Tag Archives: coronavirus

Notes on Coronavirus Trends

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How can we open our economy when fewer than 2% of all Americans have even been tested?

There’s a disturbing notion going around right now. A lot of folks seem to think that because a few major COVID-19 hotspots are past their peak — or close to that point — we’re ready to open up the U.S. economy, get back to work, and get things back to normal.

The people saying this are obviously out-of-touch with reality.

Don’t get me wrong. I’d love things to go back to normal. Part of my income comes from selling the jewelry I make at art shows. I’ve already had four shows cancelled — Borrego Springs in California in March, Art Under the Elms in Idaho and Apple Blossom Days in Wenatchee in April, and the Guild B Art Show in Chelan in September. I’m on the calendar for Leavenworth’s Village Art in the Park for two weekends in May, including the exceedingly profitable Memorial Day Weekend, but I suspect they’ll be cancelled, too. And even my helicopter business took a hit: the big airport event in June where I do hundreds of rides with one or two other pilots was cancelled. So yes, this is hurting my bottom line a bit, although admittedly not as much as the folks who have lost their primary (or sole) source of income because of business closures. (My main business is agricultural flying and that’s still essential here.)

But let’s be real here. Despite the constant steam of misleading information coming out of the White House multiple times a week, the U.S. is far behind many other countries with its testing for COVID-19. Just the other, the new official liar press secretary claimed on Twitter that over 4 million Americans had been tested. There are two problems with this:

  • It doesn’t jive with the numbers being reported on the far more trustworthy Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard, which is updated throughout the day every day for every country on earth. As the White House was claiming “over 4 million,” Johns Hopkins reported 3.7 million.
  • The percentage tested — even if it were 4 million — is still less than 2% of the total U.S. population of 331 million people.

One of the more insidious traits of COVID-19 is that a person can be infected and not show any symptoms. Or just show minor symptoms. So they could be walking around, infecting people around them without even knowing they’re sick.

And get this: under the rules in place in the U.S., these people don’t even qualify for testing!

Indeed, you have to be pretty sick to get tested, which is probably why nearly 20% of those tested actually have the virus and nearly 5% of those people die from it.

Wondering where I got those numbers? They’re from Johns Hopkins with a little extra math applied. I built a spreadsheet yesterday and will try to update it daily. Here’s what I have so far:

Covid Math
Percentage testing can only rise as we test more people, but I’d like to see it over 50% and we have a long way to go. I color coded (using conditional formatting) the other two percentages; green is good and red is bad.

My little spreadsheet doesn’t just offer numbers. It calculates percentages and identifies trends. The way I see it, we want the percentage of population tested to rise, the percentage of confirmed cases to drop, and the percentage of deaths among confirmed cases to drop.

Based on this data, we’re not even close to opening the country for business again.

The only way we will be ready is if we #TestEveryone, quarantine those who have the virus, and trace those people’s contacts to ensure they’re tested and, if necessary, quarantined, too. We need to keep those who carry the virus away from the general public and the only way we can do that is to (again) #TestEveryone.

So as much as I’d like to set up my show tent in Leavenworth for Mother’s Day weekend next month, I’m hoping that the U.S. can do what it needs to do to get this virus under control before then. And with the amount of misinformation and finger pointing coming out of the White House, I seriously doubt that will happen anytime soon.

When Retailers’ Coronavirus Policies Do More Harm than Good

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My take on two examples of virus protection theater.

I went to two retail stores yesterday and saw both good and bad. The good was mostly on the part of customers; the bad (or dumb, at least) was mostly on the part of the retailers. I’ll try to keep this brief.

At Fred Meyer Supermarket

I do my grocery shopping early in the day when the supermarket is least crowded here. My local Fred Meyer has a “vulnerable person” shopping hour most mornings from opening at 7 AM to 8 AM. I don’t consider myself in that category — too young and not “at greater risk” — so I try to get there just after 8 AM.

I should mention here that I would use Fred Meyer’s curbside pickup service, but ordering my groceries and then waiting 2 to 3 days to pick them up just doesn’t work for me — especially since I invariably remember other things I need and can’t add them to my checked out (but not paid for) cart.

Yesterday I came prepared with disposable gloves and a homemade face mask. I was thrilled to see about half the other early shoppers also wearing masks and/or gloves. I was disappointed to see that the only store employee wearing a mask was the woman making sushi.

But the thing that bugged me? The fact that even after handling all of my groceries and the groceries and possibly cash and coupons from previous customers, the cashier refused to pack my reusable shopping bags. Apparently, this is a store policy. It’s okay for her to use her germy hands to pack my groceries in a dozen flimsy plastic store bags, but not okay for her to use the same germy hands to pack my bag because it might have — get this — germs on it.

Oh, and get this: she was wearing gloves.

