The Grasshopper and the Ant

I'm sitting here wondering when the corona virus is going to show up. My son's piano teacher today said that stocks of anti-bacterial soaps are now running out at stores. Never mind that you can't find any n95 masks that aren't extremely expensive. I feel like that old story about the grasshopper and the ant- the grasshopper played all summer and fall, while the ant collected rations for the winter. When winter came, the grasshopper was outside the ant's door begging for food. A very good friend of mine who lives in Florida said she has some n95 masks and some rations saved up already. Then she sends me survivor stories about the current corona virus. The thing is, people have been saying for YEARS that we are set for something like this to happen: so many people living in close quarters and now depending on each other for everything. If there were a vaccine for this virus, would you take it? Of course, it takes a long time to develop and manufacture vaccines so we're talking some future year. (If we survive. ) Not to mention that if you personally are not infected, that doesn't mean you won't be affected by what it'd doing to the economy. Seems we are f****ed no matter what.

I gotta stop listening to NPR.....

The n95 masks aren't helpful. The coronavirus particles are too small to be blocked out by the mask: Coronavirus in China: Do surgical masks help?

When someone coughs or sneezes, you get droplets in the air, and then those droplets disperse into tinier droplets. Those tinier droplets are too small to be filtered out by the n95 mask. If anything, you should wear a mask if YOU are sick. Then your coughs and sneezes don't get the chance to become tiny droplets spread everywhere in the air.

Doctors and nurses wear them so that THEY don't infect patients with their coughs, sneezes, etc. That's why they are recommended for health professionals. Plus, tons of people have been infected through the eyes anyway. Even if you don't rub your eyes, the virus still gets in them. So, you in theory need to wear goggles to stop that from happening. In fact, the eyes is how many drs in China have gotten sick. No eye protection.

Personally, I am just going to stay home and limit my exposure to the outside world until spring hits. I already loaded up on non perishables before everyone else did, so I am good to go there.

I'm not stocking up on anything, I'm on a fixed income with very little spare money to spend, I basically just get enough to get through each month and even then I sometimes I have to use food pantries.

Personally I'm avoiding any news articles and stuff about it because it feeds into my anxiety and paranoia. I'll just continue living my life and be extra careful and take precautions. If I get it, oh well, maybe I'd be fine or maybe (though unlikely) die but either way it would be more likely I'd be okay since I'm young and don't have health problems but if I were to get it and die from it, then that's that, everyone dies someday. I was scared at first when hearing about it and understand being worried but I accepted that it is what it is. If a vaccine comes out in future years, of course, I'd get it

You've got to remember that the fatality rate is only 2%. Most people who get it are getting better. Today I read an interview with a virologist and she said basically just treat it like the flu. She also said that if we panic and run to the hospital at the first sign of cough and fever we'll overwhelm the healthcare system and they won't be able to help those who really need it.

I think there's some paranoia. My company had a big event planned for Friday at a university, but because they said someone at the university may have come into contact with the virus (they are not even sure), we canceled it.

As far as I know, there are no known cases yet, in my state. But that's surprising considering the state I live in (densely populated full of many people who travel internationally, including to/from China, especially where I live). I do expect that my state will eventually have cases of Covid-19. As for "panic", there hasn't been anything major where I am, but some people have been stocking up. Even I have, to a degree. I even got a regular flu shot today to make sure I don't get a different flu virus and get paranoid that it is Covid-19. Hubby asked me about the grocery store. Today the bottled water section was somewhat empty, but not completely. Everything else looked normal. He's heard stories of worse from his workmates and pictures of worse in his native country of Czech Republic. Hubby went to the doctor today for a check on his new blood pressure medication. He said his doctor was wearing a mask, which was different than usual. I've been slightly elevated in mood. I do find myself thinking a little oddly about this. I've been on a soup-making kick (freezing a lot) and have stocked up on canned foods. I know it's a little irrational behavior at this point, but it's hard to stop. Frankly, compared to many people, I have an extremely well-stocked food supply, anyway. I confess that cooking and baking is a passion of mine. If ever I do hyperspend, it's mostly on food. In addition to my regular big refrigerator/freezer, I have a chest freezer in the garage and store oodles of foods (canned, bottled, dry goods) in my pantry, garage, and basement. That's before ever hearing about Covid-19. As just one example, I have 13 different types of flour/meal in my house (US all-purpose, whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, instantized Wondra flour, self-rising flour, Czech hruba flour, Czech polohruba flour, Czech hladka flour, corn meal and instant polenta, rice flour, almond meal/flour, oatmeal, and flax meal flour). Of course I have yeast and everything needed for quick breads. And I have at least 5 loaves of bread between the freezers and fridge, and two giant bags of frozen rolls. A while back, I bought 35 lbs of sugar, when a little hypo, because I got pissed off that they reduced the sugar bag size from 5-lbs to 4-lbs. And of course I have confectioner's sugar, honey, real maple syrup, sugar free syrup, molasses, brown sugar, agave nectar, erythritol, Splenda, Truvia, Swerve granulated, Swerve confectioners, and liquid sucralose.

