[Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

[hitbyambulance]

i've received notice that three of my health providers/specialists all moved out of Seattle in the past month. i know at least one of them is taking advantage of remote working while relocating to cheaper environs.

[AWS260]

[Isgrimnur]

CBS News

A genetic analysis of COVID-19 patients suggests that blood type might influence whether someone develops severe disease.

Scientists who compared the genes of thousands of patients in Europe found that those who had Type A blood were more likely to have severe disease while those with Type O were less likely.

Wednesday's report in the New England Journal of Medicine doesn't prove a blood type connection, but it does confirm a previous report from China of such a link.
...
The evidence of a role for blood type is "tentative ... it isn't enough of a signal to be sure," said Dr. Eric Topol, head of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in San Diego.

Even more reasons for me to stay in lockdown.

[Daehawk]

Well double the reason I probably killed myself in Walmart just now. Im A neg. Plus that store was hot as blazes and I was sweating like mad. Sweat was pouring from under my cap and after being over the entire store and in the lousy self check out line alone I pulled my mask down to breath. First thing I automatically did was wipe the sweat off my lips with the palm of my hand. Instantly thought FUuuuuuuuck! Well I had a good run.

[em2nought]

that store was hot as blazes and I was sweating like mad. Sweat was pouring from under my cap and after being over the entire store and in the lousy self check out line alone I pulled my mask down to breath.

I'm sort of paranoid about people looking at me while I sweat in stores now. I've resisted the temptation to pull my mask down, but I have taken my glasses off occasionally. I'm thinking I'll be able to get some cool masks off etsy for cheap prices soon as I just don't see too many people wearing masks anymore.

[Daehawk]

I found a lady selling home made mask at the local farmers market today. When I saw one that was black on one side with white skeleton hands and on the other was white with piano sheet music in black I knew I had to have it. Im the skeleton type person and the music would be for my wife who played piano. So knew it was meant for me.

[AWS260]

Maybe avoid your local AMC when it re-opens.

AMC will not mandate that all guests wear masks, although employees will be required to do so. Nor will AMC perform temperature checks on customers, though it will monitor its employees’ temperatures and have them undergo screenings to check for signs of coronavirus. The situation will be different in states and cities that require residents to wear a mask when they’re in public, but Aron said that AMC was wary of wading into a public health issue that has become politicized.

“We did not want to be drawn into a political controversy,” said Aron. “We thought it might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary. We think that the vast majority of AMC guests will be wearing masks. When I go to an AMC feature, I will certainly be wearing a mask and leading by example.”

Because wearing a mask is "political."

[Isgrimnur]

Everything is political these days.

[Isgrimnur]

Denton

The City of Denton has increased its mosquito surveillance and response plan to risk level 3.

This is in response to a sample of mosquitoes that tested positive for the West Nile Virus.

Health officials say the sample was collected on June 15 from a trap located at the IOOF Cemetery on Fort Worth and Eagle drives.

Denton officials say risk level 3 indicates that the probability of a person contracting a mosquito-borne disease like West Nile is low to moderate.

The plan is divided into 5 levels based on the risk.

[Daehawk]

Kinda silly how the folks in this country care more about political correctness than lives. Just today I read on the news site that Garuda airlines will stop their employees from wearing masks because passengers complained they couldn't see their smiles. Thats nuts. Sounds like an Onion article but wasn't.

The brand new Dave & Busters near here had been shut down until this week then they shut down again today because an employee I think it was tested positive. So more sanitizing going on. I dont think the country will care until everyone thats going to get it gets it and those that die die and leave the rest. Its crazy.

[Blackhawk]

I still have periodic coughing fits when I inhale or swallow saliva wrong thanks to cancer throat. You should see the looks of terror I get when it happens in the store.

[Daehawk]

Tell them you dont feel so good and maybe they'll all leave the checkout lines screaming.

Could tell them the truth and how you get that cancer. Might make them smile.

In my head though Im like you. I have allergies and I have this silly fear that if I sneeze or cough Im going to get jumped and tossed out lol. Makes for a funny mental image.

EDIT: Come to think of it I guess all the coughing and throat clearing I do in the parking lot before heading in doesn't instill good thoughts in the people I dont see sitting in their cars around me

[Paingod]

Maybe avoid your local AMC when it re-opens.

