Personal impact of the Wuhan Virus

[Ben]

Hope you kick this one with ease, Ben.  We're all rooting for you. 

My covid test came back negative.  Still feels like I have a very mild head cold, which is probably what I have.  However, the fact that I caught it tells me that I'm really not being careful enough in covid world.    Time to reflect on recent decisions.

Thanks. I'm already feeling a little better this morning. Still super tired and body aches to where I just want to lie around and nap, but given it's Thanksgiving, I was gonna do that anyway. 

I'm also reflecting regarding how I caught it. As I mentioned in the other thread, the state only wants contact info from me for interactions less than six feet apart and for 15 minutes or more. If I use that as a guideline, I had no such interactions for the 48 hours before symptoms started. I was at four different establishments: Home Depot, where everyone was masked; the local diner drive through where I wasn't masked but the person who handed me my food was; the car wash, where I just touch my credit card to the reader; and the gas station. Home depot was the only place I was inside.

Given all that, it seems my most likely scenario is forgetting hand washing or else scratching my face or something on the drive home. I know I didn't sanitize after I pumped gas.

[charby]

Thanks. I'm already feeling a little better this morning. Still super tired and body aches to where I just want to lie around and nap, but given it's Thanksgiving, I was gonna do that anyway. 

I'm also reflecting regarding how I caught it. As I mentioned in the other thread, the state only wants contact info from me for interactions less than six feet apart and for 15 minutes or more. If I use that as a guideline, I had no such interactions for the 48 hours before symptoms started. I was at four different establishments: Home Depot, where everyone was masked; the local diner drive through where I wasn't masked but the person who handed me my food was; the car wash, where I just touch my credit card to the reader; and the gas station. Home depot was the only place I was inside.

Given all that, it seems my most likely scenario is forgetting hand washing or else scratching my face or something on the drive home. I know I didn't sanitize after I pumped gas.

As contagious as the virus is, you'll probably never know where you caught. I'm glad you're feeling better, I hope that trend continues.

[zxcvbob]

I'm also reflecting regarding how I caught it. As I mentioned in the other thread, the state only wants contact info from me for interactions less than six feet apart and for 15 minutes or more. If I use that as a guideline, I had no such interactions for the 48 hours before symptoms started. I was at four different establishments: Home Depot, where everyone was masked; the local diner drive through where I wasn't masked but the person who handed me my food was; the car wash, where I just touch my credit card to the reader; and the gas station. Home depot was the only place I was inside.

That's probably just to reduce the amount of data to something manageable.  (otherwise, why the stupid one-way aisles in supermarkets? (many of the stores around here have abandoned that))  I would not read too much into it.  Glad you're feeling better.

[Ben]

That's probably just to reduce the amount of data to something manageable.  (otherwise, why the stupid one-way aisles in supermarkets? (many of the stores around here have abandoned that))  I would not read too much into it.  Glad you're feeling better.

I would tend to agree with your assessment on manageable data, but it then begs the question regarding the science. If "they" only want that "15 minutes or more" data, then they are either not following through regarding contacts, or the shorter contacts just really aren't important and all the freaking out about being passed by an unmasked person on the street is theater.

I would concede that if I had a five second interaction with someone who sneezed as he passed me, that I would have a much higher chance of getting the virus, so I might fall on the side that says the 15 minute rule doesn't make a lot of sense.

[zxcvbob]

Science has very little to do with anything.  Nobody with a public voice does science anymore.  I am not a scientist, but I am an engineer (not Engineer because I have the degree but not the license) and I am qualified to evaluate science and try to apply it.  They are studying the hypothesis that the ones funding their research want, then they try to prove it.  You're supposed to try to disprove your hypothesis.  
Bastard science still has some value (often not much), and I trust that there are still researchers doing real science in the background and are never allowed speak to the public.

When you hear the word "denier" bandied about, you know you are not talking to people who even know what science is; they are just religious zealots and probably don't realize it.

[Perd Hapley]

Personal impact: Out of caution, my 70-something parents did not attend the usual Thanksgiving feast with the rest of the family. Beyond that, it was Thanksgiving as usual.

[Ron]

Personal impact: Out of caution, my 70-something parents did not attend the usual Thanksgiving feast with the rest of the family. Beyond that, it was Thanksgiving as usual.

Sorry they succumbed to the fear mongering, it's understandable.

You folks had a good time while solemnly reflecting upon whose land you stole as well as all the wealth that was appropriated from innocent indigenous peoples living in an Eden like state of purity and innocence?

[Perd Hapley]

Sorry they succumbed to the fear mongering, it's understandable.

On the other hand, due to age, they're in a slightly higher risk category than you or I. We had at least 25 people in our group, from different parts of the state, so I don't blame them for skipping out on the festivities for one year.

1. Personal choice, instead of mandates

2. Those at higher risk taking responsibility for themselves, instead of the majority suspending everything forever, with masks on.

[Ron]

On the other hand, due to age, they're in a slightly higher risk category than you or I. We had at least 25 people in our group, from different parts of the state, so I don't blame them for skipping out on the festivities for one year.

1. Personal choice, instead of mandates

2. Those at higher risk taking responsibility for themselves, instead of the majority suspending everything forever, with masks on.

With 25 there it is perfectly understandable.

