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The General [Coronavirus] Discussion Thread

ElkiElki get busyModerator, ClubPA mod
edited March 2020 in Debate and/or Discourse
Given the volume of discussion around this topic, we're gonna be doing things a bit differently until further notice. Instead of one thread, we'll be using two and a half threads.
  • An updates and information thread. News about response efforts, updates on the spread of the virus, new resources to keep track of news, political developments directly related to the virus, etc. No rumors, no twitter randos, do your best to make sure it's verified information before posting to this thread.
  • A general coronavirus discussion thread. How things are happening in your town, how you're doing, how your family is doing, and other things you don't think go into the updates thread this goes in the general thread.
  • The existing chat thread. There are lots of 'fun' or interesting things, posts tangentially related to the disease, cool videos, twitter posts, etc, that aren't news, or really something to discuss. Feel free to post them in the existing chat thread, because it's there for you, even if you don't usually post there. They're not all bad people. It's there, you might as well use it.

This should help us have some readable threads, given the current volume of posts.

I'll be using my move posts powers occasionally, to keep things where they belong, so don't be surprised if that happens.

Edit: Burrack made a thread for lockdown resources, so you might want to look at that as well.

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    ElkiElki get busy Moderator, ClubPA mod
    reserved

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    ViskodViskod Registered User regular
    I hadn't heard anything on the local news about how my governor (TN) was responding to this so I tried to look and he recently gave a speech about the school closings in TN where he says he suggests that schools close but he's not going to be doing any state-wide mandates/requirements for anyone. He thinks suggestions and admonishments are sufficient. He talked about how maybe don't go to clubs, bars, and restaurants right now but he's not going to require that anyone close or close early at all state-wide. He said he wasn't going to be putting out any state wide requirements because it's better when people are engaged.

    So uh, don't come to Tennessee I guess.

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    ElldrenElldren Is a woman dammit ceterum censeoRegistered User regular
    Viskod wrote: »
    I hadn't heard anything on the local news about how my governor (TN) was responding to this so I tried to look and he recently gave a speech about the school closings in TN where he says he suggests that schools close but he's not going to be doing any state-wide mandates/requirements for anyone. He thinks suggestions and admonishments are sufficient. He talked about how maybe don't go to clubs, bars, and restaurants right now but he's not going to require that anyone close or close early at all state-wide. He said he wasn't going to be putting out any state wide requirements because it's better when people are engaged.

    So uh, don't come to Tennessee I guess.

    I'm glad my county at least (Shelby) is being a little more proactive, having already closed schools etc.

    Not much more, mind, but a little

    fuck gendered marketing
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    ViskodViskod Registered User regular
    The one case in Hamilton county where I'm at happened in downtown Chattanooga at one of the biggest churches downtown. Where the pastor caught it and potentially exposed hundreds of churchgoers before he started to show symptoms. So we literally have the potential of a coronavirus bomb being set off in the middle of downtown and the mayor isn't doing anything but shutting down public community centers.

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    OremLKOremLK Registered User regular
    My wife's district closed schools until at least the second week of April but they're being maddeningly vague with employees and teachers. It seems like most people won't be required to come in, but they're making vague statements about telework, online teaching, etc. Guess we can't complain too much though, at least they're overall doing the right thing (for now) and a lot of people have it way worse with their job situations.

    My zombie survival life simulator They Don't Sleep is out now on Steam if you want to check it out.
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    No-QuarterNo-Quarter Nothing To Fear But Fear ItselfRegistered User regular
    Update.

    I am now completely out of cookies.

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    ElkiElki get busy Moderator, ClubPA mod
    Cookies and all snack activities are for the chat thread!

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    Hi I'm Vee!Hi I'm Vee! Formerly VH; She/Her; Is an E X P E R I E N C E Registered User regular
    Nashville is mandating closing of a bunch of bars and restaurants.

    Honestly, this is pretty rotten timing, given that the city was ravaged by tornadoes a couple of weeks ago.

    Fortunately my company has told us to work from home if possible, so no issues there.

