Coronavirus (COVID-19) Positive and personal thoughts

I noticed a delightful new thread about having fun during lockdown.  I'd like to open a general thread on this topic, to include personal experiences and insights.  Please feel free to discuss grief and loss, and to share links to helpful resources or encouraging messages.

I'd really like to avoid politics.  Even if I didn't vote for my federal, state and local leaders, I listen to what they have to say, do my own research, and then work with the decisions they have handed down.

I am still employed and likely will be for the duration.  My job puts me in personal contact with thousands of people every week.  My husband is high risk.  If I show the slightest sign of infection, I will call in sick, remove myself to a separate part of the household, and remain there unless I get sick enough to call 911.

Younger packmates may not remember September 11, the Gulf War, Vietnam, the Cold War, shortages during the 1970s, the emergence of several new diseases, and periods of rioting. I'm sixty and have seen many bad times. My parents saw much worse.
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We got through these times by keeping informed, by being positive, and by adjusting to circumstances. I meet people at work who want me to turn back the clock and offer them life as it was before. These people have a victim mentality that will not serve them well.

Personally, I think it's cool to see how so many people are raising to the occasion, and doing whatever they can. Just a few examples (quite a few of these are from the cycling world…):

1. At least two cycling clothes manufacturing companies have switched to making facial masks.
2. A pro cyclist is using the time without racing to work in a hospital, she's an actual doctor. (There are also team doctors doing the same)
3. Another pro cyclist has found a way to 3D print equipment, he's an engineer, and a bit of a nerd.
4. Destilleries(sp?) have changed their production to hand sanitizers.
5. A bunch of tattooing artists donated their masks and hand sanitizers to a regional hospital.
6. Take Away places give food to health workers for free.

And much, much more.

You mentioned 9/11, and i've been thinking about how corona virus is, like 9/11, one of those shared experiences that becomes a cultural touchstone.

I've been thinking about it because, during the aftermath of 9/11, I had just been diagnosed with cancer and found out my unborn baby had a life-threatening medical condition. So while everyone else was worrying about security and international relations, I was kind of removed, going through a more personal crisis.

Now, I am caring for my terminally ill husband. I had been working and debating when I should start my leave to see him through the end of life, and the decision was made for me by the virus. As soon as we had a positive case in our state, with all our underlying conditions I decided that was it. We were withdrawing. And I think it was just at the right time.

I am kind of grateful that it has given us time together as a family so we can experience this time without social demands that we go anywhere or do anything. It would have been nice to have some last visits to some of my husband's favorite places, but it's also a relief to have a reason to not put that pressure on ourselves.

Waking up on 9/11 was a one time shock to the collective consciousness.

The sustained ARGH this time has left me with only one analogy, as you have seen.

I was actually succeeding in bearing the input through meditation until boredom led to my downfall. Going to do that again here in a few seconds.

Meanwhile, thanks to dreamberries, we now have a song parody that fits. And instead of a video of Gavin Rossdales personal kung fu movie, insert one of the Chinese doctors working to kill the stupid thing.

I want you to remember
Theres a virus out there that is going all ways
I want you to surrender
And try, to stay at home today
And I want you to remain
At least 6 to 10 feet away
And it means we cannot date
I know that's a pisser baby

The epidemic between us
Coronavirus between us
Right in this lab
Society’s displaced
There is no lonelier place
Than right in this lab

I want you to remember
Everything is real
This is not a hoax
Like a virus, well, in the air

The epidemic between us
Coronavirus between us
Right in this lab
Society’s displaced
There is no lonelier place
Than right in this lab
Coronavirus between us
Coronavirus between us
Right in this lab

We’re doctors in Wuhan
We're working in the lab
We never meant you harm
Never meant you wrong
Wed just like to cure
This deadly virus, virus, virus

Coronavirus between us
The army of diseases
Right in this lab
Society’s displaced
There is no lonelier place
Than right in this lab
Coronavirus between us
Coronavirus between us
(Sars-Cov-2!)
Coronavirus is lethal

My late mother gave me some sage advice during one of the worst periods of my life that I've never forgotten:

"Son, there's always a piece of gold even in the biggest pile of shit".

As much as the danger of COVID-19 and what it is doing to our society frightens me, I am doing my best to stay positive and remember my mother's wisdom. Both of my parents passed away when I was in my 20s and dealing with those losses changed the way I look at the world. There are times I do get frustrated at how entitled and selfish people tend to be these days, and on one hand all this toilet paper and food hording we've seen lately bears this out.

But I've also seen many people transcend this fear and rise above it. The few times I've ventured out for food and supplies I've had some memorable conversations with complete strangers. People who are struggling and scared but have taken to heart that our species needs each other to survive. I do hope that this tragedy will inspire a lot of people to treat others with more kindness. I've seen it already and it inspires me in turn to remember not to forget.

For me personally, I'm very grateful to have my lifemate sharing these times with me. I had spent the majority of my life single and had pretty much given up that I've ever meet someone that would to share this journey with me. It took me the better part of a decade to get my life in a better place after poverty, health issues and being homeless for a time left me a shell of my former self. But if a guy who had screwed up his life could not only get his act together but also find love then this gives me hope that this too, shall pass.

As I mentioned in another thread my lifemate had some health issues a while back that prevented her from driving for almost 6 months. She's just about ready to get behind the wheel again but now our state is on lockdown so no road trips for a while. She has been a trooper and I know she's missed her freedom terribly. We've been cooped up together for weeks and so far haven't had any problems getting along and in my book, that's a very good thing.