[lee n. field]

A couple at church tested positive, holed up, and recovered.  But, hard on the tail of that he ends up in the hospital with symptoms that the dr. thinks are Guillain Barre syndrome.  Roughly our age (sixty-something).

[charby]

Friend passed away from Covid last night, he called me Sunday AM from the hospital and told me he was admitted, Covid positive and he had a hard time breathing. 5 days.

[RocketMan]

Sorry for your loss, Charby.  Were there any underlying issues that complicated his illness?

[charby]

Sorry for your loss, Charby.  Were there any underlying issues that complicated his illness?

If it wasn't for Covid he'd be alive. He was a cancer survivor, so that was his underlying issues, cancer didn't kill him, Covid did.

[K Frame]

Ah crap. So very sorry, Charby.

[Lennyjoe]

Condolences for your loss Charby.

I was back home at my brothers last weekend and we had dinner at a good friends house on Friday.  He is a retired Cleveland police officer and worked the Browns game Sunday. Woke up Monday with a sore throat and lost sense of smell Tuesday. Tested positive Wednesday and is doing good.  No other issues.  Me, my brother and cousin went to Cleveland Browns game on Sunday but didn’t run into him there as he was working security in a different part of the stadium parking area.

Not sure if he was contagious on Friday (he thinks he was exposed Sunday) but who knows.  No one else in our dinner group of 9 (including his wife and 3 daughters) are showing any symptoms.

[charby]

Ah crap. So very sorry, Charby.

John was one of the board members (Range Officer) on the gun club I'm president of. It sucked sending out that email today in regards to his passing and upcoming visitation. John was a big 1911 fan and told the greatest stories of his bachelor escapades in the 1970s.

[RocketMan]

Update:  Stepdaughter-in-law and step-granddaughter (1) were both ill with some kind of cold bug.  Negative tests for COVID in both cases.  Because of their illness they stayed home on Thanksgiving.  However, stepson and step-granddaughter (2) came to Thanksgiving at our house.
Following Monday I came down with cold symptoms.  Too lazy to get a COVID test down at the CVS.
Wednesday, stepson starts cold symptoms.
Wednesday night SWMBO comes down with cold symptoms.
Last night, stepson was admitted to the hospital for breathing difficulty.  He is currently on O₂ and various other drugs to reduce symptoms.  Doctor declares he has COVID due to his chest x-rays, this despite two negative tests by this point.  Doctor also declares drive-in testing is bogus. Stepson does carry too much weight, obese would be the correct term.
My illness is slowly getting better. It's just been like a common cold to this point.  SWMBO seems to have plateaued, should start improving over the next few days.
Do any of us really have COVID?  Who knows, given the poor information about it floating around.  At least the hospital gets the federal subsidy now that stepson has been admitted "with COVID".  

[dogmush]

Another of my coworkers tested positive after Thanksgiving. He got it from some family that came down from NY for the holiday.

That makes two confirmed cases in my shop of 11.

Coworker is in a low risk category  and was at home, quarantined from his family all week.

[Ron]

Two friends and coworkers, a married couple at work were two of the positives we had at work I mentioned earlier in the thread. I'm not sure where they picked it up (not work though), they took a long vacation and were only back for a day or two then came down with symptoms.

She had mild symptoms and is now back, he had a rougher time of it though and is out longer. Cleared to come back early next week. He has a history of high blood pressure but is otherwise in great shape.

He is a cyclist so his BP issues are related to something other than physical fitness. I'm not sure his BP has anything to do with his experience though. He is a bit younger than me, in his early 50's.

[Unisaw]

A colleague was diagnosed several  days ago.  Her primary symptoms were difficulty breathing and exhaustion.  After a rough couple of days, she seems to have turned the corner.  Fortunately, she never had to go to the hospital.

[MillCreek]

We have two sets of neighbors who had a family gathering at Thanksgiving, and all of the attendees (four in one family and six in the other) were diagnosed with COVID. One was hospitalized, due to pre-existing asthma, and the two middle-aged adults in one family had a rough time of it, but did not need hospitalization.  The younger adults had it easier.

[lee n. field]

Well, I've (get the tenses right) come down with something.  It feels like just a bad cold, at the "chills & hacking up pflegm*" stage.  I suspect it is a cold, but I'm sure I'll end up getting the China Flu test.  My experience of taste and smell is unaffected.

(*"pflegm", looks like a Lovecraftian word, something out of an eldritch creepy-crawly summoning ritual.)

---edit to add--

test tomorrow, "2-4 days" for results.

---edit to add---

Simple nasal swab, however accurate that may be.  Day 4 of chills, cough, random aches, intermittently loose bowels and other fun stuff.

[Ron]

While an employer cannot control behavior outside of work ... there is a bit of surprise at the number of folks coming down with cold/flu symptoms in our location, even though most don't have the China virus.

The thought was we might knock down the colds and flu among staff with our incredibly extreme protocols in response to the China virus.

At least at our location, that hasn't panned out.

Rest, plenty of liquids and get well soon!
 

[Ron]

wrong thread

[RocketMan]

Turns out my stepson did test positive for COVID.  His doctor gave him the wrong results from his earlier test.  He was just sent back to the hospital for breathing difficulty.  He was sent home yesterday with oxygen, but it's not done much good.
So, that means my wife and I likely have COVID, as well, having got it from her son at Thanksgiving.  It's just been like a medium grade cold for both of us so far, with the added benefit of diarrhea.