How are you dealing with life now with the Covid-19 virus situation? (6 Viewers)

[Malcolm R]

if a got covid in November would the tests show that?

Not likely unless you got an antibody test, rather than a viral test. I don't know that long haulers actually test positive. I think the symptoms just linger after the virus is already gone.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Summers are brutal in Arkansas. In years past, I could go to the gym and get in a comfortable workout. Now, gyms are probably one of the worst places to go. So the only exercise I’m getting is a mile walk first thing in the morning. I look forward to a cooling off period beginning sometime in September.

I think working out in a gym would help me with my chronic fatigue syndrome.

I was just recovering from 7 operations in 2018 and 2019, and started going to the gym for exercise during the cold winter early in 2020. I had to stop going to the gym then for the obvious reason, and ended up buying a treadmill off Amazon for home use. They were severely backordered for all kinds of exercise equipment so I took a gamble on one of those "Amazon warehouse" open box specials. I got it quickly and it works just fine.

The backordering of exercise equipment is probably over by now.

 

[JohnRice]

I guess I'm in a bit of a middle ground, like probably a lot of others are. I've had no complaint doing what's for the benefit of everyone. I wore a mask for a year. Then added a surgical mask under the cloth one when Delta appeared last Spring. Kept a close watch and scheduled my first shot before I actually was eligible, for four days after I became eligible. Second one automatically scheduled three weeks later. Both at a grocery store pharmacy blocks from my house. It took some diligence to get it done that quickly, but ultimately it went incredibly smooth. I did have a couple slight pangs of doubt as the shots approached, and planned for the worst by taking the day and the following day off after my second shot. That turned out not to be necessary. Still, the profound rush of relief after receiving the second shot was surprising. I actually welled up at the release of stress that had been eating away for over a year. People talk about personal freedoms, but that was one of the most freeing moments of my life.

I live in a city where the vast majority of people have been responsible. Still, in our County, the ICUs reached 100% occupancy last Thursday, for the first time during the entire thing. The facilities exist to expand them, but there isn't the staffing to actually do it. Too many people have burned out and quit.

I've been fully expecting boosters would be a fact of life for some time now. So, once my time comes up in December, I'll do it. I don't have a problem with that. I don't automatically wear a mask when I go to the store, but I have one in my pocket and when I see any of concentration of people, I put it on. I put it on when I head to checkout. I'm OK with that.

I've finally accepted that I can only do what I can do. I don't remotely, ever, try to change someone's mind anymore. At this point, that seems impossible. I've just fallen back on a line that has always stuck in my mind, from the documentary "For All Mankind." It won't fail because of me.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Summers are brutal in Arkansas. In years past, I could go to the gym and get in a comfortable workout. Now, gyms are probably one of the worst places to go. So the only exercise I’m getting is a mile walk first thing in the morning. I look forward to a cooling off period beginning sometime in September.

I think working out in a gym would help me with my chronic fatigue syndrome.

It was November of 2019 that I came out of a case of the flu with my chronic fatigue syndrome. The earliest reported case of covid in AR was in May, 2020. I was tested sometime after May. For discussions sake, if a got covid in November would the tests show that? I ask because I find myself wondering if I’m a long-hauler. The argument against my getting covid back then is that my wife didn’t get it and I head have to be a very early case. I haven’t been outside of AR since waaay before COVID began.

About a week ago Stacy and I got our booster shots.

Hmmm... didn't know "chronic fatigue syndrome" is actually a thing... but I might have that now ever since I had 2 apparent bouts of food poisoning roughly a month ago. Seems like the food poisoning may have compounded my preexisting condition revolving around high BPL and cholesterol (and maybe tendency toward dehydration) and a possible propensity for fainting under certain conditions (that I've probably always had, but didn't realize until lately). I woulda thought I had a mini-stroke (given my history and how these 2 incidents and the aftermath felt) or delta variant infection or something if not for the clearer signs of food poisoning, but maybe I should go get tested for Covid-19 again to rule that out -- was getting PCR tested every couple months before, but haven't since getting vaxed...

