Corona Virus Now Spreading

[bbdoll22]

I was doing my usual monthly toiletries/ laundry/ cleaning supply shopping and the grocery store had no gallons of bleach, barely any Clorox wipes and toilet paper in economy packs were low.
I went to the nearby CVS to get bleach for my laundry and a guy had a cart full of rubbing alcohol and alcohol prep pads.

 

[denice]

At work they have instituted a policy about this. If someone travels to a place, including in the States, where community infection has begun they have to get an okay from a doctor before coming back to work.

 

[Willowy]

They just gave a recipe for homemade hand sanitizer on the radio, using vodka and aloe gel. I suspect vodka is the next thing to run out . Ooh, I think I could make up a good conspiracy theory about Russia engineering the virus to sell more vodka. . .

 

[KittyFriday]

I'm house/dog/baby sitting right now in a very stressful situation - I won't bore you all with the details but it's awful. Went to Walmart to get some Tylenol PM because I have a constant migraine from this and I really just wanted something that would put me out at night. The medicine aisles have been hit hard; I was lucky to get the last bottle.

I work in a university and in my building we have programs that work with international students. They held a seminar today on Covid 19 because there are just so many questions about students traveling abroad, vising family, etc. and what to do when they come back, what if one comes back ill, etc. It was a good, well-informed seminar but the scary thing is that there is just so much that is unknown.

Thankfully I work with biosafety officers and my boss is also a germaphobe so if there were any cases in our town we'd all be sent home to telework.

 

[Jem]

They've (the WHO) updated the ESTIMATE of the mortality rate for the virus at 3.4%

 

[danteshuman]

Best thing you can do is wash your hands real well (& every one in your household) & if you are really paranoid cleaning the surfaces in your house like someone has a cold. No really wash your hands before touching your face.

If you are healthy & not in your 70’s you will probably just transmit it/barely know you are sick. The cDC website can give you all the info you need.

 

[danteshuman]

Oh and your cat & dog will not get this virus, so no worries there or need for pet masks,

 

[Xraystyle]

The school director is "encouraging" us to take one of our floating vacation days next week "for our own health" lol. She really just wants to minimize teachers being absent when the semester actually starts. I don't have a lot going on, so I volunteered to take a day off. We get so few, but I get more than most thanks to my contract negotiation skills. I usually use them to travel with my sports team, but if Covid19 keeps raging, we're not going to be able to travel anywhere anyway. We also don't have any holidays until the end of April, so getting a day off next week is good timing. We also get to leave an hour earlier, which is amazing.

Lots of countries just got even tougher on Korea. Japan is really trying not to take any chances in case they lose the Olympics, so they've instituted a mandatory 2-week quarantine for anyone traveling from China or Korea. One of my fave bands was set to do a mini-tour of Japan and had their visas canceled yesterday. The tour was supposed to start today.

Besides masks and hand sanitizer though, I wouldn't say people are panicking about anything. At least not in Seoul. I think we had enough time to acclimatize to it since we've had people with it since the end of January. People are just sort of worn out, though I can't imagine what the situation is like in Daegu. The basic rallying cry across the country is "f#&k Shincheonji" (that's the cult where most of the infections originated from).

 

[kittyluv387]

I'm a little nervous about visiting my family in LA. Mainly the airport. I'm planning on wearing a mask while I'm in there. And maybe take some wipes.

What I'm really afraid of is that since the US is doing such a terrible job with this virus that other countries will start banning Americans! Then what will we do for vacation this year? 1st world problems I know.

 

[catapault]

Hadn't thought about this. But apparently now that people are grabbing face masks from wherever they can get them veterinarians are finding the masks in short supply for animal surgery use: Worms & Germs Blog | Resources for Animals, Humans & Infectious Disease | University of Guelph

 

[Margret]

I still don't understand why people are stockpiling bottled water though. Canned food I can understand but not water...

Some people don't drink anything but bottled water. Sometimes for good reasons. And people are stocking up on all staples so they can stay safe at home if necessary.

We're seeing panic buying of water in Orange County, California, too.

It's been a while since I visited Orange County, but the last time I did bottled water was a necessity there -- tap water was so contaminated it would make you sick.

