for all concerned. I understand that money makes the world go round and keeps institutions standing...but try seeing a young child have a stroke because of this...personally I couldn't live with myself if I put my child in such danger when it could have been avoided...Since your child is in primary school, are there any remote options for you such as home schooling?
The situation in Arizona is heartbreaking. I think of all of you and send prayers, prayers, prayers. But the nay sayers...aaaarggghhhhh!
Bernie Sanders once suggested a terrific idea to make Capitalism work for the masses and for social good: Take a small piece of every stock & bond transaction on the Exchanges (like $1-2.00 per trade -- no one would care about that small amount) and direct that daily monetary flow toward Social Security, funding Higher Education, Universal Healthcare, etc. This would represent an enormous amount of daily monetary infusion into selected social programs since the Exchanges make millions of trades each and every day. The American Stock Exchange is rallying now which only benefits the wealthy despite Main Street's economic devastation. There is a major disconnect here. Some of our more progressive Candidates (like Bernie) see the potential to make our dynamic Capitalist infrastructure work for everyone. Capitalism needs to evolve to a higher place. The Exchanges are our "work horses" -- make them work to benefit everyone.
.You can't distinguish a cold from the Coronavirus in the early stages (wring hands)
Such a simple but extremely important reminder. As we head into flu and cold season I cannot even begin to imagine the sress that will be faced by teachers and parents.
Even preschools here in Oregon have rules about sending children to school with a fever. But working parents keep rationalizing "it's just a cold ". Now, even a fever might not be a viable defining factor since so many have not experienced one before testing positive.
Here, in the U.S. where cases are skyrocketing again, choices and decisions made by all will affect the very survival of many of us in the months (even years) ahead.
Stay safe, stay healthy, stay as sane as you can everyone! We can get through this but we have to stay really, really smart and really, really careful ?
@isabelle I agree with that thought process and I know that although kids will be in campus not everything will be in class. What’s the point? Unfortunately both my kids have chosen majors that require them to participate in person. Currently my daughter has incomplete because she (and all of her classmates) haven’t completed clinical. They didn’t apply her scholarship because of the incomplete grade. That can be fixed but my kids health may not be. My heart is sick because we’ve been so careful. We live in NJ and people are out and about, way too close. They do wear masks but not at the shore. I don’t understand. Virus lives there too. I just pray and look around and shake my head. People feel entitled. They want it to be over. Not realistic or wise. I just hope and pray I’ve taught my kids well. I believe they have a healthy respect for what is happening to all people of all ages. I told them they need to watch out for themselves and act with caution. It’s much like relearning how to live in a new way. Sending prayers and light to all who are responsible for setting policy in schools, work and government. Peace ☮️
They plan to "pause shielding" in UK. Personally I have very bad feelings about it. Especially since people now started to act as if Corona has passed.
I'm in Oregon and have never seen or even heard this in the news or from others.
Considering that school is months away and no decisions have been decided here officially I am wondering if your friend lives in the parts of our states that never saw COVID-19 and if college might be one of our many outlying community colleges or extensions. Many areas are almost COVID free.
But again, no decisions have been made officially. As parents we can react and even instantly overreact to almost everything that affects our children even when we don't have the facts yet.
I am so sorry. I cannot even begin to imagine how you are getting through this. In Oregon we went up to almost 200 cases a day.
Living in these challenging times is so far beyond even the word "challenging". Decisions now affect so much more than anyone who still scoffs at the science and the facts and the sheer absurdity of politics over plain old common sense.
Bernie Sanders once suggested a terrific idea to make Capitalism work for the masses and for social good: Take a small piece of every stock & bond transaction on the Exchanges (like $1-2.00 per trade -- no one would care about that small amount) and direct that daily monetary flow toward Social Security, funding Higher Education, Universal Healthcare, etc. This would represent an enormous amount of daily monetary infusion into selected social programs since the Exchanges make millions of trades each and every day. The American Stock Exchange is rallying now which only benefits the wealthy despite Main Street's economic devastation. There is a major disconnect here. Some of our more progressive Candidates (like Bernie) see the potential to make our dynamic Capitalist infrastructure work for everyone. Capitalism needs to evolve to a higher place. The Exchanges are our "work horses" -- make them work to benefit everyone.
A great idea. And you would think that 1-2 dollars would not be so difficult to part with. But greed knows no bounds.
Greed is an addiction to keeping it all for yourself. The most powerful dark influencers in the world make more money in an hour than most make in a year. Yet they continue to cling to every penny. They live in the Fourth Circle of hell, well described by Dante in The Inferno. While Dante had them suffering for their sins after they died, they are suffering for their cruelties while living.
Here, in the U.S. where cases are skyrocketing again, choices and decisions made by all will affect the very survival of many of us in the months (even years) ahead.