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    MonwynMonwyn Apathy's a tragedy, and boredom is a crime. A little bit of everything, all of the time.Registered User regular
    edited March 2020
    My company is doing WFH stress tests, so I stayed home yesterday and was approximately as productive as normal

    Gotta go back in today, though

    There is no one else on the road. The parking lot for the metro station has, like, seven or eight cars in it, and I'm betting that four of them are for the maintenance dudes replacing a busted screen in the station. There is one other guy waiting for the train.

    Crazy. Hopefully we transition by end of week.

    Monwyn on
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    Romantic UndeadRomantic Undead Registered User regular
    My sister left her career in the public service a while ago to take a non-insignificant pay cut and work for WestJet (Canadian airline). Now, it appears as though her job may be in jeopardy due to the outbreak. She's pretty bummed.

    3DS FC: 1547-5210-6531
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    DysDys how am I even using this gun Registered User regular
    I can't exactly work from home, being in manufacturing, but my fiancée works for a local museum.

    So she's in kind of a weird limbo where, being a town employee, she might not be able to grab nearly as many hours as she is used to. Her union is trying to see what they can do what with things not being mandated to completely shut down by the state or federal governments, but her union is also a mess so that's entirely up in the air.

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    CambiataCambiata Commander Shepard The likes of which even GAWD has never seenRegistered User regular
    My workplace started allowing work from home until the end of March starting Friday. At the time, my boss sent an email that was like, "we're doing this for now but just so you know if I am displeased with you I could force you to come in!" (Not in those exact words, but that was the overall tone).

    I wonder if he's realizing how dumb a stance that is now. I'm still hoping for the company to shift from "you can work from home" to "work from home is mandatory."

    "If you divide the whole world into just enemies and friends, you'll end up destroying everything" --Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
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    Brovid HasselsmofBrovid Hasselsmof [Growling historic on the fury road] Registered User regular
    Oh good now there's 2 threads for me to fail at keeping up with.

    I posted this in the SE job thread, but I'm starting to have problems with anxiety about being an asymptomatic carrier. Every time I touch anything I worry that I might be spreading it without knowing. I'm not even worried about getting sick, just about spreading it around. And there's no way to deal with that because there's no way to know if I've been exposed or not.

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    Giggles_FunsworthGiggles_Funsworth Blight on Discourse Bay Area SprawlRegistered User regular
    Florida still carrying on mostly as normal. Schools shut down, but our primary is still happening today, and y'all saw that everybody is still Spring Breaking here in the last thread. >.< Gonna go shopping this morning before I vote and see if I can get some produce, and some egg noodles for chicken soup so I don't have to use spaghetti. Wearing my respirator and double gloving this time though.

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    BigJoeMBigJoeM Registered User regular
    Not only does my work not have their shit together WRT telework. We are going to be packed in like sardines and working mandatory 60 hour workweeks.

    If someone has it or gets it, it will spread like wildfire just like every other respiratory illness.

    Yippie.

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    TomantaTomanta Registered User regular
    I got an update from my work; about 20% of people are on WFH, they plan to increase that as they get more VPN licenses.

    Went to Target after work yesterday. Weirdly quiet and empty. Got a lot of what we needed, but they were out of the same stuff everyone else is out of.

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    MarekMarek Lurker Pro A screen door... factoryRegistered User regular
    My company cleared to work from home the next two days, but after that ??? I'm a little concerned.

    XBL: Jason Marek
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    FoolOnTheHillFoolOnTheHill PhiladelphiaRegistered User regular
    Currently working from home as well because I'm lucky enough to be able to do so. I am a bit disappointed by my company's response though, because they're treating conversations around proactive WFH requests like the "pieces of flair" policy, where there not directly telling us to stay home or come in.

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    BurnageBurnage Registered User regular
    My uni, like pretty much all of them, is trying to switch to online teaching overnight and it's proving to be a real shitshow so far. I kind of feel like we just need to write this whole semester off.

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    Al_watAl_wat Registered User regular
    Oh good now there's 2 threads for me to fail at keeping up with.

