When it really happens: SHTF...

Restrictions were relaxed a bit here. Gun shops are now allowed to be open but are heavily restricted. Must have an appointment, only one person in the store at a time, etc, etc. Mining operations were restored. Construction was not.

New York's governor is making a huge *** out of himself. He sat around and did almost nothing for the last two weeks except criticize the President. He now is making demands and essentially telling the other 49 states to screw themselves. He also specifically refused to allow the Mayor of NYC to impose his own restrictions. Students were ordered to attend schools right up until Friday of last week. Teachers were told not to inform anyone they were sick and were to report to class.

The federal government apparently has a reserve of 20,000 respirators/ventilators. They sent NY 400. He is demanding more and saying the other states can have them when NY is done with them. He complains he has nothing but gave his latest speech in front of a warehouse of Federally provided masks, gowns, etc using them as a prop instead of distributing them to needed areas. I don't envy the people of NY right now.

Turning up the heat and opening a window most distant from one's bathroom(?) extraction fan(s) and getting some through-flow of air can help, depending on the outside air quality of course, but if central heating is present and has a humidifier built in, clearly turning that up to raise the ambient humidity to 50 or 60% will dramatically reduce airborne survival times for virus particles. The old vaporizers would work well too. Higher humidity should also help to keep bronchial mucous fluid as well, which white blood cells can apparently move through if it is sufficiently liquid.

Might be the time for those fabled eight glasses of water a day hardly anyone remembers to drink!

Remarkable book.

It's interesting to note the amount of world governments who are using "three weeks" as the mantra.

It's purely of course because some people will go into blind panic, if they are told it's actually 3 months.

This is a long distance run, not a race and people better get into the right mindset for this looming war of attrition, and soon.

The very best of luck to India, quite frankly with so many crowded together in absolute poverty, shutting down the country will be of marginal utility.

I fear their particular death toll will potentially be enormous.

Sorry to sound so pessimistic guys!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

I replied "I'm not intending to wear full NBC protective equipment or a Hazmat suit just to do my shopping but I was wondering if it would be ok to wear the sort of respirator that you may wear to spay a car or do spray painting with certain types of paint." I then added that "I'm not intending to also spray a car while I'm in here to do my grocery shopping." The assistant then replied "I'd better ask my manager"

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Did you intentionally try and get him confused?:lol:

I can relate with your fears of infecting family members. If I had elder or people at home with weak immune-system, I'd be very concerned myself.
Ideally, you should live completely confined from each other, even at home. But that may be of extreme difficulty or right out impossible, if the house does not allow it.

Concerning us here in Italy, the situation is tragic, but not serious...
The government keeps changing or talking about changing the list of factories and activities allowed to stay open. They don't know that a factory has a loooong chain of suppliers to keep on working. It can happen when the majority of the so-called leaders have never worked one single day in their whole lives...
Yesterday we wrote a couple dozen letters for the authorities confirming that we can work, actually have to work, and that each of the companies listed in our letters was of crucial importance to us as sub-suppliers, so they also had to be allowed working. Let's see how this one develops...
On the other hand, lots of Cattocommunists (we call those good souls - snowflakes - who think or believe that money is the devil's manure (usually other people's money, not their own) like this, because they are either hyper catholic, without understanding the message, or they are hyper leftist/communists, who don't understand reality, or...both. The absolutely worst ones) are now pushing the unions to start striking against factories that keep up the work. Damned capitalists!!! Damned industrialists!!! Damned private entrepreneurs!!!
I wonder how they think that the system could keep running if some categories started to pull back. And the others? Are they stupid or did they just have the bad luck of getting the wrong job?
In this situation, realism is of utter importance. Political or ideological visions need to be put aside. There is a complex machine that needs to be slowly, gradually slowed down, without shocks, in order to allow it to keep people fed, medically treated, supplied with fuel, water, electricity, good information... and to re-start immediately after the storm.
This requires many of us to keep working. And to do it according to the best possible safety and hygienic measures.
Yesterday I had to go to the factory and follow a test on a machine, not ideal for sanitary reasons, but it is necessary. The guys in the workshop go every day, so why should I pull back? What would the reaction of those other guys be if one who has responsibility suddenly just abandoned the fray? They understand that I'm not considered necessary in the factory, so I have been requested to stay home. But some activities still require my presence, and I have and want to go. If I started pulling back, what would I be in their (and worst of all in my own) eyes?