AMC will not mandate that all guests wear masks, although employees will be required to do so. Nor will AMC perform temperature checks on customers, though it will monitor its employees’ temperatures and have them undergo screenings to check for signs of coronavirus. The situation will be different in states and cities that require residents to wear a mask when they’re in public, but Aron said that AMC was wary of wading into a public health issue that has become politicized.

“We did not want to be drawn into a political controversy,” said Aron. “We thought it might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary. We think that the vast majority of AMC guests will be wearing masks. When I go to an AMC feature, I will certainly be wearing a mask and leading by example.”

Because wearing a mask is "political."

This is the silent plea for some lawmaker somewhere to tell them they MUST require masks so they're not to blame. It's the worst kind of fence-sitting. You're leaning waaaaaay over to one side and waiting for someone to nudge you so you can say "That wasn't my fault!"

[LordMortis]

Maybe avoid your local AMC when it re-opens.

AMC will not mandate that all guests wear masks, although employees will be required to do so. Nor will AMC perform temperature checks on customers, though it will monitor its employees’ temperatures and have them undergo screenings to check for signs of coronavirus. The situation will be different in states and cities that require residents to wear a mask when they’re in public, but Aron said that AMC was wary of wading into a public health issue that has become politicized.

“We did not want to be drawn into a political controversy,” said Aron. “We thought it might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary. We think that the vast majority of AMC guests will be wearing masks. When I go to an AMC feature, I will certainly be wearing a mask and leading by example.”

Because wearing a mask is "political."

I will not protect our employees and will be drawn into this political controversy because some people have strong beliefs.

I'd say "yeah no AMC for me" but I haven't been to an AMC theatre in more than a decade, so I don't matter.

[$iljanus]

Really, as if the virus gives a shit about someone's political leanings but if it was able to give a response it probably would say, "Covie loves cruising the bar scene, dance clubs, nursing homes and conservatives! Now excuse me, I have to get ready for a big party in Tulsa tomorrow!"

[YellowKing]

This whole mask thing boggles my mind. Just make the goddamn masks mandatory and fine every Karen that doesn't wear one $500. We can mandate seatbelts to save a fraction of the number of people dying from car accidents, but we can't mandate masks for a disease that has killed over 100,000 in this country in 4 months and continues to ravage the population?

[Isgrimnur]

How many people at your hospital were fired for refusing the flu shot?

[$iljanus]

Maybe avoid your local AMC when it re-opens.

AMC will not mandate that all guests wear masks, although employees will be required to do so. Nor will AMC perform temperature checks on customers, though it will monitor its employees’ temperatures and have them undergo screenings to check for signs of coronavirus. The situation will be different in states and cities that require residents to wear a mask when they’re in public, but Aron said that AMC was wary of wading into a public health issue that has become politicized.

“We did not want to be drawn into a political controversy,” said Aron. “We thought it might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary. We think that the vast majority of AMC guests will be wearing masks. When I go to an AMC feature, I will certainly be wearing a mask and leading by example.”

Because wearing a mask is "political."

CNN just reported that AMC reversed its stance on masks and now they are mandatory.

AMC will probably be picketed by angry maskless mobs!

[YellowKing]

Any kind of mask policy really needs to come from the government level, because otherwise businesses are opening themselves up to angry patrons getting into fist fights with minimum wage workers. Some businesses are willing to take that risk, others are not. At least if you can play the "sorry, folks, state law" card, you can defuse a lot of those situations because the Karens have no place to go but the governor.

[em2nought]

Here are 9 hand sanitizers that the FDA warns can be toxic if absorbed by the body

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/m/bc75391 ... izers.html

Martin on yahoo

The nine products the FDA mentioned were:

All-Clean Hand Sanitizer

Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer

CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol

Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer

The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer

CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol

CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol

CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol

Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer

[em2nought]

That Home Depot FPR10 filter that I cut up and replaced my office window ac filter with worked absolutely perfectly. I left it in too long as it's absolutely filthy. I'm going to switch over to MERV13 filters off amazon because I can get them for half of what I pay for Home Depot filters. Buying a big 20x30 filter for $10, I can cut it up to make two filters for my mother's central ac and one filter for my office window ac so I'll be getting MERV13 filters for $3.50 each. I'm thinking about trying the fabric out in my bedroom mini split too since they have crappy filters just like window air conditioners.

