COVID-19/corona virus mega thread/prepping thread

[RocketMan]

We need to split off in to tribes.
On one side of the island, The howler monkeys of doom. On the other side of the island, The Chip Diller fan club.
 

I had to look up Chip Diller, having forgotten about him.   

[MillCreek]

Governor Inslee of Washington state is having a press conference at 1730 today.  There is much conjecture that he may order a state-wide lockdown.  We will see.

[JN01]

At the WH press conference today, one of the reporters, rather than following her colleagues and asking the same question in a slightly different way for the seventeenth time, asked (paraphrase) “If you want to go back to business as usual in a couple weeks, why do we need a two trillion dollar stimulus package?”

[AZRedhawk44]

The Madness of Crowds. Hysteria in the Age of the Internet. Or like some guy (and I wish I knew who) once said,
"occasionally, entire societies go batshit crazy".  

 ^^ That is the charitable view.  aka accidental hysteria. The other one is we are being played deliberately.

 We are treating a hangnail with a chainsaw, destroying lives and jobs and social structures and most likely all our civil liberties,
 enabling and cheering on vast government expansions of power, for a virus. A virus with a minuscule mortality rate.


Our ancestors survived polio, smallpox, scarlet fever and a host of other ills without antibiotics or anesthesia,  and I suspect would be sickened to their core over how a bunch moderns willingly give up the country they built with their efforts.


 "A Republic, if you can keep it."

I don't see anything wrong with slowing business down, keeping supply chains afloat and food growing, but just coasting through a highly communicable disease like this, to slow its spread.

Nothing in the response plan that anyone is publicly selling involves giving up a country or embracing Socialism.

There's some aholes over in Mordor on the Potomac that have a bullshit 1800 page bill full of pork and fluff and transgendered unicorn aborshins.  Probably some gun control and 4A/5A/10A (hell, probably 3A too) breaches.  And there isn't a single sane regular old human being that thinks such a response is responsible in a situation where public discourse is effectively impossible and the "Democracy" or "Republic" or whatever form of representation we have going on here is broken due to curfews and quasi-martial-law.  

I'm glad humanity is past a place where doctors stuff leather masks full of posies and think that'll protect them from vapors that cause illness, and everyone else goes about their business with fatalism.  Those guys handled the Black Plague the best they could.  We've got our own to deal with.  One hopes we can do better.

I hope in 200 years, humanity looks at our doctors and scoffs at their barbarous "treatments" in light of the new revelations discovered in the intervening time.

Our current state of science demonstrates that reducing human intercourse can dramatically slow transmission of this disease.  And that treatment capability of our medical system is insufficient for a free for all outbreak.  Maybe in the future there will be a better mechanism to deal with such a thing.  But embracing social norms of 100-year gone societies that had so much wrong to them from a health perspective is no way to combat this disease.

[sumpnz]

Governor Inslee of Washington state is having a press conference at 1730 today.  There is much conjecture that he may order a state-wide lockdown.  We will see.

PACCAR is stopping truck and engine production, worldwide, for 2 weeks.  All other functions will continue to operate, from home if possible.  If Inslee does issue a lockdown it's uncertain what will happen at my location.  We were told that if we have to miss work as a result that we can use sick leave first, then floating holidays, then vacation time.

[Ron]

While I'm in the howler monkeys of doom category, precautionary principle, abundance of caution etc. I'm very much listening to the other "side".

This whole thing is weird, doesn't add up and has so many inconsistentcies that I'm open to other explanations.

Meanwhile... Stay safe

[Ben]

So, apparently based on a 2007 law, Nevada gun shops stay open as an essential business. Good for them.

https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/guns-and-ammunition-sellers-allowed-to-operate-exempted-in-law-from-nonessential-business-shutdown

[MillCreek]

Washington state is now under a mandatory 'stay at home' order for at least the next two weeks. You can go grocery shopping, pick up prescriptions and go to medical appointments. All non-essential businesses are closed.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/inslee-to-hold-televised-address-monday-evening-to-announce-enhanced-strategies-on-covid-19/

ETA: list of essential business in Washington.  Firearms not on the list.

