How Strict Are You With Social Distancing?

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I have been very strict. I go to one grocery store every three weeks, so that if I am exposed there is enough time for symptoms to appear before the next trip. We have community mailboxes, and I only go get my mail once a week, on Sunday when there is no delivery. So far I haven’t seen anyone else there when I arrive, but if there were, I would stay in my car until they have gone. That’s it. I haven’t gone anywhere else. I haven’t had take out or food delivery at all. The few packages of non food I have received are quarantined for a few days before opening. There is a huge retirement community just across the street from our development, and I feel a responsibility to the community to do my part in minimizing risk not only to myself but to them as well. It has been lonely though. I need to get some grass seed (too heavy to ship) and some other things, but I am giving it a few more weeks.

I know some of my higher risk co workers haven’t been as strict and I find that amazing. Our department has seven people and all seven have some additional risk factor, whether chronic illness, weight, age, etc. So far (knocking on wood) no one has been ill from Covid-19. They aren’t planning to reopen our office for another six weeks, and I do have some concerns about whether people will distance properly or not (we already know masks, and probably gloves, will be required).

I’ve seen lots of people saying they only grocery shop every 3 weeks. What do you do about produce? Have you just gone to canned/frozen? Changed eating habits? I feel like a lot of fresh produce doesn’t even last a week!

 

[fla4fun]

I’ve seen lots of people saying they only grocery shop every 3 weeks. What do you do about produce? Have you just gone to canned/frozen? Changed eating habits? I feel like a lot of fresh produce doesn’t even last a week!

For veg, I get about half fresh and half frozen. I eat the fresh until it is gone then move to the frozen. The fresh usually lasts at least a week and often a week and a half, depending on what it is. Fruit has been mostly canned, because I stock up on canned fruit for hurricane season. When I buy onions, I chop about a third of them and put them in snack size ziploc bags and freeze them for cooking. For the third week, I sometimes plan things like a pot of chili or a homemade lasagne that covers several nights and I can utilize the frozen chopped onion. The veggie pickings get a little slim the last day or two, but I have been making it work. I have adjusted my mindset a little that I can’t always eat exactly what I want to, but I can eat something I like.

 

[ponyboy]

And Honestly, well, I appreciate your honesty. It confirms to me that I will need to continue to be strong, and follow the CDC guidance while this novel coronavirus continues to spread across the nation. I also don't believe all of the data coming out of certain states. My state, in NJ, yes, I believe that we're getting the truth when it comes to cases and deaths. States that opened up early not so much. It's interesting that in Florida, Texas and Georgia, well, things seem to be pretty much under control with respect to COVID right? However, there seems to be a *huge* jump in "pneumonia" deaths in all three of these states this year from February through May. Interesting....wonder why that would be?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1266216971353427968

So you think there's a statewide conspiracy in Texas? Do know how big Texas is and how hard it would be to convince the huge number of medical professionals to go along with the conspiracy to hide corona deaths? We're 35 times the size of New Jersey with 3x the number of people. That's a pretty big area that consists of a lot of people in the medical community that would have to buy into a cover up.

In any case, you won't have to wait long to see the results. Most things here in Texas are pretty much back to normal except for reduced capacity in restaurants and stuff. If your suspicions are right then there should be a huge spike in cases and deaths very soon. If it doesn't materialize then your conspiracy theory is dead in the water.

Also I'll add that I'm just north of Dallas in an area of about 100k people and I would estimate that maybe 10-20% wear masks while the vast majority does not. In the county I'm in we have about 1.9 confirmed cases per 1k people. I'm sure the actually number is much, much higher but since the vast majority of people show little to no symptoms, unless there is mass antibody testing nobody will really know the actual numbers, they're nothing but guesses.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

