Coronavirus practical issues

[Naio]

I thought it might be nice to have a thread to talk about practical concerns. I'll start :).

What should a solo traveler do, if they are camped somewhere they don't know anybody, and get seriously ill -- too sick to shop for groceries, but not sick enough to be hospitalized?

Besides concern for my parents, this is the other thing that is sending me home early. I imagined myself lying in bed in my RV, calling local churches to see if some volunteer would bring me some food. I didn't want to do that.

Obviously this is something that could happen with many diseases or injuries. But honestly, it's not something I had thought about before now.

[pnichols]

Naio wrote:
The numbers are based in fact, but the facts are incomplete.

All we really know is that a lot of people have died, and that people with very mild cold symptoms are infectious and kill other people.

So if you get a cold, stay home for 14 days.

And it will help your neighbors if you stay home as much as possible even when you don't have a cold. If we can all just sort of hibernate for a bit, this thing will die down. Not completely, but enough for the medical system to catch up.

Well stated, Naio!

I'm scratching my head and wondering if the nasty "flu something" that the DW and myself picked up in Arizona in January (and lived through) wasn't in fact a very, very, early U.S. instance of Covid-19.

As I stated earlier in a post - we both got our high-powered geezer flu shots last fall, and do every fall. So I wonder what strain of "regular of flu" that we caught is new this year that was not included in these flu shots? :h

i.e. Has anyone heard of how effective last fall's flu shots are turning out to be during this year's "regular flu" season?

[Naio]

The numbers are based in fact, but the facts are incomplete.

All we really know is that a lot of people have died, and that people with very mild cold symptoms are infectious and kill other people.

So if you get a cold, stay home for 14 days.

And it will help your neighbors if you stay home as much as possible even when you don't have a cold. If we can all just sort of hibernate for a bit, this thing will die down. Not completely, but enough for the medical system to catch up.

[bid_time]

TechWriter wrote:

covered wagon wrote:
I don't understand did someone with all knowledge suddenly say this flu is the end of the world or something? It's weird because it's no worse than a common yearly flu season flu.

Seasonal flu has a 0.1% death rate. Currently, COVID-19 has over a 3% death rate. That makes COVID-19 30 times more deadly.

And if you're over 70, the death rate jumps to 8%, and over 80, the death rate is 15%.

Finally, there isn't any vaccine or treatment for this new flu.

How do you know what the death rate is when they don't even know how many cases there are. If there are 3 times as many cases as being reported (remember 80% no symptoms or mild symptoms), then your death rate goes down dramatically. Only 16,500 people out of 333 million have been tested. You numbers are pure speculation and have no basis in fact.

[RayJayco]

Those that put down the significance of viruses should keep in mind that Ebola, rabies, HIV, small pox, hantavirus, dengue, rotovirus, SARS, Marburg, yellow fever are just a few viruses off the top of my head, that can be deadly, as can be influenza...

Also keep in mind that apparently it originated in China, a communist country, so how much faith can one put into the accuracy of their stats and info...

Speaking of stats, anyone that has taken a college stats course knows that the sample base is still not large enough for anything other than a guess... I won't repeat the potential accuracy of the info given...

I hear people questioning the validity of ~78 degrees F killing it. Obviously they don't understand the difference between an inert object such as wood, linen, metal, etc., and a BIOLOGICAL HOST.

Summer should help us if it follows the so called 5 month pattern that we hear from China.


Be safe.

[Optimistic_Para]

I got an email from my dentist yesterday. Because the CDC has recommended that people suspend getting routine or elective dental care until further notice, my dentist was shutting down his office and cancelling all appointments. A phone number was provided to call for instructions in case of a 'dental emergency'.

An article that appeared on The Atlantic's web site featuring an interview with a Boston doctor included the following:

I was seeing a patient for his routine annual exam last Tuesday. And my medical assistant came up to me and said, “This patient has a cough and we just received the instruction about wearing personal protective equipment. What do you want to do?” Things were moving so fast that I had to read the guidelines. They are changing day to day. I realized that I had to put on kind of all the gear to go evaluate this patient. And I walked in the room—this poor patient, who just simply had a winter cough, his eyes went wide. He immediately asked to leave. His blood pressure went up 60 points just from seeing me in the gear. And that was not a situation I have ever wanted to be in. But that is the situation right now.

And so we are rapidly shutting down routine care. We have canceled all planned follow-ups with patients with diabetes and heart failure at this point because we have to preserve that personal protective equipment.

[TechWriter]

pnichols wrote:

As far as I know, the "regular flus" kill thousands in the U.S. every year and you hear little hoopla about it in the news every year that it happens.

COVID-19 is deadlier than seasonal flu.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

100% is enough. Agreed!

RVs are especially vulnerable to hoarding. Tips about how to outwit it may be helpful.

One USA grocery chain is limiting it's 1st hour to seniors over 65 and the disabled. I am fortunate to be in Mexico where fruit and vegetables are cheap and available. Five dollars for 4 pounds of beautiful frozen bagged strawberries.

As the year progresses I remember roadside stands in the central valley of California selling #1"quality produce" at 1/2 the price of lesser quality stuff in supermarkets. I bought a lot then sold it at cost to other RVers. The idea caught on. Others did the same.

Camaraderie is priceless but rather scarce now.

[dedmiston]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
I'm the guy with all the questions.

