Topic: How has your life changed?

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah I couldn't understand Sweden's stance, they fcuked up big time. It seems to me that politicians who are pushing to re-open their states are only doing so to get the money moving, not because they have the safety of their constituents in mind.

The US has taken over the world with the number of deaths approaching 100,000, and with the easing of restrictions, and politicians telling folks it's safe to go back to work, or go eat a meal in a packed retaurant when it's clearly not, it can only get worse.

[carnivorous chicken]

The US has taken over the world with the number of deaths approaching 100,000, and with the easing of restrictions, and politicians telling folks it's safe to go back to work, or go eat a meal in a packed retaurant when it's clearly not, it can only get worse.

This is likely and unfortunately true.

[Don R]

 The race tracks are slowly re-opening. Most of my Drag Racing buddies think the government is trying to control them somehow, to take away their rights. If the bad governor and his co-horts keep the economy closed it will cause their favorite president (ugh) to not get re-elected.  I blame talk radio for brainwashing a lot of folks.
 I don't think we can hide from  the virus forever, and have no hope an antivirus will be affordable for those with no insurance. I'm hoping for a locally available antibody test. Some of my family believe they already had it, my son in laws are working in building trades on crews. It's inevitable someone will get if they haven't already.

[Don R]

 My friend that did have it did 3 weeks in ICU. His wife said heated oxygen seemed to make the difference for him.

[carnivorous chicken]

it has seemed that we really need to open and relax some of the strict shut-downs of the past couple of months or so.  Not willy-nilly or unconsciously..but systematically and progressively..as health conditions allow.

This is already happening, although different states have different guidelines, and some have no guidelines at all (and are opening willy-nilly). There are federal guidelines, but the CDC has been hamstrung by Trump and Robert Redfield. They first recommended measure on February 25, but were ignored and downplayed. Imposing measures to prevent the spread of C19 earlier would have saved tens of thousands of lives, up to 2/3 of the victims according to a Columbia University study. Maintaining them and relaxing them in a reasonable manner will save tens of thousands more. And it has to be measured against upticks in infection rates, locations of infection hot spots, etc. People storming state capitals with assault rifles and referring to preventative measures as the introduction of a "police state" aren't helping.

You're right that the actual likelihood of contracting C19 is low, but it is much lower with precautions in place and much higher without. And I haven't heard much about psychological effects on quarantine, but perhaps they are there.

I think everyone agrees that it sucks, and the sooner it's over the better. My wife is pregnant, and this is not how we imagined her pregnancy. But we are taking precautions and trying to be stoic.

[scottly]

The group of people suffering the worst psychological and traumatic effects are the doctors and nurses on the front lines, not people that can't go to movies and bars. There was a doctor that committed suicide a couple of weeks ago or so, after it became too much for her to deal with.    

[Terry in Australia]

The group of people suffering the worst psychological and traumatic effects are the doctors and nurses on the front lines, not people that can't go to movies and bars. There was a doctor that committed suicide a couple of weeks ago or so, after it became too much for her to deal with.

That's right Scott, but you've still got idiots protesting because their civil rights are somehow being trampled over by the folks trying to keep them alive, and worse still, morons shooting people who tell them to wear masks! What a bunch of troglodytes!

[Bailgang]

For me the impact has been minimal for 2 important reasons. #1 Both my wife and I are still working so we're still getting a paycheck. #2 My wife and I are 2 of the most boring people you'd ever meet from a socializing point of view so having to stay at home is no big deal to us. I could really use a hair cut though.

Fortunately my employer has taken this crisis seriously from the start. When the stay at home order was given and schools and day care centers closed, there was many that had to stay home to take care of their family. My employer recognized this and immediately made changes to the attendance policy, not just for those who had family to tend to but also for those who felt it unsafe to work and wanted to stay home to try to avoid the virus as best they could. They're not getting payed at all for their time off but they're not at risk of losing their job either. There is a push to reopen the economy here and I understand both sides of the debate, unfortunately I don't have an easy answer to that but one thing is for damn sure and that is I don't want nothing to do with this covid 19. I had the flu back in December and got pneumonia from it, I had a hard time breathing so much so that if it got any worse my doctor was going to send me to the hospital. If my lungs had that hard of a time with just the common flu then I definitely don't want to find out what this covid 19 is like.

