CoronaVirus news and updates (and how it's affecting you)
 

Sorry, but what is going on the world right now and everyone needing as much news and information as it occurs, we need this thread open regardless of personal biases and whatnot.

So far I've been sent to work at home, and I took it while it was still optional, I found out by Monday it's mandatory so my co-workers without internet are now scrambling to get in touch with their internet providers. My bro has had his hours cut but everyone is excepting to be shut down Monday and take a temporary lay off.

Toilet paper is damn near impossible to find. I did not 'panic buy' but wow, now when it comes time you know, re-stock as one normally would do, I can't find anything anywhere. I might have to get some from Amazon unless anyone else has any other ideas.

So far no one I know is sick, or hasn't shown symptoms, but we're bracing ourselves. Sadly, I do know a lot of people with immune system problems that simply cannot afford to get this disease.

My job has been deemed essential so I still commute to work. It's scary because I have to rely on trains and buses, and though the agencies have sent out lots of messages about how they have amped up their cleaning protocols and such, there are still TONS of homeless people all over transit, who sneak in for free. The transit agencies have had decades to crack down on fare evasion and do not take it seriously.

I'm not trying to wage a war on the homeless, but they are one of the most at-risk populations for carrying covid-19 due to the nature of their lifestyle. They also do not obey the social distancing rules that are in place. I'm doing my best to protect myself, but chances are high that I will contract it. I just hope I'm young and healthy enough that it won't be much of an issue. Unfortunately, I live with someone who is more at-risk than I am and I do not want to infect them.

I've been hoping that the President or Governor issues a full quarantine so I can just stay home from work to avoid more exposure.

So aside from all the work and commute BS, I'm having a really hard time ordering groceries. I usually use Amazon Fresh but it's 100% booked up, I check it regularly for openings and there have been zero, even 5+ days ahead of time. No openings at all. I live in the city and don't drive, so I can only bring what food I can carry in a bag home with me occasionally until this gets sorted out.

I actually had like 96 rolls of TP delivered right before the shortages began (subscribe & save order placed way in advance as I was running low) so no issues there. lol.

+793 dead in the last 24 hours here in Italy.

You're in Italy?

Yeah my state has had many cases and while we still don't have any in our particular town... it's only a matter of time I suppose.

Don’t suppose any dromer in the U.S. has some spare hand sanitizer?

I’m starting to get somewhat low and paranoid cuz I can’t find any online or stores. I’d the designated quarantine runner since my wife stays home with the 3 kids.

I’d pay of course. But ebay is pretty obnoxious right now.

Weird times we live in.

PM if possible. Stay safe guys.

I have also been deemed essential so I also continue to work here in MA. It has been declared that restaurants, bars, and events of all kinds 25+ people be cancelled/closed. It's SUPPOSED to be a leave your house for an emergency only type of situation yet I still have elderly and families with children at my job to buy soil, mulch, paint, tile, curtains, etc (Lowe's)
Many places have been given either additional compensation or paid time off and we've gotten neither. The media keeps saying were; granting 14 paid days but it's ONLY if you are approved and it's been basically ONLY if you are directly infected... which honestly won't be long. We're recording record profits and our CEO is buying up our own stocks so fast it should be illegal.
Our cases in MA have doubled in the past 24 hours and we've just had out 1st death yesterday I believe... it's going to be VERY bad in another week or two time I guarantee. Hundreds of people through this store alone today and they keep TOUCHING EVERYTHING! We long sold our sanitizing products for profit and I hope they know we aren't doing a damn thing to clean the store. I am working in a veritable petri dish and it's making me feel sick that I am stuck here.
And don't get me the "be happy you have a job right now" crap... I've heard quite enough of it from all my friends who are working from home or on paid leave.
More needs to be done or we are on the exact same road as Italy. Once the hospitals fill up and people start dying maybe America will take this **** more seriously.

Also if we had hand sanitizer I'd ship you whatever you wanted but we've been sold out for over a week. No toilet paper, blech, Lysol, freezers, or refrigerators either... but we're more them making it up with "home projects since people are home and bored" Sure am happy I have to risk my health and family's safety so Karen can paint her living room.

I work produce at Walmart. its been crazy this last week man. i'm having flash backs of black Fridays of yesterday as I see the hoards of locusts come in and raid everything insight. and now we're at the point of everyone stay home for curfew. I literally need a pass to show police if they pull me over on my way to work. i'm terrified that the pot is finally going to boil over and someone snaps from not getting what they want.

Yea that's what I'm waiting for as well... the dreaded "pass" to show police because Lowe's has already said they are NOT closing no matter what. *sigh* I signed up for being available for blizzards, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes... not this virus crap! We're a hardware store not a health and wellness center. If someone has an emergency that requires plumbing, electrical, whatever the case we should have only a few folks here for online order and curbside pick up like the other "essential" retailers are doing. Instead it's a Black Friday free for all of people who are bored and "need projects" I shouldn't have to get sick because someone felt the need to redecorate.

