The idea that it isn’t airborne is really puzzling to me. I mean hasn’t that been clear from almost day one?
I remember a coworker of mine saying like 1-2 week ago that the virus was “not airborne”. Hes a smart guy, senior engineer. Rather than dispute or challenge him, I just questioned if I actually understood the right definition of what an ‘airborne’ virus is. Maybe he’s the one that doesn’t understand the definition. (?) Or maybe theres lots of people that are somehow totally unaware that it spreads through the aerosol particles.
I think it’s along the train of “thought” which results in saying that simplistic and reasonable CDC guidelines for reopening schools are “too tough, expensive, and unreasonable”.
Good luck at getting businesses to take HVAC into consideration. They don’t want to “scare” valuable employees (office workers, in higher income levels, who have considerable bargaining power) into forcing their employers to take reasonable steps to follow the existing guidelines to use remote working as much as feasible or to make them actually enforce their existing “pretend” corporate policies around distancing and mask usage. Nor do they want people to limit traffic to indoor businesses. Sure, the guidelines already call for doing that too… but that’s why this federal administration’s message is always “just guidelines, it means you don’t need to actually do them!”
I always kept powdered milk in the house against winter making shopping impossible. Kept it refrigerated, even in the freezer at times.
So I had ten quarts on hand when the virus struck during the winter. At first I went with evaporated milk, 'cause WalMart.com was out of powdered milk. Then I used up my older supply of (WalMart) powdered milk. It tasted like powdered milk always tastes, with the aftertaste that is not pleasing.
OK, so that was then and this is now. All that evaporated milk and (older) powdered milk is gone, used up. WalMart.com now has powdered milk again. So I make my first quart of their new stuff and:
Damn! I noticed right away it is an improved product. MUCH improved! They found a way to eliminate the after taste. It actually tastes like real milk!! How the heck did they do that?
Anyway, I am impressed. My entire life powdered milk has had that annoying after taste. Now it is gone. Pretty darn cool.
If you need milk, and do not want to go into a grocery store, I can recommend the powdered milk from WalMart.com. It is a bit pricey, about a buck a quart, but it is pretty darn good tasting milk.
oranges
Staples jumped the price of their oranges by four bucks. I guess a lot of people are buying 'em so they thought they could get away with the hike. They also have increased prices on their bananas and on their apples.
Lucky I have my side hustle going to pay for this stuff. Everything is so much less expensive in the grocery stores. Too bad they are today akin to the old Roach Motels. You know, you walk in to the store without the virus, but you might not walk out without it.
I still question what counts as “airborne”. I agree it’s been clear from day one that the smallest particles can linger in the air for a bit. I’ve never thought that counts as being airborne. I don’t know. But what’s being called “airborne” now doesn’t really change my thoughts.
The airborne distinction is significant for transmission and measures you do to combat it. It’s basically all down to size of carrier droplets. If they are big, they fall to the ground due to gravity pretty quickly so that influences how far they travel from their origin infected person. They also get projected less far than finer particles. So the 6 ft distancing was determined with those in mind.
Determining that carrier droplets can travel way more than that has some impact for safe capacity in enclosed spaces. The finer the particles, the further the distancing required but also the better the air filtration and masks need to be to effectively protect people.
Obviously, it’s a bit of a continuous scale with droplets have a range of particle size but at some point it falls into airborne category for which known preventative measures - from other diseases - are a bit different.
Grocery stores are not so bad. Especially now that masks are mandated in every enclosed space in the whole State. You just don’t see anybody without a mask any more once they enter the stores. Not perfect but I feel safer now doing groceries than before when you could rub shoulders with someone who thought it was a hoax or did not care to potentially protect others.
Doesn’t hurt to shop at lowest traffic times. Last Thursday morning, there were only 3 customers including myself in the whole Aldi store so that felt about as safe as it can be considering the circumstances.
I wish that were true where I live. But it is not.
Walking around in a grocery store, or in any other enclosed space, with unmasked people is a crap shoot. You’re gonna win almost every time. But if you lose just one time . . . . . . . . . . .
