The Covid19 thread

[Womble]

you can buy reusable gloves, like the ones you use for the dishes

I have a pair. They would be seriously inconvenient to use outside. Just try going around the house and handling stuff like you would in a shop.

Plus how do you sterilize those thick rubber gloves? Can they handle being boiled? Microwaved? Although I guess they can be bleached, so that's something.

Same thing about reusable masks. My sister is sewing some out of old linen bed sheets, because those can be boiled repeatedly, but people going around with N95 masks and respirators- how do they sterilize them, I wonder?

BUT you can also stockpile milk and bread, BOTH will freeze VERY well

I only have one fridge and so much space in its freezer, I'm NOT wasting one square inch of freezer space on bread. Bread is a "nice to have", but so long as I have rice, that's enough carbs. Meat is more valuable nutritionally.

Oh, and any idea how to keep birds off my balcony? I now have a 45 square meters roof terrace, and a bunch of feathery visitors pooping all over it.

P.S. Should I start hoarding bottle caps?

[Womble]

And which gender was paid more? Female front end or Male back end?

I REALLY hope nobody reads this question out of context... Just saying...

[Falcon Horus]

T..we've got some 150 single-use face masks and about 200 disposable gloves...

Which could be better used by those who actually need them, like healthcare workers?

You said so yourself, you work from home so the only other person you meet and flirt with in the coffee corner is your wife.

Question: What is the gender balance between front end and rear end staff?

Place I shop at, I would say 60/40 in favor of the female half -- all combined.
Students vary too much -- so not counting those either.

Oh, and any idea how to keep birds off my balcony? I now have a 45 square meters roof terrace, and a bunch of feathery visitors pooping all over it.

Historic buildings use spikes, makes it impossible for the birds to land so less likely they'll come around to sit and poop.
However since this is also your terrace, I'd go with a scarecrow instead. Works for fields.

I REALLY hope nobody reads this question out of context... Just saying...

Thanks... now we do.

[Womble]

Which could be better used by those who actually need them, like healthcare workers?

In that case, shipments of masks would have been confiscated for use by medical staff instead of freely and legally sold through pharmacy shops to the general public. It's not like I bought it from the back of a truck with stolen medical supplies.

Our health ministry has just recommended wearing masks in all public spaces, after weeks of claiming that masks don't help. They're promising to public instructions for making makeshift masks.

You said so yourself, you work from home so the only other person you meet and flirt with in the coffee corner is your wife.

And the people in the grocery store once a week. And maybe in the pharmacy if my tooth ache gets worse. And maybe I'll have to go out to work when they ease the restrictions.

Historic buildings use spikes, makes it impossible for the birds to land so less likely they'll come around to sit and poop.
However since this is also your terrace, I'd go with a scarecrow instead. Works for fields.

I'll get right on it

[Annoyed]

Which could be better used by those who actually need them, like healthcare workers?

And how much lighter would the load on HC workers be if the public wore masks and therefore fewer people infected?

It rather pissed me off that back on 3/1, our CDC advised people not to buy them. (while you still could) By the time the seriousness of the outbreak was apparent, you couldn't buy one anywhere. (and still can't).
Now, with the extent of the disease becoming clearer, some govt. authorities are talking about requirng people to wear them in public... Too bad you can't get them anymore.

Clearly their focus was not the well being of the average citizen.

Place I shop at, I would say 60/40 in favor of the female half -- all combined.

But what is the balance between front end cashiers/etc. compared to back end staff? (get your mind out of the gutter! )

And which is paid better?

[Falcon Horus]

And how much lighter would the load on HC workers be if the public wore masks and therefore fewer people infected?

There's not guarantee the masks everyone wears now, actually make a difference.
The N95 or whatever's might be diffferent but unless you desinfect or replace them, they are useless all the same.

It's only meant to give you that false sense of security and safety.

But what is the balance between front end cashiers/etc. compared to back end staff? (get your mind out of the gutter! )

And which is paid better?

I blame Womble for the gutter thoughts...

Female wins on both sides -- (I think the gutter is gonna host me a wee bit longer)

I have no idea about the paychecks. I never worked in the same level as they do.
I was classified as a factory worker when I worked retail due to the service the store was providing.

[VampyreWraith]

The masks more block you from spreading what you have, than protect from catching something. If someone who has the virus coughs in your face and you're wearing a regular mask, that's not likely to stop you from catching what that person has. But if a sick person is coughing into their mask or an asymptomatic person is breathing/talking into one, they aren't spreading whatever they have around if you're in closer contact with them.

[Gatefan1976]

no idea tbh

different jobs different tasks anyway

personally I'd expect more $ as a cashier for the aforementioned reasons

Out here workers are paid the same rate weather they work on a register or night fill, and gender does not matter either (in fact, if you tried it you would get sued stupid). The only difference is that casuals get paid a higher rate because we don't get sick pay or paid holidays.

[Womble]

There's not guarantee the masks everyone wears now, actually make a difference.
The N95 or whatever's might be diffferent but unless you desinfect or replace them, they are useless all the same.

It's only meant to give you that false sense of security and safety.

That, to the best of my understanding, isn't true.

Masks do not need to be absolute protection to be useful, it is enough if they lower your chances to get infected, or to infect others if you are an asympthomatic carrier. ANY protection of your breathing pathways, however imperfect, is better than no protection. Think about it: if masks lower chance of infection for healthcare workers, why not for you? If they keep your virus-loaded saliva aerosol droplets from getting out, do they not keep other people's droplets from getting in?

However, masks only make sense when you are in close proximity to people, not when you're driving alone in the car. They also do not completely protect, you can get those infected droplets through your eyes, or through touching virus-contaminated surfaces and items and then touching your mouth or eyes. So gloves + mask in public places is about as much protection as you can get.

[Annoyed]

There's not guarantee the masks everyone wears now, actually make a difference.
The N95 or whatever's might be diffferent but unless you desinfect or replace them, they are useless all the same.

It's only meant to give you that false sense of security and safety.

I was fortunate in that I had a small supply of those masks stashed away several years ago. Knowing I can't replace them, I am re-using them. When I get home, I spray a little Iso. alcohol on it to kill whatever it might have picked up on our travels. I've also got a good supply of latex gloves that I purchased for working on cars/etc.

[VampyreWraith]

I have a little box of masks too, they're left over from when my mom was still alive, she had a lot of medical issues and would get sick easily so we had masks around the house.

[Annoyed]

Yay! the grocery store had paper towels again!

[Gatefan1976]

Yay! the grocery store had paper towels again!

Told you dude, we just have to catch up. I put almost a whole pallet of chicken out tonight which we have not had in 3 weeks, and I still have spare. We are just adjusting. I don't know if you have it in the US, but the first hour of trade every day is "community hour" where the older customers can shop in peace without worrying about dealing with younger customers and increasing their infection vector. We have also introduced an hour for first responders such as doctors and nurses, police, etc 2 times a week to limit their chance of infection as well.
We are getting there, it's just a massive shock to the supply chain and us.

[Gatefan1976]

Latest from the Aussie PM. (and mind you I don't like this guy at all, but he is handling things well)

[Gatefan1976]

………….. And on another note, a poem from Samuel L Jackson (link only as it also breaks every rule on the board, so click only at your own informed risk)
I apologize to the mods and Darren for linking this stuff, but by damn, by jingy, by crikey we all NEED a laugh right now and I'll take the risk of a banning to find it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUakLzaboMo