News & Experiences continued

[SkateSand]

CA is now another state requiring masks in public.

A local TV station here ran a Facebook poll today with over 9,000 responses so far about the new mask requirement. 70% say they won't wear one. This should be fun to enforce...

 

[once_upon]

I drove for the first time since March 16th. I had ordered groceries for pick up between 6-7. We usually go together and DH drives.

However, his team went live with some software at 4, and he was on the conference calls until 8:30.

It was strange

 

[skatfan]

A local TV station here ran a Facebook poll today with over 9,000 responses so far about the new mask requirement. 70% say they won't wear one. This should be fun to enforce...

Notoriously unreliable way to poll anything. That’s a worthless stat and the TV station knows it.

 

[overedge]

I am not particularly sympathetic with banks. Closing branches and limiting hours, resulting in HUGE lines at the few remaining branches. I fail to understand why they are doing this for ********* reasons. I have to bank for work reasons so am familiar with their new hours. But for regular customers who come every once in awhile, they can be surprised by the new hours.

Yep, I had to go to a different branch because my regular branch is closed. Apparently the branch I went to today has shorter hours than usual because some of the staff are working at other branches during the week. My regular branch is open two (?) hours a week, but only for access to safe deposit boxes, and it's staff from this other branch that are working there. I didn't quite understand why the staff who usually work at my regular branch couldn't manage the two hours of a week of open time, but there you go.

Anyway, the bank is planning to reopen more branches around July 6 and go back to more regular hours. I'm sure the managers who have to deal with angry maskless people around closing time will appreciate that.

 

[Japanfan]

I wore a mask, as did the security guards out front and the staff, but I was really surprised that almost none of the customers had a mask.

I'm not seeing many people wearing masks when I go out to handle shopping.

In fact I took a cab home from a friend's last Friday, and the cab driver was not wearing a mask - he commented that it was over. The incidence of the BB is indeed low in my city, but it is certainly not over.

 

[Buzz]

Things have gotten really ugly in cottage country. Anyone seen as outsiders are being harassed and even threatened. Particularly those with American license plates.
https://tinyurl.com/yaylxa3j

 

[cholla]

Nebraska governor: Mask requirement will cost counties money

Nebraska’s governor told local governments they will not receive any federal money to help fight the effects of the ******** ********* if they require people to wear masks in public buildings.

www.1011now.com

Can it get more absurd? Like "catch it and I'll give you funds..." facepalm

 

[Susan1]

Outbreaks at 13 companies in Montgomery County - https://tinyurl.com/y8u43sk3

DDN (sorry, habit - Dayton Daily News) re press conference yesterday - "The wearing of face masks was strongly emphasized as a way to cut down on spreading the *****. Cooper, Mayor Nan Whaley, Warren County Health District Commissioner Duane Stansbury, Deputy Health Commissioner Noah Stuby with Greene County Public Health and Sarah Hackenbracht, president/CEO, Greater Dayton Hospital Association all pushed the wearing of face masks in public. “It’s been over 100 days that we’ve been asking people not to go places,” Whaley said. “You need to ask yourself: Is it worth me getting ********* to be at that event?” "

On the news, they showed her saying something about what are we going to do for the next 100 days. That sounds like a long time.

 

[VGThuy]

In the words of Alanis Morissette, "Isn't It Ironic?" A major rallying cry of the protesters is, "I can't breathe!" So many without masks shouting out as forcefully as possible. Perfect superspreader scenario. "I can't breathe!" is what many infected with *********-19 will be gasping from their hospital beds.

Saw this article and thought of this comment right away:

https://tinyurl.com/ybydwco3

Then I saw a few more pieces on protesting and the spread of C*vid. I thought of this comment because it seemed so mean-spirited and totally missing the point. It also ignored the public ********* of systemic racism.

https://tinyurl.com/y8t2a7eq - GREAT ARTICLE

https://tinyurl.com/y8fytybv

https://tinyurl.com/y8cxhdzs

https://tinyurl.com/ybuzevpv/

I still think it's too soon to tell, but there are a lot of differences between protesters who seem to be taking the ********* seriously thus trying to mitigate the spread by wearing masks, partaking in an outdoor and mobile activity and other sorts of large gatherings like with what we saw during Memorial Day.

The funny thing is that it is police tactics in cracking down on protesters and arresting them that has led to higher risk of the spread of C*vid-19.

https://tinyurl.com/yants8r3

https://tinyurl.com/ybqc5k9d

https://tinyurl.com/ybcxgop8

But here’s the idea: Tear gas makes people cough, so even if they have *********-19 but are asymptomatic or presymptomatic, now they’re spraying *****-laden droplets into the environment. Tear gas and pepper spray make it almost impossible to breathe while wearing a mask, so those come off, increasing other people’s likelihood of inhaling those small particles. What might have been a lower-risk context becomes a high-risk one, primed to become the sort of “superspreader event” that has characterized *********-19’s worldwide spread. “You take a smaller-risk thing, and multiply it by time,” Chin-Hong says.

