Coronavirus

[Meh]

Yeah too bad about the med grade mask shortage, no surprise there right. Ughh

The fabric masks when I put them on I notice the air does not flow through the fabric part. Instead the air flows along the concave areas on the side of my nose and through gaps in the side of the fabric. Also there is the ocular membrane so yeah better to stay socially distanced.

I have to even tell myself STILL it's okay to do social distancing, I am NOT being rude and I am NOT a hypochondriac for wanting to stay safe and healthy. Social distancing is not a sign of a phobia during a pandemic. It's wild that I have to do this self talk but there are a lot of people who are still offended by the actions of those who are trying to be safe.

Good luck.

On a bright note, even in the cold season here I am starting to see little buds on lilac trees, little tiny leaf bundles popping up out of iris rhizomes, a single rose bud hanging on for dear life in a windy, dark and snow-forecasted climate. Poppy plants are still green, purple heather is blooming, some insects are out, the local hummingbird is still around even though we had a massive windstorm. I see signs of spring even in January. Columbines sending up small new growth bunches of leaves below the older brown stems. 

[Twoapenny]

I love the signs of Spring!  Trees are starting to bud here (even though we just had snow) and I'm feeding the birds twice a day now so the tree outside our house is full of birds, they're so nice to watch.  Curious cat sometimes climbs to the top of the tree and peeks in my son's bedroom window, which is so cute.  I bought some daffodils this morning to brighten up the kitchen window.

Advice here is to maintain social distancing, Posh, so I think you're right to keep doing it.  I'm quite toughened up to people's reactions because we've had it for years with my son's disability - people pointing, staring, demanding to know why you're using a disabled parking bay or disabled toilet and so on, so I've had to get used to just getting on with what we're doing and paying no mind to other people.  It's been helpful through this; we just get on with keeping our distance and people can do whatever they want to   It's good to keep it up; your own safety's more important.

Medical masks are available again now which is good so I've ordered a box and they should be here this week (we're not due to go out again until next week ).  Local numbers have finally started to drop but they're still very high and much higher than they were during the first 'wave'.  Hospital admissions appear to have stabilised; it does seem that this huge increase has been largely down to people getting together over Christmas.  The hospitals are still very busy, apparently, but the number of new patients being admitted seems to have settled a bit.  The death rate's been mind blowing but just seems to have become a normal part of life now.  I don't think that's healthy but I guess we all do to it cope with what's going on.  Nationwide numbers are still high, in terms of new cases and that's a worry - if the numbers don't drop rapidly during lockdown how do you ever manage it?  That bit still concerns me, particularly with new variants appearing.  I feel more concerned now with the long term implications of this being around for several years and the UKs approach being 'we'll wait till the hospitals are full and people are dying in their thousands and then we'll close everyone's businesses down and shut the schools again'.  Given that the vaccines reduce the chances of being seriously ill rather than ensuring you won't get ill and/or don't stop you catching it or passing it on to someone else I'm guessing it will still be an ongoing problem and that all they're aiming for is to make it manageable enough that the hospitals don't get swamped?  Which would still mean the personal risk level being high if you're older or have other health care problems.  Son's future in a situation like that worries me now.  The allure of a more remote area, where we can get out and about more but around fewer people, thereby (hopefully) reducing the risk of exposure, is on my mind a lot just now.

[Twoapenny]

Johnson's extended the current lockdown to March 8th at least; that's the earliest schools will go back and that's assuming people are getting vaccinated and the numbers are going down.  Other things will start to open up after schools go back, assuming that the numbers remain low.

I messed up the antibody test because I got blood on the bit where you read the result so I couldn't see what the answer was.  Bit gutting, it would have been interesting to know but there we are - it's a weeny little test stick and I was too clumsy to do what I needed to.  I just feel soooo tired all the time, there's such a lack of variety of pace through the day.  I'm keeping busy but I have to motivate myself and I find that hard over such an extended period of time.  I'll be glad when it's over.

[Hopalong]

I understand the waves of fatigue, Tupp. Psychological or physical. Several of my friends seem to be going through a trough right now too--I think the reality of "maybe summer" for completed vaccinations for many, and the uncertainty of when you'll actually get your shots, is eating at serenity. People announce they've gotten a shot and you feel glad for them but worried about when you'll hear about your own. I'm supposedly on a list (signed up twice to get email or text notification) but nothing's happened so far. My poet-friend's partner got his (heart issue + age).

I'm finding myself comfortable in double-masks. The N95s are unavailable but the combo of one of those blue disposable masks covered with a fabric mask feels fine in cold weather, and I just read from a couple medical sources that using both is very close to as protective as an N95. I also like the idea of the simple fabric ones that have a top where you can tuck in a little slice of vacuuum cleaner (hoover) filter. Either of those getups nearly equals the N95. That plus sticking to my imaginary 8-foot distance seems sane enough to me. When I get super-restless in spring I'll just take more lovely drives with Pooch (and maybe M) and remind myself our mountains and lakes haven't gone anywhere, and we can go for walks in varied lovely places. Meanwhile, I go out no more than once a week, generally. Occasionally twice to M's for dinner; he's just 10 minutes away.