I do virtually all my shopping first thing in the morning. The foot traffic is rather sparse like you say, and the buildings have had a full overnight for things to “settle” had there been any contamination the day before.
I’m doing mine as soon as the store opens. It depends on the store but that’s usually the best. Google the specific store and it’ll show you statistical data for how busy they are.
My Aldi is also weird in that on Tuesdays and Thursdays, they open 30 min earlier(at 8:30 am instead of 9 am). Most people don’t pay attention and show up after 9 am. I’m always done by then.
Of course, if you need some things from some departments that open later, you may be stuck. Kroger for example opens at 6 am but if you go then, their fresh fish and meat counters are not available yet. But otherwise, you have the place to yourself compared to shopping with the soccer moms with kids in tow 4 hours later.
Also some stores may have senior hours for COVID-19. Sam’s club does this I think mid-week where they have special shopping hours for everyone 65+ and vulnerable. Worth looking into if you’re in those categories.
Whenever the store opens, usually within a half hour. Walmart is 7AM right now. Another grocery store opens at 6, so I can catch them both close to opening time.
I’m not particularly uncomfortable going later in the day, but since I have the choice, early seems the more prudent option.
I am in intensely strong agreement with this. If you must go into any store, for God’s sake be there when they open. Then get in and out as fast as you are able.
I was late getting out today & my store was crowded. I don’t like that.
But they had 1 good deal going. Corn on the cob 15@ $5. I picked up 6 & that’s the thing for dinner tonight. I love fresh corn, so don’t really care for anything else. Husband wants meat also.
The young guy carrying out my groceries was very talkative. He said, Monday is always busy. I never thought about what day it was. That’s it for today…
Edit:
Also, now that the “week” is over, TX deaths this week were 580 vs 252 the prior week. 130% week-over-week increase.
New daily high, 16.85% for testing positivity rate today.
Looks like no aid before the recess. Doesn’t seem to be a reason for the House to cave into the demands. Fiscal conservativism might actually “win”. But we will likely find that more stimulus was necessary (IMO the first rounds weren’t that successful except juicing the market)
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On Monday, McConnell reiterated his call for lawsuit protections for “everyone related to the coronavirus” – whether it’s doctors, nurses, businesses, K-12 schools and colleges – covering the period from December 2019 to December 2024.
“It must have, must, no bill will pass the Senate without, liability protection for everyone related to the coronavirus,” McConnell told Kentucky reporters."
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“Let’s hear what everybody has to say,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said last week. “But don’t say, ‘You all have to go back to work even if it isn’t safe. And by the way, we are removing all responsibility from the employer.’ I mean, that is just – no.” Pelosi instead called for a regulation under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration aimed at protecting workers at risk of exposure from the virus, an idea that has previously been rejected by Republicans.
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Demands a retroactive shield for negligence against all businesses, shifting full liability to individuals. Not even sure this counts as socializing losses (of the normal “privatize profits, socialize losses”), the losses are to be moved directly to individuals, it’s not a plan for an insurance plan paid by the “government”. He says “liability protection for everyone”, but that actually only refers to everyone rich.
Liability for losses don’t disappear, they can only be shifted from one party to another.
Today while shopping I was thinking, what do I need for the sauce? Gotta have mushrooms. When I make spaghetti sauce it has to be a huge undertaking. Ending up with lots of extra sauce that I can freeze. Weeks later on, I can uses the sauce for other recipe’s.
You added “negligence”. Even your CNN article didn’t call it that. It’s easy to spin things to look negative when you swap in negative terminology. It’s not a license to go around intentionally licking all your customers.
What other existing potential liability do you think there is in this scenario?
We’re a country of laws and order ( well ignore last Friday. But usually…)
I am picturing you with a single large plate of six corn cobs at the table for dinner, along with a pile of statements from Alliant, PurePoint, Keesler, PSECU, and the like. You spend dinner chomping on the cobs and reading your statements while your husband complains about the lack of protein at the table .
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