Do you need to vent about things COVID-19?

[Cindy Evanier]

Ok I have a vent (not mask related)

I got a text message last night from the parent of one of my 14 year old's friends along the lines of

X is having a sleep over birthday party on 1st August can [my son] come?

I want to reply; no you stupid woman.  That is not how these "bubbles" work.  For over 3 months my kids have been amazingly stringent about protecting me as I am in the high risk category.  They haven't complained or broke ranks.  Even the uni child stayed away 2 further weeks just to be sure before coming home.  The 21 year old spent his 21st birthday in our garden, social distancing with just his grandparents to visit as they were on their first journey out the house in 3 months too.  My 14 year old understands why he can't go and mix with a gang of other 14 year olds overnight but that doesn't mean I am not feeling mother guilt about having to be the one who says "no". (the other invited kids have apparently said yes)   There is a little background history with this woman and her child, as in the past I was sending my son to school with an extra large packed lunch because her child never had lunch and was always hungry.  This was back when they were about 10 years old and after a couple of months of this I had to have a quiet word with the school just in case there was some sort of neglect happening.  This history adds to my worry about how she would look after these kids during a Covid sleepover.  Am I worrying too much?  I don't think so but that didn't stop me having a restless night thinking about it.

[Pixie Kobichenko]

46 minutes ago, Cindy Evanier said:

Ok I have a vent (not mask related)

I got a text message last night from the parent of one of my 14 year old's friends along the lines of

X is having a sleep over birthday party on 1st August can [my son] come?

I want to reply; no you stupid woman.  That is not how these "bubbles" work.  For over 3 months my kids have been amazingly stringent about protecting me as I am in the high risk category.  They haven't complained or broke ranks.  Even the uni child stayed away 2 further weeks just to be sure before coming home.  The 21 year old spent his 21st birthday in our garden, social distancing with just his grandparents to visit as they were on their first journey out the house in 3 months too.  My 14 year old understands why he can't go and mix with a gang of other 14 year olds overnight but that doesn't mean I am not feeling mother guilt about having to be the one who says "no". (the other invited kids have apparently said yes)   There is a little background history with this woman and her child, as in the past I was sending my son to school with an extra large packed lunch because her child never had lunch and was always hungry.  This was back when they were about 10 years old and after a couple of months of this I had to have a quiet word with the school just in case there was some sort of neglect happening.  This history adds to my worry about how she would look after these kids during a Covid sleepover.  Am I worrying too much?  I don't think so but that didn't stop me having a restless night thinking about it.

Absolutely not worrying too much.  There is zero reason to hold sleepovers right now- or any time soon.  So much of what is going on in the name of “not living in fear” is selfish & totally unnecessary.  It’s one thing to need to venture out to shop, & to work outside the home.  But all these parties (spring break in Missouri is a prime example) & lots of other comfort activities are not necessary & only perpetuate the false sense of security.  
 

This virus is a very big deal.  

[Qie Niangao]

2 hours ago, Cindy Evanier said:

For over 3 months my kids have been amazingly stringent about protecting me as I am in the high risk category.  They haven't complained or broke ranks.  Even the uni child stayed away 2 further weeks just to be sure before coming home.  The 21 year old spent his 21st birthday in our garden, social distancing with just his grandparents to visit as they were on their first journey out the house in 3 months too.  My 14 year old understands why he can't go and mix with a gang of other 14 year olds overnight but that doesn't mean I am not feeling mother guilt about having to be the one who says "no". (the other invited kids have apparently said yes) 

This sucks. The invitation is cruel, presumably without meaning to be. Regardless what the local social "phase"  currently dictates about sleepover birthday parties, there's gonna be a time when some think it's approved and some know they must not participate.

Anyway, you raised good kids.

[Love Zhaoying]

"Sleepover party" = not a good idea in a global pandemic 

[Silent Mistwalker]

8 hours ago, Amina Sopwith said:

Obviously I'm sympathetic to lip readers and the minority of individuals who are unable to wear masks. Those aren't the people I'm talking about.

My post wasn't in response to yours.

As for wearing a bra... they have never made one in my size. They're all either too big or too small. I don't wear them any longer than I have to either. They cause me a lot of pain and contribute to other health issues I have so I don't wear them any more than I have to.

[Panteleeva]

Here in my city it's all stopped about masks ans gloves time,slowly,but they stop. Because people keep wearing the same mask-gloves combo for 2-3 weeks and you can see foundations on women's masks and coffee on everyone's gloves. People just wearing it to be serviced at grocery stores. While it's still scary to visit any,because workers looks at you like you are biggest crap they ever saw.so people here will be happy to sit at home not becaude it's a virus,but because they don't have extra money for delivery of food and it's scary to walk in groceries.

