People still having play dates...

[fly girl]

Our kids are 14 and 12. They still have friends over. The so called rule is groups over 10. It’s fine to have a life during all this.
the neighborhood kids still play ball and ride their scooters or bikes. Life goes on. Just not in big groups like school. This is in every neighbourhood I see. I live in Ohio.
while at work at the fire station. We just have be with less than 10 co workers. So like breakfast and all. Other stations come together to eat. Just no more than 10 of us.
I would not let the kids have more than one or two friends over at once. Small groups is the key. Keep it under 10 as CDC asks.
I mean there is two houses being built right down the street. A lot of workers on site doing that. People have to work etc.

My kid is 12. I live in Cincy. We have a life during all of this, but it is not with other people. This is not happening in my neighborhood, my subdivision Facebook page has ratted out the families that did this. (and no, I was not one of them)

Like yourself, we have an essential worker in our home. We are treating him like he has Covid-19. Yes, we are social distancing in our home. Personally, the last thing I would want to do is put my daughter's friends and their family at risk. Especially when some of them live with grandparents who have underlying issues.

Obviously you disagree. But I feel having anyone over, even 1 person, is not heeding the pleas they are asking us to abide.

You're right, people have to work. However, people don't have to have friends over.

 

[dez1978]

my kids are sill going to daycare bc I work at a hospital. There are about 15 kids that are still there every day. Not much different than a playdate really.

 

[pryncess527]

I think this is something that people are going to have to decide for themselves, to a certain degree. I have friends who are allowing limited social contact, within the "no more than 10" guidelines, and I have friends who are shaming people for walking the dog because that's leaving the house unnecessarily. Objectively - the residents of a cul de sac socializing with only one another, assuming none of them are essential employees who are still going into a high-risk workplace like a hospital or grocery store, are still a closed circle, so letting the kids play together is pretty low risk. With reminders about hand washing and other basic hygiene, I'd probably allow it too, assuming I knew the other families well enough to be familiar with and comfortable with the other precautions they're taking.

I agree. I think the important thing here is keeping a small group of contacts where everyone is taking strong precautions. If this group isn’t, then having play dates seems kind of foolish. But I don’t think you have to stay 100% with just your immediate household as long as your group is small. Like me for example, I live alone. My parents live a few blocks away, but I have still been visiting with them. It keeps me sane. If I was going to work, I’d probably keep more distance since I don’t want to pick anything up from the office and spread it to my parents, but since I’ve been working from home for 2 weeks, they are literally the only people I’ve visited with. The only other things I’ve done are outside walks and a grocery store trip. Other than a handful of quick trips themselves, my parents have been at home too.

I agree. Unfortunately, I don’t think the idea of creating insulated social circles was very well explained or publicized and so not many people seem to think of social isolation in this way. I told my mom about it because she lives alone and she wanted know if it was OK to hang out with two other friends who also alone. Forming social groups like this that are isolated externally but can hang out & support each other together is a key to avoiding depression.

but it’s also important that members of those groups not have contact with people outside, or the isolation is broken for everyone.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

It's like the disney bubble in your imaaaaaaginaaaaaaaation... stay with your group...

 

[spiders]

I’m not suggesting having a play date but calm down. We are all getting exposed. It’s just slower right now.

I have to go to work. I’m also the one who is going to the grocery store. The people I work with are also the ones going to the grocery store. Other people still working are going to that same grocery store. Those who are working from home are then going to that grocery store.

We’re all still going to the grocery store which to me is much worse than a play date - again, I’m not suggesting you have one.

At the end of the day, you can only control yourself. Getting riled up about what other people are doing, if it doesn’t involve you, is not going to change anything besides make you upset which will also negatively impact your immune system.

 

[Wendy31]

DH is an essential employee & is still going to work. (However, about 2/3 of the employees have been sent home, so, even while at work, he has limited contact w/ people.). DH is also going to the grocery store when needed.

Other than that, the 5 of us are at home & seeing no one outside of our own immediate family. We’re not seeing our siblings & their children, we’re not seeing our parents, & we’re not having any play dates or get-togethers w/ friends.

There’s some graphic out there I saw which showed exactly how much exposure/contact there is when one person goes outside of his/her immediate family - like with play dates or get togethers w/ even 1 or 2 friends. When your son or daughter gets together w/ a friend, then you’re opening your family up to every single person w/ whom that friend’s family has had contact.

Additionally, the rate of exposure & infection w/ Covid-19 is much worse than w/ the flu, & many people w/ no symptoms are still infectious.

