I’ve been out and about today. Saw my PCP–and they indeed did make me wear a mask in the waiting room, though even the doc admitted it was pretty ridiculous for me to be wearing one. I thought about teasing him and asking for coronavirus test, but my Ds persuaded me that was “not funny, Mom. Don’t do it.”
Stopped for breakfast on the way home. Restaurant was pretty busy for 10:30 am in the middle of the week. Had to go by the accountant’s office to drop tax docs, but once I got there discovered the office was closed–not due any coronavirus fears, but because a water line burst and flooded the office.
Went to Trader Joe’s because it’s only a block from the office. Holy moly! TJ’s was filled with doomsday preppers! No hand sanitizer, of course, but also no canned beans of any kind, no canned tuna, and ZERO frozen veggies except for a few bags of artichoke hearts. No rice. No dried beans. Seriously what does anyone need with 6 loaves of organic brioche sliced sandwich bread? I left without buying anything because the store was jammed with people with overflowing carts an I didn’t want to wait in line forever.
Then went to Target. No TP or paper towels at all. Whole aisle was bare. No hand sanitizer. Almost no hand soap. No disinfecting wipes or sprays. Almost no Kleenex, No dried beans. No rice. Oddly there were canned beans, and plenty of tuna in foil pouches, but no tuna in cans. I bought laundry detergent and cat food–which is what I went in to buy.
Older D reports seeing 3 patients she was 99.9% sure were positive for CV in her first 2 hours at work this morning. Per hospital policy, she did not test them and sent them home to self-isolate. Her hospital is no longer reporting the non-critical CV cases to the state dept of public health or the CDC. D reports there is a critical shortage of test kits with fewer than 100 kits for a population of over 3.5M state residents.
Younger D (and her 2 co-workers) who just got back from Europe Sunday were told today by their hospital administration they need to be tested for coronavirus; however there are ZERO test kits available in the entire state so she and her co-residents are seeing patients as usual. According to older D, CDC protocols do not require testing healthcare workers returning from outside the US so this is a state or individual hospital level decision.
D1 says each state is making up their own rules as they go and there is no centralized, national guidance on how to handle CV patients. It’s chaos.
I had a routine doctor appointment today. I thought about cancelling but went in anyway. There was hand sanitizer everywhere. Outside the elevator, inside the elevator, etc.
The nurse told me that they are prepping for a worst case scenario. Offering video appointments for now and the future. They have a tent set up outside the ER doors that is a negative pressure room somehow, where they question and disinfect everyone who shows up.
She also said that this hospital has tested 60 patients. 20 negative, 5 positive, and 35 pending. The tests should only take a few hours but there is such a backlog that they take 3 days. None of those positive results are included in the state totals yet.
We are in the midst of a surge. Numbers are going to rise quickly but it was strangely reassuring to hear about it in such a matter of fact way.
People with severe immune deficiency are being told to stock up and stay home for the forseeable future, which is a lot longer than 2 weeks. Those people have a different situation than the average person without that issue preparing for 2 weeks. It isn’t about being afraid. it is people who even in a normal situation spend much of the year sick. This virus is much higher risk for them. Following doctor’s instructions isn’t an overreaction.
D1 has said (and my PCP agreed with her assessment this morning) that coronavirus is likely going to be with us for the next 2 years because:
it’s going to take that long to develop sufficient herd immunity that the virus won’t easily spread via P2P transmission. (Assuming that having COVID-19 once provide a lasting immunity–which is HUGE assumption.)
It’s going to take 2 years to develop, test, manufacture and distribute a sufficient supply of vaccine. (Then, it will be a matter of persuading everyone to get the CV immunization. Which will be challenging, just it is like it is persuading people to get their annual flu shot-- just over half of US residents have received a flu vaccination for the 2019-20 flu year.)
We’re hopefully short of hoarding but staying well above a two-week supply. My mother’s 89. And some members of my family have food allergies that rule out most non-perishables. When I find something safe, I buy it, and I buy a lot.
I really prefer the soup / chocolate / potato chip route, though!
On the local news right now: Fear related to uncertainty is causing the toilet paper shortages. I just hate to think of anyone who really needs TP running out because someone else has 48 rolls in their bathroom.
I bought 2 bottles of wine and one small bag of potatoes at WF today. I told the cashier “here’s my panic buying.” She said she needed the laugh.
I have tried to stock up on enough stuff to last us two weeks. I am as a result shopping every couple of days so as not to touch the stuff we might need for a couple of weeks.
Agree that some possibly most people need to plan on more than two weeks. Furthermore, some of us have multiple teenage boys at home with us. Do you have any idea of how much they eat?? Those 6 brioche loaves mentioned upthread could be gone in a week!
No need to judge someone when you don’t know their circumstances.
I told my H to stop on his way home to get OJ , grapefruit juice and milk (probably will be in the middle of the night so store will be empty.) I have nothing essential I need to go out for tomorrow so.
We did some shopping this morning; at present could now survive for two weeks. Trader Joe was very busy for a midday visit, but it was raining and San Diegans also consider that an apocalypse shopping condition. So double whammy.
But we can’t stock up too much because of Passover - we’ll be doing that (dry good) shopping next week. And my husband has scheduled his shoulder surgery for March 31. So looking ahead, I’ll be doing all the Passover cleaning, the rest of any refrigerated goods shopping, all the cooking, both seders, and helping him with washing, dressing, driving to doctor’s appointments, etc. Six weeks until he can even start using his right arm again. I’ve already decided to start heating the pool as soon as the weather stays warm and sunny, hang the cost.
All this presumes community spread (which hasn’t hit our very large county) is contained and the doctor doesn’t have to cancel. He has a dedicated location and staff but who knows nowadays.
My local supermarket was apocalyptic this afternoon - apparently I went there just after all local schools announced they were closing for the duration.
Ordinarily, we’d be on the “Passover eat-down” where we gradually consume all non Passover foods. This year, we’re stocked up, and have already purchased enough Passover foods in case we can’t go to the extended family seder.
Also, I removed a ham from the kosher meat section. This happens regularly, unfortunately.
We’ve been disinfecting stuff all week to try and prevent me getting the flu from Mr (spoiler alert: didn’t work). Didn’t realize how low we were. And now there’s nothing available for like a month. With the baby coming.
I say again that this kid has inconvenient timing lol.
Gave my friend who has serious health issues a bottle of hand sanitizer as well as the janitor, who I was shocked to learn, didn’t have any. Janitor said, “you know, this is like gold!” and hit it on his cart.