How are you coping with the pandemic?

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Fellowmater
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Joined: November 23rd, 2017, 11:12 pm

How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by Fellowmater »

Hey, just wanted to check in with everyone and see how they're coping with the coronavirus pandemic? How is it affecting you? Has anyone lost their jobs because of it? Does anyone think they've caught it?

Personally, I'm doing ok. We're still on lock-down in the Philippines and the school has started through online teaching so I'm now an extra teacher to my kids. My business was closing down anyway so I don't have additional work worries and because my degree is distance learning. My hubby works remotely anyway and his job is ok for now but I'm really aware of friends and family whose positions are a lot shakier. We had a trip to Japan booked but that's been canceled, but we're going to cancel it anyway due to this pandemic.

Anyway, I know this uncertainty isn't good for people's mental health and I just wanted to see how you're all doing.
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Jack D Ripper
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Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by Jack D Ripper »

I am very fortunate. It has not affected my income. I am happily married (I would hate to be dating now, especially if I were looking for a partner), and I don't really need any close contact with anyone else. I talk with some of my neighbors outside, maintaining social distance, so I am actually engaging with other people more than is necessary.

I live in a house that is bigger than it needs to be, so I don't feel confined by staying at home. However, I do go for walks most days, keeping social distance (I am not in an overly crowded area, so this is possible for me to do).

Being an American, I am more immediately concerned about the presidential election. That is more of a concern for myself personally, though obviously the pandemic is very bad for other people, and I wish things were better for everyone. Of course, the results of the election will very much affect how the country deals with the pandemic going forward, so this is not unrelated to your question.

It has affected me in some ways, though I know these things are trivial compared with what many other people have to deal with. I now rarely go to stores (I have this bad habit of eating, so I go to grocery stores), and do not enjoy the experience, as I do not like wearing a mask and I do not like how there are so many people who are clueless about social distancing and such. But I am healthy and not in a high-risk category, though I am not in the lowest risk category either.

So, most likely, I will be fine. I wish the same were true of everyone else.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence." - David Hume
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Calico
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Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by Calico »

I am fortunate in many ways. I have kept my job and work in a place that is safe. None of my immediate family/friends have gotten sick although I know several people who have lost family members. I still have access to some of my old leisure activities and so I can have fun, get exercise, etc. I miss going to the movie theatre and I also realize just how trivial that is compared to what many have to endure. I have some increased anxiety and recognize that much of that is tied into the election as well. I should be OK as long as I don't do anything stupid. I will wait for the vaccine and try to see where that will take us.
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Sy Borg
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Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by Sy Borg »

Not much has changed. Income has reduced, but it's okay.

Yesterday we recorded zero new COVID cases and those who didn't lose their job during the downturn have mostly returned to normal, aside from a couple of state border closures retained for risk management purposes and with social distancing at large events.

Being one who lives quietly and loathes crowds, I am much less impacted by social distancing than most - which, to me, is fair compensation for not having social and professional networks. Swings and roundabouts ...
Fellowmater
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Joined: November 23rd, 2017, 11:12 pm

Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by Fellowmater »

I'm glad all of us are doing fine during this pandemic. I know some friends who have lost their family members to Covid-19 and thankfully, none of my family and relatives got it yet. I think it's because we all taking our part in preventing the virus to spread more that we are still safe right now.
Steve3007
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Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by Steve3007 »

I've kept my job and my income, working sometimes from home and sometimes going into the office, as the need arises. We're just about to enter a new national (England, not whole of UK) lockdown tomorrow. The first lockdown, starting at the end of March, seemed like a bigger deal. This time it'll just mean not being able to get a haircut or buy clothes for a month. Sequels are always more boring than originals.

The first lockdown was great. Driving around the usually gridlocked roads of south east England was like being transported back to the 1950s. So it's probably good for the environment and for combatting the orgy of pointless consumerism known as Christmas, but bad for anybody working in high street retail or hospitality. The most annoying thing for me is that both lockdowns (this one and the one that started in March) have happened just as I'm planning to move home. First time, me and my ex were selling our family home. She moved out on the day Boris Johnson caught Covid and there was a government announcement that morning saying "if you're moving home, don't". Obviously we had to ignore it. This time I'm moving in with my new partner.

I know, or know of, several people who've had Covid and this anecdotal experience agrees with the news reports that symptoms vary hugely. My best friend from school had it back in Spring and, by his account, he was at death's door and barely pulled through. He's physically fit and only in his early 50's. Some others have had only mild symptoms. Nobody in my immediate family has had it yet.
Fellowmater
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Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by Fellowmater »

One thing the benefited our planet very noticeably was the decrease in pollution after our first lockdowns. I've noticed a considerable decrease in pollution in my city back then, but now it became cloudy again due to private vehicles being allowed to run the streets. :/
Haicoway
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Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by Haicoway »

I lost my wife to cancer three years ago and I felt I died with her. Part of what’s left of me hopes my body catches Covid and dies.

We had a large Bordeaux collection, and now I drink those bottles like water, not looking at what my hand touches first in my cellar. I also take consciousness dulling drugs.

After an hour’s contemplation one morning, not having thought about the idea before that, I phoned Jaguar dealerships until I found one that had a two-seater convertible with 550 horsepower left. My salesman said there were only two remaining on the American East Coast and he had one. The factory had shut down for the pandemic. I held my breath and asked, “What color?” If it had been anything loud I would have passed. “Metallic Gray.” “I’ll take it.”