And Honestly, well, I appreciate your honesty. It confirms to me that I will need to continue to be strong, and follow the CDC guidance while this novel coronavirus continues to spread across the nation. I also don't believe all of the data coming out of certain states. My state, in NJ, yes, I believe that we're getting the truth when it comes to cases and deaths. States that opened up early not so much. It's interesting that in Florida, Texas and Georgia, well, things seem to be pretty much under control with respect to COVID right? However, there seems to be a *huge* jump in "pneumonia" deaths in all three of these states this year from February through May. Interesting....wonder why that would be?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1266216971353427968

Tweet is unavailable

 

[Colleen27]

So you think there's a statewide conspiracy in Texas? Do know how big Texas is and how hard it would be to convince the huge number of medical professionals to go along with the conspiracy to hide corona deaths? We're 35 times the size of New Jersey with 3x the number of people. That's a pretty big area that consists of a lot of people in the medical community that would have to buy into a cover up.

In any case, you won't have to wait long to see the results. Most things here in Texas are pretty much back to normal except for reduced capacity in restaurants and stuff. If your suspicions are right then there should be a huge spike in cases and deaths very soon. If it doesn't materialize then your conspiracy theory is dead in the water.

Also I'll add that I'm just north of Dallas in an area of about 100k people and I would estimate that maybe 10-20% wear masks while the vast majority does not. In the county I'm in we have about 1.9 confirmed cases per 1k people. I'm sure the actually number is much, much higher but since the vast majority of people show little to no symptoms, unless there is mass antibody testing nobody will really know the actual numbers, they're nothing but guesses.

It is funny how people tend to see conspiracies where other explanations suffice. We've known for some time now that there are differences in the standards states are using to classify a death as due to COVID19. Some are requiring a positive test, so if death happens at home or at a time when testing resources are strained, the deceased might not get the test done in a timely manner and therefore ends up with another official cause of death (often temporarily - as testing capacity has grown, older samples are being revisited). Others are preemptively classifying certain types of death as COVID19 even in the absence of a positive test if the symptoms point to a probable case, and some of those end up being revised to other causes later. It is really a very ordinary refining of data, but in this situation it has become fodder for conspiracy theories on both sides.

Few of the predicted spikes have materialized. And the different approaches different places have taken to this thing give us a lot of data, if we're willing to look at it objectively. The big spikes that were forecast based on beach openings and protests never materialized, but outbreaks have been linked to the resumption of church services. The case for masks got a lot stronger after the situation with the two hairstylists in Minnesota - 140 confirmed direct exposures, but so far only two positives among those exposures. But right now, both sides are so dug in on their way of seeing the pandemic that they're not open to nuance or to data that conflicts with their chosen approach. So it almost doesn't matter if reopening the beaches doesn't cause a single new case or if opening the malls creates huge new hotspots; the people who are more comfortable with keeping things closed will still want things closed and those who want everything reopened will still want life to go back to normal.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

In my state you have to wear a mask in any place of business. Grocery stores, Lowe’s, Walmart. All of those places are always crowded even though they count you as you go in. And the line to get into Lowe’s is always long and everyone is on top of each other. I just leave when there’s a line to get into the store but I’ve only encountered that at Lowe’s. I go to a store probably 3 times a week and I always wear a mask since it’s the law. I don’t wear a mask where it’s not required. When I go for a walk or go outside or on the beach I don’t wear a mask.

I work in an admin suite of a hospital. My office has about ten ppl going in and out. Staff, docs and nurses. There’s about 4-5 of us here all of the time. We only wear masks when we leave the suite and are in the main hospital area. When we’re in our suite no masks. We have 6 feet between us but there are times we have to work in close proximity.

We’ve started to loosen up in our personal lives.

We were having socially distanced small gatherings in a friends back yard Once or twice throughout this. A few friends, byob and a fire pit. Other than that we didn’t have outside contact except for me at work and when we went to the store. We did that from end of March until mid May. Then we started loosening up.

Our state lifted the ban on gatherings to 25 people last week so we had a bbq this weekend with ten friends. We went to the beach Wednesday with our friends and kids. Ive started letting the kids have friends over. I would’ve allowed them sooner but other parents weren't comfortable with it but in the last two weeks they’ve eased up. DD had a sleepover at my friends house with her kids. No masks but we wash our hands often and we aren’t on top of each other.

