Is it bad there??

[Like2Plan]

I really like what Andrew Cuomo said about the face mask topic:

https://www.syracuse.com/coronavirus...e-workers.html

I do wear a mask every time we go out. Even on walks in the neighborhood. I am finding there are a lot more people out and about these days. DH and I try to maintain social distances as much as possible when we are out and about. I have noticed that more people are doing the same. Like instead of passing each other on the sidewalk, we will cross the street (unless the other folks have already crossed the street in an effort to maintain social distance). There are a few people who are wearing face masks, but most are not.

Finally, I received this meme illustrating the point (I thought it was pretty funny considering the dignified, proper lady who sent it to me )

https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comme...tm_term=gaj2a3

[Petunia 100]

I have read that the wife went shopping and wasn't admitted into the store (in Flint, Michigan). She went back and told her family about it and she, her spouse and her son went back to the store and it ended with the security person getting shot.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...-without-mask/

Crazy. Ruined their own lives, took the security guard's life, took the father of 6 children. Just senseless.

[disneysteve]

A Maryland ice rink is now being used as a temporary morgue to store the overflow of bodies of COVID patients until the funeral homes can catch up with the volume.

And at the same time, we have morons staging protests waving signs saying the virus is a hoax. I don't even know how to respond to that sort of thing. Clearly, these folks are not mentally intact.

[QuarterMillionMan]

In Los Angeles today I got tested with the nasal swab method, and nope I don't have symptoms. Mayor Eric Garcetti on the news said everyone with or without symptoms should get tested so I figured why not, and it is free. Results takes up to 3 days. I will report back when I get my results.

[disneysteve]

In Los Angeles today I got tested with the nasal swab method, and nope I don't have symptoms. Mayor Eric Garcetti on the news said everyone with or without symptoms should get tested so I figured why not, and it is free. Results takes up to 3 days. I will report back when I get my results.

That’s great. Around here testing is still insanely limited. You must have fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath. That’s it. Even though the CDC expanded their symptom list a couple of weeks ago our testing sites still only recognize those 3 symptoms.

I’m 100% sure I’ve seen COVID patients but couldn’t prove it because they didn’t meet the strict criteria to be tested. The real number of cases is far higher than the reported numbers.

[disneysteve]

In Los Angeles today I got tested with the nasal swab method, and nope I don't have symptoms. Mayor Eric Garcetti on the news said everyone with or without symptoms should get tested so I figured why not, and it is free. Results takes up to 3 days. I will report back when I get my results.

Is that a test to see if you currently have COVID or an antibody test to see if you've already been exposed? There are really pros and cons to both. If it's a diagnostic test to see if you are currently infected, that helps with contact tracing and identifying the asymptomatic carriers who are out spreading disease unknowingly. As we saw last week at the White House, someone can test negative one day and positive the next. If it's an antibody test, it could show that you've been previously exposed but we don't yet know what those results mean. Does it mean you're immune? If so, how long lasting is that immunity? At this point, we just don't know.

[rennigade]

If my state/county want me to get tested, it better be free. Im not spending my money on it.

[disneysteve]

If my state/county want me to get tested, it better be free. Im not spending my money on it.

I haven't heard of anywhere in the US mandating testing. Other countries with different laws might be but I don't think that would be legal here. And yes, if they want to do mass testing, there should be no out of pocket cost not covered by your insurance.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Good question Disney Steve. I’m guessing my test is just to see if (+) or (-), not the antibody test. But I could be wrong.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Los Angeles County Public Health Dr. Barbara Ferrer said unless there is a dramatic change no way can relax restrictions and need to extend stay home for 3 more months but slowly lift over time. 44 people on average dieing every day. Used to be 50's - 60's a day. Getting better but still bad.

[james.hendrickson]

My parents are 78 and 80. They're not taking visitors for a while until things calm down. Its still risky for high risk demographic groups.

[disneysteve]

NJ is now at nearly 141,000 cases and just over 9,500 deaths, 198 in the past 24 hours alone. The number of daily deaths has decreased some but still losing about 200 per day in a state as small as NJ is disturbing.

I only saw 8 patients in my 4 hour shift today but I'm pretty sure 4 of them have COVID. I'll know for sure tomorrow when the results come back.

This is far, far from over. We're not going anywhere any time soon.

[james.hendrickson]

NJ is now at nearly 141,000 cases and just over 9,500 deaths, 198 in the past 24 hours alone. The number of daily deaths has decreased some but still losing about 200 per day in a state as small as NJ is disturbing.

I only saw 8 patients in my 4 hour shift today but I'm pretty sure 4 of them have COVID. I'll know for sure tomorrow when the results come back.

This is far, far from over. We're not going anywhere any time soon.

Oh man, I was hoping we'd be out of this in a couple of weeks.

[disneysteve]

Oh man, I was hoping we'd be out of this in a couple of weeks.

It largely depends where you are. Many states have already started to reopen. NJ isn't one of them (except for parks and some beaches) but we're also the 2nd hardest hit state after NY.

I saw the interview with Boeing's CEO who is predicting air travel won't return to pre-COVID levels for 3 years and the industry may not be profitable for another 5. It's going to be a long time before things are back to anything resembling "normal" overall even if certain areas are relatively normal within the next few months.

Philadelphia announced today that the July 4th "Welcome America" celebration that they put on each year will be entirely online this year. There's always a big concert down town that draws about 200,000 people. The mayor said he sees no way for that to be feasible this year. There will still be a concert live streamed but no in person audience. I'm not sure what they'll do about fireworks. If they have them, they'll need to figure out some way to keep people from congregating in public to watch them.

Many summer camps have already cancelled the 2020 season and I'm sure more will follow.

So no, we won't be "out of this" in a couple of weeks. We're looking to at least the fall before things start looking more normal and even then I don't think it will be 100%.

[QuarterMillionMan]

California State University system, "no fall in-person classes, only online clases."