Every day I drive that car aggressively on a winding road along a canal to a bar in Schenectady, New York, and I drink a martini. Talking to the barmaids satisfies my socialization needs. Then I drive back to my house and usually watch old prize fights on my computer while eating something simple and drinking my wine.

Twice a week I gift a beautiful girl 55 years my junior to dine with me. We go to the best restaurants in the area. For a young girl, she is a sophisticated foodie, and she loves and understands wine. Her IQ is higher than mine so she matches well with my greater experience.

I try to read but I haven’t been able to concentrate since my wife died. I wouldn’t do anything different if there was no pandemic, so it doesn’t affect me at all.
SimonP
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Joined: October 21st, 2020, 4:20 pm

Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by SimonP »

We had a case at work on tuesday and half the workforce was sent home immediately, though not me, I've had to take extra work to cover. I got tested yesterday and will have the result hopefully today but I have little doubt it'll be negative, so not worried on that score.
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Seth_Gibson
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Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by Seth_Gibson »

I feel grateful for living in a white-collar family during the pandemic. Very little has changed for us, because we never usually went out that much anyway. Life seems ordinary for us, but clearly, it is not so ordinary for others.
Fellowmater
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Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by Fellowmater »

SimonP wrote: November 12th, 2020, 3:16 am We had a case at work on tuesday and half the workforce was sent home immediately, though not me, I've had to take extra work to cover. I got tested yesterday and will have the result hopefully today but I have little doubt it'll be negative, so not worried on that score.
Hoping it will turn out negative. Covid-19 may have a high survival rate, but it's a different story if you get the bad genes.
SimonP
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Joined: October 21st, 2020, 4:20 pm

Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by SimonP »

Fellowmater wrote: November 17th, 2020, 6:48 am
SimonP wrote: November 12th, 2020, 3:16 am We had a case at work on tuesday and half the workforce was sent home immediately, though not me, I've had to take extra work to cover. I got tested yesterday and will have the result hopefully today but I have little doubt it'll be negative, so not worried on that score.
Hoping it will turn out negative. Covid-19 may have a high survival rate, but it's a different story if you get the bad genes.
It did however another case came on friday, one I had close contact with on the Monday, which meant I had to have another test. I had to wait to Monday and should get the result later today. My wife took a test at the same time. Not really worried since I have no symptoms and no work either as it's all closed now. I could just take early retirement on a scheme I've paid into for decades but the thought is a bit depressing.
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LuckyR
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Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by LuckyR »

We've been hit less than others (but it is noticeable at a low level). Mainly it has changed the answer to the question: "what are you going to do in retirement?"
"As usual... it depends."
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Jack D Ripper
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Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by Jack D Ripper »

Fellowmater wrote: November 11th, 2020, 5:53 am One thing the benefited our planet very noticeably was the decrease in pollution after our first lockdowns. I've noticed a considerable decrease in pollution in my city back then, but now it became cloudy again due to private vehicles being allowed to run the streets. :/

You might be interested to know that however nice it may be locally for you at the moment, that does not mean that, overall, things are going to be better from the standpoint of pollution. The people at National Geographic think it will be worse for the environment. Here is the beginning of a relevant article; you can click on the link to read it all:

National Geographic wrote:Why COVID-19 will end up harming the environment

Even though the air has been cleaner as a result of the global lockdowns, a more polluted future has been brewing while we weren’t looking.

By Beth Gardiner
PUBLISHED June 18, 2020

The popular notion that the COVID-19 pandemic has been “good for the environment”—that nature is recovering while humanity stays at home— appeals to many people grasping for some upside to the global tragedy. Reality, though, may not cooperate with such hopes.

The benefits many found heartening early on—from cleaner air to birdsong newly audible as cars and planes went quiet—were always likely to be temporary. And with lockdowns easing, they have already begun to dissipate. Now, some experts fear that the world risks a future with more traffic, more pollution, and climate change that worsens faster than ever. It’s too soon to know whether that gloomy scenario will play out, but concerning signs seem to be growing all around the world.

In early April, with shutdowns widespread, daily global carbon emissions were down by 17 percent compared to last year. But as of June 11, new data show that they are only about 5 percent lower than at the same point in 2019, even though normal activity has not yet fully restarted.

“We still have the same cars, the same roads, the same industries, same houses,” says Corinne Le Quéré, professor of climate change at the University of East Anglia in Britain and lead author of the original study and subsequent update. “So as soon as the restrictions are released, we go right back to where we were.”

Now, “the risk is very high” that carbon output could surge past pre-pandemic levels, she says, “especially since we’ve done it in the past, not very long ago.” During the 2007-08 financial crisis, emissions dropped but then bounced back.

...
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/scie ... vironment/



Also, deforestation of the Brazilian rainforest has increased during the pandemic, according to ABC News:

https://abcnews.go.com/International/de ... d=70526188


So I think your optimism is misplaced.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence." - David Hume
SimonP
Posts: 141
Joined: October 21st, 2020, 4:20 pm

Re: How are you coping with the pandemic?

Post by SimonP »

Update. I didn't get the test result from Monday despite my wife testing at the same time and testing negative. I assume the test was inconclusive or maybe lost so I tested again today this time with my son. He'd been sent home from college and has to go into isolation as his classmate and good friend who he's spent a lot of time with at her house ie over night, has a little brother who has tested positive. The little brother was in a class where he and another tested positive after one had. Fortunately our son spends almost all of his time in his room when he's home with us anyway. I have a feeling this is something we're going to have to get used to but it sure feels like the dreaded virus is closing in on us.
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