Last time I visited the store things seemed normal, but as of today there is a case in Colorado so I expect the rush is about to start (or possibly has already started).

Margret

 

[Xraystyle]

Hadn't thought about this. But apparently now that people are grabbing face masks from wherever they can get them veterinarians are finding the masks in short supply for animal surgery use: Worms & Germs Blog | Resources for Animals, Humans & Infectious Disease | University of Guelph

A big part of this is probably because Asian countries have basically all stopped exporting them, so the manufacturers in the states that make them are probably overwhelmed by the sudden increase in demand. Even here, people are now being asked to practice "social distancing" in an effort to conserve masks and allow medical professionals to get a hold of them instead.

I'm very good at social distancing (which is why I've been single for so long), but I still have to wear a mask on the subway. Been wearing the same one for a couple of days just because I really can't be THAT FOREIGNER without it. I also have a fabric mask that I keep forgetting to wash which is socially acceptable even if it isn't actually protecting me from anything. My face has of course, broken out in acne all along the edges where the mask touches it.

 

[Willowy]

people are now being asked to practice "social distancing"

 

[Margret]

Today it occurred to me that if i get infected, that everyone in my home would be quarantined in a hospital. Im worried about my cats now. Who will take care of this? I dont know if family would be willing to drive out twice a day to give them wet food and check on them. Im worried they'll be scared and alone. Can hospitals force you to stay? Can people just stay home 24/7 and self quarantine?

They won't accept you for hospitalization unless you're so sick you couldn't properly care for your cats anyway.

I just heard on CNN that if you are infected, you should stay away from animals. First thing I thought of was my cats. I also read somewhere that cats can catch it from us. That's a scary thought. I wouldn't be able to take them to the vet.

Was this in a news story? I just read the opposite, that there has been a dog testing positive but not ill and that doesn’t mean the dog really has the virus.

Coronavirus is known to cross species, and this particular version of it has already been through at least two other species before it crossed to humans. Can it infect your pets? Probably not, but I would be very leery of saying that it definitely can't.

I'd be really stuck then. I live alone with three indoor cats in a relatively small space. My nearest family live about an hour away.

If I were self isolating the cats would have to be shut out of the lounge andiinto one side of the house but I'd need to feed them and do their litter trays so avoiding interaction wouldn't be possible. Also they wouldn't understand why no petting / hugs.

If it came to having to be hospitalised I would have to rely on friends to come in and feed them but I'd be really stressed that they might get out. I have also previously used a pet sitter lady who was extremely good so she would be a possibility.

I think I would print out a sheet of care instructions and pin it somewhere really obvious, so that at least a bit of preparation is done. For me this would cover the fish and snake as well.

Don't think there are any cases in my county yet though.

Okay, time to calm down and think. This particular version of Coronavirus specifically infects the lungs. It's spread in droplets, from coughing and sneezing. Just breathing the same air as someone who's infected probably won't give you the virus. From what I've heard, these are the best practices to avoid catching and/or spreading the virus.

1. Don't shake hands with people.
2. Do use sanitizer wipes on the handles of shopping carts and such. (Alcohol wipes are just fine; it needn't be Purell or some such.)
3. If you have to cough or sneeze, use a handkerchief and then dispose of it properly.
4. When you're out and about, or after you get home, don't touch your face until you've washed your hands properly. It needn't be with "hand sanitizer"; soap is just fine. The important thing is that you spend at least 20 seconds washing your hands with soap and water before rinsing.

All of these things, if practiced properly, should keep you from getting sick, which, in turn, should protect your cats.

Now, the really hard one is not touching your face; we all tend to do a lot of face touching, and we never really think about it, and that's a hard habit to change. This is the one useful thing that a face mask would do for you - keep your hands away from your nose and mouth. But face masks are hard to come by right now, to the point that medical personnel are having trouble getting them, and they're the ones who really need face masks. So make do. If the only reason you need a face mask is to remind you not to touch your mouth and nose, it doesn't need to be a proper face mask that makes a tight seal - try getting a scarf or bandanna and tying it over your nose and mouth, like a train robber in an old Western.

I was doing my usual monthly toiletries/ laundry/ cleaning supply shopping and the grocery store had no gallons of bleach, barely any Clorox wipes and toilet paper in economy packs were low.
I went to the nearby CVS to get bleach for my laundry and a guy had a cart full of rubbing alcohol and alcohol prep pads.

