Please share this around – we are none of us alone; we are all connected. You never know who’s lives you’ll change with your words.
This post comes courtesy of an OG friend who lives in Sweden; it’s a good taste about how life is around the world, plus she promised to eat any mayo I send her way (I LOATHE mayo)
As for now, me? I’m not coughing, and I’m not REALLY sick.
Just a slight fever (37.9 in real money (degrees Celsius), which is what, 150 in your weird measures? or is that for baking muffins?), and a higher resting heart rate than usual – and way high as soon as I do something. Like go upstairs.
Takes me 10 minutes to catch my breath after such strenuous exercise.
I’m not all alone though. My daughter moved home a couple of months ago – bipolar and a masters in biology with remote studies didn’t really work out, despite how much she loves biology.
She’s got a slight cough, now and then, but again, not very bad.
We sent my partner to his flat in the next town over on the 12th of March and it seems like he got out before we got infected, thank BoB.
He’s 25 years older than I am (and I’m 52 soon), so he’s more at risk.
I’ve been working from home since the 14th, had some minor niggles last week, but the fever hit on Saturday.
So now I’m going to work a little less, I suppose, and nap more.
I’m so glad I brought my work set up home – big screen, keyboard, “mouse” which is a big stick in a holder that you spin and slide along… I think it’s called a Bar Mouse, which frankly is awesome.
Cheers, Mouse!
So that’s comfortable.
Only nuisance is that being 160 cm tall (5’3”? maybe?) and having a desk that doesn’t lower, means that the chair is at it’s absolute top level (at least I have that, right?) and a foot stool that’s the hight of my sofa to keep my legs from dangling.
And nobody there to watch how funny that looks…
And work… we’re in the medical device industry, but since no planned surgery goes ahead ANYWHERE, sales have tanked.
And for emergency/trauma, people can survive without our products, even if they’d benefit… So.
Management are cutting their salaries by 20%, and ask staff to voluntarily cut ours by 10%, for 3 months. You don’t have to, and you won’t be punished if you don’t. I like that they lead by example, and that they do all they can to not have to let anyone go, even if it’s going to hurt a little.
Nothing compared with the company going under though, and having a job to get back to when things return to normal is quite motivating.
I agreed to it.
I hope it helps.
Spring is arriving, with a surprise overnight snow, the other morning. So there’s that. Isa power-cleaned the patio during the weekend, it’s a whole new colour!
But today, she’s tired.
We don’t have complete lock down, our leaders trust that most of us are sensible, and follow the recommendations (stay the fuck home!), and so far, it’s not too bad. Anyone who can work at home does. No more than 50 people allowed in one place, which seems to work.
I see people about, but then I don’t really go anywhere. The shop is pretty normal. We have toilet paper.
I mean, if people ignore it, they will of course put stronger measures in, but so far, not terrible.
Well, except Stockholm. Those people seem to think they are above the rules, which shows in the infection rates… (3.5 x the second worst region).
But maybe they learn. They are also learning that no, you are indeed NOT WELCOME at your summer house, because a) you come from an infected region and x) DON’T TRAVEL and 19) it’s a sparsley (sparesly? s’Parsley??? few people.) populated region where they go, and the hospital has NO capacity for extras, let alone the locals.
And as in the rest of the world, low stocks of face masks, disinfectant, protective clothing. Someone figured out that you can use overhead projector film to make visors, but then some bureaucrat said, hey that’s not been tested and approved, so you can’t use them.
I say screw that, it’s better than a naked face.
Hum. This turned out long. Sorry for the ramblings. If i were a blogger, I might have posted it. If you want to use it for the Band, feel free. Or not. You know.
anyway.
Love, hugs, and I’ll be happy to rescue you from any mayo that comes your way!
Please share this around – we are none of us alone; we are all connected. You never know who’s lives you’ll change with your words.
It’s 3AM right now.
Of course I can’t sleep, which isn’t really new for me, but it seems new right now. Now, the things that keep me up all night are the unknown, the terrifying, and the huge.
These are the scattered thoughts, flitting around my brain – I’ve got to get them out of I’ll explode. Well, maybe I won’t, but I know I need to talk with someone other than my wife. She’s so patient and loves me so much but she needs a break.
Maybe we all need a break, but here goes what I’m thinking about.
There are so many things.
Just. So. Much. Pandemic.