For exercise, I mainly just do a lot of walking (upto ~6 miles each day) when the weather's nice enough out, and I supplement that w/ whatever jogging-in-place I need to get my steps count to my daily goal (tracked by Fitbit). Was never into the gym thing (even though I've always been fairly slim and felt fit enough, except for my gut as I aged, haha, and of course, the whole stroke thing and its aftermath ). Would probably mix in some actual jogging if/when my stamina returns, but my stamina just hasn't been quite the same ever since my stroke 3-plus years ago (and has worsen this past month)...

_Man_

 

[Bryan^H]

I truly think my friend is losing jobs opportunities because he refuses to take his mask off in interviews (no other person in any of them has had them on he told me, even though there are signs posted throughout each college, and schools that masks are required). He has his Master's degree, and all the interviews he has had went perfect (according to him, but I know him well, and believe him). I really feel bad for him because he needs a good teaching job, and between COVID, and him following his "stay masked" ideal, he is sort of digging his own grave in the interviews (he told me this himself). HE said the last interview he got dirty looks from two of the staff after about 5 minutes of the interview. Sucks.

 

[Mark Booth]

Dave, Sorry to read about the cancellation of your birthday party plans.

Mark

 

[Carlo_M]

Work is going to get interesting. We are planning a return to work Sept 13. I am doing all I can to get the place as safe as it can be. There's a customer service aspect so we're installing plexiglass at all the service points. Not like full walls, just a small barrier to prevent a cough/sneeze from traveling from a patron to an employee. But we will have full mask requirements per state/local laws regardless of vaccination status. I do know some employees are apprehensive about coming back and I don't blame them. But I'm trying to get the workplace set up to try and provide the maximum amount of protection and safety for both workers and customers. These next two weeks are going to be busy in terms of setup and logistics planning for me...

 

[DaveF]

Summers are brutal in Arkansas. In years past, I could go to the gym and get in a comfortable workout. Now, gyms are probably one of the worst places to go. So the only exercise I’m getting is a mile walk first thing in the morning. I look forward to a cooling off period beginning sometime in September.

I think working out in a gym would help me with my chronic fatigue syndrome.

It was November of 2019 that I came out of a case of the flu with my chronic fatigue syndrome. The earliest reported case of covid in AR was in May, 2020. I was tested sometime after May. For discussions sake, if a got covid in November would the tests show that? I ask because I find myself wondering if I’m a long-hauler. The argument against my getting covid back then is that my wife didn’t get it and I head have to be a very early case. I haven’t been outside of AR since waaay before COVID began.

About a week ago Stacy and I got our booster shots.

You didn’t have COVID-19 in November 2019 in Arkansas. It was only taking hold in the coastal metropolitan cities in early 2020.

I don’t think there’s any test to tell if you’ve previously been infected now that you’re vaccinated. And no way to determine when you infected, if you were infected.

COVID-19 and Your Health

Symptoms, testing, what to do if sick, daily activities, and more.

www.cdc.gov

 

[DaveF]

For folks looking for non-gym exercise options, here’s what I’ve done during the pandemic:

* Walking / jogging

* Fitness trail in a local park, with body-weight exercises. Something of this sort:

Gorge Loop Fitness Trail | Skamania Lodge

For both outdoor and the fitness enthusiasts, we are excited to announce the opening of our newly renovated Gorge Loop Fitness Trail.

www.skamania.com

* Adjustable dumbbells and a bench for home. My only regret is not buying these dumbbells six months earlier than I did.

Adjustable Dumbbells & Stand

Put in work with our adjusted weight dumbbell set with stand, great for all fitness levels. This weight set comes with a stand for organized storage of weights.

corehomefitness.com

See on Amazon

 

[Malcolm R]

You didn’t have COVID-19 in November 2019 in Arkansas. It was only taking hold in the coastal metropolitan cities in early 2020.

My father recently asked his doctor if his hospitalization for heart failure in Sept 2018 could have been caused by the COVID virus. The doctor was very patient in her reply, but I think my eyes rolled out of my head and across the floor.

