Coronavirus Check-In

[thimblegiant]

Don't forget to keep spirits up with a little light hearted black humor.
https://youtu.be/o0APPIOxunM

Aaaannnd down the rabbit hole I went after seeing that video. Followed link after link watching parodies - lots of talent out there. Thanks for the link.

I've been watching this virus progress since the first week of January. I normally never care about the news but was curious about other events, and the virus was first making news at the time as well. The CDC has (or had) a contingency plan all worked out in the event of a pandemic, which actually modeled this one pretty closely (the document is available on the CDC website).

When the first cases popped up in California, according to their plan, they were supposed to immediately shut down travel in the various cities to prevent the spread. I was waiting for this to happen, and was puzzled why there seemed to be zero response to it. I can see why now, even with the virus exploding around the US, there was, and is, still resistance to shutting down parts of the economy. I doubt the CDC could have implemented the plan they had worked out, and wouldn't be surprised if they were simply told to forget it. It all seems academic now. However, some of their predictions were spot on, such as the amount of time it would take to travel from overseas to the US (1- 2 months), and how they expected the virus could not be stopped but only delayed. What I don't understand now, looking back, is why they didn't at least ramp up the production of ventilators. In fact, looking at the document, it's filled with plans and pre-steps that they were supposed to implement but never did. The document was drafted in 2006.

Found the CDC document I was referring to if anyone is interested: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resour ... tation.pdf

It is US centric, but lots of interesting tidbits in the document that could apply to any country. Of particular interest are the various stages and how the US was supposed to respond are outlined in Chapter 3. The stage I was referring to earlier where they should have canceled all non-essential travel is on p. 45 (but expanded upon in Chapter 5).

Oh - and hi from Michigan. Stuck inside like everyone else, but keeping busy.

[Rigela]

Work is becoming more and more time consuming as numbers ramp up. Other places are bring built but we're still trying to go from no bed space in the hospital I work at to having some.

Already exhausted and with number rising fast going to get worse. Many places dealing with patients with covid lack the ppe and these things spread far too easily in hospitals without them. Makes me constantly worried it could be spreading but I just have no idea I'm contributing to it.

[legionetrangere]

Brazil - Belo Horizonte

Town is in a massive lockdown.
I'm home officing since March 15th. (Missing office environment already lol)
Going to the supermarket in a few minutes because "Our food stocks are dwindling, my lord".

Me and my family are ok!

PS: FELLOW ADVENTURERS, DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE YOUR DAILY SUNBATH. VITAMIN D IS IMPORTANT

[Preserver]

Genova - Italy

Just as the vast majority of Italy, we're on lockdown and quarantine. Can't go out except for basic needs and we have police to check on us and invite us to return home swiftly if we cannot provide adequate reasons for being out! For the sake of security I suppose, but still, makes for a pretty V for Vendetta atmosphere.

Still, I could be much worse! Me and my family are okau, work will soon start with technological tools and... we'll see?
Stand stronk!

[AstralUniverse]

Israel is alright. Quarantine and lockdown. Fines for anyone who extends away from their home more than a radius of 100 meters and doesnt have a really good reason. Could definitely be worse and I fortunately havent heard of anyone I know getting sick but lockdown is affecting people's mind and conspiracy theories about the G5 network and 'New World Order' flying around everywhere dangerously. The extremely religious people around here refuse to respect the lockdown and quarantine so we have 2 cities which the government locked entirely in a parameter because of that.

I didnt go to work for nearly a month and barely leaving the house for a month really affects my mood by now.

[DM Atropos]

Taking a moment of soldiarity with our essential workers, especially ER/ICU workers.

Our hearts and minds are with you all. Keep safe. Let ua know you're okay. This may be a virtual environment, but we're an odd, dysfunctional family of a sort, and knowing we're all safe outside of our fantasy land makes me feel better.

[Ebonstar]

safe and sound at the hotel in SL, only two cases here confirmed and they got quarantined pretty fast. work continues on the infrastructure as its all outside right now, but we have cut back to 8 hour days from 10.

otherwise business as usual, but ready if word comes to lockdown

[Echohawk]

I uh, work as a courier now delivering medical supplies (PPE), test kits to appropriate hospitals, specimens, and anything else people are willing to pay to have hand delivered.

I've already been exposed several times to Covid positive materials, but after going in for an X Ray yesterday so far they've cleared me of any major issues. But I do hear things when going through the hospitals. It's certainly here in the metro area.

[Exordius]

These complete lockdowns are quite unnecessary outside of the major cities. I understand the need to keep people away from each other and not allowing any large groups but taking a walk through the woods alone should not be illegal, there is no danger of spreading the virus if your out in the bush by yourself and people were not meant to be cooped up all the time. And enough with the toilet paper folks, seriously.

[Party in the forest at midnight]

A friend of mine has symptoms. I'm really worried for him, he's smoked for years. My brother's been sick, keeps insisting it's the flu, but I'm worried for him too. Statistically people in this community are going to end up catching it. And I worry that maybe one day, someone I spoke to just a day prior will stop logging in. It makes me sad to think about, I try to not dwell on it.