[Kevin D]

Several of those episodes happened here, nearby. It is an embarrassment. People know and understand to put on a coat when it is cold, boots when it is snowing. But we don't understand this new unseen hazard and we don't know how to defend against it, some don't want to defend. We especially don't like new masters telling us that we must do this or that, because we all have our unalienable rights. If you tell us we can't go to work and earn our keep, we can't go to the park, we have to wear this PIA mask, well, we are not singing "O Happy Day". So some respond with violence, others remind that carrying an AR is a right. Troggs? Yes. Too much Walking Dead? I dunno?
 Just a few short weeks ago we didn't have PPE but we were told we didn't need it, don't hoard it, etc. The hospital needs it. Now PPE is a must. Mixed messages don't help. It's hard to get a straight story.
 For myself, I have just had my first decent 100+ mile CB ride, and it was glorious! Was it essential or non-essential travel? We all know the answer to that, but it could easily be argued from the opposite point. I'm happily retired and trying not to get swept away from my golden years. I'm grateful that my troubles are minor, and sorry for those whose troubles are much more serious.
 We have several family members who work in the area hospitals. One of my co-workers was fatality #1 in our state. There is some illness, quarantined, in the area. Many nursing homes with many deaths. The Felician Sisters had 6? deaths from the virus.

[ekpent]

 My wife's daughter and son in law I mentioned earlier have recovered from their pandemic and he is back at work fitting those pipes. Symptoms for them were mild. Might be a good thing if they now have anti-bodies. Not everybody dies from it. Protect the old and the medically vulnerable and know your own risk factors.

[dave500]

well at work we can swipe on again,the truck keys can go back in the lock box,we can approach the workshop about truck repairs but still have to observe social distancing,suits me ive always been socially awkward anyway?we had a briefing this morning and thanked for all our compliance etc during this #$%* fight,my wife is still outta work for now but because we live in the best country in the world is still getting paid most her wage so far,we can stray a little further from home and soon bars/clubs resturants etc can have a certain number of patrons depending on the floor space?so far so good.

[Stev-o]

My wife's daughter and son in law I mentioned earlier have recovered...

Good to hear, Eric.

Have a safe, fun Holiday weekend all!  I plan on riding my CB750 [project is done!] taking my boat out [weather is gonna be effing HOT]  and driving classic cars!!!

[ekpent]

 Thanks Steve and enjoy your week-end and all the big boy toys !!
PS-No piston rods through the crankcase on the new 750 please   

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, be careful you guys, I see that the stats have risen from 1 million confirmed cases to 1.5 million, that's 1 confirmed case in every 200 people in the US, which is fcuking scary, so enjoy yourselves, but be super careful. The last thing you want to do is drop your bike or crash your car, boat, whatever, and be taken to a hospital and get infected while you're there.

That's what happened to an old work mate of mine, he was having chemo for lung cancer back in March, and copped a dose of CV while at the hospital. He wasn't expected to live due to his weakened immune system, but miraculously he made a complete recovery, and while the lung cancer is still a problem, he's feeling a lot better. Stay safe, I'm going for a ride too!

[ofreen]

I'm not sure about Oz politics..but in the U.S. we call that sort of enforcement a 'Police State"..and it runs contrary to what most of us believe to be the way a democratic republic operates.

Just for the record, and not trying to open a can of worms, but I've worked in a country that was a "Police State" and taking precautions such as enforcing social distancing and face masks is not anywhere close to a "Police State."

When I first read this, i was going to respond as it seems incredibly naive and short sighted.  Police states generally don't happen overnight, they are incremental.  Anybody with their eyes open should be able to see what is happening.  But I figured what's the point of responding, nobody's mind will be changed.  But I thought of this post and how complacent so many people are when I saw this video this morning.

[carnivorous chicken]

When I first read this, i was going to respond as it seems incredibly naive and short sighted.  Police states generally don't happen overnight, they are incremental.  Anybody with their eyes open should be able to see what is happening.  But I figured what's the point of responding, nobody's mind will be changed.  But I thought of this post and how complacent so many people are when I saw this video this morning.

For the record, I was talking about requirements to wear masks and social distance. That's not a police state.

Shooting protestors, arresting the press, macing little kids? Now you're getting closer.

[ofreen]

For the record, I was talking about requirements to wear masks and social distance. That's not a police state.

But that hasn't been where it has stopped, has it?  Thus the incremental nature of it.  The proverbial slippery slope.  But people are going to think what they want.  As far as Covid-19 goes, none of this has gone the way the 'experts' using 'science' said it would.  Some people have noticed and their BS meters are pegged, while others drive down the road alone in their cars wearing face masks for fear of catching a disease that has a 99+% survival rate.       

[carnivorous chicken]

For the record, I was talking about requirements to wear masks and social distance. That's not a police state.

But that hasn't been where it has stopped, has it?  Thus the incremental nature of it.  The proverbial slippery slope.  But people are going to think what they want.  As far as Covid-19 goes, none of this has gone the way the 'experts' using 'science' said it would.  Some people have noticed and their BS meters are pegged, while others drive down the road alone in their cars wearing face masks for fear of catching a disease that has a 99+% survival rate.   

I totally get it. Having the government make it a requirement to wear masks and take precautions, even though it's not really enforced, to save potentially thousands of lives after over 100,000 people in the US have died, and then demonstrating against it by occupying state houses armed to the teeth with assault rifles carried openly in front of the police while in most places the measures are being relaxed -- nothing says police state more to me.