I have friends that I love dearly. DEARLY. They are in Manhattan right now (currently a hotbed for CoVID-19) & I’m so scared that I might lose them.
I have family that are immunocompromised and/or are in a higher risk age bracket. I’m terrified that I’ll lose them too.
I, myself, am immune compromised! OMG! CRAP!
People are talking about comparable periods in recent history so we have some sort of frame of reference for how to act. Some are talking about 9/11, others are talking about the Great Depression (which my parent’s lived through), but it’s really not like that. I briefly considered the Cuban Missile Crisis based on the major fear we’re all trying to live through.
But it dawns on me: the early 80’s and HIV/AIDS crisis – originally called GRID (gay-related immune deficiency) – we’ve been through this – the fear, the isolation of sick people in hospitals, not understanding what was going on, what to expect, who would be sick, and how they would become ill. The lack of available medical treatments. And the fear; all the fucking fear.
Maybe one way to get through all this is ask one of your gays who lived through this what it was like back then: we’ll tell you to stay fabulous, keep on loving, and protect you and your loved ones at all costs.
My son’s school wants us to do internet learning with him. Are they stinking crazy? I’m not going to do that with him! He’s scared too – if I’m up at 3AM with all these thoughts, I cannot imagine trying to teach my kid but I will help him to do is best and help him if he needs it. I cannot imagine doing any of this homeschooling stuff people are doing – my son’s got enough on his little plate. He’s 13 – I can’t even IMAGINE being his age and going through this. If you think for even one minute that these kids think this is some type of extended vacation, you’re wrong: these kids are as scared as we are.
Every night now, around 7PM, people around the world are going outside, clapping and shouting and making noise for all these healthcare – and other essential – workers right now. These brave people put each other in actual danger every single day that they go to work. They’re exhausted. They’re overworked. They don’t even have the proper equipment to do their jobs safely. I mean, people around the world are SEWING masks for them.
This is insane. Absolutely insane.
We don’t have enough toilet paper and we can’t find any. All of the stores are out they don’t know when they are getting more. I guess we are going to have to start sewing toilet paper too.
What are people without homes going to do?
How do they stay safe?
What about people in prisons?
\How do we keep them safe?
CoVID-19 sucks.
This is the most bizarre experience of my life. I alternate between denial and absolute terror 23 times a day.
I went grocery shopping earlier today & it’s clear that people are on their last nerve.
It took all of my mental energy to get through that.
I wore a mask and gloves when I went out, and as a woman passed me and saw my mask she said me, “You know, if you’re healthy, those masks aren’t going to do anything for you anyway.” I acted like I didn’t hear her. Maybe the mask isn’t going to help. But it isn’t hurting her.
People are scared. Let it go. Have some compassion for each other.
That’s what I say to her in my head.
Then, I realized she is under unimaginable stress too. I gave her compassion and I changed my mental response to her – I reminded myself that she’s scared too.
There’s world-wide uncertainty right now & we’re all grasping for a feeling of control. She is too; she’s scared like the rest of us.
Maybe the way she is navigating her fear is wanting to know more than other people; she needs that right now. And so I mentally forgave her because I totally understand where she is coming from.
There is a beautiful sense of solidarity happening too. I think that it’s appropriate for me to be positive and hopeful here now. People all over are jumping in and helping. Delivering food and meds to people who can’t get out. Delivering food to hospital workers who are not able to get breaks to go out and get food for themselves. People are giving out free lunches for families who depend on the schools for those meals.
It’s quite beautiful.
I am so fortunate too.
I have a roof over my head, and no threat of losing that (at least right now). I have an amazing wife that is on this journey with me, and who is solid when I need her to be.
I get to be solid when she needs me to be, and that helps me just as much. I have an amazing son who is challenging and fun and healthy. I have food in my belly and no threat of losing that.
I’m fortunate. I’m privileged. I am also grateful. I don’t take this for granted.
I do have hope. And I do believe that everyone around the world is doing their very best to take care of each other.
Please share this around – we are none of us alone; we are all connected. You never know who’s lives you’ll change with your words.
Last week (or was it 2 weeks ago – I’m not being coy – I honestly don’t remember) my dad called me, which is about as rare as me saying “I heart mayo” because I loathe mayo with the energy of a thousand suns. It’s not that we’re “not okay” or something, we just don’t have much to say to each other – he’s in California, I’m not. But, being alive in the Great Pandemic means you’re generally reaching out to people who you don’t normally talk to.
