The Covid19 thread

[SGalisa]

Told yah. This ain't gonna end well. NOT for a lonnnnnnnnnnnng time.

NOTE... has video that auto-starts... argh!

"A distinct possibility: 'Temporary' layoffs may be permanent"
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AP Economics Writer
May 9, 2020, 8:03 PM
(posted on ABC news)

. . .
Call it realism or pessimism, but more employers are coming to a reluctant conclusion: Many of the employees they've had to lay off in the face of the pandemic might not be returning to their old jobs anytime soon. Some large companies won't have enough customers to justify it. And some small businesses won't likely survive at all despite aid provided by the federal government.

If so, that would undercut a glimmer of hope in the brutal April jobs report the government issued Friday, in which a record-shattering 20.5 million people lost jobs: A sizable majority of the jobless — nearly 80% — characterized their loss as only temporary.
. . .

Keep things closed down, and "Oh my!" CRASH. "How did *that* possibly happen...?!" (sarcasm noted).


Still waiting for those hand (wipes) & household sanitizer products to show up... Going on Week #9.
Some cleaners have been showing up sporadically, but considering the process it takes to go shopping any more, most folks only go once a week. They don't want to keep going back just to check in every store, for one product that remains elusively MIA from the store shelves.

[VampyreWraith]

You could try checking Amazon frequently to see if items you need are in stock (and sold by Amazon itself or even a reputable seller that's selling it at a decent price) instead of going out and checking the store frequently. There have been a few things that I wanted that have been out if stock a lot that I ended up ordering when it came back in stock. Some items sell out really quickly, so you need to check back often and buy it quickly. I've bought a bunch of different kinds of cleaners, paper towels and toilet paper from Amazon at normal and even sale prices.

[Skydiver]

I’ve had luck going out on off days....meaning week days since major employers around here pay on Fridays.
So go out early thursday am, the stores have had time to stock but good chunks of the population will wait until the weekend, so you can have your best chance of getting what you need of those highly sought after items.

It does also help that stores are limiting purchases. So there were shelves full of bleach when people can only buy one, same with hand sanitizer and toilet paper.

I live alone so I have no issue with only being allowed to purchase 2 packages of meat at a time. I’m only going to eat one a week give or take (and do have a decent amount already in the freezer since I tend to do the ‘if it’s on sale get it while it’s cheap and freeze it’ shopper)

When the limiting happens then it can help alleviate the anxiety since more people can get some because some aren’t trying to hoard it all.

So for those that don’t want to go online try the off hours.

[SGalisa]

Seriously, once the shortages were taken care of, when you do have to go shopping, it has been far less miserable an experience than I can remember.

Some shortages STILL exist. Hand wipes / sanitizer. Walmart had some no-name brand hand sanitizer available in repackaged whiskey bottles, but those seem to have disappeared within a week. Couldn't find any. The good Cleaning supplies are also still MIA. Masks also MIA. Proper masks might be available thru businesses for their employees, but NOT available to general public.

Wait a minute... Shopping was enjoyable at any time in history?

LOL! My thoughts exactly.

Yes... occasionally, for the most part, shopping was one of my more favorite "chores".
Used to just grab my purse and me, and go. But not now.

Now, it's a huge moving process. Pack a bag...
* spare hand wipes, and extra soaped up cloths for cleaning hands during and after shopping.
* clean mask
* 2 pairs of clean, re-usable gloves (for different stores)
* allergy nose spray
* water bottle for traveling
* snack food for in between stores.
* reusable tarp bags to carry little plastic, grocery bags into house... to put on floor without bags flopping over

That's just the BEFORE shopping trip.
DURING the shopping...
* Get face mask on.
* Bring gloves, or put them on..
* Set shopping list where I can easily access it during shopping!
* Get cart... clean it off before entering store. Wait...
* Enter store, grab FREE hand-wipe cloth and keep for cart or wiping gloves between picking up grocery items.
* Move thru store as quick as possible to get to Check out... partly because other people are WAITING to get into the store. It's one of those "take a number to get in situations".

AFTER shopping includes--
* setting up decontamination zones
* cleaning off groceries ONE by ONE
* THEN, make room for groceries in pantry or wherever.

