Corona Virus Now Spreading

[Lari]

I did a Target store pick-up today and it was soooo crowded. I wore two masks to try and make myself feel safer, but it was still really uncomfortable seeing so many people shopping and doing returns and exchanges.

I think I'm definitely to the point where I just want to go to my midwife appointments and start doing grocery curbside pickup (Target made you go in, and I did want my baby registry free bag, otherwise I would have delivered).

I'll definitely feel better once people start getting vaccines even if it won't be enough to make much of a difference at first.

 

[Willowy]

The stores were PACKED today. Start of Christmas shopping maybe? But surprisingly, the entirely unenforced mask "mandate" in Sioux Falls seems to have made a difference. I don't think I saw anybody without a mask. The stores are enforcing it better now too.

 

[jcat]

The stores were PACKED today.

They aren't in our area. More capacity restrictions went into effect on December 1, and retailers were in an uproar when they were announced. Now they're saying they're getting nowhere close to reaching the limits even at peak times; turnover is down around 50%. Yesterday was pretty shocking for a Saturday in Advent. There were no lines in front of or in stores, no traffic jams, no full parking lots. The pedestrian shopping precincts were almost deserted. In a normal year, they'd be claustrophobic. It seriously looked like there were almost as many TV crews out interviewing people as there were shoppers.

Just about everybody must be doing their Christmas shopping online.

Fewer people are relying on cloth masks, too. You mainly see disposable N95 or medical-grade surgical masks. More and more cities are imposing nightly curfews in an attempt to reduce social contacts, but there's been little protest. Many people are afraid to go out unless it's absolutely necessary.

 

[CatladyJan]

Please use at least medical grade masks if you can. Sadly most of the 'surgical masks' you find locally or online are not medical grade. Use hand sanitizer, double masks and wash your hands a lot. We are dealing with a major breakout in the nursing home I work. It's really scarey and I know the nurses and CNA's are stressed.

 

[denice]

I use the disposable ones but no they aren't medical grade. I rarely go out though. I mostly work from home, when I do have to go in it is only for a short time to do something for which there is no work around, I have to go in. There are very few people physically in the office and I just do what I have to do then go back home. I only go to the supermarket early Saturday morning before they get crowded. They have a Starbucks in the supermarket and I go back on Sunday morning for my weekly latte, again I go early before it gets crowded. I go to get haircuts but the State has put restrictions on salons. They have capacity limits and they do the texting thing so the only people in the salons are the stylists and people getting a service done. Everything else that I buy is done online and delivered.

 

[jcat]

Please use at least medical grade masks if you can. Sadly most of the 'surgical masks' you find locally or online are not medical grade.

That was a big problem here in the early days when people were desperate for masks, and a lot of products have been taken off the market. They even found counterfeit N95 masks being sold in some pharmacies. Fortunately, the government and media have been good about informing the public about how certification works and what to look for as far as licenses and serial numbers, etc., are concerned. There's still no 100% guarantee, however, especially with imported goods.

 

[Mia6]

I go to get haircuts but the State has put restrictions on salons. They have capacity limits and they do the texting thing so the only people in the salons are the stylists and people getting a service done. Everything else that I buy is done online and delivered.

When did this start, Denice? I had no idea.So you can wait in chair outside of the salon and they text
when it's your turn?

 

[Mia6]

Please use at least medical grade masks if you can. Sadly most of the 'surgical masks' you find locally or online are not medical grade.

I have 3 masks that I got from the pain management department at
the the Cleveland Clinic. Would these be considered medical grade?

 

[denice]

When did this start, Denice? I had no idea.So you can wait in chair outside of the salon and they text
when it's your turn?

That is how it is done here. When they let them reopen I went to a higher priced salon. I got tired of the extra money I was spending so I went back to Great Clips. They don't even have chairs in their little waiting area. You have to do the online check in. I always check in right when they open then go over to the salon. When you check in online you get an approximate time which is 0 minutes because I check in when they first open. Later in the day they then start the texting when it is your turn. Children aren't allowed in the salon unless they are getting a service done.

 

[Mia6]

That is how it is done here. When they let them reopen I went to a higher priced salon. I got tired of the extra money I was spending so I went back to Great Clips. They don't even have chairs in their little waiting area. You have to do the online check in. I always check in right when they open then go over to the salon. When you check in online you get an approximate time which is 0 minutes because I check in when they first open. Later in the day they then start the texting when it is your turn. Children aren't allowed in the salon unless they are getting a service done.

Oh ok. I guess it's the same way here. Kaylee colored my hair and I first had it cut at a barber shop,
the owner has a barber's and stylist's license.. It wasn't short enough so I went to the salon at Walmart.
They lease their space from them. I was a walk in, luckily I was the only person the there. I got a great cut
and the price was very reasonable but wearing a mask for that length of time bugged me. The stylist wore
a mask the entire time. Nicole had a trim there but for a color and cut went back to her high end salon.
The color would've been about $60.00 a Walmart She only gets over all color with no highlights and she pays about
$100 at high end!!