[Nick0678]

On 7/19/2020 at 3:32 PM, Ceka Cianci said:

people that think the virus is some sort of conspiracy or something.

 

[Love Zhaoying]

On 7/20/2020 at 10:33 AM, Silent Mistwalker said:

As for wearing a bra... they have never made one in my size. They're all either too big or too small. I don't wear them any longer than I have to either. They cause me a lot of pain and contribute to other health issues I have so I don't wear them any more than I have to.

I've known people who had breast reduction surgery to help with back pain issues.

[Silent Mistwalker]

2 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I've known people who had breast reduction surgery to help with back pain issues.

There is no surgery that will reduce or increase the size and shape of my ribcage.  My boobs aren't what cause my back pain or the digestive problems. Bras that come in only 34D and 36D but no 35D is the problem. I keep saying one size does NOT fit all for a reason.

[Drakonadrgora Darkfold]

I was setting in my car waiting on my curbside grocery pick up and my air conditioner froze up in my car.. thats my covid-19 rant for the day..

[LittleMe Jewell]

4 hours ago, Silent Mistwalker said:

There is no surgery that will reduce or increase the size and shape of my ribcage.  My boobs aren't what cause my back pain or the digestive problems. Bras that come in only 34D and 36D but no 35D is the problem. I keep saying one size does NOT fit all for a reason.

I had a similar problem, but used hook extenders with the smaller size to deal with it.  Maybe something like that might provide some help.  The packages I found (way back who knows when or where) contained 1/2", 3/4" and 1" extenders.

[Silent Mistwalker]

4 hours ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

I had a similar problem, but used hook extenders with the smaller size to deal with it.  Maybe something like that might provide some help.  The packages I found (way back who knows when or where) contained 1/2", 3/4" and 1" extenders.

I've tried everything. Nothing stops bras from interfering with my digestive system. I seem to be the only woman in the history of bras that has this particular problem. I even have the same problem with sports bras. Sucks to be me. lol

[kali Wylder]

I just finished my cross country road trip and I'm now in quarantine for the next 2 weeks.  I am high risk and was socially distanced before the plague came anyway, just because I worked at home and was an introvert.  We chose the safest route between CA and RI and only learned after the fact that Iowa was a hotbed of plague.  But people were masked for the most part even in the places that did not mandate it.  We didn't eat out and the only contact we had was with hotel desk clerks and gas station clerks. I feel pretty good and I'm hoping that the next 2 weeks will pass quickly with no plague for us.  My theory is that the more sparsely populated states were probably safer and we stopped pretty frequently until we crossed the Mississippi.  Then we doubled our driving times to move quickly through the more densely populated states.  Anyway, I'm glad we got out of CA before fire season came. Crazy times we live in.

[Marigold Devin]

On 7/20/2020 at 7:55 AM, Cindy Evanier said:

Ok I have a vent (not mask related)

I got a text message last night from the parent of one of my 14 year old's friends along the lines of

X is having a sleep over birthday party on 1st August can [my son] come?

I want to reply; no you stupid woman.  That is not how these "bubbles" work.  For over 3 months my kids have been amazingly stringent about protecting me as I am in the high risk category.  They haven't complained or broke ranks.  Even the uni child stayed away 2 further weeks just to be sure before coming home.  The 21 year old spent his 21st birthday in our garden, social distancing with just his grandparents to visit as they were on their first journey out the house in 3 months too.  My 14 year old understands why he can't go and mix with a gang of other 14 year olds overnight but that doesn't mean I am not feeling mother guilt about having to be the one who says "no". (the other invited kids have apparently said yes)   There is a little background history with this woman and her child, as in the past I was sending my son to school with an extra large packed lunch because her child never had lunch and was always hungry.  This was back when they were about 10 years old and after a couple of months of this I had to have a quiet word with the school just in case there was some sort of neglect happening.  This history adds to my worry about how she would look after these kids during a Covid sleepover.  Am I worrying too much?  I don't think so but that didn't stop me having a restless night thinking about it.

You're certainly not worrying needlessly or too much.  

I despair of some people - parents like that one for example.

My brother's house backs onto a playing field, and there have regularly been large groups of teens congregating as if there isn't a worldwide pandemic happening, and I have found myself wondering where their mother's think their kids are, and why the heck aren't they more concerned about stopping the spread of this virus.

I HATE shopping, but this past week, I have been dreaming, actually dreaming, about walking around Wilko, browsing each shelf slowly, taking in all the paint colours, selecting paintbrushes, rummaging through the end gondola for end-of-line items, and loading my basket with stationery and toiletries. 

