COVID-19....Who will be first?

Ukecaster

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I hate to even think this, but with such high projections of COVID-19 infection rate, and so many members here, I'm assuming that some of us will end up getting it. Anyone have symptoms yet?

Today, I thought it might be me. Despite being pretty much isolated since Friday night, today I awoke with a sore throat and dry cough, with a few sneezes and runny nose. Monitored all day, luckily no fever or body aches, and a good hunger. Really pretty mild. I'm thinking/hoping it's just a normal cold, which I normally kick to the curb quickly with lots of water, Vitamin C and zinc lozenges. We'll see in the morning. Hopefully I won't need to bore you by writing the "Corona Blues".
 
Yeah, tough to think about. Of course you can't go crazy thinking about it and end up convincing yourself.



Take care of yourself. I hope it just turns out to be a cold
 
None of us needs to worry because we will all be following the guidance on social distancing and peacefully playing our ukes while we wait for things to improve.

I don't want to minimize the situation by any means, nor question the experts on the approach that is being taken. But they are indeed proceeding with a GREAT abundance of caution. Even at the apparent alarming number of cases and the rate of spread, we still have only a fraction of a fraction of the population being infected. And then a relatively small percent of them that go critical or lose the battle. I am quite an avid numbers girl and also inclined to do my own collecting of the facts rather than listen to the sensation loving press. Your chances of getting Covid-19, if you follow the social distancing rule are really low statistically. But you can still catch a cold or the flu. And let's not forget allergy season that is at its peak here in the southern US right now. I have been coughing and sneezing for nearly two months. Please don't worry. Or give your Dr. a call if you are.

I took a plane trip that routed through Detroit 3 weeks ago, and I admit I had my own moments of "what if". But honestly, I'm 68 years old and I am not really concerned now that I am safely past the 14 day incubation estimate. We need to follow the guidance, help out as much as we can, and stay calm and patient.

Our biggest concerns are hoarders, job impact, and the people who don't seem to care about the rules. They are the ones that will make this worse than it has to be. But I am also greatly encouraged by the success of China and S. Korea. I believe we are just a few weeks behind them in the cycle and expect we can flatten out our numbers by end of March if we work together and make it happen. And how about that India! Over a billion people and less cases than Florida. We need to get tips from them too!

Try not to worry and spend the quiet time learning a really challenging song or technique that you love to hear and have alway wished you could learn. Now's your chance! Hey, maybe when we are all free to attend our uke jams again, we should each have prepared a "knock their socks off" piece, and have a little talent show to kick off the restart. So many Youtube videos to choose from! Maybe a Jake piece.... Be well, everyone!
 
"Social distancing" isn't a very effective solution for inner city dwellers. My Chinatown condo complex has 1000 units and 5000 residents. The elevators are usually packed (not gonna walk up 32 floors of stairs). You have to stand close enough to smell their breath and I struggle to avoid rubbing up against somebody. When I go grocery shopping, it's really crowded and the lines are long. Physical isolation really only works if you live in a suburb or rural area. And I still have to go to work...
 
You can't tell people they may need to "self-isolate" for weeks or months then expect them not to stock up with certain essentials. If most folk normally shop for essentials on a weekly basis and suddenly they are faced with having to think of stocking up for (say) a month, that will put an enormous strain on the lines of supply.

I live alone and now have about twice to three times as much on my kitchen shelves as normal. I don't consider that to be hoarding. It is a normal human response. I'd be a fool not to.

John Colter
 
Went to the supermarket this morning. Massive queues but a cheerful atmosphere. Toilet rolls were strictly limited to one multipack per person and the hoarders were having all but one pack taken off them at the tills and given to those who didn't have one. All to applause and cheers to those still in the queue, it was very amusing.
 
My wife and I both have underlying health conditions that put us at risk. As I understand it, from next week onwards we are being asked to self isolate for 12 weeks (TWELVE... Not a typo...)
 