The only area where I still get tense is the food deliveries. I know that as they got more information about the virus the emphasis became by far more on respiratory transmission than surfaces so I'm not panic-spraying things the way I was, but it still makes me uneasy until they're all put away out of sight. I ignore the canned or boxed items for days, which means it dies on its own, but don't enjoy having big brown bags out on every surface for that time. Small problem though. Indoors is safer so I'm glad it's winter in a way. Hah. Never expected myself to say THAT.

I'm peaceful in my little home with Pooch, and feeling a bit better. First snow this morning! Just a sprinkle but it's pretty. I think "normal" will include masking for a long time, just the way it does in Asian countries where there's nothing weird about a mask over a face. But that's okay with me. I'll just have to master the art of hold-your-breath-hugging when the all-clear horn sounds.

One positive I am sensing now and then is that the turmoil of the pandemic, and the sorrow, has made many people more gentle rather than less (though that gets no headlines, of course). Like they're feeling a tenderness toward others because of our mutual fragility in the face of this hard pandemic. In my wee circles anyway, I've heard a lot of people regularly say things about gratitude. And when people talk about their distress, there's more kindness visible than before. Less vapid consumerism talk and more, even on Zoom, people expressing how meaningful and good it is to see each others' faces.

hugs
Hops

[Hopalong]

Just found Kimberly-Clark N95 respirators (masks) on Amazon -- $50 for a pack of 50.

I go out among people so seldom that I think these'll get me through summer, by which time all Americans should be vaccinated (fingers crossed).

If one can't find N95s, the double masking technique is recommended any time one goes indoors among people (grocery store, non-household members in home, etc.) That's a normal disposable mask topped by a fabric one. You can stick in little rectangle cut from vaccuum cleaner filters if you like.

They're getting very concerned about the U.K. variant which has arrived here, because it's so much more contagious. Next 4-8 weeks (public heath department head from a major univ. just said on TV) are the most dangerous.

Heads up, or heads down -- take care everybody. We'll get through this.

hugs
Hops

[Twoapenny]

It's good that you're noticing care and support in your local circles, Hopsie, and that you managed to get your masks.  Ours have arrived as well; we got a box of fifty and, like you, we're out so infrequently I think they'll last us for a long time yet, even if they are single use.  Do you know if single use means each environment or each day?  One getting on the bus and a fresh one for the osteopath?  Or are you okay to keep it on for both things?  So many things to keep up with

Yes, I think fatigue is becoming a big problem now.  It's just hard to manage without any variety to the day.  There's plenty to do but much of it is quite mundane and there's little in the way of excitement to balance it out a bit and I think that's quite draining.  I have told son that from now on we're going to alternate an hour of screen time with an hour of doing something else.  Even if he just reads for an hour before going back on the computer I think intervening is necessary now - the last couple of days he's only come away from the computer to eat and it worries me, especially as this is looking to be like such a long term thing now.

[Twoapenny]

Local numbers have dropped significantly and I have to say I'm very relieved.  They're still higher than I feel comfortable with but the drop is a big one.  Nationally the drop is still relatively small but they do seem to be getting through the vaccinations better than expected.  Son and I won't be mingling until we're both vaccinated and the numbers are low in general which is still a long way off but I feel better that it's starting to look like they're getting the genie back into the bottle.

[Hopalong]

From this bit on the CDC site it seems you might use the same single-use disposable mask for more than one errand in the same day, Tupp, because the chief thing they mention other than wearing one, is to be replacing dirty or damp ones. I have sometimes re-used them but am cutting that out now. I think a key thing is to handle them only by the ear loops to be certain you're not touching the front. So many people grab the fronts to adjust when they slip down, which defeats half the purpose, since its your inhalations that carry any virus onto the front of your mask, mostly. (It can also come in through side/top gaps if it's not right on your skin.)

Non-medical disposable masks
Disposable face masks are single-use masks. They are sold online and through large retail stores. These are not the same as surgical or other medical masks.

You may prefer using disposable masks in situations where your mask is likely to get wet or dirty. As with cloth masks, make sure your disposable mask fits close to your face without large side-gaps and completely covers your nose and mouth. Bring extra disposable masks with you in case you need to change out a dirty or wet mask.

So I don't know if you literally need one on the bus and another at the doctor's. It seems as though one could extrapolate cautious use of one disposable (under a fabric one) all day.

Maybe this, sez Dr. Hops: Be sure it fits right, cover it with a snug cloth one, and leave BOTH on all of the time you're out of your house. (And don't touch the front, adjust either one only from the ear loops, and wash your hands every chance you can.)

I'm pretty sure this was likely posted by the CDC before the more-contagious-variants threat, so before people were being advised to wear two, btw. With the new variants, best-practice advice has definitely been upgraded to double-masking.

[Meh]

Full body condoms covering every mucus membrane.

Be safe people.