My brother and I had our hair cut last week. The mobile hairdresser is up and running again. She wore a mask and disposable apron and gloves, we wore masks. We did not hug as we usually would have, and she had tidied us both up within 15 minutes. I think mine is a little lop-sided, but tidier than it was. 

Will things ever be the same as they were prior to covid?

[Marigold Devin]

On 6/22/2020 at 12:10 AM, Extrude Ragu said:

I've never been much of a socialite, but one thing that comforted me when I was stressed was to just go outside and sort of 'life watch'. You know? Seeing people out chatting to each other, shopping, walking past the pub and seeing people sat together with a pint. That feeling that despite whatever stresses I might be going through, the world is still spinning and there's still joy in the world to be found.

Now there are signs everywhere in my town to stay apart from each other, all the shops feel like an environment where everyone is living cattle, stickers and signs telling everyone how to move and where to stand. It's kind of de-humanizing and I worry for peoples mental health.

At least in our local park, people seem to be playing ball games, chatting and stuff, so there is some life to be found.

I took a book to my local park last Friday afternoon and sat under a tree for a while. I think that did my mental health a world of good. There weren't lots and lots of people about, but some did stop to chat - at a safe distance - and I felt human again.

I'd been in the town earlier in the day, I rarely go in now. Each month when I call in, it has got more "dystopian" in atmosphere. Where there would normally be a few fairground rides for smaller children, a busker or two, and people milling around street stalls, there are footprints painted at regular intervals on the floor and clear signs all over the place about distancing, and you are absolutely right to be worried about people's mental health. Some people have a devil-may-care attitude, others are masked up and walk with purpose, doing what is absolutely necessary and getting back home again as quickly as possible. 

The trip to the park was nice, but at this time of the year the paddling pool should have been open and filled with children, and of course this was not the case. 

 

[Evah Baxton]

OK. So what happens if the virus never goes away? What if the virus mutates? What if it works like the common flu and we have to keep pulling the slot machine lever for the right vaccine every year? Will we mask up, "vaccinate" and renew paperwork forever? Will we stay in our homes? Never visit a club, a bar, a movie, a restaurant ever again?

What will you do if it becomes painfully obvious that this will never go away?

[Qie Niangao]

1 hour ago, Evah Baxton said:

OK. So what happens if the virus never goes away? What if the virus mutates? What if it works like the common flu and we have to keep pulling the slot machine lever for the right vaccine every year? Will we mask up, "vaccinate" and renew paperwork forever? Will we stay in our homes? Never visit a club, a bar, a movie, a restaurant ever again?

What will you do if it becomes painfully obvious that this will never go away?

It's unlikely it will "go away" as in being eradicated any time soon, but I'm pretty confident it will be manageable: we've gotten better at developing and deploying vaccines on much tighter timeframes, and this experience will make future responses faster still.

And yeah, it's quite likely that a new shot will be needed each year, maybe in a "cocktail" vaccine with the most likely influenza strains, although for different reasons: influenza mutates significantly and quickly; so far, this coronavirus mutates insignificantly and... well, a lot slower than the flu, but just fast enough to be handy for tracing the spread of specific strains. An annual "booster" COVID shot may just re-activate existing response, or maybe fine-tune it for new variants.

That said, SARS-COV-2 is much more difficult to vaccinate against than, say, measles or the mumps -- but apparently much easier than HIV. It's too soon to count any of the vaccine candidates as sure successes, but rather than worry about possible risks, there are plenty of real things already going horribly wrong. Like the antivaxxer idiots and the dangerously delusional COVID deniers:

(If we really want to worry about something unknown: 1. What will the next pandemic bring that this one didn't prepare us for? and 2. What are the decades-later effects of even mild COVID-19 exposure? Think shingles, or post-polio syndrome.)

[Marigold Devin]

6 hours ago, Evah Baxton said:

OK. So what happens if the virus never goes away? What if the virus mutates? What if it works like the common flu and we have to keep pulling the slot machine lever for the right vaccine every year? Will we mask up, "vaccinate" and renew paperwork forever? Will we stay in our homes? Never visit a club, a bar, a movie, a restaurant ever again?

What will you do if it becomes painfully obvious that this will never go away?

The 1918 Spanish flu killed so many, and that, I think, is what covid-19 was "meant" to do, and by saying that, I am NOT saying that is what I WANT IT TO DO !!! Because I am not. I think, after a hundred years, society, scientists, politicians, should have all learned from the 1918 Spanish flu, and maybe we all have.  

Nowadays though, we have far more ways of being made to get neurotic and panicky and mentally ill, because of our "superior" ways of communication.

