Coronavirus and Anxiety

[lifesavacation]

Those are the exact number of confirmed cases per the CDC. There is no way to be specific as with any illness. Whether it be the common cold or a flu strain. But, in regards to what the Center for Disease has posted those are the numbers they have reported as of right now.

I’m in WA and we are being told by public health officials that the number of people with coronavirus is in the thousands. The UW is consistently getting about 5-7% of positive samples but the testing is very limited right now. It wasn’t that long ago that the health workers at Life Care Center WITH symptoms couldn’t get tested. It doesn’t mean they don’t have it. Just means it hasn’t been recorded on a test.

ETA:UW Virology reports 7% of positivity of samples with 25 different genomes in WA.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Here is something to put things into perspective and set your mind at ease. There are 330,874,115 people in the U.S. As of right now there are 1339 confirmed cases in the U.S. with 38 Fatal and 15 recovered. Again, of the near 330 million people there have only been 1339 confirmed cases.

60 of those infected came from a nursing Home in Washington state. That nursing home became infected when a new resident was admitted who had just come from China. Unaware he was infected he already spread the virus thus infecting one third of its 180 staff members. Of the residents who had died from the virus all had underlying health conditions. Its quite possible that any sort of flu would have killed them. Twenty three of the 38 deaths here in the U,S. have been linked to this same nursing home. Sixty percent of the 1339 are linked to this long term care nursing home. So, it seems more isolated then the media would like us to believe.

The toilet paper mad dash stems from a facebook post where someone had encourage people to stock up as they claimed T.P. comes from China and China may shut down exports. Other posts showed emptied out displays in Australia and the media took that and ran. But, or should I say butt, there was never a need to panic.

So, for now we here in the U.S.do not have to worry. It is a flu. If you do get it and you are healthy you will get over it. Don't rely on social media where drama thrives. Fact check.

Most if not all of the paper products (including TP) sold in the US is made in this country. I don't frequent FB (privacy concerns) so have no knowledge of what is said there. As well I have not noted the traditional media suggesting consumers should stock up on it though they certainly show what aisles are empty.

I think many people realised that if they needed to be at home for 2 weeks or longer, buying extra TP is a no brainer. I keep a mega pack of it even though we're only a household of 3 since it's less expensive purchased in larger amts, doesn't go bad, and can be stored in odd places no matter what size home you have.

Kimberly-Clark workers thank us all for allowing them to work longer unlike the hospitality industry.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

This is what is happening in Italy right now - Doctors have to decide who to save and who to let die: The Extraordinary Decisions Facing Italian Doctors

There are now simply too many patients for each one of them to receive adequate care.

Two weeks ago, Italy had 322 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. At that point, doctors in the country’s hospitals could lavish significant attention on each stricken patient.

One week ago, Italy had 2,502 cases of the virus, which causes the disease known as COVID-19. At that point, doctors in the country’s hospitals could still perform the most lifesaving functions by artificially ventilating patients who experienced acute breathing difficulties.

Today, Italy has 10,149 cases of the coronavirus. There are now simply too many patients for each one of them to receive adequate care. Doctors and nurses are unable to tend to everybody. They lack machines to ventilate all those gasping for air.

Now the Italian College of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI) has published guidelines for the criteria that doctors and nurses should follow in these extraordinary circumstances. The document begins by likening the moral choices facing Italian doctors to the forms of wartime triage that are required in the field of “catastrophe medicine.” Instead of providing intensive care to all patients who need it, its authors suggest, it may become necessary to follow “the most widely shared criteria regarding distributive justice and the appropriate allocation of limited health resources.”

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The toilet paper mad dash stems from a facebook post where someone had encourage people to stock up as they claimed T.P. comes from China and China may shut down exports.

I do believe some people actually believe that (heck my mother-in-law could have been one of those people). I however am confident that is NOT actually the main reason people have gone out and bought toilet paper. To even state that on the Boards well it's actually part of the problem. It takes what is much more likely a small, but extreme, part of a population and applies that to everyone's behavior.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

We need some more first hand accounts of this virus .. maybe some of the people that think it's nothing should hang out in airports and hospital waiting rooms for a few days. Report back in and let us know how it goes.

 

[willowsnn3]

Funny, my wife works for a small daycare. They have used these supplies every day of the year for as long as the business has been going. It is not like they have some secret supplier for these things. They go to BJ's or Sam's Club. And if they run out well then they can't clean all of the normal germs that go around a daycare.

Right! We have classes here on weekends (DUI & Defensive Driving) & company has someone come out & do floors/restrooms twice a month & I clean student tables & such before each class. No one is really here during the week except me only if they come in to register (most pay online). I usually always have the Clorox spray & other disinfectants that I purchase myself anyway for home & actually purchased a large supply at the first of the year trying to purchase items for the whole year so I will use those if need be and re stock once supply is available again.

 

[luvsJack]

I do believe some people actually believe that (heck my mother-in-law could have been one of those people). I however am confident that is NOT actually the main reason people have gone out and bought toilet paper. To even state that on the Boards well it's actually part of the problem. It takes what is much more likely a small, but extreme, part of a population and applies that to everyone's behavior.

Its already been said that the rush to buy TP here was due to the shortage in China. And it makes sense. How else does one explain the craziness in buying it in bulk like is being done? People buy stuff in times like these because either
they actually need it,
someone told them there is a shortage,
they have noticed a shortage
or they see someone else buying loads of it.

I see it every single year with hurricanes. If people's anxiety is already up and they think they are going to need something or its possible they will run out of something, they will buy enough to last at least 6 months. And they cause a shortage.