Sorry I don't, I have one half-full bottle that I'm trying to stretch out right now.

Any particular reason you need hand sanitizer specifically? Soap and warm water are more effective, hand sanitizer is more of a backup for when you can't wash your hands.

Proper hand washing with soap is best, but if your heart is truly set on hand sanitizer why not make your own? Just need some rubbing alcohol and aloe gel. Hell just make some for ***** and giggs if you're bored at home.

Our governor is supposedly considering a stay at home order, though I'm really not sure if we'd still be expected to work or not. The work I do has no business being considered essential, though as a vendor/rep I think we're still expected to work if our stores we service remain open. And out of my weekly stops, three of them are Walmart, BJ's (like Costco), and a Walgreens, and I can't really see any of those closing. :tconfuse:

I'm not sure what worries me more... the Walmart, just being the kind of place it is and attracting the amount of people that it does and some of the less savory sorts among them who lack much manners or hygiene consideration (edit: and same for my Dollar Tree)... or the Walgreens being a place people may show up at if they're feeling sick.

I'm hoping that people will start staying away/home more so that those of us who have to be out there will have fewer people around us.

My company is being lenient and saying that it's OK to call out if we feel we need to for our own well being, but that just means my poor supervisor will have more on her shoulders, have to be exposed to more of it herself, and she's 59 with a special needs adult daughter at home, so they really don't need any more exposure than what she/they already risk. Would also mean I don't get paid.


As it is they had to close the beaches because the unseasonably warm temps Friday made all the idiots flock to the beach.

My county in California has been "stay at home" since Wednesday. I think all of California was declared on Thursday or Friday. Since then I have made two trips to the post office (mailbox drop-off only), and have gone on a couple walks to a nearby CVS. Might brave Target tomorrow.

I work for the military, which is very essential. They've always been very adamantly against work from home, but now it's required of virtually everyone. It's definitely an adjustment, but I think it's going ok.

Best to everyone on the front lines in either retail/food or medical.

* Have enough stuff to last for months. It may not be the best stuff to eat, but it's edible.

* Will be getting laid off, 90% sure next week.

* Sort of ho-hum. In a way, looking forward for the time to do a lot of video stuff.

* Very ready for any sort of looting or miscreant situation.

Kids are starting to drive us up the wall. Sibling rivalry on the rise.

Running out of vodka. :trazz:

I made a line with blue painters tape in a giant rectangle around my desk for the 6 foot distance rule... people walk right over it and sit down at my desk like it's just a normal day... *sigh* I'm counting the days until I get sick.
WHY DO THEY KEEP TOUCHING EVERYTHING! Has rung through my head about 200 times already today

651 today. Hoping numbers keep to go down.

My state has double in the last 36 hours, currently in the 220s. My city has its first case as of overnight so its where I am too now. Waiting to see about the governor extending the two week mandate to a longer period. My district created work for a ten day break down of remediation anticipating atleast March 30th-April 3rd. State test are not going to be an issue so that is a relief. I just hope that the youth take this serious.

For anyone interested in their particular state or country this is a good source.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

Our schools closed indefinitely, with speculation that in a bad scenario it could be up to six months, that would mean they would start up again in the next school year. Children of keyworkers or those known to social services as at risk can still attend though.

Closing the schools is a big mistake because the teenagers are not staying home, they are all out hanging with there friends and parents taking there kids out, like it's a normal school holiday.

They should of closed the schools when we are on total lockdown.

Where I live, there were loads of people on Dunstable Downs today, bunch of idiots and I bet these are the same people who are panic buying.

https://www.facebook.com/vicky.lye.5...19548708362531

Just found out all Mcdonalds stores in UK and Ireland are closing, So I won't be working for awhile.

Thought the McD were switching, like many, to drive through only? Or does your store not have drive through?

Parents in self isolation, missus and I both working from home since Wednesday (she filed a sexual harassment case 3 minutes after we started :lol:), but our daughter will be home almost every day from Tuesday due to the school and nursery closure - we have a nursery place assigned (missus works for NHS) but feel it’s not appropriate as she is not frontline. May still use it once per week just to let us recharge batteries... a permanently home 15 month old wanting to grab, climb and vocalise everything is tiring heh.

Other than that, it could be far worse.

So let the confusion being... "stay at home" order starts Tuesday morning, and have no idea if or how this applies to me. :tconfuse: Suppose I aught to message my supervisor.


edit: Supervisor asking if I could cover a couple other Walgreens for someone who had decided to stop working for now. So... uh... yay, more hours? But boo more exposure? :ohwell: Kind of annoys me because if someone calls out then someone else has to pick up the slack and my supervisor is already trying to cover enough. I get that this woman who does those stores is a bit older and maybe worried, but it's not like the rest of us can't get sick from it too or take it home to family members, such as my own mother who is around her age and has an underlying condition... Hoo boy.