And if any of the police tactics include mass arrests or detainment, the risk is even greater, because it’s back to the classic bad-news situation for *********-19: big groups spending long periods of time in enclosed spaces. This was already a problem in jails, even before the protests. “In the presence of a *********, arresting and incarcerating someone unnecessarily can turn into a death sentence, not just for the people arrested but the jail staff, the court staff, the family members of the staff, and the protesters,” says Steffie Woolhandler, a public health professor at City University of New York’s Hunter College who studies infectious disease and prisons. “This is a doubly serious human rights violation.”

In other words, tear gas making people cough and take off their masks plus mass arrests and detainment (happening in my neck of the woods in Brooklyn) forcing big groups spending long periods of time in enclosed spaces...which was the issue that advocates had when arguing prisoners needed to be removed from the high-risk environment of prisons.

Of course, there are issues with contact tracing and whether people are being asked or answering questions regarding protest activities, but still...these articles show there is something to consider.

 

[manhn]

A big outbreak at a Dole premade salad factory in Ohio.

 

[rfisher]

Major outbreaks in Myrtle Beach, SC to the point the local TV stations are advising immediate testing for everybody who has been there within the last two weeks. It's a hot spot vacation area for many people in this state. We already know faculty who have been exposed and are trying to figure out what that means with regard to quarantine before they can return to work.

 

[SkateSand]

Notoriously unreliable way to poll anything. That’s a worthless stat and the TV station knows it.

Actually, in this case, I think it's pretty much dead on. 70% of this county voted for Trump and 70% think wearing masks is government run amok for a "hoax." Coincidence?

 

[missing]

I'm arbitrarily putting these in News and Experiences but they could just as well go in Reopening, since both articles illustratate the risks of reopening.

Mississippi cluster linked to fraternity rush parties.

"We recently have identified a cluster of cases and outbreaks in Oxford, Mississippi," Dobbs said. Early information suggests the fraternities have violated state guidelines with the number of people they have gathered at parties, Dobbs said.

Adherence to social distancing over the summer break has been "overwhelmingly disappointing" and has made him extremely concerned about what the fall may have in store.

10 positive test results linked to a Chick-fil-A in Kansas.

The health department will offer *********-19 testing to around 80 workers at the restaurant.

The restaurant is listed as closed due to *********-19 related issues on Chick-fil-A’s corporate website.

 

[Susan1]

Well, the first town in Ohio to require wearing masks, unless you are under 4 or have a medical condition - Yellow Springs. Totally Liberal hippie town. However, of course I noticed a typo on one of their printed blue and yellow window signs - "physcial" distancing. Oops.

And saw this on the news last night -

Researchers around the world are using DNA to see if genetics play a role in coronavirus

WASHINGTON (SBG) — Scientists around the world are trying to answer a critical question, researching to see if your DNA plays a role in whether you get ******** and how you respond. And the kits millions of people around the world use to trace their family roots could help answer critical...

tinyurl.com

70% of this county voted for Trump and 70% think wearing masks is government run amok for a "hoax." Coincidence?

I don't know the exact numbers off the top of my head, but 70% of this country DID NOT vote for trump. HILLARY WON THE POPULAR VOTE.

 

[VGThuy]

Actually, in this case, I think it's pretty much dead on. 70% of this county voted for Trump and 70% think wearing masks is government run amok for a "hoax." Coincidence?

No they didn't.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

No they didn't.

Read again. The post says county not country. Unless you know what county SkateSand is in, I imagine you're reading their post incorrectly.

 

[Susan1]

Read again. The post says county not country. Unless you know what county SkateSand is in, I imagine you're reading their post incorrectly.

I read it wrong too. Sorry.

 

[Susan1]

A big outbreak at a Dole premade salad factory in Ohio.

200 people out of the 829 tested at the Dole plant in Springfield (Clark County) tested positive. The first case was in April.

 

[Sparks]

I saw this on the news. Studies indicate you are more likely to get sicker if you have type A blood or if you have a vitamin D deficiency.
That's a double whammy for me.

 

[VGThuy]

Read again. The post says county not country. Unless you know what county SkateSand is in, I imagine you're reading their post incorrectly.

Whoops. I read it as country.

 

[skatfan]

Actually, in this case, I think it's pretty much dead on. 70% of this county voted for Trump and 70% think wearing masks is government run amok for a "hoax." Coincidence?

It's not a random sample, it's whoever decided to answer the poll - usually people who feel strongly about an issue and that seems to be the anti-maskers these days. So yes, if it matches, it is a coincidence.

 

[missing]

I love sports and I especially love baseball (Alex Rodriguez said those people who don't care about sports should imagine a world without music) and I keep hoping against hope that something of this season will be salvaged.

Once again my hopes have been smashed. The Phillies training camp has 8 positives.

