Questions in the midst of the Wuhan Covid-19 Pandemic

[surfintom]

Assumption: Wearing a mask helps prevent the spread of the virus.

This is both true and false. Anything less than a discipline of properly worn, fresh or freshly cleaned and virus proof N95 masks does nothing to prevent you from getting CV19 from someone else. Generally, masks are effective in limiting the spray range of particulate in your breath, coughs and sneezes and thereby reduce your chances of infecting someone else. This is a minor inconvenience and I have no issues with compliance with this courtesy to others in public spaces. While of dubious scientific value overall, it may have some significant value as as a social focus point, hopefully but not yet proven as positive. I also have grave concerns about attempts to shame people for having other opinions such as not wearing masks.

The only thing I would add to that is this. When you wear a mask, you can't touch your own face. So even a bandanna has value in that regard. I try to keep my hands clean as much as possible. I sanitize before putting the mask on and sanitize before taking it off. Hand sanitizer is readily available here and we use a lot of it.

[Overtaxed]

Anything less than a discipline of properly worn, fresh or freshly cleaned and virus proof N95 masks does nothing to prevent you from getting CV19 from someone else.

I'm not sure "nothing" is true, but "not a whole lot" I think is almost certainly true. Where an N95 mask, clearly, from the statistics, prevents you from getting the virus. Which is why, if we're going to concentrate anywhere, it's in getting those masks to those at risk (first) and then the general population (second). All the rest of it, contact tracing, temperature checks, opening places at 25-75% capacity. It's all whistling to the trees, they don't care and no matter how good you are, they're not going to applaud. The value of wearing masks today is, IMHO, to get us ready to wear "real masks" when they are available again. Get us used to it, because, IMHO, it's likely going to be the "norm" for some period (perhaps a long time), at least in populated areas/cities/planes/hotels/etc. Which, if you look at other highly dense areas outside the US, a lot of them are already to "masks in public" as the norm, so getting people used to it now is probably a valuable step (N95's are less comfortable and more restrictive, so train on something "easier").

How is closing a salon that is licensed and regularly inspected by the health department less safe than my mechanic's diesel shop's bathroom?

I agree with all of them other than this one, a salon is a really scary environment in this pandemic, lots of people, VERY close personal contact. I'll take your diesel bathroom any day of the week. But your point stands, let's not forget, through all this, planes are still flying! And nothing comes close to an airport/plane for person/person "tight" interaction. So it's hard to see how "planes OK, salons bad" makes much sense other than more people go to salons than planes, so while the infection rate is likely lower (in a salon) the fact that more people are exposed is troublesome. Either way, I agree with your point, especially when you look at things like "close the parks" or campsites, that's complete nutty talk, that's perhaps the safest place for people to be, CERTAINLY for people who live in a dense area, they'd be MUCH safer (and, by proxy, make the people in the dense area safer too by reducing density when they leave for the campsite) in a KOA anywhere than in a condo in NYC. Me personally, I live on a big property in the country, yes, a KOA is more dangerous for me, but I'm an outlier, a lot of people, I'd think, would be safer in a KOA than they are at home.

There are genuine medical and psychological damages being inflicted on people who cannot get it in their minds that they are not allowed to feed their family, or go to church or visit with friends in their yards.

Feed their family, absolutely, I'm on board with that. This is a really touchy one for me, there's no clear answer. I will say, if you can possibly work from home and don't, that's selfish and stupid; you're putting everyone else at risk, most notably those who DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE if they work from home or not just so you can socialize by the water cooler? Come on, if you CAN work from home, you should be working from home, full stop. Going to church, IMHO, that's a big risk and easily done online, in fact, it's probably the first thing that was done "online" before there was an online, IE, mega church broadcasts. I know it's very important to some people, but it's 100's of people in a single, often small area, and, like I said above about those who don't need to go into the office but are anyway, since it CAN be done online, it doesn't meet the criteria for me (personal scale) for "this makes sense and we should do it". AFAIK, nobody has restricted visiting with friends in your yard, but, I don't see much danger/harm in that, so long as the party doesn't move inside.

[WhittleBurner]

Gary,

Our Home is in Mill Creek, East Bradenton, about 4 miles East of I75 off of SR 64. But we’ve been hunkered down at our cabin in Fort Drum, Fl about 120 miles further East https://www.ihammock.net/ . It is in OKEECHOBEE county, but 25 mikes north of the “city”. OKEECHOBEE only has 5 people hospitalized and so far 0 deaths.

This week we came back to Bradenton to do a few doctor/dentist visits. Today my daughter and grandson came to visit us. My 16 year old grandson hasn’t been out of the house in over 6 weeks. I made him wear a Surgical mask and wife and I wore some old N95 masks we had stored from when wife worked as an RN.

We’re going back to our country cabin in Ft Drum tomorrow. We feel much safer there. Lots of open space with gated community of 3600 acres. Our cabin is on 3 acres looking out the window to see deer, rabbits, armadillos etc.

We have our RV plugged into 50 amps next to the cabin. Every couple of days we go to the RV and camp out.

Sounds like you have a very nice place here. We are not far from your place in Bradenton. We do 6 months in the winter at winter quarter manatee. It is at I75 and 64. This year we stayed longer because of the covid 19, Safer here than back home in MICH. Our home back in MICH is where the most infections have occurred. Going to S Carolina at the end of the month to see Marcy's brother for 10 days after that who knows. Supposed to be in MICH for a cat scan at the end of July but may try to schedule to have that done in Asheville NC.

[WhittleBurner]

Peter Navarro is not hardly a medical person by any stretch. So how would he know about any of those things? He is saying what needs to be said to misdirect and do CYA for faults and missteps that he is a part of. He was a bag of wind when at CNBC, often misspeaking or acting as a person of knowledge when he had no clue. He hasn't been there in a long time, I wonder why?
I severely limit my outings any more but for the most part I have found people to be conscientious, polite and considerate. Maybe you need to move?

No we are quite happy where we are. You pick who you want to believe and I will pick who I want to believe. I have been doing a lot of reading about what is going on and I am tired of all the bull s--t that is out there. When story's quit changing weekly of what will happen I may start to believe more of what I am hearing. Right now if you listen to 10 different people you will get get 10 different answers. They just don't have a clue as to what is really going to happen.

[Overtaxed]

You guys see the vaccine news? It looks promising, honestly, I'm just amazed that we have a candidate that's showing such promise so quickly. It's pretty exciting, I would have bet a lot of money that it wouldn't happen this fast, but I'm really encouraged to see it.

[bertschb]

...I'm just amazed that we have a candidate that's showing such promise so quickly. It's pretty exciting, I would have bet a lot of money that it wouldn't happen this fast, but I'm really encouraged to see it.

There is a strong desire among some folks to cut through red tape. That is helping a lot. I agree it's very encouraging.