I even took the packaging the FPR10 filter came in and made a "this office filtered with FPR10" placard for my service desk, maybe it will make customers feel better about coming into my messy office.

[pr0ner]

Virginia goes to Phase 3 on July 1.

Amazingly the state is still trending downward on the number of infections per day, so we'll see what happens.

My office goes to Phase 1 on Thursday. I am TBD on whether I will ask for permission to go back or not.

[hitbyambulance]

has anyone gotten any offers from their place of employ on reimbursements for home office setups (desk, chairs, etc)?

[Daehawk]

maybe it will make customers feel better about coming into my messy office.

Free full body oil massage not working?

[ImLawBoy]

has anyone gotten any offers from their place of employ on reimbursements for home office setups (desk, chairs, etc)?

We can put in for 50% reimbursement on our internet (which is already pretty discounted if you can get it through the company). Beyond that and general office supplies, I don't think the company will be paying for much.

[hitbyambulance]

i haven't gotten anything. weird that electricity and internet data reimbursement isn't a thing....

https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en- ... and-beyond

[YellowKing]

We haven't received any offers of reimbursement yet, but I imagine there will be a call for it if and when they move us to WFH permanently. Right now we're still considered "temporarily out of the office" even though we've been told we'll be WFH at least through the end of August.

[coopasonic]

has anyone gotten any offers from their place of employ on reimbursements for home office setups (desk, chairs, etc)?

Small allowance for monitor stands. We were given a window at the beginning to go back to the office and get our monitors, keyboards, mice to bring home.

i haven't gotten anything. weird that electricity and internet data reimbursement isn't a thing....

https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en- ... and-beyond

Likely employers assume you already have electric and internet and the incremental costs shouldn't be that great and likely not exceeding what you paid to commute.

[Alefroth]

i haven't gotten anything. weird that electricity and internet data reimbursement isn't a thing....

https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en- ... and-beyond

Wouldn't that be analogous to getting a gasoline and car upkeep reimbursement for working in an office?

[hitbyambulance]

i haven't gotten anything. weird that electricity and internet data reimbursement isn't a thing....

https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en- ... and-beyond

Wouldn't that be analogous to getting a gasoline and car upkeep reimbursement for working in an office?

i don't know, i don't drive. but it's worth considering...

[Jeff V]

i haven't gotten anything. weird that electricity and internet data reimbursement isn't a thing....

My ex-company somehow determined that the savings of a person working from home vs. office was $4000 per year in favor of the employee. Thus they decreed there shall be no reimbursement of any home expenses, although it's still possible it could be tax deductible.

I would take a $4000 tax cut from my previous salary to work from home. I suspect I'll have to settle for much less if I do find something.

[LordMortis]

has anyone gotten any offers from their place of employ on reimbursements for home office setups (desk, chairs, etc)?

LOL. I got an offer to keep my job, working at 50% salary and alternating furloughs until returning to full salary this last week, no "merit" aka cost of living raises in 2020 and no ETA on when "bonuses" will be re-instated. In the meantime work load has gone through the roof and deadlines were not pushed back in spite of furloughs.

[Kraken]

has anyone gotten any offers from their place of employ on reimbursements for home office setups (desk, chairs, etc)?

Wife's employer has been very generous with office equipment. They're sending her a new Lenovo with docking station next week to replace the old Macbook that we both hate (I'm her IT guy). Today she expensed a voice recorder. Last week it was printer paper. Whatever, they don't care. Their office building (which she's never been in, having started during covid) is in one of the most expensive buildings in Kendall Square, so they'll save a fortune by downsizing when the lease is up. She's already a permanent WFH and wonders if she will ever meet her coworkers in person.

[Jeff V]

one of the most expensive buildings in Kendall Square

There's a shopping center called Kendall Square a few miles from my house. Must be expensive too because there's a lot of vacant space, including a former Dick's Sporting Goods that left immediately after their 10-year tax free incentive expired.

[Kraken]

one of the most expensive buildings in Kendall Square

There's a shopping center called Kendall Square a few miles from my house. Must be expensive too because there's a lot of vacant space, including a former Dick's Sporting Goods that left immediately after their 10-year tax free incentive expired.