Five Phillies players who had been training at the team’s facility in Clearwater, Florida have tested positive for ******** in recent days, multiple sources tell NBC Sports Philadelphia.

In addition to the five players, three staff members have tested positive. The identities of those infected is not known.

I really wonder how all the organized sports leagues are going to handle this kind of situation. I really doubt it's limited to just one training camp in one sport.

 

[SkateSand]

It's not a random sample, it's whoever decided to answer the poll - usually people who feel strongly about an issue and that seems to be the anti-maskers these days. So yes, if it matches, it is a coincidence.

My every fourteen days shopping trip is today. I mainly go to two grocery stores. At one of them about 1/4 to 1/3 of the customers have been wearing masks and all of the employees. The other one had about 1/4 of the customers wearing masks and about 1/3 of the employees. I'll see if anything has changed. I feel sorry for the businesses because I would bet that they are worried about angry customers with guns, which is probably why only two stores in the city required masks already - Costco and Trader Joe's. It might be too soon to see any changes, though, as probably the stores haven't had time to prepare their signs, etc. yet.

 

[allezfred]

Am a big fan of "Mean Girls" as a film, but did not expect a quote from it to be used in a speech by a Taoiseach. Ever, even a gay one.

Coronavirus: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar quotes Mean Girls during COVID-19 briefing

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar rose to the challenge set by a Hollywood star last week to quote Mean Girls in his next speech.

tinyurl.com

 

[skatfan]

My every fourteen days shopping trip is today. I mainly go to two grocery stores. At one of them about 1/4 to 1/3 of the customers have been wearing masks and all of the employees. The other one had about 1/4 of the customers wearing masks and about 1/3 of the employees. I'll see if anything has changed. I feel sorry for the businesses because I would bet that they are worried about angry customers with guns, which is probably why only two stores in the city required masks already - Costco and Trader Joe's. It might be too soon to see any changes, though, as probably the stores haven't had time to prepare their signs, etc. yet.

You're missing my point. The survey is not random. It isn't statistically valid. The fact that it matches your experience is interesting, but it doesn't change what the survey could measure.

 

[canbelto]

Well governor Ricketts has made CNN's front page for his uselessness/stupidity for saying that cities can't receive funding if they require masks. What a dumbass.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

I love sports and I especially love baseball (Alex Rodriguez said those people who don't care about sports should imagine a world without music) and I keep hoping against hope that something of this season will be salvaged.

Once again my hopes have been smashed. The Phillies training camp has 8 positives.

Five Phillies players who had been training at the team’s facility in Clearwater, Florida have tested positive for ******** in recent days, multiple sources tell NBC Sports Philadelphia.

In addition to the five players, three staff members have tested positive. The identities of those infected is not known.

I really wonder how all the organized sports leagues are going to handle this kind of situation. I really doubt it's limited to just one training camp in one sport.

Today the PGA Tour had their first positive result. Thankfully he wasn’t on the charter flight of players and caddies that traveled from last week’s tournament, but it’s been reported that guys haven’t been taking the safety measures seriously so I hope this doesn’t blow up.

 

[MacMadame]

The thing about those Facebook and other "surveys" on social media is that they are very vulnerable to manipulation. So if someone with a certain point of view happens to see it, they will post links all over their like-minded groups and encourage people to go vote their way. So that POV gets over-represented.

 

[PrincessLeppard]

Well governor Ricketts has made CNN's front page for his uselessness/stupidity for saying that cities can't receive funding if they require masks. What a dumbass.

He is a complete tool. The Dems had an excellent candidate for Nebraska (moderate to leaning conservative) and he still got clobbered because he didn't have an R by his name.

 

[missing]

CV19 rates have been noticeably rising in sunbelt states- Texas, Florida and Arizona getting the most press, but others clearly affected as well.

I figured what these states have in common (in addition to the politics of their governors, which may well be a factor) is they're hot. So I've been wondering about air conditioning.

Bloomberg News has an article about how a good air conditioning system can help prevent the spread.

The problem is, as I see it (and I'm the queen of seeing things and then wondering why no one else does), if you live in a place that's hot, you're more likely to go somewhere that's air conditioned, which in sunbelt states, is pretty much everywhere. And while air conditioning may not make our pals the droplets spread any further (unlike Legionnaires
Disease), if a lot of people are in an air conditioned space and one of them happens to be positive, the droplet is more likely to land on you than if you're outside in the desert admiring the cacti. That's the whole theory on why the flu is worse in winter, people are more likely to be indoors.

If my theory is right, then going to the beach or marching in a protest isn't the risky behavior. It's going to the bars and restaurants and office buildings and casinos and food processing plants and anywhere else where you spend a lot of time in an enclosed space with a lot of other people.

And if I'm right, then just as the northeast was the outlier, so the sunbelt states will be, since much of the continental US is dependent on air conditioning to make life bearable as the weather turns hot.