It's like The Monkey's Paw - with everyone good comes something bad.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss. I would rather not have to think past the next fortnight. It is what I was always advised to do by medical professionals, and that so far always worked for me. After all, even when someone is given a terminal diagnosis, there will still be hundreds - maybe thousands - of people who will die before them, quite unexpectedly.

 

[Silent Mistwalker]

6 hours ago, Qie Niangao said:

It's unlikely it will "go away" as in being eradicated any time soon, but I'm pretty confident it will be manageable: we've gotten better at developing and deploying vaccines on much tighter timeframes, and this experience will make future responses faster still.

And yeah, it's quite likely that a new shot will be needed each year, maybe in a "cocktail" vaccine with the most likely influenza strains, although for different reasons: influenza mutates significantly and quickly; so far, this coronavirus mutates insignificantly and... well, a lot slower than the flu, but just fast enough to be handy for tracing the spread of specific strains. An annual "booster" COVID shot may just re-activate existing response, or maybe fine-tune it for new variants.

That said, SARS-COV-2 is much more difficult to vaccinate against than, say, measles or the mumps -- but apparently much easier than HIV. It's too soon to count any of the vaccine candidates as sure successes, but rather than worry about possible risks, there are plenty of real things already going horribly wrong. Like the antivaxxer idiots and the dangerously delusional COVID deniers:

(If we really want to worry about something unknown: 1. What will the next pandemic bring that this one didn't prepare us for? and 2. What are the decades-later effects of even mild COVID-19 exposure? Think shingles, or post-polio syndrome.)

I don't know whether to laugh or cry since the death toll is likely much higher because of all the unreported cases. Many had Covid-19 in December, January and February, long before the pandemic was declared. Those deaths will never be counted.

[Bagnu]

On 4/6/2020 at 6:25 PM, Rhonda Huntress said:

*****ing *****ed up mother *****ers are *****ing the whole *****ing *****ed up ****sucking *****head *****s.

And then some.

I'm not sure I know how you feel. Lmao!!!

[Lancewae Barrowstone]

13 hours ago, Evah Baxton said:

What will you do if it becomes painfully obvious that this will never go away?

That's the harshness of how virus' are.  I have heard stories from relatives about the poliovirus (infantile paralysis) striking MOSTLY children, and when it became epidemic in the '50s (as with earlier outbreaks way back to the turn of the century and beyond) people were told to quarantine.  No one knew what to do.  Even Roosevelt contracted it at age 29, but survived it.  What a terrible virus.  It spread so easily, and it devastates your children.  What gods can you curse!?  What fiends can you track down and murder to STOP such a thing in this world? You would give our own right arm to NOT have that happen to your child!  The Iron Lung was created back in the '30s (or earlier), which is essentially equivalent to our ventilators today, just to keep the terribly afflicted alive enough to try to get through it.  Some, -- Heavens Above! -- some few, could not live outside that iron lung. Who can even imagine the torment of that, on a victim, on the ones who love them. You would just wish you had never been born.  What agony is that!

Can you imagine if that was hitting us today, targeting our children, letting us mostly go on with mild or no symptoms?  The mass civilized mindset would just explode. And there is no easy answer, now as back then, just quarantine and spacial distancing.  Schools continued.  Life went on.  You hoped; you prayed.  Finally a vaccine was crafted that worked, by Jonas Salk.  He tested it on himself and his own family.  Would that happen today?  What a world.  What a country we are.

Polio has been eradicated from the earth (last case in USA in 1982 i think), EXCEPT ...for one little spot on the globe, Afghanistan.  Thus. the poliovirus is still here, it can return if vaccinations ever cease to be effective.  

With Covid-19 we too must endure with distancing and quarantining and masks, UNTIL that vaccine is created, tested, approved, taken to manufacturing, shipped, and then administered on a grand scale.  That takes time. I remember some relatives saying they took it on a sugar cube as small children in school.  What stoic strength we had back then.  I guess expectations are low when you don't live OVER-saturated in reports and opinions and alarm. 

A virus cannot be stopped, lacking a vaccine.  Herd immunity is the natural way to build antibodies in everyone but you must endure a huge loss in population of those who succumb instead.  Agony and loss is the typical story. 

So, today humanity lives on a shoestring; it is stretched across the precipice of Oblivion and we walk across it every day, known as the viral vaccinations that are keeping us protected -- until they no longer.    

Buck up!  We know what to do, even if we don't like it. 

