How are you guys coping with the other C word?

hewhositsoncushions

It is well wierd over here. Online people are bricking themselves. Outside in RL people are going alomng like nothing is happening. "Its just the flu" is all I hear.

Georges Calvez

C word

Hi Hew,

I have written to Vasco on this subject this morning.
Things were very quiet in France but last night we had a broadcast from Macron which closed schools, universities, banned large gatherings, etc.
According to Georgina things have now moved up a gear this morning with people doing long term shopping.
We do not have a lot locally but that could change quite rapidly.
We are in the phoney war stage; things could escalate, on the other hand they might not.
Governments are obviously hoping to control it until the warm weather arrives and that might slow down or halt the spread.
Hopefully for prostate cancer patients that are not in an advanced stage, old or immunosuppressed due to treatment, etc, they should have the same chance of surviving as the majority of the population which is very good.
Anyone who says it is just the flu is labouring under a serious misapprehension, it is a lot more infectious and a lot more lethal.

Best wishes,

Georges

VascodaGama

SARS-CoV-2

Yes, we are coping with the event.

They named the virus causing the CoVid-19 disease as SARS-CoV-2, which provides a better clue of its malignancy. This is an aggressive bandit among the coronavirus family, causing the well known Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome that can lead to kidney failure.

In Portugal we got 80 cases confirmed, being 5 of them detected in people living in a town 25 Km far from my place. These belong to a group of people that visited Italy for the Carnival festivities. Yesterday I was in Lisbon and noticed nothing in special suggesting that the folks are worried. But saw that people is not educated enough in terms of public hygiene manners. I saw many coughing frequently without using a mask or using an handkerchief to hold the spread of their cold (which is another coronavirus). Easily this monster will spread in crowed places in my country.
Today here in the south, we found a rush to the supermarkets which follows yesterday's Prime Minister Speech informing about the closing of schools, museums, bars/disco and sport events, including the prohibition of cruise ships from approaching Portuguese ports. They have requested restaurants and shops to serve only 1/3 of the clientele to distant the people in closed ambient. For those that have to stay at home in quarantine to look for their children or due to the disease, the government has guaranteed 50% salary pay to help the employers.

I am not so concerned but more careful. My wife and I are visiting Madeira island next week, staying ten days, however, we may become stranded in the island if the local governor decides to prohibit planes from getting there, which action has been implemented by the Acores island governor (closer to Madeira) to avoid any contagious from outside. They are clean at the moment.

Closing the country like the Americans did is on the list too. It wouldn't surprise me if Boris Johnson decides to close the the whole UK instead of closing the schools and football events.

Best

Georges Calvez

Supermarket

Hi there,

I have just been for a trundle round the supermarket and no panic yet, plenty of everything and no queues.
However this is Brittany, they are more susceptible to panic in Paris, incidentally many locals where I live maintain that Parisians are not French!

Best wishes,

Georges

Steve1961

Not good

Just outside of San Francisco and it's getting really ugly people are in a full-blown panic UCSF came out with an article that scared the but Jesus out of everybody warning everybody is going to be worse than the Spanish flu this and that it's definitely not good businesses are closing all the schools are closed all the high schools are closed all the colleges are closed all the sports or shut down it's definitely not good We shall see what happens next personally just washing my hands and we are staying home a lot not going to any place that has crowd that's all we can do right now

Clevelandguy

Toilet paper shortage

Hi all,

Went to a local big chain grocery store today near Cleveland, Ohio to pick up a couple of things to eat, took a tour down the toilet paper aisle and it was completely empty. The rest of the store seemed pretty well stocked with food and supplies minus Purell and any other kind of hand sanitizer.  Crazy people panic buying. Have to start saving large leaves from the backyard in case we run out of toilet paper, LOL.....

Dave 3+4

Georges Calvez

Stockpile

Hi there,

At my wife's insistence I have bought 72 rolls of toilet paper and 50 litres of cat litter, this is now stocked up in the loo.
There is still plenty of loo roll and cat litter at the supermarket!
If things get bad there is plenty of sand on the beach for the cat and we have some old newspapers we could cut up for us.
I was planning on taking the wife and cat on a special holiday this summe, it looks like that plan is dead in the water.
Lots of things like football and rugby matches are being cancelled, some of the clubs are going to lose a lot of money.
The most devastating effect will be on the economy linked to tourism, hotels and restaurants are going to go bust by the thousand.

