So far I haven’t done anything different. Looking at the next few weeks, I’ll probably be spending more time at home…not because I’m “sheltering in place”, but because all of the events that I was planning to attend are looking like they are going to be cancelled/postponed.
We made sure our wreck of a pantry was cleaned up and decently stocked. I volunteer with the Scouts, and all that stuff has been cancelled.
Washing hands a lot more diligently, I’ll be bringing my work computer home every night from now until who knows when just in case I’m told to work from home.
I’m less concerned about illness and death than I am dealing with the restrictions that may be needed to reduce the spread of the disease.
I am already immunocompromised from chemo, and always carry around a couple of the good surgical masks they gave me at my oncologists office, nitrile gloves and the small pack of chlorox wipes, and some standard wet ones wipes - effectively what I have been carrying around the entire time. Well, I always had the gloves in my car to use when I filled up to keep gas off my hands from the pump handles, but you get the idea. I also know how to properly use the masks, and to glove/deglove and wash my hands.
We normally have a good non-perishables pantry [comes from good midwestern farm girl mothers for both mrAru and I =)] and we have a large chest freezer and a smaller chest freezer [we got the second one as a present from a friend we helped move with the loan of our 15 foot box truck] so we are well stocked up on freezer goods as well. The only thing I would end up having to do is switch from coffee to tea [lack of fresh dairy shrug I like both equally. The Crio Bru is good with or without cream in it, but that is an evening treat for me]
In all honesty since mrAru retired to start the gradual move to Nevada, we don’t have a lot of contact with people other than my medical appointments, weekly grocery shopping and if he runs into anybody at the storage locker place. I do sort of have to be concerned because of the immune issue, but we are more or less sheltering in place as it is. Not much would actually have to change, we could live happily for 2 weeks even if we lost internet =)
Not much will change for us. I’m retired and social distance is a personal hobby, so my days won’t change at all. Just camping, boating, fishing, etc. by myself as I prefer it.
My wife is still working and she’s cancelled and/or refused unnecessary* meetings for the near future. She admits she wanted to do that all along and Covid is making it more convenient.
Regarding mandated isolation – we’re fairly serious about preparedness, so quarantine orders wouldn’t faze us much. No issues income-wise, and plenty of necessities stored up, so we can hunker down for quite a while. Since the boat’s moored nearby, we could still hit the water and enjoy afternoons fishing, etc. while maintaining social distance. We also like to do a little off-roading in that 4WD, so that could probably continue as well.
Long term? I think the Covid virus is going to be “part of us” for the foreseeable future, so I’m not fretting much about it. Eventually I’ll get it, and most likely get over it. My guess is it will die down after a few months, but stay in the human population and be unavoidable. If it follows the path of most other viruses, it should become less nasty over time, and in a few years we won’t even worry about it.
*Pretty much all of them.
Here’s the thing: I actually had a huge amount of travel planned between now and mid-July. Some domestic, some international. All of that is up in the air, if not completely canceled now.
Also, I have tickets to hockey games and concerts, some or all of which might be canceled now.
Also, my son’s school might close any day now, and then I’ll really be doing something different from my normal routine every day.
Semi-retired or ‘work from home’ to extent I do, wife likewise. Here in inner NY area traveling on public transport to work everyday is a pretty big exposure to other people if you do it no matter what else you avoid. And we may be exposed if our kids, who commute daily, get it. They are young and healthy but we’re in the transition zone to real threat, early 60’s, generally healthy but I do already have a tendency to get respiratory things that stick with me awhile, so a bit worrisome.
Anyway we’re doing the basics, more hand washing, try not to touch face (hard for me because I also have chronic sinus issues). Gym 2 days a week rather than 4, just for weights and abs, cardio by steep uphill walking especially now that the weather is better. We planned to possibly go on a European river cruise with my cousins, we turned it down based in part on this, some of them still plan to go as of now though older than we are. We might postpone our long road trip this spring (we did transcontinental ones last couple of years). We try to do less price comparison (really partly recreational) shopping and just find the stuff we need in one place in larger quantity at a time. Or get it online.
Although there could already be people I encounter who have this and don’t know it (again inner NY area in NJ, there have been confirmed cases single digit miles away) it’s not that likely yet. Once and if there are a significant number of cases right in town I think it will only be natural to reassess, like whether to go to stores at all or just rely on delivery, whether to go to the gym at all, whether it’s wise for our sons to come over every weekend after a week of commuting to the City.