He's tried to blame it on almost everything except old age and years of poor self-care.

 

[DaveF]

My father recently asked his doctor if his hospitalization for heart failure in Sept 2018 could have been caused by the COVID virus. The doctor was very patient in her reply, but I think my eyes rolled out of my head and across the floor.

He's tried to blame it on almost everything except old age and years of poor self-care.

I’ve had these conversations at work. Late 2019, early 2020, there was a cold variant going around that left people with a lingering cough for weeks. I had it, and other coworkers had similar. And we were flying coast to coast a fair bit. So, did we all have COVID-19 in the Fall or early Winter of 2019? Did it actually take hold in the US six months earlier than initially thought?

I don’t think so. I think we all had cold variants. Because if we had COVID-19, it would have torn through the office and would have taken root in the community. We’d have seen exponential outbreak four to six months earlier than we did.

From personal experience, it seems super unlikely it was really sweeping through the nation in late 2019.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

One of the things I’ve been doing recently in adjusting to this new normal is figuring out how to be more comfortable in public indoor spaces as mask mandates fall while Delta continues spreading. My intent with this post isn’t to cause controversy or start a debate over whether one should wear a mask but simply to explain what I decided to do so that I’d feel comfortable at the grocery store or any other indoor space I might have to be in.

My understanding of the cloth mask situation was that they were recommended at the beginning of the pandemic because N95 and surgical masks were in short supply and the goal was to preserve the supply chain for medical professionals. My further understanding is that a cloth and/or surgical mask is most useful at preventing you from spreading your own germs, but not nearly as effective at protecting you from the germs of others. This shortcoming wasn’t really an issue when masking was at 100%, but seems potentially problematic when mask wearing isn’t universal. Again, from what I understand, a cloth mask or even a cloth mask over a surgical mask doesn’t provide much protection should I encounter an unmasked person with Delta in an indoor space like the supermarket.

So with that in mind, I sought to upgrade the kinds of masks I was using, but found Amazon’s availability to be confusing. It didn’t seem that more than a year later, ridiculously marked up N95s and counterfeit KN95s should be my only option. Lots of questionable third party sellers, almost nothing direct from Amazon.

I did a little research and found two legit suppliers right here in the U.S. with reasonable prices and quality products and I just wanted to pass that along should it be helpful to anyone here who might wish to be using N95 and/or KN95 masks.

I got these N95 masks from Demetech, a Florida-based medical supply company that went into N95 production after last year’s shortages. They were featured in a NY Times article about how quickly they were able to produce NIOSH approved masks but how the demand they anticipated hasn’t been there, leaving them with huge stockpiles that they are now selling directly to the public. These are the ones I got - good fit, tight seal:

N95 Respirator Mask Fold Style ,NIOSH APPROVED, (Bag of 5), Size: Regular

The DemeTECH N95 Respirator Fold Style is manufactured using the highest quality materials. The Mask comprises five layers, with 2 filtration layers that filter >95% of all airborne particles. NIOSH APPROVED TC-84A-9251 N95 Fold Style 1. Soft Inner Polypropylene Layer provides comfort for long...

shop.demetech.us

I also got some of these KN95 masks, which are authentic and met the standard for NIOSH emergency approval last year when N95s were in short supply. This company also wound up scaling up their importing only to find that the demand was less than the supply they had, so they now sell these direct to the public - these got Wirecutter’s recommendation:

Powecom KN95 Face Mask - FDA Authorized | 10 per pack | Buy Online

Buy the Powecom KN95 face mask online today from Bona Fide Masks™. The #1 premier Powecom distributor in the U.S. NPPTL tested shows greater than 95% filtration.

bonafidemasks.com

I’ve found both to be comfortable and with good fits. Each is more comfortable than double cloth masks in my experience and are supposed to provide much better protection than cloth. If you’ve been looking for N95s or KN95s, I think these are worth a look.

