My union brother is scared

[TEB]

I get it I told him over coffee this morning. We jockey in yard hooking doubles two trailers and cutting them breaking them down. He is 63 a fine brother he suffers from upper respiratory illness at times. He stopped around to score some firewood and we sat on picnic table talking. He told me he’s going out with note from his doc because of his chronic respiratory issues on esl extended sick leave signing up unemployment. Until this passes I told him yes I get it friend.

I told him every morning when I get home I strip off my boots leave them on back porch get undressed on back porch. And then wash my clothes immediately with Clorox and hit the shower . I said other night I went thru at least 5 pair gloves company supplies them. Doing breaks and lunch we don’t even punch in or out on electronic clock a manager does it for all of us. I told him you have to take care of you friend.

[oasis]

1. Stay strong. nt

[Dennis Donovan]

2. Poor dude...

I get it, too.

[appalachiablue]

3. Glad you're both friends, you're reassuring and supporting him.

When people are stressed or preoccupied they don't always remember well, esp. new info.

If it's helpful emphasize basic CV protection tips, even write them down for him. Take care.

PS In the 'Health' section there's info. about basics and cleaning, surfaces and more.

[cyclonefence]

4. This is why they call unions "brotherhoods"

You use the word "brother" in more than one meaning, friend. We are all brothers and sister when it comes down to it, and we have to care for our families. You're a good brother, TEB.

[Sherman A1]

5. While I am happily retired

My heart aches for my former grocery co-workers, who are currently dealing with business levels 2.25 times of normal and no end in site. Doing this each and every day while fully exposed to whomever and whatever they have walking down the aisle while they try to restock them. I believe that they are heroes, each and every one of them.

[montana_hazeleyes]

8. Great post. This needs to be said more.

[calimary]

13. I'm in the same position, retired but worried as I watch the newsfolk.

All those press gaggles and the pushing and shoving as we all crowded around a moving interview subject to get that shot or that soundbite as they came out of court or hiding or some such.

That White House Press Room is small and cramped and it can get mighty crowded in there. I’m sure they’re all trying hard to keep a safe distance and staying mindful of that.

I hope they’re keeping all those handheld mics disinfected...

[gab13by13]

6. This virus is horrible,

I live in a small town and drive to a very small city to get my glasses. I just heard that an eye doctor in the small city got Covid-19. Think of the ramifications of that, or if dentists get it.

Trump needs to get it in his head that the only way to help the economy is to focus 100% on the virus. Pumping 6 trillion dollars into the economy is not the answer. However, I do agree pumping money into small businesses and workers is necessary.

[FakeNoose]

7. This is not going to pass any time soon

We'll be living with Covid for the rest of our lives, unfortunately. Even if they discover a "miracle" cure or a magic bullet innoculation, the virus is here to stay. People who have already recovered can still infect other people, it seems. The virus continues to live on hard surfaces (metal, plastic) for over 17 days, as they have discovered on supposedly sanitized cruise ships. We're all going to be exposed, most of us will get some form of it. Not all of us will survive.

[Phoenix61]

10. The virus RNA was found in passenger

cabins before they were sanitized. It is unknown if the RNA alone could cause infection. People who have “recovered” can possibly still transmit the same way people who are pre-symptomatic and/or asymptomatic can transmit. Until wide spread testing is done we have no way of knowing how lethal this virus is. It does seem the virus is here to stay and at some point a viable treatment/vaccine will be found. We wiped out small pox. We’ll wipe this out too.

[kiri]

12. virus here to stay

Viruses don't actually "live". They are inanimate bits of RNA or DNA, cleverly concealed/disguised in a protein. They can be crystallized and put on a shelf for years, like any other chemical.

A living cell ingests, eliminates, 'respires' in a certain sense, reproduces on occasion. Viruses do none of these. They are essentially parasitic.

They come to "life" when they encounter a living cell and then penetrate the cell's outer lipo-phosphate membrane and force the poor cell to make replicas of the virus. These virus 'particles' (see viral loading) become so many that the poor cell ruptures, spilling out the viruses to invade other cells. And so on...

Your point that this virus is here to stay is 100% correct. See INFLUENZA, never defeated, and rhinoviruses.

This category of viruses is very nimble in mutating so to escape the body's immune defenses. Every time you catch a cold it is a new virus--the previous ones were defeated by our antibodies. But these viruses can change clothes faster than our lymphocytes can adapt. Hence, we get a cold.

The mutation rate seems closely connected to the proximity of humans and certain animals, like pigs and ducks, and now bats.

Polio and smallpox are also caused by viruses; they were defeated (mostly pre-trump) because these strains of virus do not utilize animal modifications to reintroduce a mutated form.

Your post is excellent for alerting to the fundamental reality that this virus, its versions, is here to plague humankind forever. See flu! Note that every year we need a new flu vaccine, because this one is slightly different from what the body's anti-bodies are already prepared for from the previous attack.

The vaccine against corona will be the same--every year a new one.

And there is no vaccine against the 'common cold'.

[kiri]

14. survives on surfaces

virus particle does not survive--it is not living.
A virus is a chemical. sodium chloride, potassium sulfate, Fe3O4 (rust) are chemicals and 'survive' for millions of years everywhere, including surfaces, like granite, stainless steel, etc., etc.

It is incorrect to imagine that a virus on a surface will 'die' with being left alone or 'treated' with some other chemical, usually containing chlorine. (I heartily recommend hydrogen peroxide as better.)

germ theory of disease
Please recall when Pasteur and Semmelweis and others discovered and proved that germs cause disease, the Germ Theory of Disease.

They were viciously attacked by pastors! who adamantly promoted themselves as spokesmen for some gogd who sent disease to punish us humans for some "sin" in some faraway land and time that had talking snakes.

The protein envelope/coating of a virus is extremely stable and resistant. All of our bodies require protein, and we have about 6 trillion cells. 6x10^12 cells doing good/vital things in toes to brain, from adrenals to peristalsis, etc. Blocking a virus protein and allowing our good proteins is a hard problem in differentiating.

When surfaces touched by humans are examined there are mixtures of human cells (skin), small mucus bits, and the virus, one or more.

A virus particle does not desiccate and die. [cf : the dormant mode of anthrax]
Virus particles contain no protoplasm that can be dried out.

So how does COVID-19 propagate on surfaces? How do virus particles deactivate?

Is anyone interested in this conversation?

[R B Garr]

15. Yes! I am appreciating your posts. Thank you.

[not_the_one]

16. I'm sure many of us are, but aren't equipped to grasp it all...

I had difficulties with your dumbed down explanation (but thanks for trying ).

If we all had a basic understanding of how these things work, it would be a lot more difficult for us to be misled by those PURPOSELY trying to push an anti-science agenda, on behalf of those already infected by the GOD'S COSMIC GAME SHOW virus.

Once THAT virus is eliminated we should be able marshall all our resources, both financial AND intellectual, against these mere, REAL viruses.

Unfortunately, ideas can be so much more pernicious. Ideas are "virtual". Scientific fact is "real". The old "mind over matter" conundrum. BUMMER.

[Initech]

9. We all had plans before the virus.

The sad reality is that it's changed things and probably for the worst. It will get better, sure, but it's going to be a long, uphill battle.

[marble falls]

11. You got those decatamination drills down pat, TEB!