[Twoapenny]

Thanks, Hops.  It's difficult to get into the new habits!  I found it very difficult to remember not to touch the front of the mask.  Son sailed through it, as usual.  He just remembers what he's supposed to do.  The bus was almost empty, there and back.  Town was surprisingly busy considering most of the shops are shut.  The only ones open are those selling food (one each end of the High Street and a few butchers/greengrocers along the side streets) and the Post Office, which is in the middle.  The big supermarkets are in retail parks which are on the edge of town so the two in town are quite small food shops.

The osteopath was lovely, as usual, she just effortlessly rearranges all our bones and ligaments into the right places.  My shoulder feels a lot better.  I wrapped the masks and put them in the bin when we got back, clothes straight into the washing machine and humans into the shower.  I do worry about how much litter is going into landfill at the moment; I'm throwing a lot more away than I normally would.  But it's hard to know what else to do with it.  Son's predicted vaccination date has moved forward a little, which is good, and while we were at the osteopath they got a call from the hospital as they had some vaccines left over and they were calling around healthcare providers to see if anyone was free to go up and get their first shot.  The vaccine programme does seem to be rolling out well compared to everything else they've done.  Israel's is impressive, they've vaccinated huge numbers of people very quickly.  I do feel that there's a light at the end of the tunnel now and that's a nice thing to have.  I think that's been missing for a while now.

[Twoapenny]

Full body condoms covering every mucus membrane.

Be safe people.

Lol, Posh, I did look at the machines they use to wrap Christmas trees and wonder if they could change net for cling wrap and just wrap people up when they go out   Lol xx

[Meh]

Corona "oiling the wheels of violence" - David Jamieson

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/05/covid-school-closures-job-losses-uk-social-unrest-david-jamieson

[Hopalong]

Hi everyone,

I've noticed lately among my fascinating 3-D friends that quite a few are nearly imploding right now. Some of it, I think, is because of the ever-extending stress of continuing quarantine and/or restrictions -- personal, ritual, familial, cultural, traditional, whatev.

In some ways the early quarantine, however sad and scary in the aggregate, was stimulating of good solitude or relaxation in more time to rest, even comforting in ways. (Or was to me.) And when it was most intense, nature was wonderfully compensating with animals in cities and much cleaner air. So we all did a year of that. Enjoyed what we could, changed our lives and tested our limits.

THEN we find out that a year was an arbitrary idea. Vaccines are coming so slowly, the government is upside down, new variants threaten, people keep suffering and dying, and there's no magic rescue ship. Only some leaky dinghies being rowed in our directions by very, very old sailors. And if we want in the dinghies, we have to understand we'll all be bailing indefinitely.

I've noticed everything IRL from personality changes to fights to crises to tears to illness to....on and on. It's as though the herd is under sustained stress and nearly fracturing at times. Some of the kind cows who never kick have turned mad. Some are lying down. Some won't eat. Some eat everything in sight. (That would be me.)

I'm shrinking my world even more and trying some really deliberate things to stay connected to others. I don't LIKE Zoom. For all I know doing too much one day contributed to a TIA. But if I do one SOMETHING a day (one Zoom or one good phone convo), and then most Sunday mornings attend an online UU service (this means just letting it play while I'm in PJs and reading something else during boring bits), I can hang on to an expectation that I WILL be in 3-D community again. I am entirely convinced that my sanity and future happiness depend on that, given how I'm made.

This is just a really strange and stressful chapter and I can't imagine it isn't destabilizing to everyone I know in one way or another. I'm trying to tell people I know how much I respect what they're doing, how they're managing. Even telling myself that a bit more often. Thank god for Zoom therapy, too.

Love y'all. The world is hard and weird. The world is wonderful. Nature gives us everything and nature is Honey Badger, who don't give a f**k. Oh, paradox.

hugs
Hops

[Twoapenny]

It's like that here as well, Hopsie.  Everyone's shattered and unsure.  Even our ultra zen, endlessly meditating, unflappable acupuncturist friend said he's struggling with it.  I think for the same reasons you mention - we've had a year of terribly bad management, blatant profiteering, endlessly changing information and there's still no end in sight.  The vaccination programme here is going pretty well but as everyone knows it isn't a miracle cure, being able to mingle freely sans masks and with close physical contact is still a long way off.  I don't think anyone imagined this time last year it would all still be causing so much damage (in fact this time last year I hadn't even heard of it).  Well done for trying to do a one contact a day approach.  It does help to have some sort of routine or aim, whatever it may be.  Numbers are coming down here, finally, but after six weeks of lockdown it concerns me that they're still as high as they are.  I think a lot more people are breaking lockdown this time because everyone's just so sick of it all.  We can only hang on tight and wait for it to end, I think xx

[Hopalong]

I hear that, ((((Tupp)))).

I think in a way people have been so fiercely (and necessarily, given human deviations) fixated on physical health/survival, that mental health/survival have gotten less and belated attention.

I'm interested in the mental health and community transformation aspects of this awful time....hope I'm around to find out if humanity managed to find enough cooperative kindness and community ingenuity to come through as your country did the Blitz. Or if nihilism won. For individuals, of course, it'll be individual....

I like controlled optimism so I'm going with the Blitz. (Strong arguments could be made for either but as with elections, one has to win eventually!)

hugs
Hops