I’d expected him to say that either he or my mom had gotten The ‘VID because they’re old and they have multiple comorbidities.
I didn’t expect the words that spilled out of his mouth next: “we think Ben either has The Flu or CoVID-19.” I got the details, sparse as they were from them and tried, again, to reach my kid, but because he is a teenager, his phone is often off, which actually makes zero sense now that I’m typing it out, but that’s just the way it is.
ANYWAY.
That made his phone being off all the more concerning. But, I’m a good (wo)man in a storm and I’m all about fact-gathering rather than fear mongering or falling prostrate at someone’s… feet? Prostate? I’m not sure where I was going with that.
He’s in the same state, but not the same county, so I called that county’s health department and after I got through about 46 minute message telling me all the shit I already knew about The ‘VID (and pathogens in general), I was asked to leave a message. My guess is that that recorded seminar makes most people hang up, but I was in the car and had literally nothing else whatsoever to do.
I left my message and expected a return call about… let’s say NEVER? I figured they’d be hammered by everyone in the county to dispel some of the more outlandish things that Trump has said, so imagine my surprise when I got a callback.
Without having spoken with The Kid, I couldn’t really speak to what the symptoms he was facing were. His fever. His cough. But I did explain that he was safe and self-quarantined, and being a hermit and a teenager, had no thermometer OR desire to leave his hidey-hole. She sounded relieved.
When she was asked when he should get tested (this was when we all believed that we’d be able to get tested), she informed me – not unkindly – that “they’re not doing tests for “normal” people.”
Which is, I guess how another – WAY WAY WAY QUEEN OF BLOGS – blogger got herself tested twice (because two is better than one!!) and every asymptomatic celebrity who wants one can be tested in multiples. Me? I’m an OG blogger who’s been radio silent for years now – and my spawn aren’t special enough for a test.
But whatever. Only mildly bitter.
(lies)
The other nurse confirmed what I’d thought: stay in quarantine for 3 days after the fever broke (he doesn’t have a thermometer, I was thinking, but okay). Don’t go out until the cough is gone. All the other infection control protocols were in place, so yay. Oh, and the county hadn’t had a SINGLE confirmed case yet.
I wanted to yell “BECAUSE THERE ARE NO CELEBS AROUND THERE, ASSHOLE,” but it’s not her fault so I kept my grousing to myself. And, I guess, now to you.
Because I was unable to access The Kid for a couple of more days, my dad and I spoke daily – The Kid was on an upswing, then downswing, then up, then down. Finally, The Kid, Himself, called me. I told him what I’d learned from the health department (nothing I didn’t know EXCEPT that you have to have a platinum vagina to get tested). He said he’d called the hospital at one point a couple of days before, because he was coughing so hard he’d pass out.
Awesome.
The gist of it was “suck it up buttercup, you can’t come to the hospital with a cough,” which threw me through a loop.
AWEsome.
I’ve been texting with The Kid and he’s still got the cough and is doing a sleep-eat-play (video games before he passes out again) – cycle, which I’d been doing the week before. Whelp, without the video games.
He has his piano keyboard so he’s keeping busy, but he’s now, like the rest of us, falling pretty depressed. Like him (and I’d be guessing a good number of you as well), I’ve been struggling to even get off the couch. Today marks my first day back on the computer doing something other than watching the dwindling amount of traffic on the road and all of the incantations of My 90 Day Fiance – FOR THE SECOND TIME – which is just absurd enough to keep me from becoming a total slug.
(most days)
TL;DR
My kid sounds like he had CoVID-19 but was to normal, per the health department (who also stated that there were no confirmed cases in that county) he was too normal to be tested.
The hospital told him that if he had a cough – one of the dangerous-this-may-kill-you hallmarks of CoVID-19 – he couldn’t come into the hospital.
So my kid likely had CoVID-19, but it’s unlikely we’ll ever know,
He’s depressed now, I’m depressed, hell, everyone I know is depressed.
But, I dragged my ass to the computer to give you a taste of what it’s like in my world.
Now we need to hear yours: we are none of us alone; we are all connected.
