Corona Virus Now Spreading

[Xraystyle]

Yeah, I wouldn't be too alarmed. Just think of the hand sanitizer as a nice bonus, you can only imagine what is on peoples' hands during normal conditions. Being overly cautious in church is also just being prudent as the major outbreak here happened because of church gatherings that were long and people were densely packed together. I have heard that one of the other outbreaks was tied to a Zumba retreat, so if you are a gym goer also make sure your gym is sanitizing equipment/mats!

The elbow thing has been around since at least the H1N1 swine flu of 2009. I remember Obama did it. I actually used it a few months ago when I had a cold and my fave Korean band's singer wanted to shake my hand and I was like "Dude, I'm sick" and we elbow bumped instead, so it works across cultures.

They are selling masks like rations here now. You can go to the pharmacy and give your ID and then you can buy 1 per day I think. I wish the mask thing would stop. I don't want to buy more. I don't want to stand in line. I don't want to wear them!!!

 

[mani]

Our supermarkets have had wet tissue sanitisers at the door for the past year and I always use them.. on my hands and on the handgrip of the trolley. I got a virus a while ago and my doctor recommended it, saying people seem to catch it from pushing the trolleys around.

 

[sivyaleah]

Here in the NYC area, most are not panicking that I see so far. But we are a hardy stock of people. And based in reality. Been through Hurricane Sandy and 9/11 and a few huge black-outs, so we know how to get through a big crisis.

We held an office wide meeting Friday to address what our plans on in the event that our area starts to get hit hard; i.e. working from home, making sure everyone knew it was ok to stay home if they felt ill (more like begging not to come in!), gently requesting that anyone planning to go out of the country on vacation to please hold back for now, gave out CDC health info, etc. Answered questions from those who had concerns and basically calmed down the few that tended towards being a bit anxious in general as their normal state. It went well enough.

I had to remind everyone including my bosses that being flexible is important because if thing got really bad it's not just us, that means it's everyone; all of our clients and vendors too. I need to get in touch with these people tomorrow and figure out how we'll continue getting paid and make payments if that happens.

As for all else, at home slowly doing what I do for hurricane prep which is just make sure we're stocked with basics but we usually are anyway. Only thing we are having trouble finding is Purell, like everyone else. Luckily we had a giant sized one already here and we'd stocked up at the office a few weeks ago too.

All I know is my hands are dry as can be with all this hand washing to the point of stinging lol. Finally broke out a huge tube of moisturizer Friday. My big job this week is figuring out how to keep away from as many people as possible while commuting while using mass transit. Challenge accepted.

There's something to be said for my husband and I being homebodies, that's for sure. Other than me commuting to work and grocery shopping on weekends, there really isn't much other reason for us to be out and about in crowds.

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

Damn I sure wish people were this hygienic on their own accord.

 

[kittyluv387]

Here in the NYC area, most are not panicking that I see so far. But we are a hardy stock of people. And based in reality. Been through Hurricane Sandy and 9/11 and a few huge black-outs, so we know how to get through a big crisis.

We held an office wide meeting Friday to address what our plans on in the event that our area starts to get hit hard; i.e. working from home, making sure everyone knew it was ok to stay home if they felt ill (more like begging not to come in!), gently requesting that anyone planning to go out of the country on vacation to please hold back for now, gave out CDC health info, etc. Answered questions from those who had concerns and basically calmed down the few that tended towards being a bit anxious in general as their normal state. It went well enough.

I had to remind everyone including my bosses that being flexible is important because if thing got really bad it's not just us, that means it's everyone; all of our clients and vendors too. I need to get in touch with these people tomorrow and figure out how we'll continue getting paid and make payments if that happens.

As for all else, at home slowly doing what I do for hurricane prep which is just make sure we're stocked with basics but we usually are anyway. Only thing we are having trouble finding is Purell, like everyone else. Luckily we had a giant sized one already here and we'd stocked up at the office a few weeks ago too.

All I know is my hands are dry as can be with all this hand washing to the point of stinging lol. Finally broke out a huge tube of moisturizer Friday. My big job this week is figuring out how to keep away from as many people as possible while commuting while using mass transit. Challenge accepted.

There's something to be said for my husband and I being homebodies, that's for sure. Other than me commuting to work and grocery shopping on weekends, there really isn't much other reason for us to be out and about in crowds.

Ouch no vacations? We're supposed to go on one in June or so.

There's no way I can not touch my face. If I do my whole head will turn into a cat's head! Fur gets all over my face anyway and one of my cats has very fine fur that is always getting into my eyes. Drives me nuts until I can take it out, with my finger.

 

[sivyaleah]

Ouch no vacations? We're supposed to go on one in June or so.

There's no way I can not touch my face. If I do my whole head will turn into a cat's head! Fur gets all over my face anyway and one of my cats has very fine fur that is always getting into my eyes. Drives me nuts until I can take it out, with my finger.

Vacations are fine, as long as they aren't in one of the "hot spots" like Italy for instance. I had one employee about to go off to see family in India, he cancelled and my boss had a trip to Japan and California planned. He cancelled both.

Not touching your face is SO hard! Yes! It's near impossible, isn't it?

