Greetings from quaranteen. I was swabbed and tested and cleared, virus free. Now I wait while they figure some stuff out. The hospital in general is dim and quiet and like a ghost town. Even so, the porters won’t even try a wheelie in the hall. Maybe cash bribes?
Capacity in nursing homes seems to be opening up pretty rapidly.
Thats interesting because our local county virus web page just today added in a new category where they show the cases and death rates at various county nursing homes. You can fine it HERE and its the fifth category over of “Long Term Care Facility Summary”
I took my glasses off and put them into the pocket of my jacket, because they fog up when I wear a face mask. I was in a supermarket. I bent over to pick up something from the shelves and my glasses broke in my pocket. They were expensive glasses and now I can’t see any crap.
Yeah, I’m wearing my contacts a lot more than before because of that.
Four weeks ago I was fired because of my age. Then they rehired me because recruiting my replacement was impossible. I was elated to get a one-year contract. Now they just gave me a statement that the can terminate my employment with no notice because of the current unusual circumstances.
Of course they could always fire anyone at any time. Making me sign a statement to that effect makes me sad.
But as I pointed out previously, I cannot even complain given all the real horror in the world.
One of the benefits of being the old fart that I am is that my eyeballs have changed in some way that gives me much better distance vision than I had in the past, but still the same good close vision (can read or use the computer without glasses). It’s common as one gets older, according to my doctor. So I spend a lot of time without glasses now, and except for driving, I can shop without them and leave them in the car. I can’t legally drive without glasses and I respect that, as my visual acuity without them, while much improved, is far from 20/20.
BTW, looks like my hand sanitizer order, now out of stock, has been shipped by courier from a domestic source and should be here soon. Masks on their way via slow boat from China and should be here someday, depending on the trade winds and ocean currents. Both now have tracking numbers. I am more hopeful.
I’m old, have COPD, and Hypertension. So, I am nine times more likely to die if I get Covid-19 than a twenty year old, with no health issues. I get a lot of offers from my younger friends, relatives, and even just well intentioned folks I don’t actually know to do things to help me stay safe at home.
I will not let a twenty year old take a 0.5 percent chance of dying at twenty to reduce my 4.5 percent chance of dying at 73.
But the real facts are that I know and understand more about infectious disease prevention than most twenty somethings. Since the end of January I have been out in public (with a three material full face mask, and a plastic face shield, and gloves) twice. I scrupulously stayed 6 feet from everyone else with masks and gloves, and twenty or so feet from those without. I touched only those things I actually needed to touch, and changed my gloves before removing my mask. I didn’t bring the bags that the delivered supplies were left in into my house. I sprayed the plastic face shield with lysol, and left it in the sun. I discarded the mask, and gloves in those left over bags when I was ready to come in.
The “risk factors” that multiply my chance of fatal outcome do not increase my chance of actually contracting the disease. Thirty five years of working in health care are a bigger factor.
The Chinese take out near me had been closed for a month just reopened. Someone told me the grocery store now has food out (fried chicken already prepared and other similar items)
They’ve tested everybody; she’s positive for the coronavirus. Asymptomatic so far, but she’s been moved to the local hospital.
If any 96 year old, 85-pound woman in the late stages of Alzheimer’s can repel this virus, it would be her. But realistically…
It’s not that her time hasn’t come. It’s that nobody who knows and loves her will be with her when she dies. 
Update: I have sent two messages through the official system to my health care provider since April 30th and have received no response. I am self-isolating like a MFer, and I really miss volunteering at the local food pantry, although, as short of breath and strength as I am at this time I really wouldn’t be much use. This sucks.
Just noticed the atrocious grammar. Apologies.
The question of whether the local Chinese takeout I had much praised was still open has now been answered. Used them tonight. They don’t appear too busy, unfortunately, but I was happy to give them my business and hope it helps to keep them afloat. Just had the world’s best Singaporian noodles and my guest had their specialty fried rice, General Tso chicken, and Chinese-style chicken wings. Their takeout containers are always absolutely overflowing and I think I have enough leftovers for a week!
They now prefer to take credit card numbers over the phone and I found out why. They don’t let anyone in the store, even for takeout. If you haven’t prepaid, they have a long stick about 6 ft long with the POS terminal attached to the end of it that they stick out the door for you to tap the credit card on. It looks kind of funny but I actually appreciate it as they’re less likely to get infected than places that are a lot more careless. In fact I congratulate them on their caution, as well as their excellent food.
Ah, the fresh air!
My trippy long hair!
So, a question for advice:
Suppose that one MUST get on a plane to visit someone…is it better to do so sooner or later? I would think that the sooner I do it, the fewer fellow passengers I would have, and hence the less virus-spread risk there would be, but it’s hard to guesstimate how many passengers will be on a plane.
How long a trip matters. You are not only sitting damn close to other people, you are breathing the exhalations of everyone on the plane because the air is recirculated.
If you’re visiting someone in Hawaii, you WILL have to self-quarantine for 14 days. They do check on this. They’ve been arresting and sending back people including one honeymoon couple from California who blatantly disregarded the quarantine instructions. Their hotel turned them in.
Minnesota is planning to resume elective surgeries, so perhaps in the next few weeks I’m going to get the deferred spine surgery I need.
I was affected by having to stay inside, by myself. No TV or anything. I started getting sucked in to conspiracy theories so, I apologize for some of my posts.
My doctor finally contacted me, and after I told her my symptoms she ordered me to stay isolated and scheduled a Covid-19 test for tomorrow at a mobile site.
I want to get so fucking plastered I don’t sober up until about fifteen minutes before I have to have that swab shoved up my nose.