So, yeah, it's a process any more.

[SGalisa]

You could try checking Amazon frequently to see if items you need are in stock (and sold by Amazon itself or even a reputable seller that's selling it at a decent price) instead of going out and checking the store frequently. There have been a few things that I wanted that have been out if stock a lot that I ended up ordering when it came back in stock. Some items sell out really quickly, so you need to check back often and buy it quickly. I've bought a bunch of different kinds of cleaners, paper towels and toilet paper from Amazon at normal and even sale prices.

Yep. yep. & yep.
Been looking into alternative methods of possible places to get supplies. When the time comes, then I'll get more actively involved. Just noted what is still NOT there, because it's been gobbled up...??? Had a huge inventory of paper products show up last week with paper towels, napkins, TP, & tissues. WOW! But no purified water. Had to go next store for that, and bottles are limited.

I’ve had luck going out on off days....meaning week days since major employers around here pay on Fridays.
So go out early thursday am, the stores have had time to stock but good chunks of the population will wait until the weekend, so you can have your best chance of getting what you need of those highly sought after items.

It does also help that stores are limiting purchases. So there were shelves full of bleach when people can only buy one, same with hand sanitizer and toilet paper....

Me too... I dread the weekends. Used to go on weekends when working, but not now. Lines lined up outside waiting (for an hour?) to get into ALL stores. Usually, when I've gone, NO lines... maybe one or 2 people ahead of me, but other people walking out of store, let's one new person in by then.

I also like the limiting on purchases. It is based similar to the sales per product. Usually it is per day, and if you have a special shopper's card for that store, they will allow you to return the next day and buy a 2nd batch. Eventually, that might catch up to people's electronic card histories, and limit per week what they buy.

Since I have limited space, I cannot stock up on much of anything. So, I mostly buy ONLY what I need. And try not to go past expiration dates too.

As for bleach... I noticed our Shoprite was finally selling their own brand at $2.99. Probably watered down.
Our local hardware store was also selling bleach, both for outdoor use and indoor clothing types. I've noticed there is a difference in thick, syrupy bleach, and watered down. The one at the hardware store was cheaper, and lasted longer than the supermarket types! Go figure.

[Skydiver]

One thing I kept out of my mom’s house that I’m grateful that I did was her stand alone freezer. So I can get meat and other things when they’re on sale and freeze them. Even works for tortillas and bread and other things that may go rancid.

Prior to this, I tend to get up early so I’d hit stores in the AM and have a good chance at mark down bakery and meat. I’d just put the meat in freezer bags and stack it up by date.


I found a little cabinet on a yard sale that I turned into a pantry, so pasta and pasta sauce, cereal, etc. I’d store down there and just keep an eye on the dates.

So throughout hte past month and a half a lot of what I’d do is just get the perishables - milk and juice and bits and pieces to put things together.

Right after it started there was that run on the stores and so many empty shelves. I was lucky that I have no issue eating wax beans (yellow green beans) or Brussels sprouts or broccoli, so many of the items others chose not to buy were still on the shelves for me.

[SoulReaver]

gotta give it to Covid it sure dont waste time:

https://www.businessinsider.fr/us/co...ons-end-2020-5

and this is in Germany where people are disciplined enough to follow the rules on their own

looks like they're headed for another round of lockdowns
lol

against something that spreads through the air almost as well as the flu, and evolves (so no real vaccine possible, and able to adapt to antivirals) those temporary lockdowns will only postpone the next wave

wanna get rid of it? then isolate people 24/7/365 if lockdown logic's all there is
else it will persist forever just like the flu

[mad_gater]

I’ve had luck going out on off days....meaning week days since major employers around here pay on Fridays.
So go out early thursday am, the stores have had time to stock but good chunks of the population will wait until the weekend, so you can have your best chance of getting what you need of those highly sought after items.

It does also help that stores are limiting purchases. So there were shelves full of bleach when people can only buy one, same with hand sanitizer and toilet paper.

