Covid-19 check in - How are you doing?

[SpaceBus]

Our county is going to soon be one of the worst in the state. According to data from a week ago our zip code has no reported cases, but just a few towns over there are double digit case numbers. None of our friends and family are distancing. Seems they have the opinion that a mask will protect them. I think not having any cases in Maine to really speak of has made everyone complacent, hence the rapid increase of cases in this state.

 

[thewoodlands]

Our town has been doing better than average, but our numbers are going up too. I've noticed on Friday that although people are still wearing masks, they are more concerned about getting their busyness done at the store than maintaining a safe distance. We are seeing high caseloads here at the county level and the hospital staff is wearing out. Fortunately, they're not at capacity yet, but there is considerable concern about a major spike concurring with the holidays that will push them over the limit.

Medic21 how are you faring?

So far our county only has 13 hospitalized, we've had six deaths since this started. What worries me the most is we have four colleges around our area, so far from any reporting I've seen is they've done a good job stopping a spread once they have a positive case, two of those colleges use a state park in our town for cross country ski practice, we'll see how it plays out.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Our county is going to soon be one of the worst in the state. According to data from a week ago our zip code has no reported cases, but just a few towns over there are double digit case numbers. None of our friends and family are distancing. Seems they have the opinion that a mask will protect them. I think not having any cases in Maine to really speak of has made everyone complacent, hence the rapid increase of cases in this state.

Opinions can kill you (as you know). Masks don't protect you, they protect others from you shedding the virus through saliva and mucous droplets. I'm extremely careful when I get around people who don't mask. keep my distance + 6 feet or go the other way. Depends on where in Maine, my very close friend who lives near Bangor told me they are having a decided uptick in confirmed cases. Keep in mid that Maine (with the exception of a few urban areas, is mostly rural) and watching the case incidents nationwide, the more dense the per square mile population is, the more cases (and deaths) there are and it stand to reason. More people in close proximity to each other cause higher transmission rates.

Read an interesting piece from the CDC a few days ago. The CDC claims that a home made mask with multiple layers of high thread count material is more effective than any commercially procured N95 mask. I can see that. The more layers of dense material, the better chance there is of stopping (arresting) air borne droplets of the virus. Kind of like comparing a high quality furnace filter to a cheap one. The cheap one works but still passes a good percentage of dust and pollen whereas an expensive one don't/

In our case, my wife and I both wear masks she made from multiple layers (3) of high density (thread count) material and so do our friends east of Bangor and so far it's worked fine. Besides, my wife's masks are actually pleasing to look at....lol They, like us, have become 'professional hermits' until at such time we can get vaccinated for the virus. While no vaccine is totally 100% effective, at this point anything is better than winging it.

 

[Medic21]

Our town has been doing better than average, but our numbers are going up too. I've noticed on Friday that although people are still wearing masks, they are more concerned about getting their busyness done at the store than maintaining a safe distance. We are seeing high caseloads here at the county level and the hospital staff is wearing out. Fortunately, they're not at capacity yet, but there is considerable concern about a major spike concurring with the holidays that will push them over the limit.

Medic21 how are you faring?

Living the dream lol. Indiana is out of control right now. We don’t have a bed shortage, we have a provider shortage due to asinine and not thought out quarantine policies for healthcare workers. You can work with Covid pts day in and day out and then be quarantined because your kid was exposed and quarantined. It makes no sense and most places are starting to adjust. One system in the state has 300 or so Covid pts but over 1000 staff quarantined right now between their 25 hospitals.

Gonna be a long winter.

 

[thewoodlands]

13 new cases today with the deaths staying the same (6) and the amount of people in the hospital down to 10.

 

[Sawset]

My job is relatively isolated.
Goto work, come home, 1 other in the office. Goto Menards to stay stocked in projects, get there when they open, avoid the riffraff. I'm 100% introvert, so it suites me.
Just cancelled air travel to SC, 1000 mi, 6 air ports round trip, Thanksgiving Christmas traffic. Everybody's upset, too bad. 4mo from now, either sht hits the fan or we're going. If the country has a meltdown between then and now, it'll be more than me who will take notice.
Doctors here are in short supply, appointments put off, locations reshuffled. Not sure about the asinine thinking - but factories, medical, all different businesses sending contact traced people home. We're short staffed. But if they we're running around, I get it, my wife gets it, and it gets to the care home where she is at - altavista, people, nice knowing yah. I'm not a doomsdayer, so we'll see. Maybe it's all for nothing. The whole world is sure worked up about it though.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Living the dream lol. Indiana is out of control right now. We don’t have a bed shortage, we have a provider shortage due to asinine and not thought out quarantine policies for healthcare workers. You can work with Covid pts day in and day out and then be quarantined because your kid was exposed and quarantined. It makes no sense and most places are starting to adjust. One system in the state has 300 or so Covid pts but over 1000 staff quarantined right now between their 25 hospitals.

