The COVID thread

[Vort]

14 minutes ago, SpiritDragon said:

The big questions that remain for me are will this disease mutate like a flu and get added to the list of ubiquitous diseases going about?

I don't think that's a question at all. I think that's a given. SARS-CoV2 is a "novel" coronavirus, meaning it's one that apparently has not infected large sections of the world population yet. That's why it's more dangerous than your typical cold or flu. Probably after this year or next, SARS-CoV 2 infection will be common and will result in pretty much another cold.

But the nature of viruses is that they mutate. So I don't see any reason why this particular virus would be different from every other virus that causes an upper respiratory infection. This is not a big deal, though, since SARS-CoV 2 won't be "novel" any more, so existing antibodies will be at least partially effective against newly evolving strains.

[Grunt]

18 minutes ago, SpiritDragon said:

I should add to that - this also assumes we are tracking all cases of the flu, and that is surely not likely to be the case either. 

They said not to bother bringing my two in for testing unless I really wanted to.

[mirkwood]

Deseret Industries has just shut down effective tonight for at least 3 weeks.  My part time (security) job of 19 years just went away with the closure.  😐

 

[SpiritDragon]

9 minutes ago, mirkwood said:

Deseret Industries has just shut down effective tonight for at least 3 weeks.  My part time (security) job of 19 years just went away with the closure.  😐

 

Sorry to hear that. Is it a temporary job loss, or the end as you know it? My jobs have also been closed down for the time being.

 

[Just_A_Guy]

1 hour ago, mirkwood said:

Deseret Industries has just shut down effective tonight for at least 3 weeks.  My part time (security) job of 19 years just went away with the closure.  😐

 

One thing I’ve sort of wondered:

Back during Katrina, I understand one of the reasons law and order really broke down was that a lot of druggies had their supply chains disrupted; and once they started going through withdrawals they just didn’t give a rat’s patootie anymore and started doing whatever they wanted whenever they wanted.

I’ve been wondering if we’re about to see that same phenomenon repeat itself.  If so, maybe your day job will give you some extra hours?

[mirkwood]

1 hour ago, SpiritDragon said:

Sorry to hear that. Is it a temporary job loss, or the end as you know it? My jobs have also been closed down for the time being.

 

Temporary.

[mirkwood]

5 minutes ago, Just_A_Guy said:

One thing I’ve sort of wondered:

Back during Katrina, I understand one of the reasons law and order really broke down was that a lot of druggies had their supply chains disrupted; and once they started going through withdrawals they just didn’t give a rat’s patootie anymore and started doing whatever they wanted whenever they wanted.

I’ve been wondering if we’re about to see that same phenomenon repeat itself.  If so, maybe your day job will give you some extra hours?

No, we are working our normal schedules.  If we lose manpower due to infection then some things will have to change, but for now we are on our normal shifts.

 

[SpiritDragon]

21 minutes ago, Just_A_Guy said:

One thing I’ve sort of wondered:

Back during Katrina, I understand one of the reasons law and order really broke down was that a lot of druggies had their supply chains disrupted; and once they started going through withdrawals they just didn’t give a rat’s patootie anymore and started doing whatever they wanted whenever they wanted.

I’ve been wondering if we’re about to see that same phenomenon repeat itself.  If so, maybe your day job will give you some extra hours?

Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

[prisonchaplain]

I just read a report out of Springfield, MO. It said that the ___ influenza had closed churches and missions. The encouragement was to take the time away from meeting for prayer and scripture-reading. The belief was that in a time when the world was fearful the latter rain would pour out Holy Ghost blessing on his faithful. The kick to this report:  The influenza was Spanish-originated and the date was Oct. 1918. God is still on the throne and He's doing just fine.

[JohnsonJones]

Not a doctor...but...

Of interest.  While the COVID has taken headlines, we've also been having an Influenza-B outbreak in the US recently.  MANY of the cases where people think they have COVID are probably Influenza.  Apparently the vaccine didn't stop or lost viability against this and is actually on epidemic proportions right now in the US.  It is, obviously overshadowed by other news. 

The differences are that the Influenza will have one have similar symptoms, but while the COVID has more of a dry cough and high fever, the Influenza may have side effects that have more of a productive cough or otherwise production of stuff in the upper respiratory. 

This probably is complicating things where there may be many who think they have COVID actually DO have the flu, and some who may think they actually have the flu may actually have COVID.

[JohnsonJones]

interesting video from Italy on Youtube...

 

[askandanswer]

On 2/28/2020 at 9:57 AM, Grunt said:

This pushed me to finish my preps, at least.  I now have about 4 years of water, including filtration.   I love my bunker.

It's good that you don't have a Homeland Security boss like the Minister for Homeland Security we have in Australia. This is what he said this morning in a radio interview about people who were stockpiling:

I'm going to come after those people, and I'll give them a fair warning now — it won't be a pretty experience when we deal with them.

