How "Flattening the Curve" Affects Us

11 posts / 0 new
Last post
kropotkin1951
How "Flattening the Curve" Affects Us

I think that our babble community needs a place to talk about what is happening in their personal lives. So I'll start.

As my handle implies I am 69 years old. My wife and I are "couple isolating." We did not have our family dinner this week because the wife of a workmate of my brother-in-law was being tested for the virus, she came back positive after we cancelled. He lives with my mother-in-law who is going to be 90 this summer, if she lives. It is starting to fell real and close to home for us.

The area I live in, of about 100,000 people, has seen a major upheaval. It has many really creative artistic people who rely on the tourist trade to feed their families. All of our public events have been cancelled and our restaurants and bars are empty. The local ski mountain is closed at the time of the year when it provides a large part of the economic activity in the Valley. The workers at the mountain have lost their jobs and the hotels are starting to gear down their staff, including my granddaughter. My wife's part time job has disappeared for the near term. She provides history based programs for children, seniors groups and tourists.

So now we walk in the woods more often, which is a good thing, however we only talk to our kids and grand kids on the phone. 

So how has COVID changed your lives?

lagatta4

Fortunately I have some translation and editing work, obviously no conference interpreting (which pays better). Even though I'm more introvert than extrovert, avoiding even having an espresso in a nearby café, with friends or just in the company of other humans (and a large, lovely Bernese bouvier café dog) is hard on me, much as I love Livia the small black cat. And my hands are chapped from the obsessive washing (I've not been using hand steriliser as the high alcohol content is horrible for chapping).

I do hope the pet supplies shop isn't closed, as Livia is running low on cat food (I did buy a box of cat litter, but I could get that at Canadian Tire).

Bacchus

My wife and I almost dropped off our daughter to the Inlaws in the States for 2 weeks since her school is closed for 3. Good thing we changed our minds. All three of us have health issues (immune deficient, diabetes, etc) which pretty much means if we get it we die. Please note if you have ever had pnemonia before then you too will die with this, regardless of your age.

Also we both have jobs that if shut down means no income so its pretty scary

Pondering

I have had pnemonia, chronic bronchitis and asthma. I just hit 65 three days ago. I am glad you have your daughter with you during this trying time. 

It's taking awhile for this to all sink in. I went for some groceries late last night. Washed everything when I arrived back home. I don't fear a food shortage in Canada or in my area of Canada. I checked my pantry for the basics but I don't want to buy too much because delivery requires minimum orders and my pantry always has too much food in it so I can work my way through that stuff. 

I am more concerned for my neighbours many of whom don't have computers, internet nor a credit card. Some solutions are going to have be local. The part we will have trouble with is fresh food basics, dairy, meat, eggs that have to be bought with greater frequency.

The length of time we will have to deal with this is sinking in. Food isn't what I need to buy in advance. That will be delivered as will cannabis. Amazon has stopped accepting shipments of  non- health, cleaning, or food related products. I imagine that is temporary but it still may mean it will be difficult to get random things. With that in mind I have to refill my printer ink and get a large bag of soil for spring planting. It will be planting time in about 8 to 10 weeks here. 

When my prescription was delivered the shape of the pills changed so they must be from a different generic manufacturer than usual. 

I am a recluse by nature although you wouldn't know it if you met me. I like people I just also like a lot of alone time. Even so I didn't realize how much I would miss just popping out for one reason or another every couple of days. I love my apartment, I have a beautiful view and balcony, but when I look around and contemplate that I may have to pretty much stay here for the next few months it feels constraining. What a nightmare it must have been for people stuck in tiny rooms on cruise ships or people who like to be out and about all the time. 

I think we are going to do well in "flattening the curve" so it will be safe to take walks but at this point I don't know.

I have elderly relatives driving back from Texas. My older sister and her husband who is particularly at risk are self-isolating. Other relatives are working from home. My daughter may be hit hard as her clients are staying home with their children so don't need her services. People she has seen have spent time with someone who spend time with someone who has been diagnosed. It isn't a close contact but still a little concerning. 

There is a very other-worldly feel about all of this. 

Bacchus

The Amazon not shipping thing is in the US and UK not Canada at present

 

bekayne

Bacchus wrote:

The Amazon not shipping thing is in the US and UK not Canada at present

 

Is this what you're referring to?

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/amazon-suspending-deliveries-covid/

lagatta4

I think that when it is just a bit warmer (predicted) you can go to the lovely park which I think is very close to your home without getting too close to other people. What I say is based on your own descriptions of where you live, and don't worry despite past spats, I am in no way a stalker, even a passive and peaceful one, and never have been.

Pondering

lagatta4 wrote:

I think that when it is just a bit warmer (predicted) you can go to the lovely park which I think is very close to your home without getting too close to other people. What I say is based on your own descriptions of where you live, and don't worry despite past spats, I am in no way a stalker, even a passive and peaceful one, and never have been.

I know that you are driven by your desire for social justice not anger or vengefulness. I'm really just playing this day by day.  I am hoping it will be at least somewhat under control by May but there is really no telling how long this will go on. China seems to have gotten it under control. In the meantime I consider myself to be among the most fortunate as I have the means to isolate myself in a place I generally enjoy being and have no fear of eviction or hunger or cold or loss of employment. I am very well placed to ride this out as long as it takes. The majority of people on Earth are in far less comfortable environments. This is a new nightmare for refugees and others already in desperate straits. I believe evil will be done under the cover of this virus. 

The homeless and mentally ill in Canada will suffer disproportionately. Anyone not able to "shelter in place". Welfare is not enough to live on so even if they have an apartment they still need soup kitchens. 

People in the gig economy will suffer. Anyone working in tourism including students counting on getting summer jobs. 

I am hopeful and happy that the oil industry might take a big hit but I worry for how this will impact Albertans. 

We are incredibly fortunate to be in Canada because we have real wealth beyond the imaginings of most countries. It's in our resources not dollars. We have natural resources. None of our infrastructure has been blown up. 

Sean in Ottawa

Obviously finances are hit hard. I cannot get contracts and have no income other than a  couple people renting rooms from me. Still we must be creative. 

Today I showed housemates how to make Irish bread.

ETA -- this bread costs about 60 cents a loaf to make - 10 minutes to make and 45 minutes to bake. No yeast. Soda bread

Rikardo

 What a good idea. So interesting to read.  Me and wife are retired with good pensions (teachers) in a small town near the Market(open) and the (former) main street with 3 food stores and a hardware open. Really concerned about the small stores being closed (not the giants: Walmart) Was is worth it ?

lagatta4

Ricardo, could you post your soda bread recipe? An Irish ancestor did make it, but I was too young to crave the recipe.

I delivered harira (Moroccan soup to break the Ramadan fast) to two friends, neither of whom are Muslim by faith or culture (It is simply very good soup, especially if one is hungry). And one of them left me a dark rye bread - he was apologising that it hadn't risen enough, but it is lovely, and I had thin slices of some of it with the soup. In any case, after barley-based soup and wholegrain rye, I'll have no problem "going" tomorrow!

God, I want a haircut!