I think you've hit upon what COVID-19 is about and the lessons it holds for humanity, Michele. Yes, every one of our decisions, among both Americans and non-Americans, has bearing on how COVID-19 plays out. But it's not just the novel coronavirus we have to deal with. There's the biospheric crisis, which encompasses global warming, mass species extinction, soil erosion, peak phosphate, you name it, all at the expense of individual human self-interest. Every single one of our private decisions - what materials we hoard in our homes; what we eat; where we go on vacation; even our own private thoughts - will effect the global picture. So electing progressive politicians is all fine and well, but we're really not going to mend the earth unless Every. Single. One of us takes a hard look at our personal lives, acknowledges the ripples we create on a daily basis, and takes action to make those ripples gentler.
Your description of dark influencers matches exactly what a wetiko spirit is. As you probably know, wetiko isn't born from thin air, and it won't go away because a superhero decided to swoop in to the rescue. As I illustrated in my response to Michele, we can start eradicating wetiko by taking a hard look at our own psyches, owning up to our shadows, and transmuting the darkness into light. I like this formula because it allows for individual agency, as opposed to waiting on a savior politician. After all, the Windigo-in-Chief styled himself as a savior who would solve all of our problems if we just voted for him. That rhetorical blueprint came from just about all of the preceding heads of governments in modern democracies, which is why I think our conception of leadership has to change (but that's a topic for later).
@coyote and @michele-b
Totally agree! I had the same thought. As Jeanne and others have said as well, this is a dry-run or small-scale example of what we will have to deal with in the future as climate change effects continue, etc. It is a huge, hard test about how each of us and our actions affect everyone around us and around the globe. Rather frightening, but at the same time, an incredible opportunity for real change.
Mine is going into senior year at college as a theater/music major. She has been home with my ex for months now. She finished her junior year online. I have no clue how they finish her studies this year. Choirs aren't safe, singing not safe in groups. I have no doubt they will do all they can to minimize any risk.
Her school has had no cases and she feels safe. I feel like her college has been really on top of things. I would love to wait for her to get the vaccine, but I also recognize that here in PA. we have flattened the curve and I am not feeling fearful. May I have no reason to, may my precious darling girl stay healthy and keep growing, going forward.
My mom is in a retirement home and they too are on top of things. Only 4 cases, two staff, two residents. Residents went to hospital and recovered. They had a special place set up for the returning residents to continue to quarantine after returning. No cases for several weeks now. I chose wisely getting my mom placed there. We are all grateful she is getting so much help, as her dementia deepens.
NYC is on track to start phase three of reopening on July 6.
https://abc7ny.com/coronavirus-live-updates-covid-quarantine-nyc-layoffs-reopen-new-york/6266892/
Living in a world filled with Covid-19 is stressful. We are entering the 4th month of navigating through the hazardous waters here in the US. Longer for our friends in other counties.
For me, the stress is getting worse because I feel the weight of each decision I make alone and each decision my family makes together. ( I must say it is nice to make group decisions and be united in our choices. It makes us stronger as a family).
Small decisions. Who goes to the grocery store to get food? The person going is now at risk for getting the virus but we are all living together so perhaps that risk is truly shared. If my back is sore, do I risk going to the Chiropractor? We all navigate through the small choices we must make, what I am saying isn't new to anyone.
Large decisions. How do we move my daughter from AZ to Texas safely to help her start her new job? Once we get to Texas, how do we safely get her "must have supplies" like cleaning products? Texas is now "pausing" their re-opening. What will that mean for her now? We only have so much room in our cars for her things. Normally I would say lets buy many needed items once we get there but cleaning supplies are hard to find. How do you plan that move to be safe? We must stay at a hotel on the way there and once we arrive. How long do we stay? Do we take our dog with us or have someone watch him back home? What if that person becomes sick while watching our dog? What happens if we get sick away from home?
2 nights ago a covid-19 website which measures covid related trends estimated that 70% of the population in the country in which I live will have/had the virus in 30 days, July 23. That was whether we removed all restrictions or kept what we had. It was the same number. Now the projections are a bit different. In 30 days, now July 26th, it is still estimated that 70% will end up with the virus if restrictions are removed but only 54% if they remain.
54% is simply shockingly high. I can't even imagine 70%.
Oh wait. They just revised the stats. It is now 55%. ( It changes). Anyway. Our county is expecting (best case scenario right now, 7,000 cumulative deaths By July 26th. Worst is 9,000.
(Taking an deep breath and breathing.)
I check 3-4 of the statistics sites every day. The one from IHME has the projections of cases, hospitalizations, deaths, ICU beds/ventilators that will be needed.
California's curve was pretty flattened til this week. It is now starting to go back up. No surprise.
About 5 miles from my house, a gal I'll call Dumbass Amber went into a Starbucks unmasked. She went off on the young baristas who refused to serve her and posted it all on social media. Social media's response: to set up a GoFundMe for the barista who took the most heat, and he now has a nest egg of $25k and counting. People doubt me when I say that people here are not complying, this is just one example, but I see it all the time.