Kendall Square in Cambridge is the nucleus of the biotech industry and home to MIT.

[Jeff V]

one of the most expensive buildings in Kendall Square

There's a shopping center called Kendall Square a few miles from my house. Must be expensive too because there's a lot of vacant space, including a former Dick's Sporting Goods that left immediately after their 10-year tax free incentive expired.

Kendall Square in Cambridge is the nucleus of the biotech industry and home to MIT.

Kendall Square in Yorkville is the home to numerous weed fields (not the good kind), land that optimistically was acquired with the apparent expectation of numerous restaurants and other stand-alone structures. The main strip itself is so far off the main road you might miss it. The Super Target gets a fair amount of traffic though.

[YellowKing]

North Carolina is now making face masks mandatory for employees and customers in retail/restaurants. Also staying in Phase 2, Phase 3 postponed.

Will be interesting to see what kind of fight the anti-maskers put up, but I'm glad the state finally laid down the law. I'd say current mask usage everywhere I've been lately has been 25% or less.

[Daehawk]

If people want to go maskless let them live alone and sign a waiver for future medical care.

On CNN today they were showing a doctor and a lab working on the vaccine. The reporter had her mask on but the doctor did not. Then inside the labs footage showed workers filling their little test vials with nothing but gloves..no mask or headwear.

[Kraken]

This post got no action in R&P, so I'm trying it here. Talk me out of it, cheer me on, give me ideas, whatever. There's this thing we need to do and don't want to do.

Wife and I are trying to nail down a trip to MI. We're still paying the bills on my late BIL's house in Lansing; Wife needs to go thru his possessions to rescue things of value before we can hire someone to trash it out and put it on the market...he was a hoarder, and this is her childhood home, so there's 60+ years of personal detritus buried under an impressive amount of just plain junk. She needs several days to hunt for treasure. He had a valuable baseball card collection, for example, and we suspect that he hid cash around the house. At the same time, my sister in Muskegon is undergoing chemo for ovarian cancer, leading up to surgery in (probably) August; I really want to see her for what might be one last time. These are compelling reasons to travel.

Mid-August looks like our best window of opportunity, work-wise. I worry that if we push it much beyond that we'll be courting a major fall virus surge. Of course, it's surging bigtime now, but not where we're going. We'll probably drive; neither of us wants to fly, and we'll need our car to bring home whatever junk Wife rescues from Lansing, as well as to shuttle around the state.

We're too old to make that drive in one day, so we'll need to stay overnight in upstate NY (probably Syracuse) each way. In MI, we'll have to split our time between Lansing and Muskegon, roughly 2 hours apart. I'm thinking of staying in a motel or airBnB in either Lansing or GR (where I still have a couple of friends and which is midway between Lansing and Muskegon), for probably 3 nights. Our friends in Brighton would love to put us up, but that's an additional 90 minutes in the wrong direction. Wife categorically rules out staying in the Lansing house that we own. The place is a real pit, it smells bad, and it's filled with too many ghosts. But man, it would make so much logistic sense. Since my sister is severely immunocompromised and not exactly up for entertaining, the Muskegon leg of the trip can be a single daytrip from Lansing. My nephew and niece, who also live there, are buried in babies and toddlers that I am expected to want to meet, and I just don't tolerate toddlers well at all, so Muskegon is not exactly a vacation destination either.

Minimum trip duration will be 7 days (2 on the road each way and 3 in state), and we'll have to get all of our meals out. This is way more dice-rolling than I care to do, and yet I don't feel like we can put it off. Between property taxes and insurance and keeping the water and power on, the Lansing house is costing us $5,000/yr. It's only worth $70,000, and we have to split that with my surviving BIL, and there are legal vultures circling with claims on the estate. The longer we mark time, the more we spend down the only asset.

On the plus side, both NY and MI are in the Good States category...so far.

I don't want to do anything, but I have to do something, and I don't know what to do, but I feel like we have to do it while it's possible -- there are more covid shutdowns coming. Right now, lodging and road food are available, if dangerous. Wife has to be on board, too, and her attitude is mostly the same as mine, except insofar as the Lansing house is concerned. I'd burn it to the ground.

[dbt1949]

Now is not a good time to sell I would think but I have known a few people who got away with the other method...............