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6817885-FINAL-WA-Essential-Critical-Infrastructure.html?fbclid=IwAR1wZPS2ZJY5lrNfoHEL49nXVr5xmkS2EwdSIjRol5GRp0wHnGPbcgw_YJM

[French G.]

I made a trip south this weekend to Castle Key's place. I left Seren there.

My daycare options for her are getting more limited quickly.

Not sure what would happen if a shelter in place order is given -- my job is considered essential to national security and I could be designated as essential. That would leave me in a serious bind if I were still required to work but couldn't get care for Seren.

So, as much as I hated to do it, Seren's now on vacation.

I’m sure she is loving it. Sounds terrible but having buried two dogs since Christmas Eve I am relieved that I do not currently have to take care of another living thing. My chickens can go two weeks on extra food and bugs. I’m makes get home  or not decisions less dire.

[Andiron]

I’m sure she is loving it. Sounds terrible but having buried two dogs since Christmas Eve I am relieved that I do not currently have to take care of another living thing. My chickens can go two weeks on extra food and bugs. I’m makes he hurt me or not decisions less dire.

That's *expletive deleted*ing awful,  my condolences for your pups. 

Chickens on the other hand,  are basically retarded and only require food, water and shelter to thrive.  Past that they can take their chances.

[tokugawa]

I don't see anything wrong with slowing business down, keeping supply chains afloat and food growing, but just coasting through a highly communicable disease like this, to slow its spread.

Nothing in the response plan that anyone is publicly selling involves giving up a country or embracing Socialism.

There's some aholes over in Mordor on the Potomac that have a bullshit 1800 page bill full of pork and fluff and transgendered unicorn aborshins.  Probably some gun control and 4A/5A/10A (hell, probably 3A too) breaches.  And there isn't a single sane regular old human being that thinks such a response is responsible in a situation where public discourse is effectively impossible and the "Democracy" or "Republic" or whatever form of representation we have going on here is broken due to curfews and quasi-martial-law.  

I'm glad humanity is past a place where doctors stuff leather masks full of posies and think that'll protect them from vapors that cause illness, and everyone else goes about their business with fatalism.  Those guys handled the Black Plague the best they could.  We've got our own to deal with.  One hopes we can do better.

I hope in 200 years, humanity looks at our doctors and scoffs at their barbarous "treatments" in light of the new revelations discovered in the intervening time.

Our current state of science demonstrates that reducing human intercourse can dramatically slow transmission of this disease.  And that treatment capability of our medical system is insufficient for a free for all outbreak.  Maybe in the future there will be a better mechanism to deal with such a thing.  But embracing social norms of 100-year gone societies that had so much wrong to them from a health perspective is no way to combat this disease.

point one, we can't slow it, we can only delay WHEN it happens. It is going to happen again, as soon as they let up on the restrictions.  Point two, this thing is not nearly so lethal as they make out-
 There are consequences to people who lose their jobs. There are consequences to lenders who lose loans, landlords that lose income, and on and on.
 I am the smallest of small time here, but still have contracts I cannot fulfill, parts at subcontractors I can't pick up, etc.
 
 IMO, What we are seeing is a dry run for martial law.

[BlueStarLizzard]

point one, we can't slow it, we can only delay WHEN it happens. It is going to happen again, as soon as they let up on the restrictions.  Point two, this thing is not nearly so lethal as they make out-
 There are consequences to people who lose their jobs. There are consequences to lenders who lose loans, landlords that lose income, and on and on.
 I am the smallest of small time here, but still have contracts I cannot fulfill, parts at subcontractors I can't pick up, etc.
 
 IMO, What we are seeing is a dry run for martial law.

Errr... Slowing it down is delaying it.