Of course I'd get a vaccine for Covid-19, if it was available. I believe vaccines are extremely important and am sad that so many people in this country believe the misinformation about them. People who don't get vaccines, but can/should, put others who legitimately can't get them (for medical reasons) at risk.

My husband did order special masks that are supposedly helpful at protecting again the virus, but he ordered them from a Czech supplier. They will be sent to his sister in Czech Republic, and she'll send them to us. Hubby ordered a number of latex gloves. We also have a lot of hand sanitizer, Lysol, and more.

It really is getting crazy, but it's hard to stop the insanity.

This stuff is a little triggering for me. Way back when when I was very ill, 9-11 happened. My hubby and I took our nephew to the top of the World Trade Center the July before. And then the anthrax scare, which directly affected my town. We were getting mail half burnt in plastic envelopes, because they had to treat it. The post office had been closed for two weeks. A week before, I received a letter from Africa containing a bag of sand (same post office). Then all kinds of horrible things happened (my mom died, I almost got fired, my first of many hospitalizations). It's very triggering. Then two years ago I got full manic in Europe. On the way home, I thought a woman in London Healthrow airport gave me a pen with anthrax. We did make it on the plane, barely, but hubby was crying. It was all very horrible.

I have n95s, goggles and two weeks of food. To be fair I had the n95s for allergies from a few years back. My understanding is that fit testing reveals that despite larger pore sizes in the mask the individual viruses and smaller can get trapped in the charcoal layer at a 95% rate. There is all sorts of conflicting info on masks which is why they are recommending them....they don’t want you to Rambo out there and feel protected when you might not be. In addition there is a shortage so they want them for doctors so they don’t get infected. For me a mask is better than nothing because it will block respiratory droplets. I haven’t worn them yet and it’s possible I’ve already been exposed....someone at my uni came into contact with someone who had it and is now in quarantine.
Regarding food that’s in case I get sick or there are supply chain disruptions. I bought hand sanitizer a month ago but personally would trust hand washing more. Goggles I already had for checking fluid in my car battery. So it was a bit of a touch up but despite being prepared it does nothing if you’re exposed before using the items....I thought the cases were still too low to waste my masks on.

Due to my husbands copd and needing oxygen at night , my own Asthma and I’m on a biologic which can leave me at a higher risk for fighting an infection, of any kind.

For us the Flu is a huge deal and now the Corona virus.. even bigger. Yes I believe it is going to spread ...that’s just what a new virus does.

China reports things are slowing down... ummm okay but they waited far to long to let anyone know there was a problem so I’m leery about there being honest.

Most deaths are people who already have a underlining health problem. My husband and I fit in that box.

I need to hit the stores tomorrow to pick up my typical groceries, we already have 7-8 cans of Lysol , literally 2 gallons of hand sanitizer, not kidding it was a hell of a deal lol and we have a well and use a Britta filter so I don’t need water thankfully

Since I have cows for neighbors if we need to hunker down I’ll easily have enough food for 6-7 weeks. We might get awful tired of rice and beans but that’s okay.

I see my T on Wednesday and I really really need to see him, I’ll just do what I always do in flu season use a Kleenex to open doors and Purel is my best friend and actively not touch my face. Something I learned decades ago when I first took a job on healthcare.

I do want to fill up the car and truck gas tank.

I grew up in Florida 5 mins from the beach..every year we would stock up for hurricane season rotate stuff from the year before into food we would eat .. so my stocking up for this doesn’t feel like overboard, it feels normal.

Sure death rates sound low.. but when it’s your loved ones or friends ?? Yeah those numbers won’t soothe a loss.

I’m not panicked just prepared

I'm turning the news off because I've heard enough. The people at risk for serious complications from the virus are the same people who are in high-risk groups for a cold turning into pneumonia. Seniors (especially those with other serious health problems) and those with compromised immune systems (HIV+, in chemo, etc.). The great majority of people are not at risk of anything except the same symptoms as having a cold.

This whole thing is so absurd. As soon as a bigger news story comes along the news media will switch over to the bigger story.

I read somewhere that most of the preppers have a tendency towards generalized anxiety disorder or another anxiety disorder. Makes you wonder.

What's a prepper?

Now the friend I mentioned in my original post is emailing me links about how the CDC is taking down information from their site regarding bad effects of the virus and that the flu being worse than the corona virus is a "myth". I think she is over confident because she has some n95 masks (two boxes of 10). She also pointed out that she has asthma and would get it worse than other people. I don't know if that's just something she surmised, or if its true. I know that people who have asthma are supposed to get the flu shot because the flu can be worse for them. I have asthma too, so for whatever that's worth.

I believe the opposite of whatever trump says. Since he's screaming it's a hoax I'm taking it more seriously but I'm not worried for me. Worried about mum and the grandkids. What's happening in Washington state is a nightmare. But no cases in my state yet.

People who prepare for disasters.....

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sometimes psychotic
I read somewhere that most of the preppers have a tendency towards generalized anxiety disorder or another anxiety disorder. Makes you wonder.
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I knew someone who was big into conspiracy theories. I bet he's having a hay day over this!

My friend that I posted about in the original post and #12 is now spamming Facebook with post after post about the government and the corona virus. I guess she's a conspiracy theorist. Though, I aught to have expected this since she's the same way about vaccines in general.