Other than that we continue to wash our hands and when out in public we social distance and respect other people’s spaces. And we wear masks where required by law.

 

[bbak30]

I do whenever possible. Grocery stores, gas station, etc...
However, I"m also one of those that feel like this entire thing has been blown out of proportion and the media has caused everyone to panic. I'm not saying we shouldn't be cautious, I just believe we have gone overboard.
We hang out with friends who feel the same way and have gone out to eat a few times. I have no problem doing those things.
But each person should do as they feel comfortable. I do keep in mind that not everyone feels the same way I do so I wear my mask in public and keep my distance.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I do whenever possible. Grocery stores, gas station, etc...
However, I"m also one of those that feel like this entire thing has been blown out of proportion and the media has caused everyone to panic. I'm not saying we shouldn't be cautious, I just believe we have gone overboard.
We hang out with friends who feel the same way and have gone out to eat a few times. I have no problem doing those things.
But each person should do as they feel comfortable. I do keep in mind that not everyone feels the same way I do so I wear my mask in public and keep my distance.

Yea. We only do this with friends who we know feel comfortable. We have other friends that don’t feel comfortable and they’ve been invited but they say they don’t feel comfortable yet. No harm no foul and no hard feelings. We still have a group chat and do google duo calls and we will all get back together when they feel ok with it.

 

[Dani314]

I’ve seen lots of people saying they only grocery shop every 3 weeks. What do you do about produce? Have you just gone to canned/frozen? Changed eating habits? I feel like a lot of fresh produce doesn’t even last a week!

I personally get a combination of both. Try to go thru the fresh fruit and veggies first. The fruit does go quick, which sucks. I’ll crave pineapple and realize, ope ya ate it all 2 days ago!

 

[Dani314]

I honestly wasn’t expecting so much feedback when I started this thread! I think it’s important to have these conversations....whether we agree or disagree; they’re healthy. My friend texted me saying she’s going to a birthday party tomorrow and I’m secretly judging but I also know that she’s a grown person capable of making her own decisions and knows the risks, just like all of us. Hope everyone continues to be safe and know that I pray daily that this is over! As a self proclaimed introvert, even I am missing social interaction and being around a lot of people!

 

[etoiles]

I’ve seen lots of people saying they only grocery shop every 3 weeks. What do you do about produce? Have you just gone to canned/frozen? Changed eating habits? I feel like a lot of fresh produce doesn’t even last a week!

I go every two weeks and my produce lasts. I actually went today and have two whole watermelons in the fridge. Two whole pineapples in the basement. Cabbage and potatoes in the basement. Squash in the pantry. Peaches, nectarines, plums, etc in the pantry to ripen. Lots of onions, carrots, celery. Asparagus in a glass of water in the door of the fridge. Two one pound tubs of baby spinach. Bag of oranges, apples. At first we’ll eat berries, corn and fresh herbs like cilantro and basil. In the pantry I also have a cans of artichokes and jars of roasted red peppers for supplements and frozen veggies too. Two kids and two adults.

 

[Boopuff]

I do whenever possible. Grocery stores, gas station, etc...
However, I"m also one of those that feel like this entire thing has been blown out of proportion and the media has caused everyone to panic. I'm not saying we shouldn't be cautious, I just believe we have gone overboard.
We hang out with friends who feel the same way and have gone out to eat a few times. I have no problem doing those things.
But each person should do as they feel comfortable. I do keep in mind that not everyone feels the same way I do so I wear my mask in public and keep my distance.

My kindred spirit! I agree!!