How do you not get this? We slow it down, delay the impact so cases trickle into hospital, not flood it. Eventually, it will (hopefully) go through the majority of the population giving us an overall herd immunity.
But if we just let everyone run around, spreading germs willy nilly, the hospitals will get overrun by all those high risk people that you don't seem to give a hoot about (like me) and not have the resources to take care of everyone (including people like you, who aren't in any real danger from corvid-19, but still have the normal risks like getting hit by a bus, which hope you do) 

And if it comes to martial law, well then Boogalo, which I am always ready to do. Are you?

[Jim147]

Not sure if it was this thread or another but saw someone ask who do we sacrifice.

Being high risk if it would save my wife and daughter and the economy for the rest of you I'm up for it. My dad is almost 80 and I'm sure he would look at it and make his own choice. My best friend just turned 70. He has two Purple Hearts because as he says he was stupid enough to go get shot again. He would do anything for his family and I see him do it every day.

So yes I will if it is needed.

Jim

[p12]

Being asthmatic I’m on the side of slowing this *expletive deleted*it down.

Unfortunately our county officials deem my employer essential. Car repair shop. Really?

Given the choice I would hole up for 4-6 weeks or longer if necessary to not risk the severe complications of asthma and the kung flu. My pocketbook can absorb it. My health can’t. Can’t quit my job then I lose my insurance.

Just praying that I don’t get sick.

I’m reading of possible numbers from China are way way way under reality.

Italy last I checked is at 9.5 percent mortality. They were behind the 8 ball before when this *expletive deleted*it got wound up.

I think the US is trying to get ahead of this *expletive deleted*it so we don’t wind up with percentages like Italy.

Was there another way to handle it. I can think of one. But I’m not an infectious disease expert.

Damned if we do damned if we don’t.

[Perd Hapley]

Being asthmatic I’m on the side of slowing this *expletive deleted*it down.

Unfortunately our county officials deem my employer essential. Car repair shop. Really?

Given the choice I would hole up for 4-6 weeks or longer if necessary to not risk the severe complications of asthma and the kung flu. My pocketbook can absorb it. My health can’t. Can’t quit my job then I lose my insurance.

Just praying that I don’t get sick.

I’m reading of possible numbers from China are way way way under reality.

Italy last I checked is at 9.5 percent mortality. They were behind the 8 ball before when this *expletive deleted*it got wound up.

I think the US is trying to get ahead of this *expletive deleted*it so we don’t wind up with percentages like Italy.

Was there another way to handle it. I can think of one. But I’m not an infectious disease expert.

Damned if we do damned if we don’t.

Yes, I think not being Italy is what drives a lot of the draconian measures.

A car repair shop is definitely essential. People working in other essential industries need transportation back and forth, at the very least. My company sells lighting to retirement homes and hospitals and first responders and the barge industry, so we're up and running, though our county is on Stay at Home. Turns out a whole lot of stuff is essential.

[French G.]

What if I told you you can take this seriously, socially distance, flatten the curve and yet not run around like a howler monkey of doom? We will get through this.

Little worried about the language against hoarders. It is a slippery slope down to the people's committee inspecting your pantry. I had three months of food and 4 metric buttloads of ammo before this started. Hoarder or just trying to insure my tribe against pretty much this?

[Ben]

Little worried about the language against hoarders. It is a slippery slope down to the people's committee inspecting your pantry. I had three months of food and 4 metric buttloads of ammo before this started. Hoarder or just trying to insure my tribe against pretty much this?

Yeah, the paranoid part of me gets a little nervous about what the AG said about this. Sounds a little like red flag laws. I'm sure at this point it's just somebody with 20 cases of TP at the checkout line (which really should just be handled by the store - how hard is it to make a "2 items only" sign?).

However, I could easily see how the "jealous and unprepared neighbor" thing could come into play. Whether they just see their neighbor coming home with a carload of stuff, or know that their neighbor is a prepper. And I don't mean in the "doomsday prepper" sense, but people like us who might have a shelf full of freeze dried food in their garage or something.

