The danger of self-isolating from COVID-19 on public lands

[Naio]

Linky.

...visitors desperate for activity and distraction have flooded into Moab, Utah, the gateway to Arches National Park. “We had crowds of people that felt like peak summertime,” said Ashley Kumburis, who manages a rafting and jeep tour outfitter that’s still open. “If you didn’t know this contagious virus was spreading, you would think it was a regular summer day in Moab.”

On March 16, doctors from Moab Regional Hospital sent a letter to Gov. Gary Herbert, R, asking for help. “We are writing this letter to implore you to shut down all non-essential business service in Moab,” it reads. Citing a lack of hospital beds and no local intensive care unit — at a time when lodging for the following weekend was estimated to be at between 75-95% capacity — officials were concerned that “tourism would drive the spread” of COVID-19. Within a few hours, the Southeast Utah Health Department issued an order closing restaurants and lodging, and camping on both public and private land to outside visitors.

...For people around the country, this is a confusing message. After hearing that outdoor spaces are the safest areas to avoid the spread of COVID-19, many are venturing out, seeking the sort of isolation that public lands offer. But when visitors start overwhelming gateway communities, the public lands are no longer a safe refuge.

...Sending people to parks means they’ll use the amenities in both the parks and in nearby towns. Grocery stores in the rural West, as in the rest of the country, are struggling to stay stocked, bathroom facilities will need cleaning, and the more visitors there are, the greater chance for injuries that might need to be treated in rural hospitals — hospitals that lack the capacity to treat them.

...And that’s not all: “I’m especially worried about fire season right now,” Anzelmo told me. “NPS employees from all different backgrounds form a good part of the wildland firefighting workforce.” Anzelmo fears what will happen if those employees get sick or overworked while trying to keep parks open during a national emergency. “Do we want to exhaust that bench of the federal workforce in public lands right now for a momentary feel-good moment while a pandemic is raging, or do we want to be smart and be ready for the other emergencies that are going to happen?”

..As Depoe Bay, like the rest of the country, prepares for a possible onslaught of COVID-19 cases, Fuller wants visitors to reconsider coming and unknowingly infecting her small community. “People can come back in the summer when things are better,” she said. “But not now.”

[pianotuna]

SDcampowneroperator wrote:
The industry concern is not for itself, but for you max. No longer a camp owner

Congratulations on your retirement. I think you were sagacious to leave when you did.

Covid 19 is a game changer. I wish I had a few bucks to invest!



MODERATOR'S EDIT: Per the site Admin's request, I am closing all COVID-19 threads and directing future comments to one thread in Around the Campfire.



2019–20 CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC POSTINGS

[2oldman]

kellem wrote:

drsteve wrote:
Nobody thinks that. Those of us who have been following what the actual experts say realize that unless we take measures to slow the spread, our health system will be overwhelmed with sick people. When the hospitals are full and you have a heart attack, or get in a car wreck, who is going to care for you?

Now this puts into perspective, simple to understand and clearly where the immediate concerns exist at present.

Exactly.

It's not just about the mortality, it's all the "injured" we have to deal with, and the danger to the health-care workers themselves. It's a nightmare. I'm going to need surgery in the next couple months, and I'm pretty scared not only about not being able to get it, but picking up the virus in the hospital.

[kellem]

drsteve wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Why does everyone think that 100% of the people will get deathly ill from Corona virus? Fact is to may have or had it and not even know about it. That is how little it will affect most people! Yes you need to be aware of things, but at the same time why act like he world is going to end!

Nobody thinks that. Those of us who have been following what the actual experts say realize that unless we take measures to slow the spread, our health system will be overwhelmed with sick people. When the hospitals are full and you have a heart attack, or get in a car wreck, who is going to care for you?

Now this puts into perspective, simple to understand and clearly where the immediate concerns exist at present.
This gameplan simply stalls the amount of patients that require care and allows for build-up of resources.
We may suffer some cabin fever but it'll work.

[goducks10]

Naio wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

Naio wrote:

What are you going to eat? What if you both get too sick to drive?

We normally have enough for a couple weeks eats and could stock up enough for a month if needed. Might not be the best culinary selection towards the end but no fear of starving.

The whole point would be not to get sick. If we are out isolated, there is no source to catch the virus.

