The COVID 19 outbreak. Does it mean MORE backpacking this year?

[James Marco]

https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2020/03/adirondack-conditions-stay-close-to-home.html

[Jerry Adams]

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

We’re continuing exponential growth.  Probably need tighter shutdown, although it’s possible we’re testing more so there are new cases (unlikely)

Worst states:

New York’s going to be updated again today, will probably be 6000+ new cases, continues to be about half the total U.S. but other states are starting to get just as bad

Washington was #2 but has moved down to #5.  They’re going to be down to #10 within a few days at current rates.  Jay (the snake) Inslee imposed strict shutdown 10 days ago.  Now the number of new daily cases is dropping.  That’s what the rest of the country needs to do.

[Jerry Adams]

U.S. now leads the world in total number of cases, but not deaths

Maybe there’s a delay from when a new case is detected until the person get’s sick and dies, in which case we’ll catch up with Italy deaths in a few weeks

We should tighten up the shutdown before it gets worse

[d k]

We’re number one!

Record # of unemployment filed, too.

He’s right, I AM tired of all this winning.

 

Oh, wait, this isn’t chaff…sorry, I got carried away.

[Jerry Adams]

we’re exceptional : )

[jscott]

A bit of annoyance and boredom and PATIENCE from all of us up front will pay dividends down the road.

If this were pitched as a month vacation in place, I’d be all over it. My guitar playing is improving by leaps and bounds!

(I understand that income is being stretched. Again, good practices now will accelerate the time when we can go back to work.)

Public service announcement from the land o’bland.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

BTW, COVID 19 is a lung eater that leaves permanent damage IF you  survive.

Jus’ sayin’…

[Jerry Adams]

We’ve got a couple food orders from amazon.  On one of them, I accidentally selected the wrong credit card.  A few hours after I ordered it they cancelled the order – invalid credit card.

Then, yesterday, Brenda got an email from amazon saying that an order was about to be cancelled with a link to click on to update the credit information.

Wait a second!!!  There was no information about the specific order.  And we looked at a couple of pending orders and they were still good.  And when we did screw up, it just killed the order, didn’t give us an opportunity to update credit information,   And upon looking at the URL of the update credit information link, it was not amazon

In our feeling of hysteria about the virus, it would be easier to be vulnerable to phishing.

Or a request from a charitable institution.

[Ryan Jordan]

My mom was admitted to ER tonite in Seattle with chest pain and cold symptoms. CT scan, chest x-ray, and covid-19 test (3-4 day turnaround expected). She has an underlying health issue (heart). My dad is home, he has underlying health issues (history of several cases of pneumonia, and he just had a knee surgery). Both in their upper 70s. Gonna be an anxious couple of days…

Please stay home.

[Greg Mihalik]

“BTW, COVID 19 is a lung eater that leaves permanent damage IF you  survive.”

Not a doctor and not trying to diminish the severtity of  Covid 19.

If you develope pneumonia, and if it progresses to acute respritory distress syndrome, then you will probably have lasting diminished lung capacity.

This occurred in 2 out of 168 presenting with pneumonia. in ONE study.

I am not comforted by those numbers, but “uncomplicated covid” will not destroy your lung capacity.

As we move through this an learn more, good and bad, I urge exercising care in what we post.

[Greg Mihalik]

Ryan, I am sorry to hear that. I wish her the best of care and the best of luck.

This will touch us all, some more than others. Hang in there.

I’m staying home.

[James Marco]

Sorry to hear this Ryan. There is nothing you can do except hope. It is fortunate that there is not a lot of COVID19 out there, though it is virulent…most tests are negative. Personal contact is hard to forgo. Often we can hurt the very thing we cherish, but a phone call every day to each would be good. Maintain contact. COVID19 is FAR from a death sentence, despite the media hype. Newer techniques for treating the illness are being developed, a second vaccine is now in trial, and equipment will be shared as needed. Her chances for full recovery, assuming she has the damn virus, are getting better each day. Lot’s of room for hope.

The same type of risk assessment we do out backpacking will stand us in good stead through this. The mere fact of a grey pate means we will have a less than great prognosis (iff we catch the bug.) So be it. Just because old age happens does NOT mean we won’t fight it just as hard as a 20 year old. Your parents NEED your support, encouragement and love. As do your children. We are in this together.

We have only an acquired immunity to this disease. Until our vaunted technology can step in, we are living in the dark ages of the plague.

[Brad Rogers]

I’m sorry to hear that Ryan.  Prayer’s her way.

[Jerry Adams]

sorry to hear Ryan, hope all goes well

[d k]

Hoping your mom and dad both get through this tough time.  Good that she is getting care now.

[Kattt]

Best wishes your way Ryan.

[BlackHatGuy]

Best wishes to both your mom and dad Ryan.

[John Z]

Sending best wishes for  you and your family, Ryan.

[jscott]

Be assured the whole damn community is concerned and hoping for you and your family Ryan.

[Monte Masterson]

Don’t want to diminish the severity of the COVID 19 virus because if one of my family members were to succumb to the illness, I’d be severely bummed. But there are actually some good side effects of the pandemic which are starting to reveal themselves, and one is the fact that much much less CO2 and other particulates are being emitted into the atmosphere.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/national/its-official-metro-manila-now-has-bluer-skies-cleaner-air/ar-BB11IRj2?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U147FDHP

[HkNewman]

Even without COVID, sometimes various diseases cause permanent lung and even heart damage (weighing it all after a doctor is reporting heart damage in some COVID patients).    After the flattening the curve stage is done to economize ICU beds, the economy will try to get back to normal and that includes the recreational/tourist industries.  There is still a risk until a COVID vaccine is distributed.   Then there’s anti-vaxxers and possible mutation that may keep it lingering (endemic is the term I believe).

Another way to limit exposure is the bicycle and I believe, bicycle trails.  If there were more, I think there would not have been that rush to rural America for those with cabin fever (which now pretty much has the virus).

https://www.outsideonline.com/2410530/bikes-social-distance-transportation

 

[Roger Caffin]

the flattening the curve stage is done to economize ICU beds,
If by economise we are talking about $$, that has to be one of the more obnoxious things I have ever read on BPL.

The hospitals simply do not have enough ICU beds to handle a big peak in infections, so adequate care could not be provided for many victims. Death results. Flattening the curve, as it is called, is done to keep the load within the capacity of the existing system.

Various organisations are scrambling to build temporary facilities, but it take TIME to do so. It is not a question of dollars, it is simply that America does not have adequate facilities right now, for people who are sick right now.

If I have misunderstood the use of the word economise, my apologies.

Roger

[jscott]

Yes, Roger, I’m sure what’s meant is, flattening to curve to lessen the number of people occupying those icu beds.

[Edward John M]

I disagree with you James Marco

This disease is a death sentence if you happen to be in that percentage of the population that is immune compromised or who have an underlying condition and you do not have ready access to an ICU that is fully staffed and fully resourced. I have an nephew working in a NY hospital as an anesthetist, he is already run of his feet, exhausted, running out of PPE, ordinary beds and ICU beds and ventilators, resigned to getting the disease himself and the very real possibility of not surviving because they haven’t set aside units to treat health care workers as a priority and because he has run himself into the ground already because the USA simply doesn’t have any reserve capacity in the system.

If I get it I will probably die as I have the benign form of cystic fibrosis and therefore less likely to actually get treatment at 70YO, so I am in the process now of writing a new will, just in case

I am going to go and get my seasonal ‘Flu and pneumonia shots ASAP but even GP’s here are flat out seeing worried people

[AK Granola]

Ryan, hope your parents are ok.

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