If anything it looks like the company is at least being a little generous and is planning to give us two weeks extra pay, no matter if we keep working or not.

Yeah my store does have a Drive Thru. It was take away only, customers could use the Drive Thru or come into the store to order but they couldn't sit down.

Even with those new rules, we were still busy. The Corona Virus wasn't keeping people away.

I’m ticked because we now have a stay at home order with only essential businesses allowed to remain going. It sucks because my business is conducted entirely outdoors and I had already arranged for zero face to face interaction with the customers. It is just myself and one employee and we could’ve easily kept interaction with others to almost nothing. But nope no work for me and it’s not like my bills stopped coming in.

So why does Italy now have the highest death toll of the virus? It just recently passed China and it's crazy how many people are dying there. But why Italy of all places? Out of all the European countries people are dropping like flies there...it's very strange.

if I recall, theres a great deal of elderly in Italy and since its more deadly to them i'd say that's why.

I also heard that life is almost back to normal in China but now a new strain of bird flu has been discovered there???

I'm hearing now that businesses in NY state are expected to remain closed, and at least some form of "social lockdown" in place, until the end of 2020. So that pretty much means that it will be similar for most of the rest of the U.S., or at least places like NJ which are densely-populated. Which implies that rather than improving, the situation is instead far worse than anyone was led to believe.

This has been hell on my Bipolar Disorder. Every day, I have a ton of things I plan to do, and in the end I can hardly get out of bed. But the news just gets worse every day, so feeling in any way hopeful or optimistic just feels like a fool's errand.

For one thing, there's the economic factors and the simple fact that a nationwide shutdown of 90% of businesses for the next 9 months simply is not sustainable, and no "bailout" program is going to be able to keep people alive for that long. And regardless of when it eases up, MOST of the affected people will simply not be able to work again, not for years, if ever. "Just go work at Walmart" will NOT be a practical solution for the vast majority of these people, and even then, we're talking 100 or more applicants for every available position. It's not going to work.

All I can see in my head is that people start to snap within the next 2 or 3 months. Desperation is inevitable, whether it's from fear or simply frustration. People can't live like this, and once people realize that infection or not, the economic collapse is literally going to be a death sentence for huge swaths of the population, well... riots, anarchy, mass suicides, etc. etc.

Not trying to be a Doomsayer, it's just... what else CAN happen but all of that? My wife's mother is already pushing me to go out and "just get a new job" when we're barely five minutes into this fiasco, because they're already feeling the pinch. I'm in no position to play super-hero right now, be it physically OR mentally.

This sucks. This really is starting to feel like the end of the world. Or at least the end of most of it. No way we ever go back to the way things were a month ago. It's impossible.

Sigh. My wife wants me to relax but I just can't. She's on disability and rarely goes out anyway, and she gets her "free" check every month, AND she rarely gets sick, so to her this is just a big joke. Whatever happens, happens, as far as she's concerned.

I wouldn't believe a single word of anything that comes out relating to China. Yes, it's natural to look there because that's where it started, but they're more concerned with looking good and maintaining their status as the leading global manufacturer than anything. Given the size and typical behavior of their government-run propaganda machine, I would take anything we hear from or about them with a giant shaker of salt.

Italy is who we have to watch now. Their situation is much more transparent and a lot closer to what we have to deal with over here.

Thats it! I am convinced China is just doing some population control. Let just get this over with and Nuke China off the map! That takes care both of the viruses and population issue! jk :lol:

Most restaurants, take-outs and privately owned businesses are definitely going to go out of business by the end of this year. Gamestop is done. Most comic book stores are screwed (besides online orders).

I feel bad most of all for the seniors in High School. Imagine the kids who were going to graduate in June 2020. They might not get a graduation ceremony this year, no senior prom, no nothing. Man, the kids graduating in 2020 really have it rough, I wonder if the Colleges will even be open to them in the Fall.

Not to mention all the people who died and continue to die. Funerals are banned, so instead of getting a dignified farewell they just dig a hole and throw you in, or go right to the cremation. I can't imagine how hard that is on the surviving friends and family. No closure, no dignity.

"Life" as we knew it is over. Might as well accept it. It'll get better than this one day, for sure, but who knows how long, and it's never, ever going to be like it was just three weeks ago. Pretty unbelievable. So many things we took for granted are simply never coming back. And it's STILL going to get a lot worse before it gets even one inch better, as hard as that is to believe.

I'm not afraid of getting sick or dying from the virus, but a big part of me wonders what the hell the point of anything is anymore.

You can be sure this will speed up Best Buy's departure, too. Along with most/all malls.

