The Coronavirus Panic Thread

[dalesys]

I am eagerly (not) awaiting the arrival of sub-zero temperatures. (-20 for you'all with rational thermometers). My alcohol gel won't freeze, but my hands might when i scrub them clean!

[Ironclad Alibi]

I am eagerly (not) awaiting the arrival of sub-zero temperatures. (-20 for you'all with rational thermometers). My alcohol gel won't freeze, but my hands might when i scrub them clean!

About 30 years ago my car thermometer registered 4°F (-15.5°C.). This is in the Washington, DC, area. Fortunately I have not experienced anything that low since then.

[MadMike]

About 30 years ago my car thermometer registered 4°F (-15.5°C.). This is in the Washington, DC, area. Fortunately I have not experienced anything that low since then.

We had a ridiculously cold winter at the beginning of 1994 here in PA. We had at least one day where the temperature never got above zero. I remember I was at work one day and someone had a radio playing, and I heard the DJ saying that we were "finally up to zero!" I remember hearing one of my coworkers complaining that she moved away from Michigan to get away from winters like this. The lowest it reached was -22F. Interestingly enough, that was also the same day the cold spell finally broke, and it got up to +20F, which almost seemed warm in comparison. But then when you think of it, the temperature jumped over 40 degrees in one day.

[Victory Sabre]

About 30 years ago my car thermometer registered 4°F (-15.5°C.). This is in the Washington, DC, area. Fortunately I have not experienced anything that low since then.

I remember one morning I was headed to work, in January, and the car thermometer said it was -25F.

That was not a fun morning.

[csquared]

Northern IL, Jan 2, 1988. -30F with a -80F wind chill. 24 hours earlier, I was in central FL and 80F.

Worse still, it was 2:00 AM. We had to make a pit stop. Nothing was open.

[Food Lady]

I didn't see my dad and stepmom for Thanksgiving because I don't want to put them at risk (Dad is 80 and has comorbidity risk). Also, it's my mom's first year here so of course our household wanted to do the holiday together this time. I think Stepmom assumed the latter was the reason; she texted me this morning asking if I wanted to go up to see them at their house. I wasn't sure how to respond to that. They know I can't even work in my office and that I mask. Finally I just decided to be blunt and respond with "When I see people outside my household, we mask. Are you two OK with that?" She responded that I can wear a mask if it makes me feel comfortable (not about how I feel; not about me). I responded that I'm not meeting with people indoors unless we all mask and she responded with "So does that mean we have to wear a mask in our own home for you to visit?" That's an inflammatory response but I just sent a text saying that I haven't met with anyone inside their home since March so I have no precedent for that, but I did meet with a group at a friend's house over summer, outdoors, distanced. Host got Covid and had to put off heart surgery. I related that those are my experiences and those are what I'm basing my decisions on. If an argument is instigated, I'm ignoring the text messages. How do y'all handle those conversations with family?

[Slave to the Phone]

I don't have those sort of discussions because I am a bitch. I don't want to die, so its my way or the highway.

My baby sister, the hoax believer wanted to drive to our home from Southern CA, stay in our guest room and have hubs help her buy a new car. I shut that down so fast, not happening, no whining or negotiations allowed. That was a month ago and the butt-hurt texts continue and are ignored.

[Food Lady]

I don't want them to die and they can't even see that. It went on but I didn't post. At this point I think I will avoid going there, Covid or not. When her bad decisions finally kill my dad I will have to go.

[EricKei]

A family-run, out-of-the-way Tex-Mex restaurant here that is generally beloved by locals got plenty of nasty posts online when they decided to remain in "curbside/pick-up only" mode after the mandates were (temporarily) lifted. The owners did so due to the fact that one of them had just had a baby, and they wanted to minimize health threats for the kid (it's small enough that the dad/part owner WOULD have been needed to help out). Some of the covidiots were actually demanding to know why they weren't being allowed inside, as if the place had shut down completely, making all of the usual (fratchworthy) accusations. Sad.

[Dreamstalker]

I met a friend downtown last week, and she was bemoaning the fact that a favorite bookstore/cafe had to close temporarily because an employee tested positive. Yes, they do make kickass Belgian waffles, but is a waffle fix really worth more to you than a person or multiple persons? A favorite hot chocolate spot is also temporarily closed out of caution and that too was a source of angst from her...weren't you just bitching about indoor dining being the reason we're rolling things back?

We've gone back to reduced capacity; I was on door duty counting customers (sitting at a table that was mostly out of the draft zone). When we hit capacity, rather than assign someone else to act as gatekeeper and let me continue counting, S wanted me to stand outside--in 20-degree weather without a coat--to manage the line and somehow still count customers leaving. Um, no. F put a stop to that quick. The only thing that would have been better is if he had told S to go outside; she was sporting a 'shawl' that was definitely more decorative than functional.

[Seanette]

I love my mother-in-law, but I'm really wondering about her right now. She's in her mid-80s, with at least one chronic health condition. She lives in a part of California that's under a stay-at-home order due to near-nonexistent remaining ICU capacity.

She went to Texas for Christmas to visit DH's brother, traveling by air. I've seen at least one news story about someone apparently dying of COVID *on a plane* because they lied about their health status to get on that flight.

Normally, she's reasonably intelligent and has a decent amount of sense, but this has me stressing.

[EricKei]

I met a friend downtown last week, and she was bemoaning the fact that a favorite bookstore/cafe had to close temporarily because an employee tested positive

The local "Mermaid Coffee" has had several sudden shutdowns for a day or two in the past few months for reasons that were never publicly announced (AFAIK)...Hmmm, I wonder why that could be ~_~ Naturally, patrons had the expected reactions cuz they couldn't get their fifty-dollar coffee and avocado toast or...uhm...whatever they serve there I think the last time I blundered in to one of their shops (for hot chocolate ^_^) was in the aughties, so I honestly don't know anymore.

[workerbee222]

Plenty of toilet paper in the big box store -

No cat litter. WTH?

[Kristev]

Being at home as much as they have, the humans have finally learned to take care of the cat's needs first if they want a happy domestic life. Any cat slave knows that, even those of us who are currently not under feline servitude.

[EricKei]

bee - Maybe people want to use it to clear out snow? I dunno if that would actually WORK, but, who knows? Product shortages have taken place on flimsier logic than that!