[Bailgang]

I don't personally know anyone who's passed from it but I know 3 who have/had it. The one who recovered and doing well now said breathing got so hard that he was almost put on a ventilator, he also said his entire body hurt so bad he thought he saw Jesus. The pain must've been intense for him to say that being he's an atheist. The other 2 who currently have it are only dealing with mild symptoms at least so far.

[Don R]

 A nearby county that recently had no cases, is now seeing a near 10% fatality rate. That's only among documented cases, doesn't include folks that rode it out at home and didn't get a test.
 We had a birthday party for my granddaughter Saturday. We tried to distance, I put a mask on when the kids got close. My 3 year old grandson asked his mom for a mask and when she put one on him he jumped into my lap. 2 of my 3 kids are ready to say WTF. One thinks they already had it, I think my wife and I might have but the tests are only 50% so why bother? a coin toss is as accurate.

[carnivorous chicken]

A nearby county that recently had no cases, is now seeing a near 10% fatality rate. That's only among documented cases, doesn't include folks that rode it out at home and didn't get a test.
 We had a birthday party for my granddaughter Saturday. We tried to distance, I put a mask on when the kids got close. My 3 year old grandson asked his mom for a mask and when she put one on him he jumped into my lap. 2 of my 3 kids are ready to say WTF. One thinks they already had it, I think my wife and I might have but the tests are only 50% so why bother? a coin toss is as accurate.

The numbers are just unknowable. The lack of tests mean that more people probably have it than we know. But there are also people who have died without having C19 stated as cause of death. (I did research and gave a brief lecture on the debunked conspiracy theory that doctors and nurses have been told to inflate the number of cases, which I am guessing someone will bring up if the discussion goes that way; it's total bunk). What is knowable is that it can be deadly, especially to vulnerable populations, and taking precautions for a few months to save thousands of lives isn't that big of deal. I think of my mom and dad, both in their 80s, and how vulnerable they are. I'd do anything to help keep them safe. You'd think most other people would too, which is why I don't get the opposition to taking measures. Glad to hear you are staying safe.

[scottly]

I'm not sure about Oz politics..but in the U.S. we call that sort of enforcement a 'Police State"..and it runs contrary to what most of us believe to be the way a democratic republic operates.

Just for the record, and not trying to open a can of worms, but I've worked in a country that was a "Police State" and taking precautions such as enforcing social distancing and face masks is not anywhere close to a "Police State."

When I first read this, i was going to respond as it seems incredibly naive and short sighted.  Police states generally don't happen overnight, they are incremental.  Anybody with their eyes open should be able to see what is happening.  But I figured what's the point of responding, nobody's mind will be changed.  But I thought of this post and how complacent so many people are when I saw this video this morning.

The video is no longer available, but it was about the response to rioting and looting and not about the virus or requirements to wear face masks.. This should really have been posted on the "pinnacle" thread.

[PeWe]

Is it just me or are the women starting to look sexy with masks on?!

They serve the same function as a bag over the head, I reckon.

That is funny Greg!  And no that is not Barbara Eden.

But this is, she was hot back in the day!

I have missed this post.
Barbara Eden was a really hot woman. Very sexy and charming with a fantastic body.
I loved that TV series, I dream of Jeannie with JR before he became JR. So fun and relaxing. I saw it late 80's.
I do not think it was aired here in late 60's nor 70's.

The real name must have been "I dream of Eden"

She was still a good looker when older.

[Terry in Australia]

Hi Folks..
I'm not going to agree or disagree with where the current conversation on this forum seems to be going..and about a Police State regarding this Covid thing..other than to say that there seems to be a lot of misperception and personal worry being expressed about it recently.  (Please look back at some of my previous posts on this thread regarding my views..which are essentially as a health care professional..okay?)
Here are my present views on this: 1.) We will all get through this..as we have with other similar viral outbreaks/epidemics..within the next few months. 2.) Sadly and compassionately..many people have died during this viral outbreak/epidemic..but this is not something to freak-out about..and serves as a reminder of all of our own eventual mortality's..and how we should make every day count in our lives. 3.) We hopefully will learn from this example of prefabricated alarmism and overly opinionated comments from non-qualified individuals..on the Internet and also coming from un-elected officials..that we in future all need to be more discriminating and careful in accepting where we get our information from.
We'll all get through this brothers and sisters.  Let's just get on our bikes and ride this thing-out for a while longer..okay?
Cheers..Al/Ichi

Not wanting to disagree, or question your professional knowledge Itchi, but to say that "We'll all get thru this" when over 100,000 in the US (ten times the population of my home town) have already died, (definitely haven't gotten thru it) and 1 in 200 people in the US currently have it, is not particularly assuring............

[PeWe]

We need to be prepared for another one since the origin is not stopped, open the pandoras box with small death will happen again.

Next Christmas, buy a respirator to ensure you can breathe next time if getting it or its cousin.

- A respirator build thread?
Big bore with twin cams