We are in uncharted (for our times) territory. Never have we been asked to isolate like this. This means that there are a LOT of parents at home, all the time, with their children. It’s something they’ve likely never experienced. If you have never had the pleasure (sarcasm) of not being able to take a break from your children because there is nowhere to take them because nothing is open, you are very likely feeling the stress. And it is very, very likely you are scrambling for creative ways to get a damn break! So, I compiled a small list of things you can do. A bit of background on me, I have three kids, ages 14, 9, and 8. They’re pretty fun to be stuck with now. Now. But I experienced this whole isolation thing a bit when they were tiny toddlers and a second grader when a tropical storm rolled through and flooded everything. Nothing was open, there were no parks that were safe to go to, it sucked the life from my soul. As a result, I had to get creative. (Note, this is not the time to be super duper concerned about every second of their day. It’s just not.)
Put your headphones on and blast some music. They’re short, they’ll be okay for like 15 minutes.
Lay on the floor and let them race cars on your back. Are you away from them, no. Are you engaged with them, also no. Bonus: put out a bowl of goldfish and take a 15 minute nap. But not if your child is tiny.
Nap when they nap. Naps are the tits.
Read. Sit down with your book and when one of them tries to talk to you, tell them that you are having quiet reading time. Invite them to grab a book and do the same. No time like the present to start teaching boundaries. Parenting does not mean being at their beck and call.
Make a pillow fort. One for you. Not for them. Put a sign up. Bring your you snacks. Growl at anyone that tries to come in.
Join our group on Facebook or hit up the forums on here. We will listen, commiserate, and most importantly, not judge you for saying your toddler is a jackass. Because it’s true.
Take a long shower. Or bath. Whichever, but lock the door. Booze is optional.
Exercise. Find a fun new video on Youtube. Dance along with a music video. Move your booty.
Give up your rigid schedule, if that’s stressing you out. This is not the time for schedules, we are all just trying to survive.
Paint something, make something out of salt dough, be creative.
Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and write. Put pen to paper and write a page about things that are weighing on you. Write about how this has impacted your life. Write about how it has shifted your priorities. Or how it hasn’t. When you’re done, put it on the internet or don’t, but save it. Someday, you will look back and this will be a glimpse of history.
Use your kids like dolls. Dress them up, put them in scenes, take their pictures. (And then share them :))
Swear around the kids. Loudly. No one cares. Just don’t swear at them.
Get silly. Get sad. Get stressed. Get crabby. These are all normal reactions to what’s going on. Whatever you are feeling, feel it.
Self-care for parents of littles right now, we see you, we know it’s not easy, and your ‘me-time’ isn’t going to look the same for a while. Grab it where you can and lean on who you can while staying healthy. We love you.
Look, we’ve all been inundated with the news, no matter how hard we do try to stay away from the (rightful) fear-mongering and the moment by moment coverage of this year’s current enemy COVID-19.
The information I am gathering is primarily from the WHO and the CDC, at this particular moment, but should the information below become obsolete, you must let me know – becky@backtogether.com
One of the reasons I write these resource pages so religiously and with as much information as I can find is because I truly believe that knowledge is power, and the more you know about your disease/mental illness/physical illness/feelings/loss, the better you can feel in control. Is this page going to be a binkie? Will it make it all okay?
I wish.
But it’s a start, it’s not going to be alarmist, and I’m imagining that you’ll not see the same version twice as this is a relatively new virus and information is consistently changing. I’m asking you to please email me (don’t bother DMing me – I suck at it – ask anyone) if you see something incorrect or something to be changed: becky@bandbacktogether.com
Let’s start at the beginning:
What In The Hell *IS* The Corona Virus?
First and foremost, let me assure the thousands of people who actually dumped out perfectly good beer that this virus is not, in fact, related to Corona Beer.
And while Coronavirus (CoV) sounds kicky enough, it turns out that it’s not really it’s real name (LIAR). The virus we’re dealing with is from the FAMILY of coronaviruses, and all of these viruses are kinda assholes. This family of asshole viruses can cause anything from the normal boring cold to much more severe disease, such as the particularly kickily named SARS-CoV (Severe Acute Respiratory System)(REMEMBER ME!?! – sorry, the virus was talking.) the very highly specifically named MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).
May I just, *ahem* say that if there’s an opening for naming viruses, call me the fuck up, because these are LAME NAMES.
I want to squeeze you and love you and make you my own.