[Pussycat Catnap]

 

[Marigold Devin]

19 hours ago, Lancewae Barrowstone said:

That's the harshness of how virus' are.  I have heard stories from relatives about the poliovirus (infantile paralysis) striking MOSTLY children, and when it became epidemic in the '50s (as with earlier outbreaks way back to the turn of the century and beyond) people were told to quarantine.  No one knew what to do.  Even Roosevelt contracted it at age 29, but survived it.  What a terrible virus.  It spread so easily, and it devastates your children.  What gods can you curse!?  What fiends can you track down and murder to STOP such a thing in this world? You would give our own right arm to NOT have that happen to your child!  The Iron Lung was created back in the '30s (or earlier), which is essentially equivalent to our ventilators today, just to keep the terribly afflicted alive enough to try to get through it.  Some, -- Heavens Above! -- some few, could not live outside that iron lung. Who can even imagine the torment of that, on a victim, on the ones who love them. You would just wish you had never been born.  What agony is that!

Can you imagine if that was hitting us today, targeting our children, letting us mostly go on with mild or no symptoms?  The mass civilized mindset would just explode. And there is no easy answer, now as back then, just quarantine and spacial distancing.  Schools continued.  Life went on.  You hoped; you prayed.  Finally a vaccine was crafted that worked, by Jonas Salk.  He tested it on himself and his own family.  Would that happen today?  What a world.  What a country we are.

Polio has been eradicated from the earth (last case in USA in 1982 i think), EXCEPT ...for one little spot on the globe, Afghanistan.  Thus. the poliovirus is still here, it can return if vaccinations ever cease to be effective.  

With Covid-19 we too must endure with distancing and quarantining and masks, UNTIL that vaccine is created, tested, approved, taken to manufacturing, shipped, and then administered on a grand scale.  That takes time. I remember some relatives saying they took it on a sugar cube as small children in school.  What stoic strength we had back then.  I guess expectations are low when you don't live OVER-saturated in reports and opinions and alarm. 

A virus cannot be stopped, lacking a vaccine.  Herd immunity is the natural way to build antibodies in everyone but you must endure a huge loss in population of those who succumb instead.  Agony and loss is the typical story. 

So, today humanity lives on a shoestring; it is stretched across the precipice of Oblivion and we walk across it every day, known as the viral vaccinations that are keeping us protected -- until they no longer.    

Buck up!  We know what to do, even if we don't like it. 

Your post has made me realise just in how many ways my generation has been fortunate. I had a polio vaccination when I was a tiny tot; one of my earliest memories in fact is someone sticking a great needle into my arm and me howling for ages afterwards, although it didn't particularly hurt. It was just some masked up stranger coming close to me, rubbing my arm vigorously with something and then having wide eyes as they jabbed a particular place in my arm. And I still bare the scar from that, as others will - it stays white in the sun. And when I was in my teens, we had the booster, in the form of something on a sugar cube. It was such a blessed relief that that was all we'd had to queue up for down our long school corridor that led to the M.I. room.  

We were the first girls I seem to recall having a jab against German Measles/Rubella. And we had a jab in our early teens against Tuberculosis.  

Undoubtedly the immunisation programmes have worked, and more have been introduced since I was in the age group that generally receives vaccinations.  

With the covid-19 virus, everyone must take responsibility and have more care for each other, endure the few more weeks/months or whatever it turns out to be in order to get a lid on it. 

This time shall pass, and we shall all be looking back at it like our older relatives view those horrendous times when polio was prevalent.  

 

 

[Evah Baxton]

On 7/23/2020 at 12:50 AM, Qie Niangao said:

Like the antivaxxer idiots and the dangerously delusional COVID deniers:

As is obvious in the world today, many people are having a hard time trusting the systems that are supposedly there to help and inform us.

There are outright "COVID deniers" (akin to "CLIMATE deniers") who believe that the whole thing is a lie. I hope they are just a small percentage of the skeptics.

In all my research, article reading, studying, following, and listening, it's just so obvious to me that our checks and balances have failed, that governments around the world are incapable of taking action and are corrupt (no matter the side), that money controls the medical & science fields & it's people are weak, and people can protest for months in the streets without change. Lots of praising, no changing.

I am going to have a very hard time taking this same system's injections and following it's "laws". It's going to get really real when "believers" starve the "skeptics" into compliance. Their smug smiles most likely accompanied by a nice uniform with lots of symbolism.

[Evah Baxton]

1 hour ago, Marigold Devin said:

 how many ways my generation has been fortunate.

Yes. Some of the things you hear from past generations are incomprehensible, yet totally possible today.

 

1 hour ago, Marigold Devin said:

With the covid-19 virus, everyone must take responsibility and have more care for each other, endure the few more weeks/months or whatever it turns out to be in order to get a lid on it. 

Agreed!