Maskless Dumbass at Starbucks
And not entirely surprising that research shows that people who are non-compliant with civil regulations for mask wearing and social distancing, etc., have "antagonistic personality traits that indicate psychopathology":
Psychopathic Traits Linked to Non-Compliance
I've said this many times before, but I'm sick and tired of the psychopaths of the world running the show and getting their way at every turn (Dumbass Amber was not arrested, fined or even warned, for example, yeah she didn't get her coffee but that's not the point). So exhausted...
On a brighter note, I had to go to the dentist yesterday for routine cleaning/check. I'm way overdue (> 9 months) and was to the point of worrying about how that might impact my health, so I called and asked some questions, they seemed to have good protocols in place. So I went and I have to say: A+++. They were wonderful - 1 person at a time in the waiting room, checked my temp AND my oxygen sat level. The hygienist was literally wiping with a Clorox wipe in one hand and spraying Lysol with the other, I said to her "I should marry you! You're doing this exactly as I do!" Then she put on head to toe PPE, double gloved and then introduced me to a new contraption - it's a soft plastic mouthguard that attaches to the suction. It was uncomfortable, but not terrible, and she gave me breaks, and it's only fair that there's something new to protect the hygienists from saliva spray. At the end, I got escorted out a different door. I never saw another patient. They emailed my receipt.
For those who are wondering about whether or not to go to routine medical or dental appointments, call ahead and ask. As you all know, I've encountered quite the range - from yesterday's excellence to an M.D. touching my face with no gloves and only wearing a bandanna as a mask.
@lovendures. Thanks for the link. Great information. I understand your Covid stress. I am feeling it especially tonight. My son has been allowed to see friends in our yard outside. We let them play ping pong and have a bonfire. One of them drives and wanted to take them all up to Wendy’s . Every other kid was going - no masks. We said no. Now my son hates me for not allowing him to go. I wouldn’t have wanted him to go even without Covid. He’s 15 and lonely.
For those who are wondering about whether or not to go to routine medical or dental appointments, call ahead and ask. As you all know, I've encountered quite the range - from yesterday's excellence to an M.D. touching my face with no gloves and only wearing a bandanna as a mask.
I have a health condition that makes regular oral hygiene really important, and I also couldn't put off my dental appointment any longer either. My hygienist was also in head-to-toe PPE, face mask, and double surgical masks. No machine cleaning (so all by hand) and no polishing i.e.g nothing that would spray anything into the air.
I couldn't understand anything she was saying (something about all the cupcakes she had been baking while staying at home), but otherwise, it was fine, and probably the best that could be done.
(As an aside, I've really asked people, "Why are all these protesters yelling about hair cuts and restaurants? Don't any of them need to go the dentist?")
A couple of weeks ago, I started getting the same sense that I had had in March ("Time to stock up and get ready if you have to hunker in place again"), so the dental visit was part of that. I've also been to the bank, gotten my apartment deep cleaned (I know and trust my cleaner so let her in while I worked outside on the patio), and will be hitting Costco again tomorrow.
I'd rather be safe (with a few extra months worth of beans and chicken stock) than sorry...
Same here - I reorganized our grocery/necessities supplies and converted a spare closet into a pantry, and I keep shopping to replace what we use as we use it. My husband thought we could start using the supplies to back down to where we were in February, but I said "NOPE" and put my foot down on that.
And aside from medical and dental stuff, I really don't leave the house at all anymore, and when I go to these appointments, that are all within 1/2 mile and that I used to walk to, I drive. I live 50 yards from our biggest supermarket (Vons) and I even drive there.
I can really relate to what you have written. I know I have mentioned this many times before. My youngest is a senior this year in college and we really don't know how this will translate for her as she is a music major. She is supposed to have some of her courses on line except some which can't be online. That would include ensembles. Some ensembles should be ok in person like a percussion ensemble. You can wear a mask. But a band or orchestra ensemble???? I don't see how that will work. Her college has instituted a masks required when on campus rule, even for the parking lot. So, again, that is great but what about music majors and theatre kids?
Lovendures, my daughter is a rising sophomore performance major at a well-known music school--out of state for us--and I'm very worried about exactly this. She plays the flute, which is the *worst* instrument in terms of air flow going into the room and all over--what about her private lessons? What about orchestra? My own orchestra doesn't even know how we're going to do concerts in the fall so it's no wonder that we haven't heard from the university. We don't feel she can take a gap year because it's all about the private lesson professor and you don't just drop in and drop out of a studio.
I hope things go well for your daughter; I'm sure she has a senior recital in the mix as well. It's a hard time to be a musician.
Maybe since group orchestra isn't an option next semester or two, it's a good opportunity to take some classes in another area instead, and develop another skill