Don't think this is serious for just seniors!
At about Noon PDT today, we decided to cancel all public events that we sponsor for 60 days. The decision to expand this policy into May and June is one we will make in the next couple of weeks.
One of the tipping points for me was in this OpEd article in the Newsweek Magazine from yesterday.
And this outtake:
Quote:
This is from a doctor working in Italy:
“Here is how it looks in practice. Most of my childhood friends are now doctors working in north Italy. In Milan, in Bergamo, in Padua, they are having to choose between intubating a 40-year-old with two kids, a 40-year old who is fit and healthy with no co-morbidities, and a 60-year-old with high blood pressure, because they don't have enough beds. In the hallway, meanwhile, there are another 15 people waiting who are already hardly breathing and need oxygen.”
“Fatality is the wrong yardstick. Catching the virus can mess up your life in many, many more ways than just straight-up killing you. "We are all young"—okay. "Even if we get the bug, we will survive"—fantastic. How about needing four months of physical therapy before you even feel human again. Or getting scar tissue in your lungs and having your activity level restricted for the rest of your life. Not to mention having every chance of catching another bug in hospital, while you're being treated or waiting to get checked with an immune system distracted even by the false alarm of an ordinary flu. “
I hope things are well with you and Sharon!
Howdy Tim,
Nice to hear from you.
I hope things are well with you and Sharon!
Yes, we are living in days of a new reality. COVID-19 is changing a lot of how most of us have living our lives.
Really hope you are well and healthy and remain so!
Mark
There is no evidence that COVID-19 is going to behave like the flu
And this video clip talks about some of the dumber things that are being said about the COVID-19 virus.
We really hope this is not like the flu. The flu season is not really a season -- it just pops up in other places.
Please watch this clip. Be informed!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kvOJcyfg8o
It's challenging. But these are not normal times.
More information. Read and think about what you can do today.
I've got to go into the office tomorrow to get some invoices and checks. After that, I am going to avoid going to the office more than once every 10+ days.
It's challenging. But these are not normal times.
I should mention that we've now cancelled all author appearances for 90 days.
Mark
Interesting but not a good match for me
I get a sore throat every year from allergies --
Like most years -- here are my typical allergy symptoms:
Headache, very mild fever, chills, sore/scratchy throat, light cough, fatigue. Somewhat similar to COVID-19, but since I have them every year --I can conclude that it's just more allergies. If any of the symptoms were to turn severe -- I'd respond accordingly -- but typically these kind of symptoms present every December and last until we return to triple digits in early May. So, that's that challenge of these kinds of symptoms. There are lots of pollen-producing plants here in Las Vegas.
Mark
Considering myself very lucky
My employer took action very quickly and fortunately I am in a situation where I am able to work from home. Our offices are almost completely closed except for those who have to deal with things such as mail, etc. Also, hindsight shows that having Sharon's store close in 2018 was probably for the best - I doubt it would have survived this situation. We are doing well and are going to be working on some plans for future trips, including planning for the 2024 total solar eclipse. The 2017 total solar eclipse was just absolutely spectacular. In 2024, it's going to be much closer to home.
There are some distributed computing platforms such as Rosetta that are working on the virus, and I've been running some of these when my computer is idle. I'm not a medical professional and about the only thing I can do to help out is stay home. That and share some CPU/GPU cycles.
Thanks for the book recommendations. For those in Massachusetts, the CW MARS (library) system is allowing the use of mobile phone numbers as temporary library cards to access electronic resources. I'm sure other states have done something similar.
Coronvirus Map produced by IBM
As you probably know, Jeff Masters and the other founding members of Weather Underground sold the platform to IBM last year. There are some things I don't like about the WU service now, but they are beginning to experiment with delivering other sorts of data.
One of these tools is the Coronvirus Map and if you scroll down to a reasonable level, you can certainly see areas of the USA where lack of testing kits (and other factors) show considerable less infection than others.
It's mostly a gimmick for now -- but still interesting if you want play around with it.
Mark
Walking and Running and risks from COVID-19
New Studies about the risk of exercising outside...
From the executive study of a report from the Netherlands:
Quote:
Based on the simulations and data, the team suggests that individuals who are walking outdoors should maintain a minimum of four meters (13 feet) of separation. Runners and casual bikers should try to stay at least 10 meters apart (33 feet), and fast cyclists should attempt to remain at least 20 meters (66 feet) from others using the same trails. The researchers also note that avoiding the direct path of the person in front of you is vital, even when maintaining these distances.
More information here.
What about just driving around town?
The weather in Phoenix is gorgeous right now, perfect spring temperatures, but when I'm driving around town, especially at stop lights, I keep my windows rolled up tight, and I leave my AC on the setting that recirculates the air in my vehicle, rather than bringing in fresh air from the outside. It's an airborne virus. If somebody upwind from you sneezes or coughs, even at a distance, that nice cool breeze could be deadly. I hate it. I mean, I really, really hate it--but if you venture out into the world for any reason, you really can't be too careful!
Rick
Threats are real there too
And we know that the virus can live on metal and plastic for a number of days, so it could "live" inside the air ducts of the car.
Mark
USAF Thunderbirds over Las Vegas on April 11th
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loRhlFtrqcw flew over much of the Las Vegas valley today in support of the coronavirus first responders.
Another useful site: worldometers.info
Yeah, it is VERY creepy that Federal entities (and other governmental entities) have access to personal phones.
By the way, I found another online resource that has a very good UI for tracking coronavirus stats:
Here is the USA report – broken out by state: (scroll down the page). There is often a lag on the "now" report of a couple of hours. However, if you click on yesterday – it gives a pretty compelling look at new cases and new deaths per state. Easily the most useful such chart I’ve seen thus far.
Look at the jump in reported cased in Russia! I do like the reporting capability by region (Europe, North America, Asia, South America, Africa and Oceania)
Mark
A Hidden Cost of Staying at Home
This morning my wife had arranged for a drive-thru pick-up of groceries, where the store packs all your stuff and puts it in your car in the parking lot. BUT... we hadn't been out for a couple of weeks. Now, as it happens, my wife has a newer, gadget-loaded car that in particular has an anti-theft system that is constantly monitoring the status of the car, i.e. using electricity from the battery. Needless to say, the car would not start. Dead battery. Fortunately, I have an older, very basic car that when it's turned off is really OFF, and the two cars were parked side by side in the garage, making jump-starting hers relatively easy. I then got my first taste of being out of the house, aside from local walks, as I drove it around for half an hour to recharge the battery.
I would urge everyone who has a newer car, particularly if it shows any blinking lights while just sitting there, to take it out every week or two for a 30 minute spin so that it's ready when/if you need it.
Buck