    I posted this in the SE job thread, but I'm starting to have problems with anxiety about being an asymptomatic carrier. Every time I touch anything I worry that I might be spreading it without knowing. I'm not even worried about getting sick, just about spreading it around. And there's no way to deal with that because there's no way to know if I've been exposed or not.

    If you focus on keeping your hands clean and be conscious of what you touch you can minimize the chances of spreading if you were a carrier. I guess maybe just keep trying to think of that in an attempt to alleviate the anxiety? Focus on hygiene, focus on behaviours. Its all you can do.

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    DidgeridooDidgeridoo Flighty Dame Registered User regular
    Oh good now there's 2 threads for me to fail at keeping up with.

    I posted this in the SE job thread, but I'm starting to have problems with anxiety about being an asymptomatic carrier. Every time I touch anything I worry that I might be spreading it without knowing. I'm not even worried about getting sick, just about spreading it around. And there's no way to deal with that because there's no way to know if I've been exposed or not.

    I would fistbump you on this, but, you know. No contact.

    I'm relieved because my office (and all other government offices in my state) have instituted mandatory work from home for the next 2 weeks. I was having a lot of guilt and anxiety about being a potential carrier. My husband is displaying a bunch of the symptoms, but they're also the symptoms of a hundred other illnesses. :/ Now that we're both stuck at home, at least we don't have to worry about potentially spreading it.

    Sorry to those of you who can't stay in. Try not to feel guilty about it! The cumulative effect of everyone washing hands, staying in when they can, and keeping distance will help, even if not all people can quarantine.

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    DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    So my counties first confirmed case very quickly lead to my counties second confirmed case, the woman's husband. Not really shocking but it sure feels all "It begins..." how quickly 1 became 2.

    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
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    PhasenPhasen Hell WorldRegistered User regular
    edited March 2020
    Working from home with a sick kid has lead to a bunch of

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    Phasen on
    psn: PhasenWeeple
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    Belasco32Belasco32 Registered User regular
    I'm sick (double ear infections & super bad sinus infection - so probably not the black death), and having trouble thinking so if this is the wrong spot please lemme know

    I woke up to a text from a news outlet back in Austin - first death in TX. Thing is, the guy had all the symptoms and wasn't tested when he was alive, they tested him after he passed and, naturally, he tested positive. This strikes me as a failure on so many levels, and with nothing but speculation for how long he was out in the world a week or so ago before he died or if he caught it in the hospital where he died - there's just no good direction to take this thought experiment.

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    BSoBBSoB Registered User regular
    My wife's work has opened up their work from home policy as of yesterday, but she still doesn't have the VPN access she requested 3 weeks ago because the approval process for that is still slow and arcane. She managed to cobble together two days worth of work to do without VPN, but after that she may have to go back in.


    Just fucking stupid.

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    Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    Some folks probably saw my post in the H/A forum but yeah, airlines just up and cancelling many international flights at the drop of a hat is straight up terrifying. We're due back to the States in 2 days and we're trying to make the best of it, but tbh after the scare of not having a flight for one night it put us all in "ready to go home now, please." mode. We went from having a blast at karaoke to hoping the airlines don't cancel on us again. We're planning to get to the airport several hours early so we don't miss this flight, seeing as how we'd probably have to wait days for the next one that's likely already booked full.

    I just wanna go home and see my dog :sad:

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    Mortal SkyMortal Sky queer punk hedge witchRegistered User regular
    My workplace, being one of those FDA-mandated "must have x number of people on site at all times" biological labs, has shifted to an on-call system starting today while paying us for the off days

    This is basically the best possible system for how that lab works, and given we were on low throughput for the next two months anyways, nothing of value has changed

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    DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    I'm sorry you're stressed

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    honoverehonovere Registered User regular
    Some folks probably saw my post in the H/A forum but yeah, airlines just up and cancelling many international flights at the drop of a hat is straight up terrifying. We're due back to the States in 2 days and we're trying to make the best of it, but tbh after the scare of not having a flight for one night it put us all in "ready to go home now, please." mode. We went from having a blast at karaoke to hoping the airlines don't cancel on us again. We're planning to get to the airport several hours early so we don't miss this flight, seeing as how we'd probably have to wait days for the next one that's likely already booked full.