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Yes, there are different circumstances that I guess we all need to be sensitive to. It is especially worrisome for you and for people who are in densely crowded areas. I live in an upscale suburb with plenty of personal space, but the grocery store wipeouts are still quite bad. But I have seen some indications of programs set up to deliver to and support those who can't leave their homes. That is encouraging.
 
My youngest has a fever and a cough so we're following the UK advice and self isolating for 2 weeks as a household. None of the rest of us have symptoms yet, my youngest is 15 months so picks things up all the time so it could be anything. Only 3 days in and climbing the walls already! Got to take this all seriously though, my mother in law has cancer and is in her 60s so is really at risk.
 
We're also self-isolating as a family. The youngest hasn't been to school after Friday, but the oldest went in yesterday. When I called our 2 weeks isolation in this morning school just said: 'Thanks for letting us know.' I hope they'll get to complete some independent work, because we both still have to work from home.
On the plus side, I discovered that I can arrange meetings with students in a virtual classroom. Some of my students have been playing uke version of songs we listened to this year. So, I'll see if they would like to meet up in a virtual classroom and play the songs online together. I think it would help us stay normal...
 
I am also trying self isolating and one week in, am finding it hard work! I generally walk everywhere and enjoy the fresh air, even if walking about in our city. I miss that freedom. So far so good, but it is increasingly hard for someone as naturally sociable and friendly as myself. Being elderly, I suppose iti s the sensible course, but to quote Joni Mitchell; You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone'!
 
We brought our adult daughter back home. She had been living alone in another state. We're sort of distancing from each other.

We are having my spouse who is at the cut off age in our State stay at home. My work is open but I've been staying home. Hopefully I will still have a job.

Everyone hang in there and stay healthy.
 
I hate to even think this, but with such high projections of COVID-19 infection rate, and so many members here, I'm assuming that some of us will end up getting it. Anyone have symptoms yet?

Today, I thought it might be me. Despite being pretty much isolated since Friday night, today I awoke with a sore throat and dry cough, with a few sneezes and runny nose. Monitored all day, luckily no fever or body aches, and a good hunger. Really pretty mild. I'm thinking/hoping it's just a normal cold, which I normally kick to the curb quickly with lots of water, Vitamin C and zinc lozenges. We'll see in the morning. Hopefully I won't need to bore you by writing the "Corona Blues".

Same symptoms here. I think some trees are blooming here in southern New England and it might be the pollen that’s causing the sinus stuff, burning eyes, sore throat etc. At least I hope so, fwiw, my wife is feeling it too.
 
I think some trees are blooming here in southern New England and it might be the pollen that’s causing the sinus stuff, burning eyes, sore throat etc.
^^^This.^^^
Seasonal miseries continue, coronavirus or no coronavirus.

Washing my hands, staying in, hoping for the best.
 
To me, the burning eyes are a dead giveaway that it's allergies. We are hoping here in Florida that our numbers are staying fairly low because the big yellow globs of pollen are gobbling up the corona germs just like pac-man--- wacca wacca wacca wacca...
 
I'm blessed in that I work at home and at my own pace, so I'm good with the distancing. My wife and I have been walking every day. I don't think that one has to confine themselves to the house, just can't have close contact. Other than being old and taking meds for blood pressure, I'm healthy. I have enough food for a couple of weeks, but we decided to also use this as a good opportunity to lose a little weight, which would not hurt me at all. So we have been just eating meals and not eating all day long. That will help stretch out what we have. My wife is a marketing consultant for a winery and we have forty bottles of wine in the basement, along with an assortment of liquors and beers. While we have embraced the idea of losing a little weight, we don't want to go overboard with it, so a glass of wine in the evening or a rum and Coke in the afternoon is still part of our routine. That's my report.

Our biggest thing is our grand daughter who lives a half hour away. Her parents both have to work and she goes to daycare. My son in law works here in town and commutes. Often he will bring her up with him and we have her for the day. My daughter thinks that it is not a good thing for her to come up with all the exposure they are getting. They are just worried she will give us something. So we talk to her on the phone or zoom it. That's not as much fun, but it works.

Just as I was writing this my daughter said that she will be working from home.
 
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