So a year from now, when the "smoke" clears, we'll still only be leaving the house to buy groceries, and absolutely everything else will be internet-only. :roll:

"Fun". I never wanted to live to see that kind of a world.

I think it'll burn out by mid-summer at the latest.

We'll see. But again, what'll be left to go back to?

My job is "done". Gyms and personal trainers/fitness instructors are not going to be considered essential in a world where people can barely afford to feed themselves. I'm not qualified to do anything else and my back is shot, so manual labor and stocking shelves isn't in my future. Unemployment checks don't last forever.

I'm f*cked and so are a ton of other people. And a few weeks ago, everything was "fine". I knew our lease was up soon, but if we shut down there was another gym five minutes away where I almost certainly would have been hired. Now that's no longer on the table. It's gonna be "Walmart or Nothing", for most of us, and I can't haul boxes around because of my back, so it's "Or Nothing".

Not a lot to look forward to, from where I sit.

Kinda wish someone would just drop a bomb and get it over with already.

Part of me wants to believe that too. It just has to. I mean it's 2020, modern science has to be good for ****ing something.

I mean honestly, Leo cannot be the only one that foresees mass riots, they have to do whatever they possibly can before that happens cause they better believe we'll be going after the fat cats first.

If anything good comes of this, as things get hairier and hairier I hope it is a renewed realization of the importance of the 2nd amendment. If there are riots and looting going on everywhere, do you really want to bet your family's life on police respond times?

:lol: As I already mentioned the other day, we called 911 when I had a knife pulled on me by my father-in-law and the cops who showed up couldn't possibly have cared less. Not that they ever did before, any of the countless other times we've had to call them, but right now? Oh yeah, right now "the authorities" only exist on paper. They're not going to respond to anything short of a riot.

It's going to hit the big cities the hardest, because there's already tons of violence and crime there on a good day, but we're far from a good day. There's going to be actual martial law enacted soon enough in places like NYC, with actual soldiers and riot police forcing everyone to stay indoors, at gunpoint no less. They've already deployed the National Guard to help set up temporary hospital tents and such, but that's just Step One. The fact that they're being deployed at all gives you some idea of where all this is heading. And it's nothing good.

We're on our own. Once people come to realize it in large numbers, it's going to be anarchy. I'm not rooting for it, but it's inevitable. Once enough people realize, "Wait, I can do whatever I want, and they're not going to punish me for it because it's too much hassle," well... As I've said many times, most people only behave themselves because they're afraid of punishment. Now that the threat of punishment has been removed, well... Anything Goes.

Good luck.

I think my biggest concern is what this means for the future. For future viruses that emerge. Will this be the go to response now? Shut down everything and stay home? Ehh... doesn't seem like a sustainable thing.

Something like Ebola? F*** yeah, I'm staying home, you don't need any National Guard telling me to. I don't want my organs liquifying. But just another random flu? Ehh...

Could be. How this plays out will inevitably set precedents for all areas of life going forward.

If anything, though, this proves how tenuous all things already were to begin with. As bad as this is going to get, if it ever happens again, well, it just may more than society can take. This has the whole world on figurative life support, but a similar or worse disaster might just be the "knockout punch". If this fiasco proves nothing else, it's that life as we know it is never more than a balancing act on the tip of a pin. Nothing is "safe" or sustainable, and we really are just One Bad Day away from complete and total disaster. Some people will take comfort in that and choose to "live in the moment", while others may simply choose to end it all rather than face the fact that nothing in life is certain. Knowing for a FACT that it's all meaningless, random chance might be too much for a lot of people to bear.
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It's funny what you think of in times like this. For example, in reading about the scramble of various governments to deal with this fiasco, and how woefully unprepared everyone really is/was, I couldn't help but think back to a few years ago when "Godzilla" came out. And I remember reading some news article, where they asked some high-ranking military official, like, "What if this kind of thing happened for real? Like what if Godzilla was real, and he attacked us, would it be the end of the world or would there be a plan in place?" And the military guy played along, naturally, and he was like "It definitely would not be the end of the world, we have contingency plans in place, strategies in place, and if it were ever to happen we'd have it taken care of in a very short period of time and then everything would be fine," basically implying they'd just drop a few bombs and we'd all go on with our lives.

This sh*t has me thinking back to reading that and I can't help but laugh. Like, "Y'all can't even figure out a plan to keep things running when a bunch of people start coughing on each other. A relatively-mild viral infection has all of society on its knees, y'all know goddamn well that if Godzilla showed up we'd all be dead in two days. Quit frontin'." :lol:

Like I said, it's funny what goes through your mind at times like these.

Frankly, Godzilla would be a much better way to go out and I'd take That Sh*t over This Sh*t any day, gladly.

Yo, let's be real. I don't have anything against this thread, but people should absolutley not be coming to a website like this for their ****ing global news.