Earlier today, I think it was the Indiana governor who said, “Don’t gamble with your life and don’t gamble with others.”

And the Pennsylvania governor said, “Avoid leaving your house like someone’s life depends on it, because ultimately, someone’s life does depend on it.”

There are so many essential employees who don’t get a choice on whether or not to stay home - they’re going to work to keep our country running. And the more people that ignore the social distancing & continue to get together w/ friends & extended family, the riskier it is for the people who can’t stay home.

 

[Runnergal]

No, none. I have 4 kids and they have been out of school 2.5 weeks. No friends, no playdates. It annoys me because as long as there are people don’t take this seriously, the longer it will be before we ever get back to normal. It’s one thing to be an essential worker and need childcare. Playdates are not necessary.

 

[Colleen27]

The less than ten rule came when the virus was still fairly rare in this country. By avoiding large groups, your chance of getting the virus was smaller. Now, the virus is spreading rapidly. More and more people have it making any contact more dangerous. The only way to be really safe is to see only your immediate family group who do not see others.

The idea of flattening the curve isn't centered around no one getting the disease, though. The aim is to limit the numbers who get it at any one time. Large groups are bad because, as we've seen on the cruise ships, they result in hundreds or even thousands of people getting sick all at once. Small groups mean the risk is limited to small clusters, not huge outbreaks. The "ideal" curve of this thing would be a steady trickle of new cases, never so many that they overwhelm medical capacity but enough that they allow for a gradual build-up of herd immunity... a flatter curve, not no curve at all. But we as a nation are prone to a lot of all-or-nothing thinking, and our leaders (on both sides, this isn't a partisan critique) are misleading and misstating things in order to make them more palatable to the general public.

The other option is complete and total lockdown until we have a vaccine that could produce artificial herd immunity, but that's likely to take a year if not more and I don't think anyone believes this country is prepared to endure that.

 

[Heather07438]

I’m not suggesting having a play date but calm down. We are all getting exposed. It’s just slower right now.

I have to go to work. I’m also the one who is going to the grocery store. The people I work with are also the ones going to the grocery store. Other people still working are going to that same grocery store. Those who are working from home are then going to that grocery store.

We’re all still going to the grocery store which to me is much worse than a play date - again, I’m not suggesting you have one.

At the end of the day, you can only control yourself. Getting riled up about what other people are doing, if it doesn’t involve you, is not going to change anything besides make you upset which will also negatively impact your immune system.

True story and I agree with not getting riled up. Hopefully those in control of the town or state are keeping an eye to keep it under control. But... Depends how much you trust them.
It is not sustainable if everybody decides to do similar. They can do it because most everybody else who can is taking the burden to quarantine (just like those who take the burden of important vaccines). It's OK until it's not OK and by then it's too late. But the more communities that have outbreaks, the more other communities can learn from them. For better and worse. I prefer not being 'that' community.

 

[maddiel]

The "ideal" curve of this thing would be a steady trickle of new cases, never so many that they overwhelm medical capacity but enough that they allow for a gradual build-up of herd immunity... a flatter curve, not no curve at all. But we as a nation are prone to a lot of all-or-nothing thinking, and our leaders (on both sides, this isn't a partisan critique) are misleading and misstating things in order to make them more palatable to the general public.

I don't think anywhere is in any danger of not having, at the bare minimum, a steady trickle of new cases. We do not need to provide additional ones.

I like how our provincial medical officer of health put it - stop looking for loopholes: "“If you’re not happy with the situation we’re in, and what you need to do, and the limitations, well the quickest way to relive that pressure is to do what we’re doing now and do it well,” he said. “Now is not the time to be thinking about how you can get out and continue [your] usual activities; now is the time for us to stay close to home, minimize our interactions with others, protect each other.”

M.

 

[Disneypro1]

So, based on this, you are under the impression that your children cannot contract the virus because they are only getting together with groups under ten? What makes you think that one of those ten hasn't been in contact with someone who has the virus?

The less than ten rule came when the virus was still fairly rare in this country. By avoiding large groups, your chance of getting the virus was smaller. Now, the virus is spreading rapidly. More and more people have it making any contact more dangerous. The only way to be really safe is to see only your immediate family group who do not see others.

In Ohio it’s still less than 10. And that’s advisable. Not a rule. We are all still free. And this is how our Neighborhood rolls. Everyone has their own way to do this. And that’s cool. I goto work come home. I’m a professional fire fighter /medic. I’m around this stuff every shift. It is what it is. Goto Walmart. Kroger or whatever to get stuff. Kids play with neighbours kids. It is what it is. Life will go on. I mean let’s be honest. Half the people in Walmart is there just to have something to do... looking at oil to change for your car only has so long to be interesting. Lol
I will say this. The bike paths and walking trails are full. Folks are definitely taking advantage of spare time excecising.

