I’m involved in a niche sport with a couple of different subfields (amateur strongman generally and grip sport specifically). The problem with grip guys is that there are literally dozens of us, so the few who are able to make money at it are still working the struggle. Strongman in general also breeds people who (sort of like homebrewers dream of opening a brewpub) start their own gyms and operate on razor-thin margins.
It seems to me that a lot of these guys - guys in New Jersey and Pennsylvania whose gyms and coaching revenues have been shut off by stay-at-home orders - form their scientific opinions based entirely on their pocketbooks. One guy who is exceedingly strong and a very nice guy has been sharing Plandemic nonsense, complaining about the “reversal” on whether masks are helpful, and promoting an alkaline diet to kill off the virus. He’s a really nice guy and runs a great competition but he isn’t a scientist or doctor, just a talented personal trainer.
Another friend of mine runs a strongman-focused gym in New Jersey and has been doing stuff like mailing his bills to the governor. He, too, believes the virus is no big deal (in fact, he was tested for antibodies because he felt run down for a few days and was pretty sure the cold he had was COVID-19) and is screaming that closing the gyms was unconstitutional. Again, nice guy but his opinions are based entirely on his revenue stream.
My wife had the virus in March and we had a couple of very scary weeks. She was never hospitalized, thank goodness, but she probably should have been. She’s mostly recovered but her heart and lungs are still showing some effects.
Ace309’s post reminded of a Facebook video I saw of a woman who tried opening up her restaurant/bar and was complaining the police shut her down. She was denying that the virus was not that serious and she wouldn’t make her staff wear masks.
The whole time I am thinking I would never eat at a restaurant this woman runs. If she doesn’t take Covid seriously how can I trust her that she take Salmonella, E. Coli, etc. safely? Why the hell would I want her cooking food for me? It’s a red flag to me that she doesn’t take food safety seriously. I am wrong in thinking this?
NC went to “Phase 2” yesterday, which means easing up on some of the restrictions; restaurants are allowed to have dining in with limited seating, hair salons are allowed to open with employees wearing masks and all equipment thoroughly cleaned between customers, etc. However, social distancing and wearing of masks are still required in stores. So of course when I was shopping this morning there were two guys shopping together while not wearing masks, making no effort to keep from blocking aisles and paying no attention to the glares from other customers.
I like how things work around here. Stores have someone watching specifically for masks as people enter. No mask, no entry. Argue and the police are called.
Two hair stylists at a Great Clips in Missouri worked while symptomatic and both tested positive for coronavirus. They potentially infected up to 140 people.
Un fuckin believable. This is why I will not be getting a haircut any time this year. If you feel sick, stay home, people.
They “worked while symptomatic” means they were coughing, right? If I were in a building right now, masked, and someone cleared their throat I’d likely head for the door.
Someone sat there while their hair stylist repeatedly coughed?
My brother-in-law. Just at the start of the pandemic, my sister was diagnosed with cancer. Needed immediate chemotherapy, and is looking at the possibility of amputation for her leg. My sister is confined to home, no visitors. She doesn’t drive and has been falling recently (weakness from chemo, maybe). Her husband keeps talking about inviting people to come live there, going for a couple weeks to visit a friend, going for the better part of a week to visit multiple relatives, etc. Planning to leave her home alone (no way to get out if she had to), then bringing back God knows what germs. He’s sure COVID is some big conspiracy, and things really aren’t that bad. And just because she has NO FREAKIN’ IMMUNE SYSTEM doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be getting out and about. For the record, he’s a lung cancer survivor with half a lung removed. One of my other sisters is inviting that sister to come stay with her and seek treatment from Mayo in AZ, since her cancer is very rare in adults. (Rhabdomyosarcoma)
While coughing is a very common symptom, not everyone with symptoms of COVID-19 has that particular one. Fever, chills, muscle pain and weakness, headache, and even diarrhea may be the only or primary symptoms, and they are far less obvious then coughing.
I tend to agree that seems odd. Perhaps they had enough symptoms to know they could be positive, but pretty mild - not actively coughing. If you’re getting close enough to people to cut their hair and you’re shedding virus, I doubt that you need to be coughing to infect them.
And this is why “stay home if you are sick” is not realistic advice. Headache? Mild runs? Being tired? Touch of a sore throat? I’d miss so much work. My students would miss so much school. Should people with hayfever just stay in for weeks? And those sorts of symptoms are so easily psychosomatic. If everyone is hyper paranoid about being sick, more of us will have those symptoms.
You just can’t keep everyone home if they are even slightly sick with basically any symptom of anything. I mean, maybe you can, but it will be about as disruptive as our current system.
Right now she’s being treated by Vanderbilt, which is a top cancer treatment center, but it’s so very rare a cancer, I’d like her at least to consult with mayo to see how many of these they’ve treated.
My friend in Oklahoma was in a store there yesterday, and the only one in the whole place wearing a mask. A man came up to her, grabbed her arm, and demanded to know why she was wearing a mask because “You don’t need one.” She was too shocked and taken aback to answer. Apparently wearing a mask makes you suspect as a liberal there–ironic, because she’s conservative (but hates Trump).
About 90% of the people at the grocery store today were wearing masks, as is usual here now. I was putting mine on in the parking lot when a (maskless) woman walking shook her head and scoffed. I called out, “Just being a good American, protecting my fellow Americans!” I doubt it changed her views.
Polarization. Some guy on the street the other day growled at me to get a mask, outdoors, plenty of room (and he could have made it more room by stepping off the curb if worried, I was at the inside edge of the sidewalk). NJ not OK. He was being a dick IMO (who I ignored which is my standard). At least a large minority of people here don’t wear them outside, they might not be good for you exercising hard unless pretty loose, and there’s no real evidence it helps anyone else, outside, if keeping your distance. I carry one with me in case I go in a store, where are 3 important, related, differences IMO:
a) it’s required by state order here indoors, it’s only ‘recommended’ locally outside.
b) because there’s some more reason to think it makes any difference indoors and therefore for both reasons
b) other customers and store staff would be more justified to feel uncomfortable if I didn’t than outside where they can just walk further away from me if they think there’s any real risk.
But it is a matter of degree, differences in risk which could be quite small in some cases so comes down to judgement calls, then people’s socio-political biases take over (‘you look like you’re one of those libruls, Fox News watchers etc.’)
I hope your sis can go to the Mayo Clinic. Fingers crossed.