This Pandemic thing?

[JackieB]

Originally Posted by Pat58

I'm on the verge of telling people like this "Fine - go die and get it over with."

[TracyQ]

Originally Posted by Carol K

We have a Cats at Work program in Chicago. And no, the cats do not eat the rats. They are well-fed. The cats just kill the rats, because they are nature's killing machines along with being the most beautiful creatures on the planet.

Cats are great. I miss my Maine Coon, Kit. I have a dog now and we once had a mouse running around the house and I was screaming on the top of my lungs. My dog was totally indifferent to the mouse and just kept looking at me like what the hell is wrong with you. Kit would have known what to do.

[Taiga]

Originally Posted by laurajhawk

Remember that the virus thrives at body temperature. Ordinary summer heat doesn't do anything against it. The reason flu decreases in summer - which also applies somewhat to covid-19 - is because people aren't crowded together indoors as much.

Early on, some uninformed people were saying that heat kills the virus "so it will start dying off by April." That never made sense (because of the body temp factor) and you see how it's gone.

Many viruses, including other types of coronaviruses, do have seasonality and early research suggested that COVID-19 is less contagious with increasing heat and humidity. For instance, regions within the same country (northern vs southern China) had higher rates of transmission that were likely related to cooler temps/lower humidity.

There can be many factors behind seasonality but destruction by direct summer heat is not generally the main proposed mechanism. Direct UV radiation (as opposed to just the warmth of the sun) can damage viruses and their ability to remain on surfaces. Putting human behavior aside and focusing on physiology, there are still other aspects of seasons that can affect our susceptibility to viruses. Seasonal changes in hormones/melatonin, vitamin D levels and humidity (which affects the protective mucous membranes in our respiratory system) can modulate immune response.

From what we know currently, it is reasonably hopeful that COVID-19 will eventually fall into a seasonal pattern after we establish some herd immunity. I think people focused on summer relief initially disregarded the fact that the overall success of the virus is dependent on a combination of factors. The summer season alone was unlikely to have a miraculous first clearing on its own. But the more factors that start working in our favor, the more likely it is that we can gain the edge and tip the scales in the right direction. Human behavior (masks, social distancing, hand washing, choosing healthy lifestyle habits that support immune function) are factors that we can control right now while we wait on herd immunity, vaccines and future seasonal benefits. And those actions may very well reduce the spread of other common seasonal viruses as we head into winter. Bottom line, I'm still hopeful and cheer any factor that helps in this fight

[kat999]

Originally Posted by annette

I live in Ohio too and think the mask mandate is a good idea. I just wish it hadn't come to that and people would have done it on their own. A lot of people are losing their minds over this. Reading the comments on local newspaper articles is very entertaining (and somewhat disheartening).

I had to stop reading the online comments on local stories to preserve what shred of sanity I have left.

I also agree with someone else who said we need a nationwide mask mandate. Kind of like with Ohio's previous piecemeal solution, I think we have that on a macro scale with each state doing things differently, which then follows that we'll wind up either with travel bans between states (which would be terrible for people who live in border areas and live and work in different states; I have a friend who does that) or just a straight-up national mask mandate, with maybe some states suing the federal government to be exempt.

We certainly live in interesting times!

[Carol K]

We should have had a coordinated national response to the pandemic. But that was never going to happen with this administration.

[Vantreesta]

Just my opinion but it feels like some of the posts in the thread are straying into politics and being harsh toward different viewpoints. It's a touchy subject, to be sure, but I think we all just want to come out of this on the other side as healthy as possible and with the least loss of life. Thanks for letting me share my thoughts.

[pgun3]

Originally Posted by Vantreesta

Just my opinion but it feels like some of the posts in the thread are straying into politics and being harsh toward different viewpoints. It's a touchy subject, to be sure, but I think we all just want to come out of this on the other side as healthy as possible and with the least loss of life. Thanks for letting me share my thoughts.

thank you for sharing your thoughts Glad someone said it.

[FirmDancer]

Originally Posted by bubbles76

I am very concerned that I will be made to come back in to work. Right now I am teleworking, but I plan on homeschooling Tiny Bubble once school starts. I don't know how the bosses will feel about it. Several of my fellow Federal workers have been mandated to go back in to the office. It's quite frustrating since we've been teleworking since March with increased productivity. Additionally, people who do the same work in other agencies (and the private sector) were already heavily teleworking before COVID.

Check with your doctor. I'm a government employee and had to go back 50/50 two weeks ago. It was very weird. Because of my age, in order to "protect" me, I sat in a tiny area, all doors closed, no additional ventilation, and no one could have contact with me. (What was the sense of being there ???) I had such anxiety over that, I couldn't sleep on the nights before going to work. I called my doctor and she was horrified that I was back at work. Apparently, I'm high-risk, and she said I should not be in the workplace at all. She wrote a letter, I handed it in, it's making its way through the system, but I didn't go into the office this week at all. We'll see what the official word ends up being. Just suggesting, it might be worth a call to your doctor.

[prettyinpink]

I am against a federal mask mandate, and I’m not even sure it would be legal.

I do not think the US should criminalize this. Most states and municipalities that are doing it are subjecting people to a small fine, but it’s not a crime. Though even that can be hard to enforce, because there are people who have medical reasons not to wear one.

I agree that people are losing their minds over masks. Just put one on already. Maybe it will help. People are dying.

I also see people losing their minds in the other direction, though. It’s a very stressful time for so many of us all at once. It would be great if we could all be charitable and assume the best of strangers we don’t know, rather than the worst.

[leigh1673]

Originally Posted by pgun3

thank you for sharing your thoughts Glad someone said it.

That's hilarious since YOU were the one who said, and I quote:

I think that once November 3rd passes this whole thing will end.