While SARS-CoV came from adorable adorable million-dollar cat pooping coffee bean machines, the MERS-CoV has been passed from dromedary camels – which are decidedly NOT cute – to humans.
I don’t this is really where its pee goes, but what do I know?
There are a couple of known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. Ugly animals, keep your stinking coronaviruses away from us!
Where Did Its Exceedingly Stupid Name Come About?
Okay, so the international committee who names viruses (of which I should be chairman of the board), has actually named the new coronavirus “SARS-CoV-2” due to its genetic ties to the SARS-CoV disease. This is where it gets kinda confusing because people are calling ALL of the the things either coronavirus or CoVID-19. I can make you a comparison that should make it slightly less confusing.
People who get infected with the virus Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) do not have AIDS, but HIV infection CAN lead an infected person to develop Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
People who are exposed to SARS-CoV-2 CAN develop full-blown CoVID-19; but they may not.
Many other types of pathogens do travel through an intermediary animal reservoir -> bats infect other animals -> humans make some type of contact with the animal infected by the bat and -> go on to infect other people.
At this time, we know little about how SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted, where along the food (or outside) chain the virus mutated to be transmissible to humans, or even how the virus is currently being transmitted from person to person.
In the wake of the news that this virus (probably – remember, we do NOT know the whole story) may have originated from the Wuhan, the capital of Hubei in China, there has been an uptick in violence against people who come from China. Because THAT’S gonna help anything.
Working at the Band for nearly 10 (10!) years, I’ve seen a lot of stigma I’d assumed would take eons to change, do so overnight. But when people are scared and feel helpless? Some of us turn our anger outward. It’s not fair and it’s not right so let’s just stop being angry at people on public trans.
If you’re mad at someone? Take a look around to see who’s actually “managing” (or not) the cases in the US and abroad and see what kind of job they’re doing. See who’s lying to you about basic information: Despite the head pats and there-there’s of the current president of my country, you know as well as I do that things are simply NOT OKAY right now. They will be. When? I’m not psychic.
/steps off soapbox
Okay, So Get Down And Dirty With Me: How Does These Asshole Coronaviruses Work?
I did mention above that knowledge is power and I know about 98% of you tuned me out just now, but this is important. Knowing our enemy is the only way we can learn to defeat it.
Time to get all eye of the motherfucking tiger on this shit.
Coronaviruses have 4 categories (told you scientists need a bit more pizzaz!):
Alpha & Beta coronaviruses generally infect and reside in mammals, while Gamma & Delta are pretty much into infecting birds.
First isolated in the 1960s in humans, coronaviruses were considered pretty mild – generally, were you to get infected, you’d end up with a cold. No biggie. That is, until the really nasty coronaviruses mutated to allow for infection from animals to humans. Whoopee!
Now viruses cannot live forever without a host, which is why they must mutate if they want to survive, and it’s important to remember that the length of time that a virus can stay virulent (sorta like a robot) can last from moments to days, to months. As we’re not really sure what’s going on with Covid-19, we are currently unsure about how long it can survive on… say a doorknob.
So what can I tell you about the coronavirus that’ll help you understand it more completely.?
Coronaviruses are single-stranded RNA viruses that are encapsulated in a studded (ha) protein membrane.
Think of these viral as the asshole biker gang that goes into the bar and beats up everyone for… breathing? So these studded asshole biker gang viruses get into your body, they bastards attach their proteins to our own host cells, who are doing nothing but listening to bad music at the bar, and out of nowhere – because they’re greedy fuckers – they dump their OWN viral RNA into your own cell’s nucleus, which turns it into a zombie, churning out more and more of these bastard biker dude viral cells. Shitty bar music stops, your own cells join the nasty virus biker gang and set out to kick some innocent ass.
This is how the infection begins.
So how bad can it get? What factors determine how many bastard biker viral cells are made into our body and how sick will they make us? This depends upon a few things.
Less serious types of coronaviruses – such as the ones who cause the boring common cold – often attach their viral biker genes in higher places in your respiratory tract; like your throat or your nose. But the fucking bad asshole biker viruses ride on down deep into your lungs and bronchial tubes, overwhelming your poor innocent cells and leading to increasingly serious infections.
Another factor that can lead to different symptoms and severity is the genes involved. Different proteins mean different genes and scientists believe that the virulent (bad-ass biker fuckheads) viruses might have better and more efficient ways of attaching themselves to our host cells. Some of these SARS-CoV-2 strains have developed mutated proteins that can attack your immune system – so when your immune system goes on the attack, you actually become sicker.