 

[JohnRice]

I’ve had these conversations at work. Late 2019, early 2020, there was a cold variant going around that left people with a lingering cough for weeks. I had it, and other coworkers had similar. And we were flying coast to coast a fair bit. So, did we all have COVID-19 in the Fall or early Winter of 2019? Did it actually take hold in the US six months earlier than initially thought?

I don’t think so. I think we all had cold variants. Because if we had COVID-19, it would have torn through the office and would have taken root in the community. We’d have seen exponential outbreak four to six months earlier than we did.

From personal experience, it seems super unlikely it was really sweeping through the nation in late 2019.

I got something respiratory in early 2020 that definitely was not COVID-19, but it positively kicked my ass. There was something really nasty going around and I'm sure plenty of people were convinced they had COVID.

 

[Mark Booth]

I purchased 10 of the 3M N95 straps behind the head masks as soon as they were easily available again. I followed that with a purchase of 50 of the Powercon KN95 ear loop masks. I wear the KN95 plus a cloth mask for grocery store visits. The N95 (plus a cloth mask) are if I need to be in closer proximity to someone, such as a doctor visit.

Mark

 

[Mike2001]

We are halfway through our second set of 100 KN95 masks purchased from that bonafidemasks.com website. Quite pleased with their quality and they also have child size for the kids (cloth masks).

 

[Robert Crawford]

I thought I'll post this link again about approved masks for those that need to order some more of them. I just ordered another 100 N-95 masks from one of the suppliers listed below for $300.00.

Approved Particulate Filtering Facepiece Respirators | NPPTL | NIOSH | CDC

A listing of NIOSH-Approved Particulate Filtering Facepiece Respirators that health care workers can use to help protect themselves from diseases potentially spread through the air such as SARS or Tuberculosis.

www.cdc.gov

 

[ChristopherG]

My daughter got engaged this spring and we had had been on the hook to host an engagement party as they aren't setting a date until she finishes her Master's program. We were a little concerned given the current state of affairs with the stupid virus but we ended up having about 40 folks over for a mostly outdoor party Aug 14. We had a blast, everyone had fun (mostly young folks but several old folks including my dad and his wife who came up from Florida) and no ill affects or stupid virus related bad things.

That said, I get that folks are still being very cautious. That's prudent. But we have 3 trips planned over the next 3 months (the eastern shore of Maryland, the Outer Banks and then Florida) and 2 concerts (Hall & Oates w/Squeeze and then The Mavericks). We'll be careful.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I’ve found both to be comfortable and with good fits. Each is more comfortable than double cloth masks in my experience and are supposed to provide much better protection than cloth. If you’ve been looking for N95s or KN95s, I think these are worth a look

Are these masks reusable? The first link is broken.

 

[Carlo_M]

Just to add to the whole "did I get infected with COVID before COVID?" discussion...at work last February/March, before COVID sent us home but as it was starting to worsen in the news, our office blamed (in a lighthearted way, we all get along very well) a young woman who had vacationed in Asia in late 2019, came back with something, was in the office one day before feeling too ill to come to work, and literally wiped out the entire eight person office suite. A couple of us even have private offices and don't spend a lot of time in the common space. And she wasn't hacking/coughing either, so whatever it was just came naturally out of her respiratory functions. It was the worst flu I'd ever had, and a couple of other people said the same. So back then we were like "You are COVID Patient Zero for L.A.!!!" (keep in mind we had all recovered by then so this was made in jest).

But when we examined the timeline, it just wasn't possible. She came back in like September 2019 so this would have been well before the first documented case in December 2019. Plus none of us had any of the telltale symptoms like loss of taste or smell, none of us required hospitalization, and none of us have any long-tail, lingering ailments like COVID patients do.

But I will say...none of us ever got COVID (and now we're all vaccinated). Correlation is causation right?

 

[Mark Booth]

After 19 months of eating at home, I'm really tried of preparing meals at home. The occasional fast food I bring home doesn't count. I'd really enjoy dining in a fine restaurant, being waited on and doing nothing except ordering, eating and paying.

Mark