General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsLet's slow down and step back to consider what is about to happen. Though there is a wide
variety of methods and time tables, most states are currently beginning their version of "opening". Some are only allowing certain categories of businesses to open during reduced hours and with a dramatic reduction in the number of people allowed to enter a business at one time. Others are essentially eliminating all restrictions on personal conduct. "Do whatever you want": you don't have to wear a mask; you don't have to stay home; you don't have to avoid crowds.
I don't need to tell you what is going to happen over the next several weeks. You know. Everyone with the sense God gave a rubber duck knows what is about to happen.
The Corona virus cases and deaths are going to spike. Thousands of Americans are going to die unnecessarily. But, now, the deaths aren't going to be confined to the big cities. Now, the dead will have lived in our rural counties; our towns with names never mentioned on the evening news. They will be our neighbors down the street, the cashier at our grocery store, a teacher at our child's school.
Idiots will be refusing to wear masks in public and screaming insults at those who do. Idiots will be standing shoulder in crowds to chant praises to Trump and threats to any who dare criticize him. Idiots will take to the airwaves, social media and the streets to shout bumper sticker slogans in an effort to make it seem as though every "true American" agrees with Trump that this pandemic is "no big deal" and that he is doing a "wonderful job" of handling it.
I know better. You know better. EVERYONE without a MAGA tattoo knows better. So,---
Ignore anything originating with the Trump cult. Listen to your own common sense. This ain't over by a long shot. It is not safe out there yet. Stay home if you can. Wear a mask and maintain social distancing when you must go out. WASH YOUR HANDS every time you thnk of it.
Let's maintain our self-quarantine the way addicts and alcoholics maintain their sobriety: one day at a time.
SoonerPride
(12,286 posts)I have come to the conclusion that we are too selfish and too stupid as a society to be all in this together.
We know what to do and it is up to us to save ourselves. The government isnt going to do it. Business isnt going to do it.
And now I dont think regardless of how bad it gets in any state or city that there is the political will to close down business again.
Were on our own.
May the odds be ever in your favor.
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)Laelth
(32,017 posts)People are still going to stay home, no matter what stay-at-home orders remain in place. Businesses are not going to reopen because they know that they wont have enough patrons to justify reopening. If businesses cant make money, they wont reopen.
The American people are taking care of the spread of the novel Coronavirus. Theyre staying home. Social distancing appears to be working.
Our economy, on the other hand, is toast.
-Laelth
Atticus
(15,124 posts)driven past, but parking lots are full and traffic is heavy. There is NO enforcement of any restrictions by local officials.Those who wear masks and expect others to are considered "weird libtard snowflakes".
misanthrope
(7,405 posts)I expect the rise in cases to begin in a few weeks' time. The big question is whether they will be tested or not, in order to quell the stats.
lindysalsagal
(20,444 posts)And the hospitals leave people out in the parkinglot to die because they're overrun and no one took steps to be prepared.
leighbythesea2
(1,200 posts)My other house is, cases are triple the average of the state of Michigan. Grand rapids is 9th fastest growing rate in the country.
My husband is in that house, has been working--- as solor energy production is infrastructure. Located in Grand Rapids.
Very reduced staff. Distancing by 20 plus feet.
Almost no one showed up today.
So i will grant some people will choose to stay home.
Company may have to hire 5 temps.
That was vetoed.
But people are out.
We knew someone who drove to lansing to protest.
Theres still plenty of idiots. West michigan is red also.
LisaL
(44,962 posts)Newest Reality
(12,712 posts)What if they gave an opening and nobody came?
We arleady have an idea of the "me" type of people that will rush out like lemmings and go over the cliff. They are toast and just future vectors and may contract the spike, so to speak, raising the death toll dramatically.
However, there are those of us that understand the real implications of this and the point and purpose of following the various guidelines. Will we be in a rush to get out to go to all the open venues? I think there will be enough skittishness about that a significant number of customers just won't show up for the opening. Crickets!