Here’s the down and dirty: we don’t yet know a lot about the mutated strains of SARS-CoV-2.
I will update this as I locate more credible information. As always, email me if/when you find more (credible) information: becky@bandbacktogether.com
What Are The Five Phases Of Infections?
Sounds boring, but I promise you, as we learn more about CoVAD-19, you’ll need to know this information, so bear with me:
The incubation period happens after a person is infected with a disease – and the pathogen (in this case, a virus) begins to multiply inside of us. During the incubation period, there aren’t enough viruses or infected cells to cause any symptoms in you, so you don’t know that you’re actually ill. These incubation periods can vary from hours, to days, to months, to years based on the pathogen. In this case, the incubation period of CoVAD-19 is unknown and whomever has the disease is completely unaware. Per the WHO, most estimates of the incubation period for COVID-19 range from 1-14 days, but most are commonly seen around five days. These estimates will, obviously, updated as we learn more.
During the next stage of infections, called the prodromal period, the pathogen, in our case CoVAD-19, keeps on doing it’s multiplying thing, your immune system kicks in, and you start to feel kinda sick. The symptoms you’re feeling though, they’re not major and you can easily write them off as a cold or allergies. Some people report a high fever, malaise (sleepiness), and a dry cough. Others have reported aches and pains, head congestion, sore throat, and a runny nose, but the onset is gradual.
The next stage of infectious diseases is followed by a period of illness, in which symptoms become increasingly severe. This is likely when someone who has CoVAD-19 would seek hospital treatment
Following the period of illness, is a period of decline. It is during this period that people who have infectious diseases, such as CoVAD may experience secondary infections due to their weakened immune system. Their weakened immune system may make it harder and harder to fight off the CoVAD-19 virus, and some people will die during this period.
The final period of an infectious illness is called the period of convalescence, in which the person will very, very slowly (generally) returns to normal, although some studies have indicated that certain types of CoVAD-19 may inflict permanent damage that the body cannot fully repair.
What Are The Symptoms Of The Coronavirus?
At the time of this writing, this is more nebulous territory, but I will go on with what I’ve learned from the WHO, because it’s what I have right now.
Since we are mostly unaware of the stages of infectious diseases as shown above as this is a relatively new virus, this is what I’ve pieced together from the WHO website.
The most common symptoms that appear in those infected may include:
A dry cough
A fever,
Tiredness
Other people have reported symptoms like:
Nasal congestion
Sore throat
Runny nose
Body aches and pains
Diarrhea
Generally, these symptoms come about gradually and get worse. Current estimates are that about 1 in 6 people who becomes infected by CoVID-19 becomes seriously ill enough to need medical help to remain breathing. According to most recent estimates, 80% of people who are infected recover from the CoVid
Some of those who are infected by CoVID-19 don’t always develop symptoms.
Okay, So How Do I Get Coronavirus? Like, How Does It Spread?
Sighs.
This is the part I wanted to avoid discussing, but here we are so here we go.
While initially thought to be transmitted through a fecal-oral mode of transmission (maybe THAT’s the reason for the TP shortage?), that’s simply too easy to combat and wouldn’t account for the ever-mounting death toll. It is now thought highly unlikely that anyone could catch CoVID-19 through the fecal-oral route.
No, the latest evidence that the WHO has is that the COVID-19 is transmitted through the air. Meaning that if you’re in contact with someone who has COVID-19, this virus can be spread one of two ways:
From the passage of droplets of mucous from the nose and/or mouth spread by the person who has COVAD-19 coughing or sneezing near you. You snort those droplets up and BOOM – infection. TLDR: Stay 3-6 feet AWAY from the a person who is sick.
Since the virus (as of yet) doesn’t have tiny drones flying these droplets into your nose and mouth, so the cough or sneeze from an infected person lands on surfaces around them. When someone goes to touch these droplets (we don’t yet know how long the virus is able to live on inanimate surfaces), then touches their mouth, eyes, or nose can pick up this nasty bug. TLDR: Wash your damn hands, DRY THEM PROPERLY TOO, and stop touching your face.