"Because the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Force, New South Wales Police, Victorian Police and elsewhere are onto this at the moment, and this is part of our demand problems.

"We will come down like a tonne of bricks on those individuals."

Mr Dutton said anyone who has photos, car registration details or any other evidence of people acting in such a way to contact Crimestoppers.

 

Incidentally, Minister Dutton has been in hospital for about the last ten days with corona virus. 

[Grunt]

8 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

It's good that you don't have a Homeland Security boss like the Minister for Homeland Security we have in Australia. This is what he said this morning in a radio interview about people who were stockpiling:

I'm going to come after those people, and I'll give them a fair warning now — it won't be a pretty experience when we deal with them.

"Because the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Force, New South Wales Police, Victorian Police and elsewhere are onto this at the moment, and this is part of our demand problems.

"We will come down like a tonne of bricks on those individuals."

Mr Dutton said anyone who has photos, car registration details or any other evidence of people acting in such a way to contact Crimestoppers.

 

Incidentally, Minister Dutton has been in hospital for about the last ten days with corona virus. 

Doesn't apply to me.  My preps were in place LONG before this boogaloo.

[NeedleinA]

@Grunt Do you put anything in with your water storage, like bleach or chlorine? I have a 55 gallon drum, trying to figure out what, if anything, besides water goes into it and a ratio? Thoughts? Thanks!
 

[Grunt]

15 minutes ago, NeedleinA said:

@Grunt Do you put anything in with your water storage, like bleach or chlorine? I have a 55 gallon drum, trying to figure out what, if anything, besides water goes into it and a ratio? Thoughts? Thanks!
 

No.  I'm on a well so storage is directly in my feed line.  It's constantly refreshed.  If worse comes to worse, I have a deep well piston that I can hand pump with, too.  If it gets worse than worse, I have a life filter good for about 3 years for a family of four and a beaver pond out back.  

They say you should have 1 gallon per person per day.  If you have a 55 gallon drum, and it's clean, you put can tap water in it with no treatment.  You should just rotate it every so often.  To purify water, they suggest 1/4 teaspoon of bleach per gallon, then let it sit before drinking it.  To pre-treat water so you don't have to rotate as often, they say 1/8 teaspoon per gallon.   Treating with bleach typically means your water will smell and taste like bleach.  I suppose that's better than smelling and tasting like death.  

Personally, if I wanted to store 55 gallons of water all the time "just in case" I'd probably not treat it, sterilize the storage, then rotate it more often.  You can always boil before use if needed.  If you're paying for city water/sewage, that will be extra.  You could always fill it to get through this crisis, then look for inline storage after.

 I chose my home to avoid all that, though.

Edited March 19, 2020 by Grunt

[NeedleinA]

36 minutes ago, Grunt said:

Personally, if I wanted to store 55 gallons of water all the time "just in case" I'd probably not treat it, sterilize the storage, then rotate it more often.  You can always boil before use if needed. 

I appreciate the post, thank you.

[mirkwood]

https://preppercop.blogspot.com/

Edited March 19, 2020 by mirkwood

[Grunt]

2 hours ago, mirkwood said:

https://preppercop.blogspot.com/

Can't trick me, PoPo!

[Colirio]

3 minutes ago, Grunt said:

Can't trick me, PoPo!

If you clicked the link he’ll get you on charges of trespassing! 

[NeuroTypical]

I went to my local WalMart this morning in Colorado Springs. Everyone was happily socially distancing and behaving themselves. Plenty of people were wearing masks.  The high-demand items like TP and sanitizing wipes and stuff, were still in the stockroom. They had a cart showing what was available, and you told people which items you wanted, and they'd go get you one of everything.

This was the produce section today, Thursday March 19 around 9:30 am. Plenty of everything, at least for produce/milk/eggs. This country certainly doesn't have a production or distribution problem, just everyone is panic buying and stocking up.

 

[NeuroTypical]

General Conference prediction: We'll have updated guidelines on how to baptize new members while practicing social distancing:

[anatess2]

9 minutes ago, NeuroTypical said:

General Conference prediction: We'll have updated guidelines on how to baptize new members while practicing social distancing:

 

On a serious note... my missionary son just told me baptisms are to be scheduled for July or later.

[anatess2]

2 hours ago, NeuroTypical said:

I went to my local WalMart this morning in Colorado Springs. Everyone was happily socially distancing and behaving themselves.

Meanwhile at the Florida beaches yesterday, people young and old were piling next to each other because... no school means beach day... and they wouldn't walk too far from the parking lot.  My son and I walked a kilometer to an area of the beach where the next person is the size of my finger on the horizon.

[NeedleinA]

Nice to see some positive news out. Nice to see stocks, at least for the moment, react positively. Nice to see supplies making their way to those who need it.
NICE not to have gloom shoved down our throats 24/7.

 

[NeuroTypical]

There is plenty of good, making the news and not.  For example, my neighborhood facebook page, largely inactive, has come alive with people offering to run to the store for each other.