 

[LTS3]

I noticed a new brand of disinfectant at the supermarket, 3M TB Quat Disinfectant. Supposedly it kills the coronavirus on hard non-porous surfaces in 60 seconds. I'm not sure what the 1 quart bottle cost. The price label on the shelf was for a different product. https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company...er-Quart-12-Case/?N=5002385+3294608710&rt=rud

I have 3 masks that I got from the pain management department at
the the Cleveland Clinic. Would these be considered medical grade?

Questionable. Just because a medical facility provides surgical-type face masks for patients to use doesn't mean that the masks are surgical grade. Any place can buy non-medical grade masks for patients to use while reserving the medical grade ones for the staff to use.

 

[Jem]

I noticed a new brand of disinfectant at the supermarket, 3M TB Quat Disinfectant.

This is a link to approved disinfectants here in Canada. I did see several disinfectants by "Quat" on the list. I know it's not a complete list, because the one we use at our clinic is not on the list, but it is approved. I think they haven't updated this list in a long time. It says it's updated regularly, but who know how long that means.
Hard-surface disinfectants and hand sanitizers (COVID-19): List of disinfectants with evidence for use against COVID-19 - Canada.ca

Edit: Well...I stand corrected...the one we use is on the list now. I decided to check just for poops and giggles.

There is also a link to products that are approved "for the interim measures" on the same page. There is nothing wrong with these products it's just that we would never have approved them to enter and be sold in Canada due to our standards for packaging, labels, etc...not based on effectiveness or possible dangers.

 

[Mia6]

I noticed a new brand of disinfectant at the supermarket, 3M TB Quat Disinfectant. Supposedly it kills the coronavirus on hard non-porous surfaces in 60 seconds. I'm not sure what the 1 quart bottle cost. The price label on the shelf was for a different product. https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company...er-Quart-12-Case/?N=5002385+3294608710&rt=rud




Questionable. Just because a medical facility provides surgical-type face masks for patients to use doesn't mean that the masks are surgical grade. Any place can buy non-medical grade masks for patients to use while reserving the medical grade ones for the staff to use.

I always trust products made by 3M

 

[denice]

I remember when all this started they tested different disinfectants for how long it took for them to kill the corona virus. They tested several multi-surface disinfectant cleaners including the standbys Lysol and Clorox which I thought would kill or more correctly render it harmless would be either a Lysol or Clorox product. It wasn't it was Formula 409 and the difference was significant. The other cleaners needed contact for several minutes the Formula 409 was under 30 seconds.

 

[AbbysMom]

(Target made you go in, and I did want my baby registry free bag, otherwise I would have delivered).

If you order through the app you should be able to do curbside on most items.

 

[artiemom]

No, Harvard Medical School's email addresses are hms.harvard.edu

My mistake... I knew that! Well, the one you posted is their email address.. They are affiliated with HMS.

I don't know why my parents won't sell their house and move into senior housing. Or at least put their names on one of the lengthy waiting lists. The upkeep of a large two family house is getting too much and too expensive for them.

Yes, it does get to be too much, and also too expensive to live on your own. There are such long waiting lists; at least 3 years, if not longer.. depending on where you want to live.

Too bad there was not a central listing spot for these places, instead of having to apply for each one individually...

The best advice, I got when looking around, was: Apply everywhere.. Move into the first available one.. keep the application active. Then when you get into what you want, you can move there...
This was from one place which had a 6 year waiting list...

I applied well before I felt I was a senior. The rents really got too expensive. I took it as soon as I was accepted. The apartment is so tiny... like a tiny house. If I had turned it down, I would have had to reapply and wait another 3 years.... so I took it... It took time, but I finally got used to it.
Hated it at first, but.....
They do so much for the tenants in here. There are so many things available to us, which they would not have elsewhere, in independent living.. or even assisted living: We have a social worker, a rabbi & religious interns, a fitness director, a dining room, programs for fitness, meditation, knitting, current events, bi monthly meetings with building director, accessible maintence, and a closed circuit TV channel where they are showing different types of programs: fitness, meditation, some Harvard University courses of 12 weeks, programs produced from here... Sunday Catholic Mass, Jewish Services, etc...

I am not going to hijack this anymore.. IT is a Covid thread..

Only one case in here--- that was a new tenant who had pre-testing for hospital exam.... asymptomatic.

 

[Lari]

If you order through the app you should be able to do curbside on most items.

I did it through the website, but when I got to the local Target the sign for order pickup was for inside, and the email said to come in. When I did a curbside pickup at Buy Buy Baby, I had gotten an email telling me I could either go inside or fill out something with my car info and they could bring it out and I preferred that.

I don't plan on going back to Target anytime soon now.

 

[AbbysMom]

I did it through the website, but when I got to the local Target the sign for order pickup was for inside, and the email said to come in.

I don't understand it, but you can not do curbside on the website and have to use the app. I've only used it a few times, but they were super fast!

 

[CatladyJan]

I have 3 masks that I got from the pain management department at
the the Cleveland Clinic. Would these be considered medical grade?

Probably I would hope that’s what a medical clinic would have.

 

[Willowy]

Whats the difference between medical grade disposable masks and the other ones? They look/feel the same as the ones the ICU handed us when my aunt was in there.

Is there a phone number for Target? I do TSC store pickup and usually go inside (it's never crowded), but if you call them they'll bring it out.