Best wishes,

Georges

VascodaGama

CoVid-19

Here is a very useful publication with lay suggestions from  Stanford University given to me by a dear friend and member of this forum. 

Stanford University Internal COVID-19 Notice

The new Coronavirus or COVID-19 may not show signs of infection for many days. By the time they have fever and/or cough and go to the hospital, the lung is usually 50% Fibrosis and it's too late. Taiwan experts provide a simple self-check that we can do every morning. Take a deep breath and hold your breath for more than 10 seconds. If you complete it successfully without coughing, without discomfort, stiffness or tightness, etc., it proves there is no Fibrosis in the lungs, basically indicates no infection. In critical time, please self-check every morning in an environment with clean air. Serious excellent advice by Japanese doctors treating COVID-19 cases: Everyone should ensure your mouth & throat are moist, never dry. Take a few sips of water every 15 minutes at least. Why? Even if the virus gets into your mouth, drinking water or other liquids will wash them down through your throat and into the stomach. Once there, your stomach acid will kill the entire virus. If you don't drink enough water more regularly, the virus can enter your windpipe and into the lungs. That's very dangerous. Please send and share this with family and friends. Take care everyone and may the world recover from this Coronavirus soon. 

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT – CORONAVIRUS:

1. If you have a runny nose and sputum, you have a common cold 

2. Coronavirus pneumonia is a dry cough with no runny nose. 

3. This new virus is not heat-resistant and will be killed by a temperature of just 26/27 degrees. It hates the Sun.

4. If someone sneezes with it, it takes about 10 feet before it drops to the ground and is no longer airborne. 

5. If it drops on a metal surface it will live for at least 12 hours - so if you come into contact with any metal surface - wash your hands as soon as you can with a bacterial soap. 

6. On fabric it can survive for 6-12 hours. normal laundry detergent will kill it. 

7. Drinking warm water is effective for all viruses. Try not to drink liquids with ice. 

8. Wash your hands frequently as the virus can only live on your hands for 5-10 minutes, but - a lot can happen during that time - you can rub your eyes, pick your nose unwittingly and so on.

9. You should also gargle as prevention. A simple solution of salt in warm water will suffice. 

10. Can't emphasis enough - drink plenty of water! 

THE SYMPTOMS 

1. It will first infect the throat, so you'll have a sore throat lasting 3/4 days 

2. The virus then blends into a nasal fluid that enters the trachea and then the lungs, causing pneumonia. This takes about 5/6 days further. 

3. With the pneumonia comes high fever and difficulty in breathing. 

4. The nasal congestion is not like the normal kind. You feel like you're drowning. It's imperative you then seek immediate attention.

 

 

VegasMike

I am scheduled to have my

I am scheduled to have my robotic surgery on March 28.  Nervous about having my prostate surgery at the peak of coronavirus outbreak in the USA. Hopefully if the hosptials get filed with sick people, I will even be able to have my surgery. UGH  

VascodaGama

Vegas; Hospitals can be contagious even at endemic times

I hope your surgery goes as scheduled and that it is successful without issues. I recall when in hospital for my surgery (2000) that there was an infectious disease caused by virus in a room at the same floor where I was recuperating. They completely isolated the zone for a couple of days and clean up were done. The operation theater is totally safe so you do not need to be worried.

Unfortunately to the many expecting to enjoy the beginning of spring, restrictions in free movement are now imposed in almost all European countries. Yesterday it was announced that tourists cannot enter into Portuguese territory by road. Travel to the coast line and laying by the beach, which is typical by this time in Portugal, are also restricted and prohibit. My trip to Madeira is over too. Fortunately  some guys got cured already and we still have no CoVid-19 deaths in Portugal.

Hopefully this bandit is stoped at its track for good.