I work in a hospital so, yep, hand washing.
I have tickets to “Dear Evan Hanson” in a few weeks; I’m a-feared it will be cancelled.
That’s about it. Working from home is not an option. I’m still going to the gym. Going out to dine this weekend.
mmm
I’m 74 with diabetes, kidney disease and a history of heart disease. So if I get it I’m a dead man walking.
I already work at home, and I’m not going out except for food, medicine or doctor’s appointments. I’m stocking up on food and meds and yes, water and toilet paper. Cat food too.
My greatest worry is my husband. He works in import/export, so normally travels a lot internationally. He’s stopped traveling altogether to certain countries, and plans to shut down his business and stay home for the duration. He’s a lot younger and healthier than I am, so if he gets it, no big deal. Except if he gives it to me.
More hand washing and using sanitizer, which is everywhere where I work. Handshakes are almost over, now seems to be a 50/50 mix of not touching upon greeting or doing an elbow bump. People coming in for meetings are asked if they have traveled recently, have any symptoms, and told to use the sanitizer at the reception desk.
I have a feeling work is going to close pretty soon, but not sure for how long. Teleworking would be the direction, but in my line of business, it’s going to be a pretty big limitation on what work can be done. I’m guessing this may last for two weeks, maybe even more. Hard to tell.
I’m supposed to have a meeting tomorrow with a Federal agency that has implemented a rule about attendees sitting six feet apart. I’m betting it may be cancelled, otherwise it will be a very strange event, as there’s supposed to be quite a few attendees including senior officials and not sure how we would all fit in the same room.
And oh yeah, supposed to do a long weekend in New York in April. I booked a fully refundable room.
I’m washing my hands more. I used the sanitizing wipes provided by the store to wipe the handle of the shopping cart.
Damned if I can stop touching my face though. I’ve tried, but I still catch myself too late.
I was originally thinking of doing a Bahamas cruise in April, now most likely won’t.
Not a thing.
It’s crossed borders, oceans, and appeared in cities and even less-populated areas. Aside from shutting everything down and enforcing a curfew/quarantine it will end up where I am, even more likely because where I live is a major crossroads for truck traffic and shipping, and I will be exposed to it eventually. What happens after that is out of my hands.
With that in mind, why sweat it? I have responsibilities, and the bank doesn’t care if I’m sick on the due date. I’ll worry about what happens later when it happens.
Much the same as we’re tired and re-tired. With most of our medical issues handled, we’ve less reason to venture out involuntarily. We’ve a long RV excursion roughly planned but it can wait. With good weather, we’ll likely camp in nearby forests. We wash hands often and avoid coughers and sneezers. No big lifestyle changes.
nm
Not go to Italy.
Wow. I think we all have a social responsibility to take the most basic of precautions, presence of pandemic or not.
mmm
Nothing, really.
Pretty much everything we’re being advised to do are things I was doing already.
[ul]
[li]I don’t really ever hang out in public places anymore. [/li][li]I don’t go to bars or clubs or sporting events or anywhere besides work and home, really. [/li][li]Travel is sparse. [/li][li]I wash my hands literally every time I walk past a sink as a matter of general policy. [/li][li]Ever since seeing that Mythbusters sneezing episode years ago I always cough and sneeze into my elbow. [/li][li]If I go to a store, I go during the day on a weekday, just because that’s always the least busy time for most stores and it’s easier shopping. [/li][li]My work is fairly independent and solitary; the vast majority of my work communication is accomplished via email. I try not to speak a complete sentence to anyone in person throughout my work day, and most days I succeed.[/li][/ul]
Aside from that, the person I am in contact most, my wife, is currently not working and just hangs out around the house with the cats all day. I’m still in my early 40s and “healthy like horse” to quote my doctor (he’s a good doctor, but his English isn’t great ;)).
I already avoid others as much as possible. I guess I’ll start sending them insults too.
Not THERE’S an approach I can get behind! 
Because if you don’t, it spreads faster. Faster spread means hospitals get overwhelmed and can’t treat everybody who needs treatment, which means more people die.
We’re not trying to stop this pandemic, we’re just trying to slow it down so we can cope.