Okay, so how long can it live on surfaces? The WHO (like the rest of us) isn’t quite sure, but based upon what they know about similar coronaviruses, CoVID-19 may last from a few hours to several days – all depending upon environmental circumstances. Again, this is going to need to be updated. OH, and in the meanwhile, wipe-down anywhere you expect that someone might have coughed or sneezed with a disinfectant and wash your damn hands.
Can I Catch CoVID-19 From Someone Who Is Asymptomatic?
Good question and one the health experts (NO, NOT ME, ACTUAL SMART PEOPLE), aren’t quite sure of as of this writing.
As the virus is thought to have spread through respiratory (nose, mouth) droplets from someone who has symptoms to someone who does not, is thought of AS OF RIGHT THIS SECOND AS I AM TYPING THIS to be low.
If you have have to go to work, ignore the rest of what I’m saying.
Before you go all YOLO-ing around in big drunken groups, assuming that you’re invincible, like a bunch of fucking assholes, listen carefully:
In the early stages of the disease CoVAD-19, your symptoms may match that of a common cold or allergies. So you DO NOT KNOW if you have the disease, and if you do? You’re coughing and sneezing all over other people (even if you’re feeling YOLO) and you may infect them.
(again, if you’ve gotta work, you’ve gotta work.)
Yeah. Way to be a fucking asshole, asshole.
(if you can) STAY HOME.
You SAID This Was Probably Caused By An Animal That Transferred It To A Human. Is That A Lie?
Okay, this I did say, because this is typically how Coronaviruses work and it’s VERY likely that our very own CoVID-19 was transmitted by an animal to a human.
But does that mean FIDO or PUSS n BOOTS is okay?
Most likely.
There’s a suspected case in China where a dog got sick from CoVID-19 (MAYBE), but have yet to see this anywhere else.
Let’s Do Some Busting Of Myths:
Every time a new disease pops up, there are a zillion million myths that spring up to help symptoms and/or prevent us from getting the disease. Sometimes, desperate people even buy into them. From the WHO, here are some common CoVID-19 myths debunked:
Myth Says:
Science Says:
You can't catch CoVID-19 in really hot and humid places.
False: Science Says that CoVID-19 doesn't care about the climate.
You can't catch CoVID-19 in cold, freezing temps.
Science Says: yet again, CoVID-19 doesn't seem to give a crap about the temperature of its enviornment
Mosquitoes transmit CoVID-19
Science Says: Nope. This new virus is spread by respiratory droplets from human to human and does not (at the time of this publish) transmit through blood.
CoVID-19
Aunt Becky LOVES garlic, but science says that while garlic might have some anti-microbial properties, we have no evidence that it can prevent transmission of CoVID-19.
Taking a REALLY hot bath kills CoVID-19.
Science woefully admits that not only does taking a really hot bath not protect you whatsoever from the coronavirus, it also can burn you.
Those UV disinfectant lamps can be used to kill CoVID-19 on my skin.
Science says? Not only will it not kill the virus on your skin, it will also irritate your skin, leaving you open to other infections.
Surely, spraying my whole body with alcohol, chlorine, or bleach should kill CoVID-19... right?
Science Says: alcohol, chlorine, and/or bleach will not help you once the virus has entered your body. These supplies are used to disinfect surfaces, not people.
Okay: are there specific meds that I can take to prevent infection by CoVID-19?
Science Says: currently, no, but scientists are working around the clock trying to create a vaccine or other medicines that may help prevent infection of CoVID-19.
Should I stockpile old antibiotics?
Science Says: No. Antibiotics work for bacterial infections only; they do not work for viruses, such as CoVID-19.
I'm young, healthy, strong, and I've got no medical issues. YOLO, RIGHT?
Science Says: STOP RIGHT THERE. While it appears that older people and people who are already ill are more susceptible to CoVID-19, no one is immune to this virus. Stay home. Don't infect other people.
Okay, should I rinse out my nose with saline several times a day to prevent infection with CoVID-19?
Science Says: There's currently no evidence that this would help prevent infection by CoVID-19.
This year I got my flu shot AND my pneumonia vaccine. I'm in the clear, right?
Science Says: We wish. We really, really do. The vaccinations you have received should protect you from some types of viruses, but as of this publishing, no vaccines for CoVID-19 have been developed.
I added a few graphics because the illustrations tickled me – not because any one is any more important than the other.
We need all the rib tickling we can get right now.