Please take care of yourselves people.

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

These complete lockdowns are quite unnecessary outside of the major cities. I understand the need to keep people away from each other and not allowing any large groups but taking a walk through the woods alone should not be illegal, there is no danger of spreading the virus if your out in the bush by yourself and people were not meant to be cooped up all the time. And enough with the toilet paper folks, seriously.

Yes to the toilet paper part, but no to everything else.

Shelter at home in the US isn't the same as a quarantine OR a curfew. You're allowed to leave your home. They don't want people congregating in parks because there's too much space and too much opportunity to violate social distancing without oversight, and most cities don't have enough police force to monitor them all.

Your movement isn't being restricted because you can catch covid walking alone in the woods. Your movement is being restricted because if it wasn't, stupid people would be having raves in the woods, and potentially contaminating whatever campsites are there for the next group of smart people that might use it.

They're arresting people for being in groups of 10+, not because they left their home. At least here.

[Wuthering]

These complete lockdowns are quite unnecessary outside of the major cities. I understand the need to keep people away from each other and not allowing any large groups but taking a walk through the woods alone should not be illegal, there is no danger of spreading the virus if your out in the bush by yourself and people were not meant to be cooped up all the time. And enough with the toilet paper folks, seriously.

Yeah to echo above, most lockdown orders allow for reasonable movement but they're trying to shut down crowded offices and stores and people partying like nothing's wrong. Which they would, especially those in their late teens and early 20s. Maybe you're in a country like Italy that has stricter rules so I don't want to second guess what you mean.

Rural areas have less population density but you can still spread it easily at a workplace or church or store, especially somewhere like a Wal Mart where everyone in a rural area is going to shop and which can be as crowded as any store in a big city on a weekend. Even though a rural area might only have dozens or hundreds instead of many thousands of people needing intensive care they're much much less likely to be able to handle it in their generally small and underequipped hospitals. It's not a joke or overreaction to lock everyone down everywhere.

I think the toilet paper hysteria was created by the media more than anything. Stores were selling out of everything- bottled water, nonperishable food, cleaning supplies especially anything claiming to kill 99.99% of germs. But toilet paper is a funny item so they reported rushes on that.

[Exordius]

Dont actually have any lockdowns at the moment where i am im just saying. My state is lucky, the current model does not see us taking a large hit... in fact if the current model holds the virus should peak and then begin to die off in about 3 weeks from now. Assuming that happens and we don't get any new cases coming in from outside of the state the virus should be defeated here by early to mid May. Current numbers predicted are 800 infected with maybe 200-300 deaths in total assuming nothing changes. Hopefully nothing changes.

[Aradin]

Canada checking in here. Fortunately I already work from home so I've been able to keep working unhindered. Definitely feeling a bit stir-crazy, and very thankful for the fact that I have a backyard. I feel for people in apartment towers who don't have safe access to an outdoor space. Trying to be extra careful because I have a preexisting respiratory condition - my left lung collapsed a few times in my late teens and I ended up having surgery to repair/strengthen it - so I am super keen on not getting infected.
Pretty satisfied with how our gov. is treating things, especially the $2,000/month benefit to anyone whose work was stopped because of Coronavirus. The current best case scenario is that our social distancing measures will be in place until July, so we'll see how things go. I'm trying to mentally prepare for this being the new norm until 2021; that way if it ends sooner it'll be a pleasant surprise!

[Rasha]

Greater Washington D.C. & Virginia - Under stay-at-home orders. National guard is working the borders. Essential personnel, only, even on the military bases.

I’m a public safety dispatcher on one of the bases. Our officers and MPs are cutting each other’s hair, so they stay in regulation. Patrol officers are not even allowed inside the PMO, as they are constantly in contact with the general public. We bring in our own cleaning supplies from home, now, as there is nothing available here. Multiple barracks are under quarantine orders. Latex gloves are rationed. Masks are reserved for medical staff.

Despite the weirdness of it all, the men and women of the US armed forces, and federal civilian law enforcement officers, here, continue to be resilient and professional. The atmosphere at work is positive and upbeat.

I’m happy to have a paycheck. My husband is a soldier, so also continues to receive wages, while working from home. My kids are done school for the year. It is nice to.... get out, even if it’s just to work! It makes me sad that all these people are getting such a tiny payout after losing their jobs, yet corporations are getting bailed out. It gets deducted from next years taxes, too. Terrible.

I’m pretty disgusted by our current administration. We had plenty of warning, and it was ignored. I won’t get into politics, but elections can’t get here quick enough!

I hope you are all well and safe, and I am happy to have NWN to satisfy most social needs. Sending you each, all the good vibes.

[Gideon DeVay]

Life is more complicated, stress levels are higher. I will see you guys in-game!