VG

 

Georges Calvez

Outdoors

Hi Vasco,

I went for a drive on Sunday afternoon and there were large numbers of Bretons walking in the countryside.
Finistére is large and we do not have a lot of people, outside Rennes and Brest, there are no large conurbations.
Quimper where we live is very small, although it has a huge cathedral which is a testament to Catholic piety but pilgrimage was a very poular activity until quite recently so it was a money making enterprise!
Macron will be on the television tonight so I guess we might be banned from walking in the park, etc, maybe even banned from leaving our homes except for essentials.
We have a technician coming round today to upgrade us from ADSL to fibre but we cannot go and buy a can of paint from the hardware shop but we can buy it in the supermarket so go figure.
The commerces will be screaming soon about the unfairness of the situation and in France they have a habit of making their voices heard.

Best wishes,

Georges

hewhositsoncushions

Recommended lockdown viewing / reading:

 

• The Andromeda Strain
• Contagion
• 93 days
• The Book of Eli
• The Walking Dead
• I am Legend
• A Canticle for Liebowictz
• Zombieland (I/II)

 

Georges Calvez

La Peste

La Peste aka The Plague by Albert Camus is enjoying a modest revival!
It is also a book by a Nobel Laureate so it is no light read

Josephg

Lockdown Reading

The Stand, by Stephen King.

hewhositsoncushions

I cannot believe I missed

I cannot believe I missed that

 

I'll add The Dark Tower. Not sure the Shining fits but have it anyway

Georges Calvez

eReader

Download the application on your computer or get a tablet, etc so you can download and read electronic books.
Save trees and the supply could be more reliable! :-)

 

VascodaGama

Spanish flu; another Corona virus

Yes, the Stand. It's raison d'être is still used as the means to justify virus outbreaks including the CoVid-19.

However, one shouldn't forget about the Spanish flu (another Corona virus pandemic) that killed over 50 million at the beginning of the last century. This sort of virus behind seasonal flus still leads to the death of many every year, even though it is well known. CoVid-19 could be compared to the Spanish flu as it involves a virus little known. For the moment one may just wonder how many are going to die for the wide spread in almost 150 countries.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/09/spanish-flu-pandemic-centenary-first-world-war

hewhositsoncushions

Serious note

Serious note

Mega dosing Vitamin D - definitely

Mega dosing Vitamin C - still trying to find out

DO NOT USE NSAIDS LIKE IBUPROFEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Georges Calvez

Hi there,

Here are are in full lock down in France, each time we want to go outside for a range of permitted shopping, doctor's visits, etc we have to fill in one of these forms and take it with us.
https://mobile.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Attestation-de-deplacement-derogatoire-et-justificatif-de-deplacement-professionnel

Best wishes,

Georges

Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3

hewhositsoncushions said:

Recommended lockdown viewing / reading:

 

• The Andromeda Strain
• Contagion
• 93 days
• The Book of Eli
• The Walking Dead
• I am Legend
• A Canticle for Liebowictz
• Zombieland (I/II)

 

Entertainment

hewho,

Nausea, by Jean-Paul Sartre is timely.   War and Peace gives long-term occupation.  Grapes of Wrath is always inspiring.  The Dead Zone is a great, under-rated film by Stephen King, starring Christopher Walken.   A political work by Max Nordau, The Conventional Lies of Civilization, is one of my all time favorites.

Also, 1984 and Animal Farm never fails to describe current events.  You will leave Animal Farm wondering:  Did I just read that in the book, or hear it on the BBC ?

 

VascodaGama

State of Emergency

Three days ago the Portuguese President declared Portugal in a state of emergency giving the power to the government to apply strict measures to hold the CoVid-19 disease.

Now people has restrictions in movement or even have to work to keep the economy going at 30% and to provide the essential services and supplies. Factories, supermarkets, banks and pharmacies are to be kept open. Shops and restaurants should be closed but can serve customers by takeaway. People older than 70 and those with chronic diseases must stay in their residences (I can't tend my orchard). Sick people should call a CoVid-19 number or be attended at their local health center instead of the local main hospitals.

No people is allowed to be on the streets unless those commuting to work, for shopping or walking the dogs. Flights were cut to less than 2% and traveling by road became prohibited in certain areas.

Portugal has become a ghost country and will be like that for a period of 15 days that can be extended by the President if out-of-laws arise.

Meanwhile the Chinese have produced already a vaccine and the Japanese managed some success in holding the SARS-CoV-2 with a modified flu drug.

Hope is in the air but so are the bad news, miss information or lay opinions (as above).