    I just wanna go home and see my dog :sad:

    I know Germany just organized a deal with travel and plane companies to get all tourists back into the country on short notice. Hopefully something like that will happen everywhere

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    TeriferinTeriferin Registered User regular
    Los Alamos National Laboratory has rapidly been decreasing the subtleness with which they suggest employees work from home. A lot of people have to be on-site at the lab, so everyone who can wfh must do so to help with social distancing. Scientists tend to be awful about not coming in when sick, so I suspect many people will continue going in as long as the lab is open.

    teriferin#1625
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    ThawmusThawmus +Jackface Registered User regular
    Some folks probably saw my post in the H/A forum but yeah, airlines just up and cancelling many international flights at the drop of a hat is straight up terrifying. We're due back to the States in 2 days and we're trying to make the best of it, but tbh after the scare of not having a flight for one night it put us all in "ready to go home now, please." mode. We went from having a blast at karaoke to hoping the airlines don't cancel on us again. We're planning to get to the airport several hours early so we don't miss this flight, seeing as how we'd probably have to wait days for the next one that's likely already booked full.

    I just wanna go home and see my dog :sad:

    Friend of mine was in the same jam in Paris this weekend, finally got on a flight after 48 hours of trying to get one. Embassy was pretty much useless.

    Twitch: Thawmus83
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    SoggybiscuitSoggybiscuit Tandem Electrostatic Accelerator Registered User regular
    Teriferin wrote: »
    Los Alamos National Laboratory has rapidly been decreasing the subtleness with which they suggest employees work from home. A lot of people have to be on-site at the lab, so everyone who can wfh must do so to help with social distancing. Scientists tend to be awful about not coming in when sick, so I suspect many people will continue going in as long as the lab is open.

    Not to defend their actions, but if you were in the middle of an experiment, it sucks. Also, you can’t leave stuff laying around, like leaving a radioactive source out you aren’t experimenting with is a huge no-no safety wise. Some of the equipment needs special care to be stored properly.

    For example, our lab was in the middle of a 3 week experiment. Our guests aren’t really going to get to complete their measurements and it’s a fairly important measurement for nuclear astrophysics.

    This just sucks all around.

    Steam - Synthetic Violence | XBOX Live - Cannonfuse | PSN - CastleBravo | Twitch - SoggybiscuitPA
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    TheBigEasyTheBigEasy Registered User regular
    honovere wrote: »
    Some folks probably saw my post in the H/A forum but yeah, airlines just up and cancelling many international flights at the drop of a hat is straight up terrifying. We're due back to the States in 2 days and we're trying to make the best of it, but tbh after the scare of not having a flight for one night it put us all in "ready to go home now, please." mode. We went from having a blast at karaoke to hoping the airlines don't cancel on us again. We're planning to get to the airport several hours early so we don't miss this flight, seeing as how we'd probably have to wait days for the next one that's likely already booked full.

    I just wanna go home and see my dog :sad:

    I know Germany just organized a deal with travel and plane companies to get all tourists back into the country on short notice. Hopefully something like that will happen everywhere

    Funnily enough, Germany also declared last night that alot of stuff has to be closed. I walked around the neighborhood for my lunch break and around here its business as usual. Bookstore still open, flower shop, outdoor shop, hairdresser.

    Only thing that has been closed for 10 days (and has a notice on the door its because of corona)? The Asian fast food place :).

    The weather is awesome though.

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    autono-wally, erotibot300autono-wally, erotibot300 love machine Registered User regular
    TheBigEasy wrote: »
    honovere wrote: »
    Some folks probably saw my post in the H/A forum but yeah, airlines just up and cancelling many international flights at the drop of a hat is straight up terrifying. We're due back to the States in 2 days and we're trying to make the best of it, but tbh after the scare of not having a flight for one night it put us all in "ready to go home now, please." mode. We went from having a blast at karaoke to hoping the airlines don't cancel on us again. We're planning to get to the airport several hours early so we don't miss this flight, seeing as how we'd probably have to wait days for the next one that's likely already booked full.