[fifth_column]

Here's another reason car repair techs could be considered essential:

https://sifted.eu/articles/coronavirus-windscreen-ventilator/

Apparently, an emergency ventilator can be made out of a respirator bag and a windshield wiper motor.

Ingenuity and innovation are at their best during times of crisis.

[MechAg94]

"Preppers" probably already had a lot of supplies.  They weren't the ones depleting the stores in the last few weeks.  That was the people who hadn't prepared and made panicked purchases.  I was partially prepared but I loaded up on some extras in February before the stores got raided.  Am I responsible for the shortages?  I don't think so.  

[MechAg94]

What if I told you you can take this seriously, socially distance, flatten the curve and yet not run around like a howler monkey of doom? We will get through this.

Little worried about the language against hoarders. It is a slippery slope down to the people's committee inspecting your pantry. I had three months of food and 4 metric buttloads of ammo before this started. Hoarder or just trying to insure my tribe against pretty much this?

That is something I think we need to look carefully at.  Could we take reasonable steps to be careful without shutting down everything?  Could we take steps to quarantine, separate, and support the people who are most at risk without shutting down the entire economy?  It seems to me it would be easier to do that.  I guess politicians feel like the are "doing something" only when they get do heavy handed actions. 

[makattak]

"Preppers" probably already had a lot of supplies.  They weren't the ones depleting the stores in the last few weeks.  That was the people who hadn't prepared and made panicked purchases.  I was partially prepared but I loaded up on some extras in February before the stores got raided.  Am I responsible for the shortages?  I don't think so.  

Responsible for the shortages? Actually quite the contrary.

I did as you did and purchased a little extra in February. (And we tend to have a good amount of food on hand, anyway.)

Today? Our grocery bill has been MUCH smaller the past two weeks because we're not buying anything but milk, effectively.

People who planned ahead are mitigating the shortages, not causing them.

It was the people who don't plan ahead and who panic-bought everything they could get their hands on.

(Related: why are the stores out of kale, spinach, onions, etc...? Do greens have some ability to ward off coronavirus spreaders like garlic with vampires?)

[Hawkmoon]

Unless and until I hear differently, I'm scheduled to start a new job on April 13 -- at a hospital! At this point, I don't know whether to hope it starts on schedule or to hope it gets deferred. I desperately need the income, but I'm very much in the high-risk population for COVID-19: I'm in my 70s, I have a heart condition, I have a long history of pneumonia, and a year ago I was hospitalized with a collapsed lung. If I were to come down with this coronavirus, I tend to think it would not be a good thing.

[WLJ]

Tokyo Olympics being pushed back to summer 2021

[WLJ]

Amazon warehouse in Shepherdsville, Ky. hit with 3 COVID-19 cases, employees told
https://www.wdrb.com/in-depth/amazon-warehouse-in-shepherdsville-ky-hit-with-covid--cases/article_fa176a18-6d71-11ea-9c01-33288c402c9b.html

[BobR]

Unless and until I hear differently, I'm scheduled to start a new job on April 13 -- at a hospital! At this point, I don't know whether to hope it starts on schedule or to hope it gets deferred. I desperately need the income, but I'm very much in the high-risk population for COVID-19: I'm in my 70s, I have a heart condition, I have a long history of pneumonia, and a year ago I was hospitalized with a collapsed lung. If I were to come down with this coronavirus, I tend to think it would not be a good thing.

I was wondering if you had started yet. A lot of VA employees are going to tele-work. I don't know if they are still doing New Employee orientations or not, we did one last week. I too am in a high risk group, >65 and cancer survivor so I think I will start working from home is a day or so, my job is able to do that. Seeing how you are still 2 weeks out from your NEO you may get to start on time. I hope so on one hand, but then again suggest caution of course.

bob