Gonna be a long winter.

In many ways besides the WuFlu I suspect.

 

[Highbeam]

Wife’s an educator with kids coming back to school this week so we have to assume she’s compromised and so is our family. Weird feeling. Now we’re not worried about getting it but worried about giving it.

IMO, Testing is a scam unless to verify the reason that you’re sick. It’s useless to establish that you’re clean since you can immediately pick up the bug after the test.

 

[tlc1976]

Wife’s an educator with kids coming back to school this week so we have to assume she’s compromised and so is our family. Weird feeling. Now we’re not worried about getting it but worried about giving it.

IMO, Testing is a scam unless to verify the reason that you’re sick. It’s useless to establish that you’re clean since you can immediately pick up the bug after the test.

Or could have picked it up several days before the test and still be negative.

I haven’t done anything but go to work and to the store once on awhile when needed. But I’m the only one who wears a mask there at work. Most everybody there acts like it’s a joke. I’m not so worried about dying as I am about becoming one of those covid long haulers who have this brain fog and can’t work for months. I also have issues with blood clots so I don’t need another disorder that makes blood clots.

I’m thankful I took advantage of the window to get my long needed stomach/esophagus surgery done a couple months ago, before the hospitals started filling up again.

 

[Country Living in VA]

Seems like ancient history at this point, but I remember when my workplace implemented the mandatory mask usage. Most people were defiant and not wearing them properly or when entering the building. After audits using the camera's and threatening write ups, people finally accepted wearing them properly. This is In a manufacturing plant which runs 24/7. It has now evolved into a much more complex situation with questionnaire's being filled out as you enter the building. In order to discourage people from coming in with any type of symptoms, people are being paid (to stay at home) if they can't come in due to any type of symptoms. All office personnel have been working from home as well (this does create some division of course). The incentive to stay at home and be paid if you have any symptoms has been grossly abused to say the least. Need a few days off, let your supervisor know you have a headache and you are covered. Of course you have to have a dr. excuse to come back and perhaps a COVID test if the dr recommends it.

With all of the abuse of the paid pandemic, someone has to cover so many have been forced to work on their days off. The company has had record sales and everyone had been working mandatory overtime for about 3-4 months now anyway. Now with people having to cover other shifts when people are out for pandemic issues, people are really cranky and tired. People who were once friendly to each other are now ticked off at people who are laying out all of the time using pandemic pay.

We are all happy to have jobs and know that many people are not so fortunate and out of work. For all of us who have worked through all of this and not abused the system, we were treated to a $20 gift certificate this summer which on our next pay check, they took six dollars of that out for taxes.

 

[SpaceBus]

Seems like ancient history at this point, but I remember when my workplace implemented the mandatory mask usage. Most people were defiant and not wearing them properly or when entering the building. After audits using the camera's and threatening write ups, people finally accepted wearing them properly. This is In a manufacturing plant which runs 24/7. It has now evolved into a much more complex situation with questionnaire's being filled out as you enter the building. In order to discourage people from coming in with any type of symptoms, people are being paid (to stay at home) if they can't come in due to any type of symptoms. All office personnel have been working from home as well (this does create some division of course). The incentive to stay at home and be paid if you have any symptoms has been grossly abused to say the least. Need a few days off, let your supervisor know you have a headache and you are covered. Of course you have to have a dr. excuse to come back and perhaps a COVID test if the dr recommends it.

With all of the abuse of the paid pandemic, someone has to cover so many have been forced to work on their days off. The company has had record sales and everyone had been working mandatory overtime for about 3-4 months now anyway. Now with people having to cover other shifts when people are out for pandemic issues, people are really cranky and tired. People who were once friendly to each other are now ticked off at people who are laying out all of the time using pandemic pay.