 

[charming23]

I wear a mask when I go out to any stores which is basically the grocery every week except tonight I treated myself and I went to Target. I have not been since mid February when I used the gift card I got for my birthday.

however I have loosened up a little bit when it comes to family and close friends. We have all been at home social distancing and we were masks when we go places so I don’t feel too uncomfortable hanging out with people. It’s never a big crowd couple Sundays ago I had two coworkers over we sat outside on my patio socially distancing ordered pizza and had some beers. And then Monday I had my aunt my best friend and her family over for a little cookout we sat outside we enjoyed the warm weather cooked on the grill. It was nice to just feel semi-normal for a little bit.

 

[ponyboy]

It is funny how people tend to see conspiracies where other explanations suffice. We've known for some time now that there are differences in the standards states are using to classify a death as due to COVID19. Some are requiring a positive test, so if death happens at home or at a time when testing resources are strained, the deceased might not get the test done in a timely manner and therefore ends up with another official cause of death (often temporarily - as testing capacity has grown, older samples are being revisited). Others are preemptively classifying certain types of death as COVID19 even in the absence of a positive test if the symptoms point to a probable case, and some of those end up being revised to other causes later. It is really a very ordinary refining of data, but in this situation it has become fodder for conspiracy theories on both sides.

Few of the predicted spikes have materialized. And the different approaches different places have taken to this thing give us a lot of data, if we're willing to look at it objectively. The big spikes that were forecast based on beach openings and protests never materialized, but outbreaks have been linked to the resumption of church services. The case for masks got a lot stronger after the situation with the two hairstylists in Minnesota - 140 confirmed direct exposures, but so far only two positives among those exposures. But right now, both sides are so dug in on their way of seeing the pandemic that they're not open to nuance or to data that conflicts with their chosen approach. So it almost doesn't matter if reopening the beaches doesn't cause a single new case or if opening the malls creates huge new hotspots; the people who are more comfortable with keeping things closed will still want things closed and those who want everything reopened will still want life to go back to normal.

The biggest problem I see is that many people think that we are somehow "stopping" this whole thing with masks and social distancing. That if we just stay home for a little longer then everything will be "safe". Except we aren't stopping anything, merely slowing it down. None of the steps we've taken are solutions, only reactions. If people are waiting for the virus to die off to declare it "safe" then they'll be waiting until the end of time because most likely it's never going away. They complain that things are happening "too soon" but they can't explain how long they think we should wait, just that we need to wait until it's "Safer", whatever that means.

I'm not sure how long it's going to take for them to understand any of this but I wish they would hurry up. Lol

 

[dvcgirl67]

So you think there's a statewide conspiracy in Texas? Do know how big Texas is and how hard it would be to convince the huge number of medical professionals to go along with the conspiracy to hide corona deaths? We're 35 times the size of New Jersey with 3x the number of people. That's a pretty big area that consists of a lot of people in the medical community that would have to buy into a cover up.

In any case, you won't have to wait long to see the results. Most things here in Texas are pretty much back to normal except for reduced capacity in restaurants and stuff. If your suspicions are right then there should be a huge spike in cases and deaths very soon. If it doesn't materialize then your conspiracy theory is dead in the water.

Also I'll add that I'm just north of Dallas in an area of about 100k people and I would estimate that maybe 10-20% wear masks while the vast majority does not. In the county I'm in we have about 1.9 confirmed cases per 1k people. I'm sure the actually number is much, much higher but since the vast majority of people show little to no symptoms, unless there is mass antibody testing nobody will really know the actual numbers, they're nothing but guesses.

I think that Texas is underreporting COVID cases and deaths. Yes. 100%.

 

[2letterwords]

I wear a mask for groceries, etc... We social distance for walks/parks. Most of my family is in NY (I'm in PA) and we haven't yet been able to have a funeral for my grandmother who passed away in April. Too many of my loved ones are in at-risk groups.

 

[ponyboy]

I think that Texas is underreporting COVID cases and deaths. Yes. 100%.

It's a fact that EVERY state is underreporting cases, because there's no way to count them since the majority have little to no symptoms. Except in small cases only the sickest of the sick who seek medical attention are being tested.

