jiminyC_fan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2001
Mckennarose, I am so sorry that you even have to experience the horror that you are right now. It's hard to fathom what day to day life is like for you. I wish you the very best for you and your loved ones.Well, after reading this thread I'm under the impression that:
1. people in other areas of the country don't have clue what it's like being in a hot spot with raising cases/deaths each day.
2. some people genuinely don't care about their part in stopping/curbing/slowing the spread. After all, if you're not "high risk" then why should you have any personal responsibility since it *shouldn't* affect you personally.
Just throwing out some facts from what I live in day to day...
I live in NE PA, 2 hours outside of NYC, in a hot spot and epicenter in my state. PA is currently #4 in cases, under NY, NJ, and MA. We have more cases than California, TX, and Florida. Transportation vans/cabs/rentals still drive daily to NYC for people to work or bring them here to work, which in turn brought the virus here. It's proven, not an opinion. Our local government has tried to stop them, and thankfully some have willingly complied, but others do not. No one coming back from NYC has self quarantined for 14 days, as per our state government's guidelines. I guess their attitude is "not my problem", right? They're not immunocompromised, elderly, high risk so why worry?
We don't have enough tests. Our cases in my county alone are estimated in the thousands with only approx. 1,800 tested positive. Our local hospital has changed the criteria for testing to 1. people with symptoms that are elderly, 2. people with symptoms that are considered high risk. No one can get a test if you're a " normal" person without a medical issue, even if you have symptoms. Also, with all the NY and NJ people here and testing positive, their numbers do not get recorded here... they get recorded as a positive in the state they reside in. Even if they are here right now. The numbers are massively skewed.
Because people can't get tests, they are actively spreading it because there is no legal mandate to keep them home in self isolation for 14 days. If you're suspected as having the virus, can't get a test because you don't fit the new criteria, you can freely go back to work whenever you feel like it because you are technically not positive. But again... if you're not elderly or high risk why should you worry? Right? People who are suspected positive don't have to alert those they've been in contact with, including those people needing to self isolate for 14 days.
There are MANY, MANY businesses that have deemed themselves "essential" and "life sustaining", when in fact they aren't and have continued to operate, and in turn have been hot beds for spread. There is no governing agency to oversee these businesses, their label of "essential" or "life sustaining" or a governing agency to even review what they do/produce as an essential or life sustaining necessity. As a result, these businesses have stayed open, (a craft distribution center? a clothing distributor?) and they are now dealing with a 40% - 70% reduction in their staff due to either contracting the virus, or leaving the business because of their fear of contracting it. Yet they still operate, with nothing done between shifts when someone tests positive, no cleaning or not adequate cleaning before the next shift comes in. Again, no governing agency, no mandates for a pandemic, no protocol.
Do I know people personally who have tested positive? Yes. Many at this point. Is it only those at high risk or elderly affected? No. One of my dd's friends is 23, no health issues and on oxygen right now from the virus. One co-worker of another of my children was late 30's, healthy, and died from it. No prior health issues. The 23 year old with it right now.... he had a very cavalier attitude about it since he wasn't elderly or high risk, so he attended a party two weeks ago with about 100 people. Now he's infected and has since spread it. He finally got a test when he couldn't breathe and was admitted to the hospital.
I am not interested in debates on what people's opinions are about this. I'm simply stating facts of what life is like in a hot zone. My husband is now in self quarantine for 14 days because a fellow co-worker was sick, unable to get a test as she didn't fit the criteria, and subsequently infected another co-worker who was able to get a test who had also been near my husband. But because the first co-worker never got a positive test (due to lack of testing and new testing criteria of only testing those with symptoms over 65 or high risk) he was exposed because the first co-worker didn't take it upon herself to be responsible to do the right thing and alert her co-workers of her suspected covid. After all.... no test... no positive result.... no need to self quarantine or alert people. Someone else's problem, right?
I am high risk; I have autoimmune disease and now my family is at risk because of other people deciding to not self isolate or even inform others of their suspected illness. So all this talk about people being able to chose for themselves to isolate or not is bs to me. You have the right, obviously, but what about those of us who didn't leave the house for over a month.... who followed the rules... who thought of others?
We are an example of how those at high risk can get exposed, even if I never left my house.
You have a right to do what you want, but don't kid yourself in thinking it's not a problem for the entire US. I know not all areas are in the situation like mine, and I'm glad. I am all for re-starting the economy. I'm just saying that we all need to be careful, RESPONSIBLE, and aware of how our decisions can impact others. Even if we "have the right to self isolate". It's surprising how I could be exposed when I had been self isolating and so, so careful.
I chose to self isolate for protection, which I was "free to do so"
My husband's employer deemed themselves "essential" and "life sustaining" and has stayed open
We don't have the luxury of just quitting his job and going without pay or insurance, or taking an extended leave
We don't have testing available here, even if you're symptomatic unless you fit certain criteria
No positive test, no reason to quarantine, nothing legal to mandate protection for others
See the issue? It's not as simple as "Anyone that wants to self isolate is free to do so." But that's not your, or anyone else's problem. I guess it's ours alone and we have to deal with it.
If you're not in a hot zone you don't understand. I hope other areas don't get to this point. We have a mandatory 8pm curfew, mandated to wear masks every day outside the house, no access to testing unless you fit certain criteria. It's not as simple as "I don't know why I have to stay home if I'm not sick or at risk".
The title of the thread is "will this end up being the pandemic that cried wolf?" For some... yes. For us it will be the pandemic that we didn't have enough support, resources or time to fight. I am thankful that recent studies and opinions have the death toll much lower than anticipated. I'm thankful that other areas of the country are not as bad as we are and are ready to get moving again. But that doesn't discount where we currently are, and the possibility that the virus can still spread like it has here, especially if people are not careful, personally responsible or cavalier. Our new reality is that we have to deal with this virus the best we can. But we still have to think of others and our country as a whole in the decisions we make.
I pray that some on this thread will come to realize how dangerous the virus really is before it's too late for themselves or their families. It saddens me to think how people are stuck with the idea that it only affects the elderly, the overweight and the ill. That attitude will put their children at risk. Kids look up to us as parents to take care of them and to put them in harms way is mind boggling.