Alcohol wipes will do it; and they've been saying so on television.

Best thing you can do is wash your hands real well (& every one in your household) & if you are really paranoid cleaning the surfaces in your house like someone has a cold. No really wash your hands before touching your face.

If you are healthy & not in your 70’s you will probably just transmit it/barely know you are sick. The cDC website can give you all the info you need.

And remember, "real well" means 20 seconds with soap and water before you rinse.

Hadn't thought about this. But apparently now that people are grabbing face masks from wherever they can get them veterinarians are finding the masks in short supply for animal surgery use: Worms & Germs Blog | Resources for Animals, Humans & Infectious Disease | University of Guelph

Doctors and nurses are also having problems getting face masks.

Margret

 

[DreamerRose]

My church sent out changes today for all our services:
1. The pastor will greet you but not shake hands when you leave.
2. When sharing the peace, the congregation is to say it all together instead of shaking hands and greeting everyone.
3. Disposable cups of grape juice will be used for communion instead of dipping the bread in a chalice.

This is so sad. Now people, including me, are afraid to go to church services.

 

[Harry6]

Cats & N-Coronavirus
I have seen no evidence that N coronavirus can infect domestic cats (irrespective of whether they are pets or feral.) There has, however, been misinformation about this sort of thing floating around. There are many different kinds of coronaviruses. Some other coronavirus types can affect domestic cats with disastrous consequences. To the best of my knowledge, there is no evidence whatsoever that N coronavirus, affects domestic cats. To my knowledge there is no evidence of domestic cats being infected, being carriers, or transmitting it to humans.

 

[denice]

I know here in the states coronavirus in cats is well known because it is the cause of FIP. People hear coronavirus and make that leap. They assume that there is one coronavirus and they are one in the same. This particular virus is close to one found in bats, completely different from the one that infects cats. This virus is actually not one in the same as the one that infects bats, it has mutated into something different thus the name 'novel' coronavirus. People get scared and like the majority of us don't know much about viruses other then they cause colds and the seasonal flu. Scared people who don't understand something often do irrational cruel things.

 

[NY cat man]

Yes, when people get scared, or even anxious, a lot of things can happen, and they are usually bad things. I have been reading where some people have been stocking up on guns and ammunition to prevent mobs from looting what they have. I know, I know- the odds of that actually happening are somewhere between slim and none, but there it is. Fear of the unknown, fear of what might happen, call it what you will, it is real in some people. Instead of just taking normal precautions, they overreact, and usually someone or something else suffers for it.

 

[doomsdave]

Some people don't drink anything but bottled water. Sometimes for good reasons. And people are stocking up on all staples so they can stay safe at home if necessary.


It's been a while since I visited Orange County, but the last time I did bottled water was a necessity there -- tap water was so contaminated it would make you sick.

Last time I visited the store things seemed normal, but as of today there is a case in Colorado so I expect the rush is about to start (or possibly has already started).

Margret

Not to be rude, but heavens, contaminated tap water? Seriously? In California?

No one's told me. I use it all the time. I've seen no evidence of any kind whatsoever that there's anything wrong with the drinking water here. One of my neighbors had "brown water" because her home's pipes had rusted. That went away when she repiped (with the aid of my cat-loving handy helper.)

I remember back in the 1970s LA and So-Cal in general were big markets for bottled water (in spite of perfectly decent tap water), because, according a 1979 National Geographic article, it was very aggressively marketed here. I think that's true, honesty. That's been a 40+ year habit, which appears to have spread to the rest of the country.

 

[KittyFriday]

I'm a little nervous about visiting my family in LA. Mainly the airport. I'm planning on wearing a mask while I'm in there. And maybe take some wipes.

Wipes and hand sanitizer are good, masks are not. The only masks that will protect you are N95s which are sold out nearly everywhere and you have to be fit tested to ensure that they're actually doing you any good. Plus, if you wear a mask you are more likely to touch/adjust that mask which means you are touching your face more frequently which you should not do. Sick people wearing surgical masks can help some as it does a little to keep their sneezes and coughs contained but it doesn't do anything at all for those who are healthy.