We are all happy to have jobs and know that many people are not so fortunate and out of work. For all of us who have worked through all of this and not abused the system, we were treated to a $20 gift certificate this summer which on our next pay check, they took six dollars of that out for taxes.

Honestly it sounds like it is working out well for everyone. Maybe those jealous should just take a hint and take a few paid days off in addition to all that overtime they are making. I'm not able to really earn much of anything due to my compromised immune system. I only get a few hours of online work per week and my military pension doesn't pay much.

 

[Country Living in VA]

Honestly it sounds like it is working out well for everyone. Maybe those jealous should just take a hint and take a few paid days off in addition to all that overtime they are making. I'm not able to really earn much of anything due to my compromised immune system. I only get a few hours of online work per week and my military pension doesn't pay much.

It is certainly not a jealously thing, but a moral thing of doing the right thing. When we get to the point where taking a few paid days off when you are really not sick, I do have a problem with that, it is the same thing as stealing.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I get employment offers all the time and I pass on all of them. I prefer to stay home and I don't need to work anymore anyway, I put in my time at the 'salt mine'. I want to enjoy my past 65 years as much as I can. This Wuflu thing has severely crimped that but I have plenty of 'chores' to do around the farm anyway and I hope that by next spring I can resume the normal 'retired life'....

 

[SpaceBus]

It is certainly not a jealously thing, but a moral thing of doing the right thing. When we get to the point where taking a few paid days off when you are really not sick, I do have a problem with that, it is the same thing as stealing.

Stealing? If the workers are so exhausted, why wouldn't they be eligible for paid sick leave? Only fair since they are the ones keeping the record sales going. To say there are folks abusing the policy means you know they are actually taking the paid sick leave while not sick. Not everyone is as tough as everyone else and maybe they needed that time. I don't know if you heard, but we are in the midst of a global pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans and maimed even more. My wife isn't as mentally resilient as I am, so I know there are other people out there who are also suffering from invisible wounds and illness that come with the plague.

 

[Highbeam]

Abusing sick leave, even during regular times is a tense topic. Are you sick enough? Our state law prevents me (per our lawyers, don’t ask for the reference) from even asking my reports for fear of intimidation and privacy violation issues. I can’t even require a doctors note until they exceed three days sick in one week. We refer to it as “three for free”.

Sick leave is an earned benefit. I have like 18 weeks on the books and I’ll lose it when I retire.

 

[SpaceBus]

What happens if a new employee gets covid? Who is going to pay their bills? If a person is injured, through no fault of their own, off the job then there are few protections in place. All fine and good to say "bad luck" when it isn't someone important to you.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Regardless, theft of time is theft of time, no matter what the mitigating circumstances are.

 

[peakbagger]

BTW, one of the major sticking points of any additional stimulus that the GOP leaders has said is non negotiable is blanket liability waiver for any entity that may have caused someone to get covid. Contrary to the old days, virus's can be tracked pretty closely to determine where a particular strain came from . No doubt there are some law firms just waiting to serve papers. There is already one filed for the Millinocket Maine superspreader event by the family of a deceased elderly lady in a nursing home who was collateral damage.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Love the term 'Super Spreader'. Reminds me of when I put lime on my fields.

 

[Country Living in VA]

Abusing sick leave, even during regular times is a tense topic. Are you sick enough? Our state law prevents me (per our lawyers, don’t ask for the reference) from even asking my reports for fear of intimidation and privacy violation issues. I can’t even require a doctors note until they exceed three days sick in one week. We refer to it as “three for free”.

Sick leave is an earned benefit. I have like 18 weeks on the books and I’ll lose it when I retire.

I believe that is why many companies have PTO (paid time off) as opposed to terming it "sick leave" or "vacation time". There are hippa laws in place to protect workers privacy.

 

[Highbeam]

I believe that is why many companies have PTO (paid time off) as opposed to terming it "sick leave" or "vacation time". There are hippa laws in place to protect workers privacy.

Abuse is one of the reasons for PTO but another is pure greed. Companies offer less PTO than the combination of vacation and sick.

