D&D and the rising pandemic

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Part of why you’re not seeing a big vector out of American groceries is that MOST of them aren’t really packed. In the grocery runs I’ve made so far*, there was only one day where it looked like a pre-holiday shopping day. All of the rest have been normal or even slow.

The shopping clubs like Sam’s and Costco are completely different. Lots of insanity in those.


* small suburb of Dallas; sample size of 4 groceries and a Farmers’ Market

The Costco crowds are about to change this week, or just did, as they announced they are reducing the number of people allowed in their stores per membership. So they are about to get a lot less crowded.

And for my personal experience out shopping, one thing I have been extra aware of is listening for people coughing, sneezing, or blowing their nose. And I have realized that compared to just a couple of months ago, when hearing all of that would be common, I do not think I have heard a single cough or sneeze in the past couple of weeks when I have been in a store of any kind. So maybe people with colds, allergies, flu, this virus, are actually not going shopping nearly as much as they would if this virus did not exist.

Not surprisingly, there’s been a big pushback on shelter in place orders (and similar edicts) from religious leaders all across the southern USA. Several governors have exempted places of worship from those orders, deeming them “essential”.

Someone else mentioned this too, and without getting political, but the stats on where the virus has hit first are really unbalanced. It is something like 80% of cases are in counties that vote Democratic and 20% in counties that vote Republican. So many on the Right are under the mistaken impression that they are not going to get it as bad as the "big, bad" Liberal parts of the country.

 

[Hussar]

As someone who said that things maybe weren't all that bad, let me just say that I was wrong.

Here in Japan, it almost seems like everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop. Honestly, it hasn't been that bad here. I think we're somewhere in the neighborhood of 4000 cases. And, we've been dealing with this a bit longer than the West has. The question seems to be, why not? Why isn't Japan buried under the disease now? It's not like we're quarantining or taking any draconian measures.

Heck, we JUST banned travel into the country today. And Japanese nationals who enter the country are just now being tested and asked (not told, asked) to self quarantine.

Is it we just go lucky? Or is it something about Japanese culture that helps - the whole social distancing thing? No one knows. And, because no one knows, everyone is scared.

Like I said, it's like we're all waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

[FrogReaver]

As someone who said that things maybe weren't all that bad, let me just say that I was wrong.

Here in Japan, it almost seems like everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop. Honestly, it hasn't been that bad here. I think we're somewhere in the neighborhood of 4000 cases. And, we've been dealing with this a bit longer than the West has. The question seems to be, why not? Why isn't Japan buried under the disease now? It's not like we're quarantining or taking any draconian measures.

Heck, we JUST banned travel into the country today. And Japanese nationals who enter the country are just now being tested and asked (not told, asked) to self quarantine.

Is it we just go lucky? Or is it something about Japanese culture that helps - the whole social distancing thing? No one knows. And, because no one knows, everyone is scared.

Like I said, it's like we're all waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Covering face with masks?

 

[Ogre Mage]

Not surprisingly, there’s been a big pushback on shelter in place orders (and similar edicts) from religious leaders all across the southern USA. Several governors have exempted places of worship from those orders, deeming them “essential”.

Stupid of them.

I am glad I live in the Pacific Northwest. Leaders respect science and expertise here.

 

[FrogReaver]

Someone else mentioned this too, and without getting political, but the stats on where the virus has hit first are really unbalanced. It is something like 80% of cases are in counties that vote Democratic and 20% in counties that vote Republican. So many on the Right are under the mistaken impression that they are not going to get it as bad as the "big, bad" Liberal parts of the country.

I don't think it's even anything that major. It's just hard to act until you start seeing it in your community and the red counties tend to be more rural (less densely populated) and thus haven't noticed much local impact from this yet as it tends to get to those areas slower and spread slower in them.

 

[Zardnaar]

Doh!!!!(I live in Dunedin).

Locations of all 132 Southern Covid-19 cases revealed

The Southern District Health Board has revealed where in the South people have tested positive for Covid-19 and the figures paint a worrying...

www.odt.co.nz

Grew up in Waitaki. Double doh!!!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

So maybe people with colds, allergies, flu, this virus, are actually not going shopping nearly as much as they would if this virus did not exist.

raises hand

I have some pretty bad allergies, mostly controlled by injection therapy 2x month. But my allergist’s office closed in response to the pandemic 3 days before I was scheduled to go in.

(Coincidentally, the same as my scheduled haircut- mah fro gonna get kinda wooly!)

But as the only person in the house under 70yrs old, I am trying to do the bulk of the family’s grocery shopping.

SO FAR, my sniffles, sneezes and coughs have been controlled by OTC meds, so I haven‘t been targeted by any evil eyes.

It is something like 80% of cases are in counties that vote Democratic and 20% in counties that vote Republican. So many on the Right are under the mistaken impression that they are not going to get it as bad as the "big, bad" Liberal parts of the country.

Part of that is simply that big, densely populated cities tend to skew Democratic, and the Republican-leaning counties tend to have a less concentrated populace. But I have seen several reports from many parts of small town/rural America showing locals DO understand the issues. Of course, when your nearest neighbor is a few miles away, and the closest medical facility is a 30 minute drive, the concept of social distancing is borderline nonsensical.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

 

[FrogReaver]

Basically. The faster we all get on board with the shutdown the faster it gets over for everyone.

 

[CleverNickName]

Basically. The faster we all get on board with the shutdown the faster it gets over for everyone.

But but but the economy! Won't someone think of the poor, defenseless economy?!