Then, there is the fact that there are millions of people who are on their last leg financially and are maybe facing both food insecurity and homelessness. That's another group that won't be out building up the economy for the vested interests because, no pay, no play. You can't go out and enjoy restaurants, movies, bowling, whatever if you are broke.
It seems that opening may not play out well for ANY reason, including the potential increase of infections and deaths from it.
FreeState
(10,553 posts)COVID Update May 2: Welcome to 30 days of bliss. The type of bliss that often comes from ignorance. 1/
Many of the politicians in the country believe it would not be possible to keep strict social distancing rules in May.
They feel pressure from a small minority to make adjustments get people haircuts, gather on beaches, go to church in person, visit malls. 2/
Elon Musk and others want a broader opening.
Some of those things done the right way may be safe. Some of them are not.
And many people will not just stop being careful just because they can. Many unsafe things are legal. In MN you can ride a motorcycle without a helmet but many people dont. 3/
Not that there wont be any economic opportunity to opening up, but for the economy to really move we would need people to buy cars, get on planes, and start spending money.
Thats just not going to happen but let me get back to that. 4/
The blissful part of the 30 days is people wont pay the price for Mays experiment until June.
But if people believe we are opening during a time when the curve is flat, they are wrong. 5/
But first the bliss. If you get infected today, with 5 infectious days without symptoms at minimum 28 infectious days without symptoms for those who never show them & without tests or contact tracing, you can infect many people before you know it, if you ever know it. 6/
If you get sick, and the people you infect get sick, if you get sicker, its another week or two before you are hospitalized, then more time before in the ICU and then weeks until people start to die. 7/
On Memorial Day, we could still be looking at what could appear to be positive data that doesnt account for this lag. We might even view Memorial Day as an opportunity to celebrate together at beaches & BBQs. I know I would like that. 8/
Newest Reality
(12,712 posts)gab13by13
(20,871 posts)bubbazero
(296 posts)Ran numbers this am while waiting for elderly mom--extra long wait on Sun--If numbers run ANYTHING like typical outbreak in livestock, with restriction of contact lifted too soon, and considering the long incubation time of virus--we might see numbers actually GO DOWN by Memorial Day--but 2nd wave will be in "gestation" by that time. When 2nd wave comes up--will come slow thru June, but by August--LOOKOUT. I am not an expert at anything--period--but have had enough in livestock business (degree--post grad training--etc) to do basic math. THE NEED FOR TESTING IS PARAMOUNT--Testing will help CATCH the 2nd wave before it gets so bad--NO ONE could possible call it a hoax. Rough numbers show range of 400,000 to 1,200,000 for the month of Aug. alone, is possible if virus behaves in current fashion. Even if off by factor of 10--that's still 40,000 in Aug alone with kids headed back to school. Fell free to consider this all BULLSHIT as I put almost no faith in projections--i's jus' a dum rednek after all--but clearly the need for TESTING--BOTH DIAGNOSTIC AND HERD EXPOSURE LEVELS IS CRITICAL
Blaukraut
(5,689 posts)I fully expect an angry mob coming to my house and dragging me out into the street at some point. And I'm only half kidding. It's not about their freedom to them. It's about imposing their will on everyone else.
gordianot
(15,226 posts)I expect to be left alone.
I_UndergroundPanther
(12,452 posts)yonder
(9,631 posts)That's exactly how they roll. Wherever they get their looney ideas, once accepted, they make sure everyone around them knows it is now their idea. Then they hector those they can to follow suit.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)I live in a red county, and thats not something that would even occur to me?
Do you mean people you know? Complete strangers? What? Why would they come to your house?
Why would they drag you out? Drag you where?
yaesu
(8,020 posts)Grammy23
(5,808 posts)Many people flocked down there. It takes roughly 25-30 minutes from my house to the place we like to go at the beach. We did not attempt to go nor did we even remotely entertain the thought. It takes enough planning just to get groceries purchased between the store pick up and quick runs to the store by my husband.