 

[Summer2018]

Selfish people with impulse control issues make me want to scream.

 

[Colleen27]

I don't think anywhere is in any danger of not having, at the bare minimum, a steady trickle of new cases. We do not need to provide additional ones.

I like how our provincial medical officer of health put it - stop looking for loopholes: "“If you’re not happy with the situation we’re in, and what you need to do, and the limitations, well the quickest way to relive that pressure is to do what we’re doing now and do it well,” he said. “Now is not the time to be thinking about how you can get out and continue [your] usual activities; now is the time for us to stay close to home, minimize our interactions with others, protect each other.”

M.

I'm not saying we're in danger of no new cases. I am saying that low-risk interpersonal contact may, to some people, be worth the risk and that the facts don't justify shaming them for it.

But your quote is an example of exactly what I was saying about public health authorities and politicians saying what the public wants to hear, what they think will best coerce compliance (and foster a social stigma around non-compliance, with shaming people over what is or isn't essential becoming our new national pastime), rather than telling the truth. The truth is, the better the compliance, the longer these measures will need to be in place. Lives will be saved, so why not make the case around that rather than around the lie that if everyone just behaved we could go back to work next week or next month with COVID19 just an unpleasant memory?

 

[VandVsmama]

It's foolish and stupid. Oh sure, let's have all the little ones play with each other and share the love, essentially turning whole groups of families into petri dishes for corona virus. The guidelines apply to everyone, regardless of age.

Is my MIL tired of being stuck at home? You better believe it. But she's still doing it. Would I like to see my sister? Absolutely. But we're not.

It's simple. Just do it. Follow the guidelines. Complain here and on social media and with your friends and family. But follow the guidelines.

Why? This is ONLY TEMPORARY! It's not going to be forever. WE CAN DO IT!

 

[maddiel]

But your quote is an example of exactly what I was saying about public health authorities and politicians saying what the public wants to hear, what they think will best coerce compliance (and foster a social stigma around non-compliance, with shaming people over what is or isn't essential becoming our new national pastime), rather than telling the truth. The truth is, the better the compliance, the longer these measures will need to be in place. Lives will be saved, so why not make the case around that rather than around the lie that if everyone just behaved we could go back to work next week or next month with COVID19 just an unpleasant memory?

I live in in a different country than you do. My government is not telling people that people will be back to work next week or next month.

M.

 

[Flight]

I honestly don't see an issue with this.

I'm one of those people who had wine night a few weeks ago with friends. We literally showed up, BYOB, had our chairs 6 feet apart and sat around a fire pit. I know that irritated some people on this board.

Met with some friends outside our homes recently. We stayed at least ten feet apart at all times.

We posed a danger to no one.

In any of the markets, much greater risk because the aisles are narrow and the checkouts are a congregating point.

 

[pryncess527]

People keep comparing this to grocery shopping, but fwiw a lot aren’t grocery shopping either. We’re using online delivery or pick up options and not in stores. I haven’t set foot in a store since mid-February.

I realize that’s not an option in all areas and I’m not judging people who do go to the grocery store merely saying claiming grocery shopping is more dangerous doesn’t always hold because a lot of us aren’t doing that either.

 

[SteveH]

I'm just curious about your take on this as a whole then - like what do you think about the "flatten the curve" approach?

I think it sounds like a good and we are following it, though I am in a field that is still at work providing services for essential employees and first responders. But I am not my brothers keeper, I am not going to go crazy over what they are doing. I have more important things to worry about.

 

[SaintsManiac]

It’s stunning how people just can’t stand being inconvenienced temporarily for the greater good.

 

[Flight]

People keep comparing this to grocery shopping, but fwiw a lot aren’t grocery shopping either. We’re using online delivery or pick up options and not in stores. I haven’t set foot in a store since mid-February.

I realize that’s not an option in all areas and I’m not judging people who do go to the grocery store merely saying claiming grocery shopping is more dangerous doesn’t always hold because a lot of us aren’t doing that either.

Then you must be unaware that many of your fellow citizens in this country still are going to the grocery store, or the home improvement center, or the gas station, or the Walmarts/Targets/Pet stores...

Restaurants and fast food establishments are still processing take out orders. Those employees are working together.

The airlines are still putting people in airplanes.

Delivery services that you are using still have employees interacting sometimes in close proximity.

You would close it all down?