It's the two-week incubation period that screws up this plan. You may have been exposed a few days ago. Today, you are contagious, but now and next week, and the week after, you still feel great. Perfectly healthy. Meanwhile, you have infected your whole family and the people at the grocery store. The people in Moab would prefer that you don't come there and infect them, when you stop for gas.

x2, thats why Oregon shutdown their state parks today instead of April 2nd. Beach residents on the Oregon coast were complaining about the hoards of people coming to the coast.

[mbopp]

We had a 6+ week cross country trip in April that included stops in Moab, Escalante, Kanab, Williams (AZ), NM, TX, and working our way back to NY.
Given the restrictions in Moab, the National Parks, State Park closures, and other attractions we wanted to see being closed we're canceling the trip. Maybe this fall we can get out.

[drsteve]

dodge guy wrote:
Why does everyone think that 100% of the people will get deathly ill from Corona virus? Fact is to may have or had it and not even know about it. That is how little it will affect most people! Yes you need to be aware of things, but at the same time why act like he world is going to end!

Nobody thinks that. Those of us who have been following what the actual experts say realize that unless we take measures to slow the spread, our health system will be overwhelmed with sick people. When the hospitals are full and you have a heart attack, or get in a car wreck, who is going to care for you?

[valhalla360]

Naio wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

Naio wrote:

What are you going to eat? What if you both get too sick to drive?

We normally have enough for a couple weeks eats and could stock up enough for a month if needed. Might not be the best culinary selection towards the end but no fear of starving.

The whole point would be not to get sick. If we are out isolated, there is no source to catch the virus.

It's the two-week incubation period that screws up this plan. You may have been exposed a few days ago. Today, you are contagious, but now and next week, and the week after, you still feel great. Perfectly healthy. Meanwhile, you have infected your whole family and the people at the grocery store. The people in Moab would prefer that you don't come there and infect them, when you stop for gas.

Given the current situation, very low probability that you take it with you, unless you have reason to believe you have been exposed already.

If it develops as expected, very high probability that staying in an urban area brings it to you.

Worst case at the early signs, drive in and park the rig in the hospital lot.

[goducks10]

https://www.wsls.com/features/2020/03/18/2-cities-handled-this-health-crisis-different-the-results-c...

[Naio]

dodge guy wrote:
Why does everyone think that 100% of the people will get deathly ill from Corona virus? Fact is to may have or had it and not even know about it. That is how little it will affect most people! Yes you need to be aware of things, but at the same time why act like he world is going to end!

It's a personal responsibility issue.

If you're over 70, there's a very high chance that you will get pneumonia from covid 19. But you probably won't die from the pneumonia, if you can get to the ICU within a few hours and if that ICU has a ventilator that is available to use on you. You may have permanent health consequences from the use of the ventilator. You may be permanently disabled, but you will be alive.

But the only way there's going to be a ventilator available for you is if everyone except you stays home and does their social distancing. You count on everyone else to sacrifice themselves, so that you can go camping. That's not really very personally responsible, is it?

We need to have the strength and integrity to stand up for ourselves and our community, here. We need to do what is right, even if it is not fun.

[Naio]

valhalla360 wrote:

Naio wrote:

What are you going to eat? What if you both get too sick to drive?

We normally have enough for a couple weeks eats and could stock up enough for a month if needed. Might not be the best culinary selection towards the end but no fear of starving.

The whole point would be not to get sick. If we are out isolated, there is no source to catch the virus.

It's the two-week incubation period that screws up this plan. You may have been exposed a few days ago. Today, you are contagious, but now and next week, and the week after, you still feel great. Perfectly healthy. Meanwhile, you have infected your whole family and the people at the grocery store. The people in Moab would prefer that you don't come there and infect them, when you stop for gas.

[valhalla360]

Naio wrote:

What are you going to eat? What if you both get too sick to drive?

We normally have enough for a couple weeks eats and could stock up enough for a month if needed. Might not be the best culinary selection towards the end but no fear of starving.

The whole point would be not to get sick. If we are out isolated, there is no source to catch the virus.

[Fizz]

Another Mayor from a tourist destination begging people to stay home...Canmore

[Mayor30]

Naio wrote:

noteven wrote:
Wouldn’t the idea be to take a setup in which you are self contained and not running in and out of places like you are on vacation?

What are you going to eat? What if you both get too sick to drive?

All of us have to eat wether you live in a camper or a house. Grocery stores are still open in most states.

[pianotuna]

Naio,

This is because of the man behind the curtain, the great and magnificent Wizard of W.