News reports said that while the beach appeared crowded, most people followed the rules of no groups bigger than 10 and maintained 6 distance. Video seemed to verify this. The person interviewed said people were mostly polite and trying to follow the rules. So maybe there is hope. Folks around here really enjoy the beach and fishing, etc. so to get that privilege back was much appreciated. Time will tell if they continue to behave as requested. Some people drove here from nearby states like Georgia so it was not all locals.
Hamlette
(15,394 posts)for now.
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)and insanely qualified, but at this point in history we need a razor sharp manager with a liberal heart of gold.
tirebiter
(2,520 posts)Hes good at pounding the table but hes been playing catch up. The Pacific coast states have the best records. In California, Newsom has the largest state with the least homogeneous Population. The beaches were mellow this weekend despite calls to protest lockdown.
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)to run for president. Then nothing.
IronLionZion
(45,262 posts)which is fine for California but might not go over well in the rest of America
cwydro
(51,308 posts)IronLionZion
(45,262 posts)We're not the GOP
tirebiter
(2,520 posts)Wasnt aware he was on anybodys short list. Then I wasnt aware of any sex scandal, either. I know that Kimberley Guilfoyle used to be his main squeeze, but nothing beyond that. It matters not here in the Bear Republic.
BigDemVoter
(4,149 posts)to "help out" or "volunteer." You cannot fucking fix stupid, and these states aer going to be screaming for help. If they can't even listen to any goddamned advice from people who have SEEN what this fucking virus does, I am done. . . .
Marrah_Goodman
(1,586 posts)She moves to Lynchburg, VA in ten days to be with her girlfriend. She is a CNA and will be working at a hospital there. I was just on their website and they actually allow 1-2 visitors per patient depending on the situation. Here in Southern New England no visitors are allowed. They are also about to start doing elective procedures again.
NBachers
(17,007 posts)JCMach1
(27,544 posts)Sugarcoated
(7,707 posts)I'd take the risk if I had to wear a rigged hazmat getup and I'd think most anti Trump voters would, but here in PA we can vote by mail if we want to. Still waiting for my primary ballots, though.
Joinfortmill
(14,247 posts)Boomer
(4,159 posts)I'm not going to eat in restaurants, sit in a movie theater, book a plane flight or a sea cruise. Thanks to my company's policy flexibility and the nature of my job, I can work from home for years to come (assuming they stay in business, which they most likely will).
The local economy isn't getting me back, no matter what Trump and the GOP do or say.
Initech
(99,915 posts)Oppaloopa
(862 posts)I heard we only had 15 cases which were going to plummet to zero in no time.
And the virus would disappear in April. Poof! Just like that.
Initech
(99,915 posts)CEOs, too. I will believe it when I see it.
caraher
(6,276 posts)Current Projection for US (Updated Daily - Last Updated: May 4):
Current Total: 67,679 deaths | Projected Total: 161,321 deaths by Aug 4, 2020 (Range: 95-282k)
Currently Infected: 0.6% | Total Infected: 2.9%
EndlessWire
(6,377 posts)SammyWinstonJack
(44,129 posts)standing face to face saying how the lord would protect them as they have faith and that's all anyone needs. Guess all those who have died or have had covid19 just needed to have faith.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,750 posts)that have just opened willy-nilly, and where few people are wearing masks.
Nurses and other health care workers are hugely burned out. A significant number of them have gotten sick. Fun Fact: if you're sleep deprived, your immune system doesn't work so well.
Where was I?
Oh, yes. A lot of idiots will refuse to recognize what's really going on, won't wear masks, won't social distance and will get sick. It's unfortunate that health care resources will be wasted on them.
Late summer, maybe even earlier, there will be an obvious need for an even greater and stricter shut down. As obvious as it will be, I won't begin to predict that it will happen as it will need to.
Oh, and we're not the only country that's going to have this happen.
The Wizard
(12,482 posts)their constitutional right to make others deathly ill or dead.