The WHO response to my questions about why seniors who got sick with intense influenza got an email reply

I ask questions

The reply was from an immnu virologist at CDC

There were 4 different strains of H1N1 this year
None of the inoculations protected against the other 3.

The BS PR section of WHO did not acknoweldge this and they openly refuted the idea.

Hand sanitizer stops working the instant the alcohol dries. The same for hand washing. The most practical way to sterilize is with a dilute iodine solution in wate. Iodine lends residual protection. So does surgical scrubs like Hibiclens.

The most potent infectuous thing you can touch is currency and coinage.

Yet I have not seen a single mention of this anywhere. Have you?

I did not spend two years at college drinking beer and memorizing RBIs.

When I see things that do not make sense I question them.

MEXICOWANDERER - You've made your point with the iodine. I haven't counted, but I think you've posted it at least once in each of the coronavirus threads.

Let's give it a rest. Move along please.

[pianotuna]

Phil,

Because this is the first time on the Merry Go Round, no one has immunity. It is not a case of if one becomes infected, but rather "when". Later would be better because there may be a vaccine in 18 months.

[pnichols]

TechWriter wrote:

pnichols wrote:

Other than dying from it, I can't imagine this virus being much worse to survive than what we just went through.

That's the whole point, though, isn't it?

That's the whole point of any flu, isn't it?

As far as I know, the "regular flus" kill thousands in the U.S. every year and you hear little hoopla about it in the news every year that it happens. Deaths from known flu types is a REALLY SAD AND PATHETIC THING because many of those that die most likely never got a flu shot that maybe covered the flu strain that they died from - even though they could have got the shot earlier to prevent it.

We have no flu shot choice right now with this new virus - so I'm wondering if this might be the reason more will die than who would "normally".

[MEXICOWANDERER]

TechWriter wrote:

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
The WHO and the CDC have played so many games with stats they are worse than useless.

So you're the guy who has all the answers?

I'm the guy with all the questions.

The WHO response to my questions about why seniors who got sick with intense influenza got an email reply

I ask questions

The reply was from an immnu virologist at CDC

There were 4 different strains of H1N1 this year
None of the inoculations protected against the other 3.

The BS PR section of WHO did not acknoweldge this and they openly refuted the idea.

Hand sanitizer stops working the instant the alcohol dries. The same for hand washing. The most practical way to sterilize is with a dilute iodine solution in wate. Iodine lends residual protection. So does surgical scrubs like Hibiclens.

The most potent infectuous thing you can touch is currency and coinage.

Yet I have not seen a single mention of this anywhere. Have you?

I did not spend two years at college drinking beer and memorizing RBIs.

When I see things that do not make sense I question them.

[tomman58]

DallasSteve wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
Durn y'all. Live your life. Are you going to stop living because you might be one of the .0000001 percent that gets the virus? Are you going to stop driving because you might be one of the 3 out of 4 people involved in a car accident? No you are not. Why panic over something that you have VERY LITTLE chance of getting.

And even if you do get it, Unless you are really old, and already have life threatening conditions. You will survive it.

So if you are going to surrender with such a low probability of getting sick. Go sit in your house. But you will starve to death. Because if you are afraid to go get food. you have to be scared to have someone bring it to you. After all. They are outside where the germs are. and the food they bring, has them as well. Get a life y'all.

Tell that to the people in Italy and we have not even begun to see what it does here. Oh and mister no flu shot... being in texas you can be on a ranch and see only a few people at any time..... try that in Houston.
X2

How long has the flu been around? This doesn't look much different to me than the flu. It's caused by a virus. It's contagious. It kills a few people; usually those who are old or in poor health.

I'm 63 and I never get a flu shot. Although I'm older, I am in good health. For years I have continued to live my life like the flu was no big deal. Can anyone tell me why this is any different?

[DallasSteve]

Terryallan wrote:
Durn y'all. Live your life. Are you going to stop living because you might be one of the .0000001 percent that gets the virus? Are you going to stop driving because you might be one of the 3 out of 4 people involved in a car accident? No you are not. Why panic over something that you have VERY LITTLE chance of getting.

And even if you do get it, Unless you are really old, and already have life threatening conditions. You will survive it.

So if you are going to surrender with such a low probability of getting sick. Go sit in your house. But you will starve to death. Because if you are afraid to go get food. you have to be scared to have someone bring it to you. After all. They are outside where the germs are. and the food they bring, has them as well. Get a life y'all.

X2

How long has the flu been around? This doesn't look much different to me than the flu. It's caused by a virus. It's contagious. It kills a few people; usually those who are old or in poor health.

I'm 63 and I never get a flu shot. Although I'm older, I am in good health. For years I have continued to live my life like the flu was no big deal. Can anyone tell me why this is any different?

[dturm]

TechWriter wrote:

pnichols wrote:

Other than dying from it, I can't imagine this virus being much worse to survive than what we just went through.

That's the whole point, though, isn't it?

And the mortality rate will probably end up 10 X that of regular flu.

The pattern of regular flu infection produces much smaller numbers that require hospitalization than COVID-19, the cases are spread out over the flu season and yet the regular flu often stresses our health care system.

The difference here is that the number of people who will get sick and require intensive care, hospitalization and ventilators could overwhelm our health care system.

[TechWriter]

pnichols wrote:

Other than dying from it, I can't imagine this virus being much worse to survive than what we just went through.

That's the whole point, though, isn't it?