How has COVID-19 affected you personally?

Hold on to your hats.

I was just reading up on the Spanish flu of 1918. It came in two waves. The second wave was more potent but at the height of the second wave, the flu just disappeared for uncertain reasons. In one US city deaths from the flu dropped from over 4000 to virtually nil in a month.

Could the corona virus do the same?

 

Just thinking, maybe everyone from that city took off after the 4000 deaths so the there was nobody left in the city.

 

The survivors have an immunity, eventually there are enough to provide herd immunity and infection rate drops rapidly. Same thing could happen, although millions may die the hundreds of millions of survivors stop the virus in its tracks.

 

I've been in work enforced home isolation for two weeks due to meeting someone who had been through China. Who apparently wasn't infected but who knows.

The grandparents are getting serious about social isolation (including us) in the hope of riding this out until medical capacity is not stretched. e.g. older people aren't low on the priority list for ICU beds.

We have a good stash of alcohol based spray and hand sanitiser - though we bought this four weeks ago. It is pretty hopeless for the government to tell people to use something they can't get.

No one (other than me) in the shopping centre I went to today was washing their hands properly (inner west).

Work told us not to panic - that we have a natural advantage as our states are a long way away from each other. I thought it was unnecessary to point out they were adjacent

EDIT: I'm not that concerned if was only selfishly considering me but ... I think there are many vulnerable people out there (e.g. those over 70) who should be helped more by the government.

 

Nothing changed here.

 

We are out of TP ...

 

I was surprised at the amount of people wiping down the supermarket trolleys today. We all looked rather sheepish but everyone, old and young, gave them a thorough go over with the supermarket supplied wipes

 

They are probably ineffective anyway....

 

Some of us have been asked to work from home to practice remote working.

My work computer is a small laptop that usually plugs into a couple of monitors. We need to take our laptops home but we’re not allowed to bring the monitors.

I don’t have a home office (or room for one) so I’ll be hunched on a dining chair at my kitchen table, squinting into the small laptop, for 8 hours a day...

 

This govt doesn't give two hoots. They're only worried about their "budget surplus". Money first. When corona is finished I reckon the govt will raise taxes and cut spending.

 

OMG! I have a tiny laptop at work too. When I have to use it without the screens, it's almost impossible to use squinting into that tiny screen. My only suggestion is to check gumtree for cheap monitors. I picked up a few last year for $10 each. They are not high definition or widescreen but I quite like them. I am using one for my main monitor now. You would have to figure out a way to plug your laptop into them but it's a start I guess.

 

Personally it hasn't impacted me at all. My partner works in health and I work in community housing. If there was a recession that occurred from the corona virus we're both in very stable industries and should be able to maintain our jobs and income etc. While not downplaying corona virus I'm confident that it wouldn't amount to much more than a severe flu if I were to contract it.

 

You can plug the laptop into your tv, via an hmtl cord

 

I phoned my elderly mother yesterday to give her some updates on public social etiquette. She intends to only go shopping when she goes to the post office at the same time, although she has enough food stored to last a year. She still goes to all the socials at the RSL several times a week, and she still intends going to the library to get her books changed each fortnight. FFS, her best friend who drives her to the library and the RSL is undergoing Chemo. No clue.

Good luck with Social Isolation for two weeks when the Prime Minister is on TV telling the general public that they can still go about all their daily activities.

 

I reserve my judgement

 

I have started using them and don't feel sheepish, because it could be a little thing done by a lot of people that could be one small part of 'flattening the curve'. Virus seems to have a reasonably robust survival time on some surfaces.

I think it's not just about me, but see it as a small thing to do that can also reduce risks for other people who might use those same trolleys/baskets. I used a hand basket yesterday morning, and thought I might as well make best use of the wipe and wiped the entire basket, inside and out. Things were so hectic, and no-one on staff will have time to clean them. If each user of a trolley or basket took a little time to thoroughly clean, it reduces risk of infection source not just for us, but for others who may be more vulnerable.

 

One more thing to add to my heavy handbag, I think. Pack of wipes, so I can clean anything I need to while out.

 

My mum is hitting 70 this year. Her small town has several cases, who worked in the local supermarket - perfect virus vectors to kick off rapid community spread. She is trying to be sensible and balance a bit of risk.

She has a suspect mark come up suddenly on her arm and had a doctor's appointment scheduled for next week. We are trying to decide what is the best course. The spot needs looking at, and we have no idea how long this thing might last. Is she better to risk going in the early days, or cancel appointment and risk letting the spot go unchecked for an indeterminate period because things are only going to get worse.

She is also going to check her supplies and if needs anything will visit the small IGA for a quick visit to stock up. She is also popping into council office Monday to pay rates and lodge an early vote in the local elections (rather than attending election booth on Saturday). After that, she intends to stay home and self isolate.

I admit I am a little nervous. I have told her to be super careful. I do not want early access to my inheritance!

 

Not much at all,the only item is trying to understand as we were intending 2 trips to NewZealand very shortly
and May is what it means as i have looked up the NZ Governments travel sites but they may not be updated ..