I also hope that we may hear from some of our long lost brothers and sisters from the old forum. I do wonder how they are all doing.

To put it blandly, I managed to buy some stuff that's been sold out for weeks, ordinary items like tinned sardines or the only deodorant I'm not allergic to.  
Still no TP though.  
According to my Welsh buddy anything tinned is sold out. The French stock up on wine, US-Americans on guns, both Japanese and Germans on butt wipes.

What an insight into nations' souls!

The butt-wipe mania is strong in the US, too. It affects the average American much more than thoughts of guns and ammo (the ones who went out to buy guns are the same ones who stock up on ammo every time there's an election, or a stock market dive, or the wind blows the wrong way.)

I had done our usual stocking up on toilet paper right before corona virus hit, so I didn't even think about going to the store when they started cautioning social distancing. But once we saw all the news stories about the runs on the stores, my husband took our month's worth of supply out of storage, distributed between our bathrooms, and spent the next few days keeping me updated as to how many rolls we had and asking when I was going to go to the store.

I think as he realized our inventory was not changing drastically and the mere existence of COVID-19 did not lead to a sudden disappearance of paper products, he relaxed a little.

To be fair, he is on a shit-ton of painkillers, so his grasp on reality is a little weak sometimes. I have no idea what was going on with the people buying out pallets at the warehouse stores.

I still get the macabre image sometimes of someone going after the quarantines are over to sort out someone who died of the virus's home and wondering, bewildered, what to do with the hundreds of rolls of toilet paper they find.

Thanks Outlier, glad to see there's still sense in the average American!

Would like to know about the musings of future archeologists digging up rolls of loo-papyrus tho.

I'm waiting for someone to get shot over toilet paper.

Awesomeness! I want to rebuild this!

As a INTJ type, I've lived in a "lock down" for years, now,
so this is not anything new, for me.

But..

Outlier wrote:

Now, I am caring for my terminally ill husband. I had been working and debating when I should start my leave to see him through the end of life, and the decision was made for me by the virus.... It would have been nice to have some last visits to some of my husband's favorite places, but it's also a relief to have a reason to not put that pressure on ourselves.

Thank you for sharing, Outlier. I cannot imagine how difficult this time must be for you, especially having to take care of your husband's hospice needs under these circumstances.

Stormcatcher wrote:

The French stock up on wine, US-Americans on guns, both Japanese and Germans on butt wipes.

What an insight into nations' souls!

I worked at a store during the panic of mid-March. My boss confided that she needed me to help prevent violence from breaking out.

When the battle was over, it was odd to see what was left.

Paper products were stripped. Yet people left pet food, cat litter and diapers mostly untouched.

Since then, traffic has returned to normal and much of our business has been online shipping orders and ready-to-pick-up orders.

Toilet tissue, paper towels, disinfectant wipes and sprays are still scarce. I have not seen hand sanitizer, medical alcohol or surgical gloves for weeks.

The only product remaining that is truly virus-proof is condoms. Plenty of condoms. I predict a post-quarantine baby boom next year.

Trollbabe wrote:

The only product remaining that is truly virus-proof is condoms.  Plenty of condoms.  I predict a post-quarantine baby boom next year.

I can see people wearing them over their shoes in place of PPE soon.

One of my dad's friends sadly passed away from Covid-19 on thursday. No one is allowed to go to his funeral

Trollbabe wrote:

Stormcatcher wrote:

The French stock up on wine, US-Americans on guns, both Japanese and Germans on butt wipes.

What an insight into nations' souls!

Paper products were stripped. Yet people left pet food, cat litter and diapers mostly untouched.

One of the first things I made sure I ordered was pet food and cat litter. But then it all hit right around the time of my monthly restock orders anyway, so I just double ordered. I can deal with having no TP or human food. No cat litter is unacceptable.

Arizona has finally decided to go stay-at-home, which is good because, while it doesn't affect me at work, maybe it will do things like get people out of the parks. Today I saw a group of at least ten or fifteen in the dog park sitting in a circle nearly shoulder to shoulder.

I heard that Arizona has a stay-at-home order.  I'm also wondering what police, firefighters and medical professionals do about haircuts, when barbershops shut down.

According to our Govt, barbers and other salons are considered essential, so they'll stay open.

Along with golf courses? Those I guess are also essential?

https://azgovernor.gov/governor/news/2020/03/list-essential-services

Kojiyumi wrote:

According to our Govt, barbers and other salons are considered essential, so they'll stay open.

Along with golf courses?  Those I guess are also essential?

Quite the opposite here. Barber and hair salons are shut down, but golf courses are permitted to be open here as well


And Nib, I'm so sorry to hear about her dad's friend =(

Barber shops shut down here too so buzzcuts will be in fashion soon... glad I also manage to do a proper crewcut on my head.

So sorry to hear about your Dad's friend, Nibblet. Double sad for family and friends to deal with the loss all alone. My condolences and best bishes for strenght and mutual support.

I was late with stocking up. Just an emergency reserve - my demands are still met by supermarkets/discounters and to-go-meals.
First thing I've made sure to have on stock: cat food! As an outdoor cat Ginchan does not need much cat litter. Happened to have a full bag in reseve anyway.

Thanks Kin and Em. My cousins wife works in neurosurgery and she also has Covid-19. She's holding it together so far

*sends healing wishes and strength and positive thoughts*
Stay well, Nibblet and your dear ones as well.