 

[Nealm66]

I caught a head cold week before last. Felt like crap so I stayed home for a week. Used up the last of my 3 days vacation and was figuring to loose a couple days pay till my sup said there was a 3 day pto thing. Glad it was there. I have to go into houses every day with sometimes elderly or infants. No way was I going in sick not knowing. Tested negative and back to work feeling the 3 day pto is a good thing when it’s being used honestly. Didn’t even know it was a thing till I had to use it.

 

[firefighterjake]

Not sure if it is some other virus or Covid 19, but I've been smacked down in the last week.

Started on the 13th when everything I ate or drank tasted like metal. Spent the entire weekend and the following two days in bed with a sore throat, cough, no appetite (which is a very, very strange thing for this portly fellow) and no energy. Well, I shouldn't say the entire weekend. I did drag myself to Walgreens for a C-19 test which came back negative. Felt a bit better on Wednesday, but stayed home. Went to work on Thursday and Friday, but on Friday evening I felt even worse than before so I went straight to bed and was there all day on Saturday. Felt a little better on Sunday, but after hauling two wheelbarrow loads of firewood to the porch I was completely tuckered out. Yesterday I broke down and went to the doctor's office. Their verdict is I could either have some other virus which is going around or I'm in the tail end of Covid 19 . . . they said if I wanted I could do the naso-pharyngeal swab test (i.e. where they poke your brain) just to rule things in or out, but the doc said by the time they get the results back I should be about finished with whatever I have anyways. She also explained that the quick swab test is pretty accurate, but like all tests is just a "snapshot in time" and may or may not show Covid. I'll probably never know what I have . . . but I will be happy when I get over it as I am still coughing and have a sore throat.

 

[Grizzerbear]

It's pretty active here where I'm at. My wife is a rn at a clinic in town and they have been swamped. In the last 3 weeks my wife was required to quarantine two different times because of being exposed....both times from providers she works under. Part of it I guess. She says that the hospitals in springfield, bolivar, and lebanon are at or near capacity and she said she has heard in springfield some cases non covid related were being treated in waiting rooms.

To top that off we found out yesterday that our 5 month old has the flu yesterday and has been teething for the last month lol. Sucks cause you cant give infants much in way of medicine. She seemed to be better this morning though.
Also found out last night that my wife's 15 year old cousin tested positive for covid yesterday. So far she hasn't had many symptoms other than the feeling of heavy sinus pressure and loss of taste. She said she noticed something was wrong when at lunch at school she couldn't taste her oreos lol.

All that being said we are being safe as we can. My wife is a clean freak and every night after work she comes home.....strips clothes straight into washer.....showers.....and then goes to town cleaning door knobs, doors, counters, you name it. Me....I'm a introvert as well so it suits me. I work with a crew of just 5 other guys and i dont dally around in town...i come straight home.

When it's all said and done I will be happy. I know its serious but damn I'm tired of hearing about it on the news. My wife's a nervous wreck dealing with the covid cases at work and trying to keep from bringing it back to the kids.

 

[SpaceBus]

Not sure if it is some other virus or Covid 19, but I've been smacked down in the last week.

Started on the 13th when everything I ate or drank tasted like metal. Spent the entire weekend and the following two days in bed with a sore throat, cough, no appetite (which is a very, very strange thing for this portly fellow) and no energy. Well, I shouldn't say the entire weekend. I did drag myself to Walgreens for a C-19 test which came back negative. Felt a bit better on Wednesday, but stayed home. Went to work on Thursday and Friday, but on Friday evening I felt even worse than before so I went straight to bed and was there all day on Saturday. Felt a little better on Sunday, but after hauling two wheelbarrow loads of firewood to the porch I was completely tuckered out. Yesterday I broke down and went to the doctor's office. Their verdict is I could either have some other virus which is going around or I'm in the tail end of Covid 19 . . . they said if I wanted I could do the naso-pharyngeal swab test (i.e. where they poke your brain) just to rule things in or out, but the doc said by the time they get the results back I should be about finished with whatever I have anyways. She also explained that the quick swab test is pretty accurate, but like all tests is just a "snapshot in time" and may or may not show Covid. I'll probably never know what I have . . . but I will be happy when I get over it as I am still coughing and have a sore throat.

My wife is an LPN and took the contact tracer course for healthcare workers and she advises you get tested again, just to be sure. It might be a snapshot in time, but it might also be super important if you don't get better. Covid is burning through Maine it seems right now. I hope everything is ok and you do get better.