[Skeletor]

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Entire country under mandatory quarantine since March 20 and still going for longer still.
The virus is progressing slowly, medical services are increasing their capacity steadily with each passing day. If you go by the official numbers, we have greater health services than any neighboring country, but virus testing is not being carried out as steadily or on the scale of Chile, for example, and our labs took longer to decode the Virus Genome than Brazil.

I work for a public attorney's office and working from home. We're dealing with the situation of people in jail, especially those with special health risks, trying to get them house arrest. Not much more to be told really.

Most people agree that the government did the right thing ordering the quarantine so early but some are growing restless over the super-extended quarantine.

That's the current situation, at least from my POV.

#stayathome

[Petrifictus]

I'm having hands full as nurse here in Finland.
Me with co-workers are drained and burned up, as this virus complicate lot of things with our work, giving us barely time to sit down and breath, still seeking any balance to ease our jobs somehow.I also nurse blind, deaf or both, which gives challenge as most of my patients can only understand hand signatures with physical hand to hand contact, having struggle to understand since we have gloves, not to mention those who rely on reading from lips and we have facemasks.
We're thin with people and any nurse who fall sick or has to stay home by being suspected with coronavirus is a great loss for us.

I'm having less time for Arelith but I still play around to escape from all of this stress or I lose my mind.
If anyone needs me IG (Wotan or Karstaag), send me a PM.

[Frailman]

Things are pretty good wherre I am, more restaurants deliver to my door and I get to work home, less hours for same pay. All in all it's working out p. well right now

[DM Rex]

I have it, it isn't fun.
Self-Quarantine begins.
Should be okay at least.

[Flower Power]

New Yawk.

My phone has been buzzing every hour on the hour for the last day, screeching out several times before a PSA pops up: "IT IS YOUR CIVIC DUTY TO REMAIN INDOORS." I've left my home twice in the last three weeks.

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

Florida is an estimated 10 days away from our peak. I'm still healthy and still working overtime. Business has stabilized at acceptable numbers for now, here's hoping our peak doesn't hit too many elderly down here- we have a lot of them.

Edit: good luck to those so far who are recovering.

[Glowing Mushroom]

I am getting bills that are threatening to go to collections, and I can't get a hold of anyone. I am not working because of COVID. Does anyone have some advice? :\ My anxiety can't take much more of this.

[Wolfgangvondi]

Portugal

Well we kind of got the early warning, since all we had to do was to look at Italy and how bad things were going there a few days before we got our firsts cases.. imported from Italy. Unfortunately that few cases imported from Italy were portugueses people, but not any kind of portugueses people, they were the best friend-of-an-pandemic-kind-of-portuguesse-people (aka people from the north part of the country). The ones that just know everybody from town and every village, town, little settlement whit half of dozen houses near by. And of course must go see/visit/hang out/do businesses whit ALL of them, and them some.

So it spreed fast, it was already spreading in the general north population, when we were still thinking that we could contain it because it was just "some" imported cases...
Fortunately after a few days an large portion of the population had eyes to see what was in our near future looking to Italy, and we pulled kids from schools and such, and put ourselfs in home. Our Government follow, and after some days closed the schools and advised to stay at home. A few days after yet, declared Emergency alert in all the country, since much of the population was already at home, and business were closing door , because of no customers, I guess they (the government) didn't want to feel like they were the only ones not getting the danger of the situation.

Oh, yes, and in an effort to "help out" everybody, they just decide to release about 15% to 20% of our prison population . You know.. just to make things more interesting, I guess.

They also went on TV whit an strait face told us repeatedly that "using an mask does not help, and is not recommended".
Kind of reminds me how they also told us in the recent past to not worry, because the virus would not hit us, just in the time it was already starting to hitting Italy.

Anyway, there's people "fighting the good fight" in the hospitals, there's people, small local government, and businessmen buying protective gear for medical stuff and police forces... And even a lot of vent machines to gift hospitals and such, (even if the government it self was STILL not able to buy one, that made it to Portuguese land. There's people bravely working the fields, at sea, at delivering goods, at supermarkets. There's a lot of small, medium and big factory's (even university's and lab's) switching production to produce all the stuff we need right now. (protection gear, test gear, alcohol, and there's already some prototyping of vents machines.

So there's hope, that we might whit some luck, dodge worst case scenarios.

I and my family are 99.9% at home, whit no other contacts, and we only leave to go shopping every two weeks or so and fortunately we got like 2 (reusable masks), that are left overs from the time we made some home improvements. Something that is close to impossible now to get anywhere in Portugal.

No symptoms for now. And me and my wife can work from Home.
And the lights and internet are still up! yaeeh!!

[lakhena]

Greater DC / Maryland area here. Week 3 or 4 of working from home. Starting Monday, we have to wear face masks if we leave our homes.

Working much longer hours and it is 100% COVID-19 related now, pulling together resources and information for folk, collecting data on covid-related hate incidents and figuring out ways to keep people safe. On the bright side, this week, we just started shipping out free laptops to college students without them.