I live alone so I have no issue with only being allowed to purchase 2 packages of meat at a time. I’m only going to eat one a week give or take (and do have a decent amount already in the freezer since I tend to do the ‘if it’s on sale get it while it’s cheap and freeze it’ shopper)

When the limiting happens then it can help alleviate the anxiety since more people can get some because some aren’t trying to hoard it all.

So for those that don’t want to go online try the off hours.

yeah it wouldn't surprise me if these times make not getting married and having kids even more popular than it already is

[Gatefan1976]

yeah it wouldn't surprise me if these times make not getting married and having kids even more popular than it already is

Men and woman stuck at home, I expect a population explosion MG.

[mad_gater]

Men and woman stuck at home, I expect a population explosion MG.

and those men being to the rest of us who haven't gotten married yet: "They told us this would be fun...I've lost all my sanity..and my hair! Save yourselves! Don't get married! Don't have kids!"

[Womble]

My "local" is still a major supermarket chain, so the prices are fine. Yes at your "corner store" you will get charged more because they rely more on margin that turnover. As for things being "kosher" or not, well that's not something I want to deal with in this thread.

My "local" is also a supermarket chain, Mega, one of the big five - unfortunately, also the most expensive of the five. My old apartment was in 5 to 10 minutes walk proximity to 5 shops of 3 other supermarket chains, including Victory which is second-cheapest.

The power of using purchacing power over margins. Even in your own industry you know that. You will book the "best deal" for a customer if you know 10 more will come in to get that deal on a flight (and they will)

Which is why I predict plastic packaging coming back with a vengeance in the near term. Also single-use everything. Reuse is the opposite of sterility.

No, they don't, but that is not my point. It's seeing other people, being around them, having a sense of community, even when the jerk in front of you pisses you off. I'm talking about the pure isolation factor here Womble.

Yeah, after two months indoors, it feels good to be around other people. ANY people for ANY reason. But it'll pass.

Sure, that could definately be an issue, but let me ask, before all this happened, were you happy with that side of things? The company I work for just hired thousands of new staff, and now they cannot get shifts because the workload has normalized. They are encouraging people to become delivery drivers rather than in store workers now to cover that delivery deficit you are seeing now, but not everyone drives, as you know.

Before it all happened, I only ordered things online that I was willing to wait for.

I was looking at it from the perspective that a second job can be used to find something more personally fulfilling, not so much the money aspect. Perhaps the use of the word "job" was incorrect in this case. "A hobby that pays as well?"

We're in a crisis. People concern themselves much less with First World problems and much more with staying afloat in the locally and globally debilitated economy. Lots of people will get second jobs, but hardly for self-fulfillment.

[mad_gater]

My "local" is also a supermarket chain, Mega, one of the big five - unfortunately, also the most expensive of the five. My old apartment was in 5 to 10 minutes walk proximity to 5 shops of 3 other supermarket chains, including Victory which is second-cheapest.


Which is why I predict plastic packaging coming back with a vengeance in the near term. Also single-use everything. Reuse is the opposite of sterility.


Yeah, after two months indoors, it feels good to be around other people. ANY people for ANY reason. But it'll pass.


Before it all happened, I only ordered things online that I was willing to wait for.


We're in a crisis. People concern themselves much less with First World problems and much more with staying afloat in the locally and globally debilitated economy. Lots of people will get second jobs, but hardly for self-fulfillment.

I'm thinking a good "happy medium" is gonna be stores contracting with the makers of "Bio Bag" and making plastic single-use bags out of biodegradable plastic material

[Skydiver]

Men and woman stuck at home, I expect a population explosion MG.

Yes, the advent of the coronials.

Maybe the fading of our last baby boom will bring about the next one.

[aretood2]

Yes, the advent of the coronials.

Maybe the fading of our last baby boom will bring about the next one.

I think the next generation will be defined by not going through this at all, so the "Coronials" are already here, they're just like less than 2 years old, 5 years old at most. I think this is a defining moment for the Zoomers, kinda like how my generation got the advent of widespread internet, 9/11, Cell Phones and the Great Recession.

[pscard]

FYI:

Florida's COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard
(This one can display the counts based on Florida state, county, and zip code.)


COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE)


I hope you'll find these useful.