    I just wanna go home and see my dog :sad:

    I know Germany just organized a deal with travel and plane companies to get all tourists back into the country on short notice. Hopefully something like that will happen everywhere

    Funnily enough, Germany also declared last night that alot of stuff has to be closed. I walked around the neighborhood for my lunch break and around here its business as usual. Bookstore still open, flower shop, outdoor shop, hairdresser.

    Only thing that has been closed for 10 days (and has a notice on the door its because of corona)? The Asian fast food place :).

    The weather is awesome though.

    Kretschmann (of Baden-Württemberg) also said that stronger measures are not necessary if people can do social distancing the way it is now.

    Meaning, on the other hand, if enough people fuck up and go infectin', stronger measures will come..

    kFJhXwE.jpgkFJhXwE.jpg
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    Shazkar ShadowstormShazkar Shadowstorm Registered User regular
    edited March 2020
    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/opinion/coronavirus-face-masks.html

    interesting article on how the messaging around masks caused the panic around people buying too many masks, and how it should have been messaged differently probably

    edit: did i do the wrong thread

    this seemed like not an update

    Shazkar Shadowstorm on
    poo
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    ElkiElki get busy Moderator, ClubPA mod
    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/opinion/coronavirus-face-masks.html

    interesting article on how the messaging around masks caused the panic around people buying too many masks, and how it should have been messaged differently probably

    edit: did i do the wrong thread

    this seemed like not an update

    It fits in this thread.

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    honoverehonovere Registered User regular
    TheBigEasy wrote: »
    honovere wrote: »
    Some folks probably saw my post in the H/A forum but yeah, airlines just up and cancelling many international flights at the drop of a hat is straight up terrifying. We're due back to the States in 2 days and we're trying to make the best of it, but tbh after the scare of not having a flight for one night it put us all in "ready to go home now, please." mode. We went from having a blast at karaoke to hoping the airlines don't cancel on us again. We're planning to get to the airport several hours early so we don't miss this flight, seeing as how we'd probably have to wait days for the next one that's likely already booked full.

    I just wanna go home and see my dog :sad:

    I know Germany just organized a deal with travel and plane companies to get all tourists back into the country on short notice. Hopefully something like that will happen everywhere

    Funnily enough, Germany also declared last night that alot of stuff has to be closed. I walked around the neighborhood for my lunch break and around here its business as usual. Bookstore still open, flower shop, outdoor shop, hairdresser.

    Only thing that has been closed for 10 days (and has a notice on the door its because of corona)? The Asian fast food place :).

    The weather is awesome though.

    I was a bit confused about that, too, but as far as I can tell now so far it's just that the federal and state governments agreed to close down retail, but this still has to be enacted by the states. Hairdressers are to exempt anyway.

    The weather is indeed very pleasant. I'm not sure that helps with the distancing or makes it worse.

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    AspectVoidAspectVoid Registered User regular
    So, my normal company policy for my department is WFH on M/W/F and in the office on T/Th. Last night, my manager sent a message saying rules are if you have a small child at home, are over 50, or have immunodeficiency you can work from home all the time. Everyone else needs to be in the office. So, I drove in this morning, traffic being at holiday levels where places where there would be 2 blocks of stopped cars had 2 cars total. I was at the office for maybe 15 minutes when my manager came by, grabbed my team into a meeting, and told us to all pack up and go work from home. He expects it to last one to two months, so at least they're finally taking this seriously.

    PSN|AspectVoid
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    BobbleBobble Registered User regular
    Working from Home today as our company tests our WFH capacity. Naturally, today is the day my apartment complex is testing the alarm system. Looking forward to the moment I need to speak up during a conference call and my fire alarm goes off.

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    IlpalaIlpala Just this guy, y'know TexasRegistered User regular
    My work is still most definitely not taking this seriously, finally starting to talk about maybe wfh for people with long commutes.

    But then the entire town seems to not be taking this seriously, traffic's completely normal, everyone's still out and about.

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