 

[kittyluv387]

Vacations are fine, as long as they aren't in one of the "hot spots" like Italy for instance. I had one employee about to go off to see family in India, he cancelled and my boss had a trip to Japan and California planned. He cancelled both.

Not touching your face is SO hard! Yes! It's near impossible, isn't it?

Ah good! What's life without vacation anyway. We're planning on going to the caribbeans. I'm in dallas right now with no confirmed cases (probably no testing either from what I gather) but I already had a trip planned for Los Angeles because that's where my family is. I only get to see them once a year anyway. :/ I don't want to miss out on seeing them.

 

[Willowy]

Damn I sure wish people were this hygienic on their own accord.

I know! It's like this is all a new fad or Facebook challenge or something. Oh well.

I had to put up the CDC handwashing and "how to stay healthy" posters at work, in employee areas AND the lobby. Other than that they've said very little. It's not exactly like the anthrax scares, what else is there to do?

My mom is worried about her summer plans being cancelled (school reunion in June, cruise in August). Not that SHE would cancel her plans but that they'll be forced to cancel. So she's making sure to get travel insurance and refundable tickets and all that. Hopefully it'll have run its course by then.

 

[maggiedemi]

Our supermarkets have had wet tissue sanitisers at the door for the past year and I always use them.. on my hands and on the handgrip of the trolley.

I always wash my hands before I go shopping. I know I'm going to be touching new products and I don't want to get germs on them. I'm weird I guess.

 

[Willowy]

I'm told all the other stores in the area have plenty of toilet paper. A friend on Facebook posted a picture of the Hy-Vee TP aisle, completely full. And my brother works at Walmart and says they have no shortage of anything but hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol. I guess it was just the big membership stores, and they sell a lot of TP anyway, maybe it was only a small bump in demand and they were low on stock.

I hate hand sanitizer. I never use it if I can help it, only if I'm in a place that absolutely does not have any water available. So I don't have any around at home. They made us stock some at the office during the last big scare (bird flu? I don't even remember!) though, and I have 3 1/2 bottles left so that should be enough for customers.

 

[maggiedemi]

I hate hand sanitizer. I never use it if I can help it

I never use it either. I don't see how that will wash anything off your hands without water.

 

[denice]

I have never used hand sanitizer. It doesn't wash anything off your hands. It is alcohol based so it kills viruses and germs. I don't think it is as good as washing your hands but some situations it is possible where washing your hands isn't possible. If I was in some kind of direct customer service job I would probably use it.

 

[Willowy]

Yeah, if you're a cashier and are only allowed to go to the bathroom on breaks, I think it would be good. All that germy money and such. But I don't see the point for anyone who's able to wash their hands regularly.

 

[DreamerRose]

There's another solution to keeping your hands germ-free: wear gloves. Women used to wear gloves all the time to keep their hands clean. Surgical gloves would be very obvious, but tight cloth gloves would do the job and could be washed.

When I worked at a rehabilitation hospital, it installed sanitizer dispensers in all the patient and exam rooms. Word from the doctors, who used it frequently, was that it left a residue on their hands and dried out their skin.

 

[Willowy]

But then your gloves would be germy, and you wouldn't be able to wash them until you got home. Unless you carried several pairs and cha ged frequently. I know germs don't live as long on porous surfaces (they dry out faster) but still.

I have seen some store clerks wearing disposable nitrile gloves, even before this scare. I think people understand why.

 

[DreamerRose]

Yes, one of the germiest, dirtiest things around is paper money. Nitrile gloves probably help to sort the paper, too.

I've kinda sorted the scenario through if I have to quarantine myself. The grocery stores around deliver and you order online. I can just ask them to drop it in front of the door. Cat food I can also order from Chewy.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I saw someone at the grocery store today purchasing a cart full and then some of toilet paper... there was also someone with a cart full of bottled water. Not sure if it has to do with the coronavirus but it just seemed a bit unusual. That particular grocery store is almost never that packed and I go there often.

Then, I went to Walmart and there were people taking the employee's working gloves and wearing them around the store to avoid touching things with their bare hands.

 

[Mia6]

This is an excellent article on COVID19 It doesn't take a lot to kill the virus, bleach is good and it doesn't need
to be a solution of all bleach. The worst thing is to panic. but be smart. Nicole works for docs and they've started
handing out masks as patients check in.
In U.S., Cases of Coronavirus Cross 500, and Deaths Rise to 22

 

[Jem]

was that it left a residue on their hands and dried out their skin.

I have always felt like my hands were dirtier after using sanitizer, the film it leaves on my skin feels gross. I know it kills bacteria and viruses but it does not clean the hands. I don't get how some people can use it regularly.

 

[muffy]

My B/L delivers Dave's Killer bread to warehouse and grocery stores. Although the closest case of the virus is 50 miles from here he said the grocery stores have really been busy this past week. There are no hand sanitizer's and very little TP, and bottle water. He said his bread which usually sell very well and jumping off the shelf. He has to restock the bread everyday.

I am pretty much home bound for the next 2 months until I have knee surgery. It would not bother me to be in crowds. I am not worried about catching the virus. The only time I will be going out is to the doctor's office. The only thing I worry about is running out of my bottle water and not being able to get more.