Another very interesting development of these last three to four days was that we received support from:
- China
- Russia
- Venezuela
- Cuba
- USA (through an NGO)
Czech Republic seized the masks and other items for personal safety that we ordered, releasing them only after diplomatic pressure.
Germany did the same last week.
Turkey too.
Others I can't recall right now did the same as well.
The EU talks of debts, of troikas, of reduced sovereignty for the indebted states, and so on. We wasted a lot and we will have to pay for that, but now they should think of the people, they should help the countries under stress. No...

We haven't seen a single international NGO, with the American exception, help. Not even our own, with the exception of those from military corps (like the Alpini, as usual) or non-political organisations.
All the good souls who spit on us in the past years because of the attempted limitation of illegal immigration have vanished or just keep bringing immigrants to Italy. But don't help. Not at all. Don't even say a word of solidarity.
Probably Italians do not earn their solidarity. They can die.
We'll remember them all.

Now, what will the above listed countries suggest as payback after the crises? I'm sure of what China will ask for. 5G, Road and Belt Initiative, etc. They'll try to buy all possible infrastructures here and force us to back them in the UN for every kind of initiative.
Russia? They will get the international restrictions unilaterally lifted by Italy? Might be a good thing, but should be decided by the parliament, in a free and debated manner. Won't be the case. And, also they, support in the international organisations.
Cuba and Venezuela? Silence about their crimes against their own people? Lifting of embargoes. Back-up at the UN? Again?

I wish the EU would have shown they understood why they exist, what the spirit of the founding fathers was. But they are probably so self-centred that they keep running at full speed against the big wall that is rising in front of them. Bureaucrats are just a different kind of people... Once the Europeans will have seen what the dream developed into, there will be consequences.

Here everything is quiet. People are in complete lock-down. I can go and buy at the small local grocery shop walking or take the car and drive to the supermarket. But I can't leave my small community boundaries if not for going to work.
No real problems anywhere I can see or hear about.
Yesterday, at noon, I went to the local shop and had just two people ahead of me.
Bread, milk, flour, eggs, sauces, salami and ham, gastronomic specialties... Everything available in the usual quantities.
I'm missing a beer, sincerely. I don't want to drive to the supermarket just for booze, so I have to drink water for thirst and have plenty of wine, Prosecco and Grappa for pleasure.
The situation is still tenable.
DEFCON stays stable at three:madsmile:

I'm just writing down the feelings I have hearing news that don't really inform, hearing people talk without any possibility of knowing how competent they are.
We still do not have a clue of when life might start getting, progressively, back to what it was.
I keep the mood up and today I'll reload some .357M, but with light load. Target rounds.
I'll need them sooner or later!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ovidio

I'm missing a beer, sincerely. I don't want to drive to the supermarket just for booze, so I have to drink water for thirst and have plenty of wine, Prosecco and Grappa for pleasure.
The situation is still tenable.!

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Well, Ovidio, I can feel your pain. Beer, yep, one needs a few on hand and well chilled. Even those Italian ones in a time of crisis... ;)

Grappa, you're sitting pretty there.

But prosecco… Really, man, have you allowed your standards to evaporate in this situation? Good heavens above, if nothing else, the French do still make champagne!

Self esteem, man. Chin up and sort out those bubbles! :yikes:

You should taste our Prosecco:cheers:
Believe me.

Mexico City doesn't seem concerned about COVAID-19

https://youtu.be/o3z-MH-xxdI

Oh Lord...

The first two nurses committed suicide between yesterday and Friday. One in Lombardy, one close to here.
I'm really saddened but this in a way I would not have expected normally.
These people are subject to such a stress, such a workload...
We shall remember that and start considering them for what they really are worth to a population, paying and respecting their profession as it deserves.
I pray for them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ovidio

The first two nurses committed suicide between yesterday and Friday. One in Lombardy, one close to here.
I'm really saddened but this in a way I would not have expected normally.
These people are subject to such a stress, such a workload...
We shall remember that and start considering them for what they really are worth to a population, paying and respecting their profession as it deserves.
I pray for them.

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Absolutely, all our healthcare teams are critical, a shining example to us all.