The same thing is happening with the hand sanitizer, the cleaning supplies and the hand soap. All of a sudden there was a mad dash for it, the stores weren't prepared for the mad dash and now the shelves are bare. More can be made. We aren't out of the ingredients all over the country, but people buying a huge supply causes a temporary shortage.

 

[luvsJack]

Funny, my wife works for a small daycare. They have used these supplies every day of the year for as long as the business has been going. It is not like they have some secret supplier for these things. They go to BJ's or Sam's Club. And if they run out well then they can't clean all of the normal germs that go around a daycare.

We made our own Clorox spray. Bleach and water. Killed all the germs. Are the stores running out of just plain bleach too?

 

[erc]

We made our own Clorox spray. Bleach and water. Killed all the germs. Are the stores running out of just plain bleach too?

Actually yes. Some stores were. And not a bottle of rubbing alcohol to be found anywhere. Pretty crazy.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

We made our own Clorox spray. Bleach and water. Killed all the germs. Are the stores running out of just plain bleach too?

Some here are. Some folks have moved to that as their solution.

 

[luvsJack]

Actually yes. Some stores were. And not a bottle of rubbing alcohol to be found anywhere. Pretty crazy.

Wow! That is going to make it tough for centers to even stay open! You have to have germ killing cleaning products!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Actually yes. Some stores were. And not a bottle of rubbing alcohol to be found anywhere. Pretty crazy.

We were going to do rubbing alcohol no dice.

My husband did however buy hand santizer through Menards online (as some situations it won't be practical to use the wipes we were lucky to get, washing hands won't be readily available for him or I when we are out and about on our travels, and none was to be had in the stores). His purchase was an online purchase only though meaning it wasn't available for in store purchase. It was ship to store and is ready to pick up today.

 

[hopemax]

60 of those infected came from a nursing Home in Washington state. That nursing home became infected when a new resident was admitted who had just come from China. Unaware he was infected he already spread the virus thus infecting one third of its 180 staff members. Of the residents who had died from the virus all had underlying health conditions. Its quite possible that any sort of flu would have killed them. Twenty three of the 38 deaths here in the U,S. have been linked to this same nursing home. Sixty percent of the 1339 are linked to this long term care nursing home. So, it seems more isolated then the media would like us to believe.

A single person is responsible for the deaths of 23 people and infecting 60 (I think this number is actually higher, there are 55 residents that are positive, I don't think it includes the deaths or the employees, one number I saw is that 70 employees are experiencing symptoms) and you find that number reassuring?

I think it simply highlights the dangers associated with this virus, if it ends up in the wrong cluster of people. There are 70 million people in the US over the age of 60, half of which are over the age of 70. How many of them are people willing to write off under some misplaced coping mechanism "well, they would have died anyway"? Nevermind, that many people that will die were not "on death's door" but had manageable conditions, if not for this.

The researchers and stats people say we are about 2 weeks behind Italy, where they are now experiencing deaths that can be measured in "hundreds per day." In a country whose entire population is less than the number of people who are aged "60 or older" here.

Let's come back in two weeks and see how everyone is feeling.

 

[osufeth24]

Just got back from my local walmart. Shelves were completely empty of all cold&flu medicine (nyquil, etc), no Vitamin C D or Zinc. Many aspirins out too

 

[Diznygrl]

So I don't think this thread is doing much to help the OP's anxiety...

 

[Mom2Stitch]

We still have the meds, tp, and I saw some soap, but not anti bacterial. There was no hand sanitzer, no cleaning stuff, no bleach, and no wipes-antibacterial or cleaning. I ran into the dollar tree just to check and got lucky that there was an employee stocking there. She asked what I needed and I asked for hand sanitzer-she pulled a few out of a box for me and stated that they were limiting people to 5. They also had a few containers of wipes and some of the travel sized hand sanitizer that come 2 in a box. I picked up a couple of each item.

Not so funny story-I saw those travel sized hand sanitizers on ebay-asking price of $30.00 for 1 box!

 

[Kennywood]

If someone who's sick gets too close to me, I'm going all Sheldon Cooper on them!

 

[hopemax]

So I don't think this thread is doing much to help the OP's anxiety...

Minimizing the pandemic is misguided and not an effective solution. Just kicking the can down the road. However, there are still ways to minimize anxiety.

1. What is your personal risk?

If you are healthy and young, and not a medical professional on the front line working yourself to death. Yes, you will probably be fine. There is a lot of evidence backing this up.

2. What is your risk to others?

I wouldn't want to be that employee from the Life Care Center, and I don't think anyone else would want to find out they were responsible for the deaths and exposure to that many people either. Unfortunately, the research is coming back that people are highly contagious days before experiencing symptoms. So people have to be pro-active about their exposure to others, not reactive once they start feeling sick. Good thing, reducing your risk to others is easy. Stay away from people as much as possible. If you are already an introvert, you got this!

Unfortunately, if you are in a high risk group, this won't help much, other than staying away from people too.

In my experience, knowing that you are taking the necessary steps, being part of the solution, lessens the anxiety too.

 

[luvsJack]

Actually yes. Some stores were. And not a bottle of rubbing alcohol to be found anywhere. Pretty crazy.

If she can get peroxide, it will disinfect too. It just isn't "spray and wipe", you have to let it sit for a bit. And apparently vinegar will too? Not sure one that one though.

I was just thinking about my days in child care. Without bleach, I am afraid we would have had a lot more illness. We kept down almost everything from going through the center by cleaning all surfaces with bleach water and washing the toys with bleach water every other day and on the days we didn't wash them, we sprayed with Lysol (during nap time). We used a LOT of bleach.

 

[DisneyOma]

Never mind, not worth the points.