I seriously doubt that any state is underreporting deaths, other than possibly in the beginning when there was limited testing, because even when covid may just be a contributing factor to an underlying condition, it's still being reported as the cause of death. My sister is director at a large hospital here so I get a lot of direct information and in our area of 136k people we've had one confirmed death. While the actual cause of death was a heart attack they listed covid as the cause because he was sick.

But like I said, if you believe the underreporting is true then you'll find out for sure soon enough because as we open up there will be a huge increase in cases that will be impossible to hide.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It's a fact that EVERY state is underreporting cases, because there's no way to count them since the majority have little to no symptoms. Except in small cases only the sickest of the sick who seek medical attention are being tested.

Yes to your first no to your second. Generally speaking states and areas within states have increased testing efforts which are not necessarily tied to only showing symptoms. It's important to know where the numbers are coming from rather what I usually see which is people all stressed and saying we shouldn't have starting opening because numbers are increasing.

 

[ponyboy]

Yes to your first no to your second. Generally speaking states and areas within states have increased testing efforts which are not necessarily tied to only showing symptoms. It's important to know where the numbers are coming from rather what I usually see which is people all stressed and saying we shouldn't have starting opening because numbers are increasing.

Yes they have but not on a big enough scale to get a handle on the true numbers. The CDC is currently reporting about 17M tests have been conducted within the US as of May 29. So out of a population of 328M only about 5% of the populations has been tested. That's just not enough to give an accurate count when the vast majority of those tests have been in hot spots such as NYC and Chicago.

I agree that more tests are being conducted on a growing number of people but it's still not enough yet to extract reliable data.

 

[dvcgirl67]

The biggest problem I see is that many people think that we are somehow "stopping" this whole thing with masks and social distancing. That if we just stay home for a little longer then everything will be "safe". Except we aren't stopping anything, merely slowing it down. None of the steps we've taken are solutions, only reactions. If people are waiting for the virus to die off to declare it "safe" then they'll be waiting until the end of time because most likely it's never going away. They complain that things are happening "too soon" but they can't explain how long they think we should wait, just that we need to wait until it's "Safer", whatever that means.

Mitigation, or "staying home" and socially distancing when going out was the only "solution" we were left with given the leadership that we have. Mitigation had to happen so that our hospitals were not completely overrun. It worked. But that also doesn't mean that the virus will not return as we slowly open up in some states...and race to the open in others.

And yes, you are correct, it's not going away. But as a former ICU nurse who speaks to my friends who went through the true surge here in NJ, trust me, you don't want to get the worst version of this virus. If you're younger and lucky enough to survive and get off the ventilator, you're left with scarred lungs...for life. And remdesivir isn't a panacea, and lord knows hydroxychloroquine isn't.

In my immediate family and friend group, we always said the toughest part would be when the lock down ended. I'm starting to see the type of behavior you are seeing all over Texas here in NJ, albeit not quite as widespread.

I have an acquaintance who has decided they "need to get away!". So, she, her 15 year old daughter and her 80 year old mother are heading down to their condo in Boca Raton Florida. They don't have N-95 masks. And they're going to get on what will likely be a packed flight, which is literally the best way to catch this thing....because they're a little stir crazy. I would think that if her Mom gets the virus, and possibly dies, because they somehow feel invincible....well, she's going to feel awfully guilty. Dr. William Schnaffner, head of infectious disease and preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University, who is one of the leading experts in his field said it straight up...."you should not fly if you don't need to travel". Dr. Birx said it's okay to play tennis with "marked tennis balls"....meaning, she's still concerned enough about the transmission of this virus that simply touching another person's tennis ball could transmit the virus.

So, I'm just going to keep listening to those people. Also, I'm old enough to remember when remember when we had 15 cases that "would soon be gone". That it "would just go away in April with the heat". When "we'll have 60,000 cases by August 4th". How our response is actually "an American success story".

Closing in on 105,000 deaths....and counting. If this is an "American Success Story"......we need to redefine what "winning" looks like.