And no, she wasn’t putting on a fresh pair of gloves between customers. Or after handling money.

And when I pointed all this out to her, trying to be as friendly as possible about it, she got very defensive. “Store policy,” she told me. “It protects me.” To which I wanted to reply “bullshit,” but kept my mouth shut. She’s on the front lines, after all. I hope she doesn’t really think that one pair of gloves that she wears all day long are protecting her.

So on my way out I stopped at the service desk to make two points:

  • First was a request that every employee in the store who handles food or money wear a mask. I think that suggestion was well received.
  • Second, was the point that the customer bag thing made no sense for the reasons I outlined above. “Store policy,” I was told. 🙄

Hey, Fred Meyer? How about giving this some real thought instead of engaging in virus protection theater?

At Home Depot

Last week, I ordered an odd tool from the Home Depot website. To save on the cost of shipping, I had it delivered to the store for pickup. I assumed — incorrectly, apparently — that it would be put on a truck to the store and get there within a few days. So when I went to pick up a lumber order, I was surprised that it wasn’t already there.

About that pickup last week. I went to the special orders desk where I waited on line behind another customer. Large empty bins had been set up in front of the counter so customers couldn’t get right up to it. I waited at least six feet behind the person there. When it was my turn, I stepped right up. I then waited at least 20 minutes for the two women there to get my order up on one of the three computers. This required them to laugh a lot about how slow the computers were, restart the computers one by one, use the intercom to call a lumber department guy, and use the phone to call someone who apparently knew how to use the computers they had been put in front of. Yes, my lumber order was ready but no, that tool had not arrived. That meant a second trip to the store. Okay.

That second trip to the store came yesterday. I immediately noticed a change in the front entrance. They’d put cones and tape out to funnel all customers into a narrow channel. We’d have to get our carts elsewhere; fortunately, I didn’t need one. A woman at the end of the funnel asked me if I needed to go to the service desk. When I said yes, she escorted me away from the mouth of the funnel and into a holding area with a chain across it to prevent me from wandering out. “I have to make sure there’s less than four people at the counter,” she told me.

Okay.

She went into the front of the store and yelled in. Someone yelled back. She came out and opened the hook on the chain to let me out of my pen. I walked into the store. There were no customers at the counter.

Okay.

It was the same woman at the desk who’d laughed about the slow computers the previous week. I gave her my name. I had to do it twice. (Langer, which I said and spelled, is apparently difficult for some people. Six whole letters, after all.) She finally found my order. It was in a padded UPS envelope.

I gawked. “They sent it UPS?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t they just send it to me?”

“You asked for store pickup, didn’t you?”

This blew my mind. Home Depot was shipping to its own stores by UPS without charging me anything for the shipment when they could just as easily send it to me to save me time and save their staff the bother of dealing with me and my (potential) germs.

I signed the keypad with a gloved hand, then tucked the envelope under my arm and headed back the way I’d come, to the door just 15 feet away.

“You can’t go out this way!” two women shouted almost in unison. “You have to go around to the main exit.”

“But the door is right here,” I said. “This is the way I came in.”

A third woman joined in. She was apparently the manager. I don’t remember exactly what she said, but she wasn’t going to let me exit through that door. Instead, she expected me to walk through the entire front of the store, past unmasked customers and staff, through the checkout area with more people in it, to go out a different door.

And have I mentioned that there were no customers at all near the entrance door I wanted to use? The door just 15 feet away?

An argument ensued with me pointing out the stupidity of what they were asking me to do. Honestly, I should have gone through anyway. What would they have done? Tackled me to the ground? But I walked where they told me to, holding my breath for most of the way, and left the store, likely for the last time.

Fortunately, we have a Lowes in town and I had a good experience with a lumber pickup from them two weeks ago. (I just ordered 100 edging stones from Lowes for pickup later this week. I know there won’t be any bullshit.)

So after spending at least $30,000 in my local Home Depot since 2013 — building supplies, appliances, cabinets, countertops, gardening supplies — I’m making the switch to Lowes. I have zero tolerance for stupidity and this was the apex of stupidity.

Virus Protection Theater

Making up stupid rules about shopping bags and special entrances is nothing more than virus protection theater. I equate it to the TSA not allowing more than 3.4 ounces of liquid in a container through security. The rule looks good and might sound good with their explanations, but when you think about the reality of it, it’s downright idiotic and can do more harm than good.

If you’re a retailer looking for ways to protect your employees and customers, it’s pretty simple:

  • Provide cloth masks for your employees. (Leave the N95s for hospital staff and emergency medical workers.) Encourage, though the use of signs, your customers to wear cloth masks, too.
  • Encourage, and where necessary, enforce a 6-foot rule for spacing between employees and customers. Reminder signs and floor markings where people line up should be enough.
  • Prevent crowds in your store by, if necessary, limiting the number of people who enter. (I can only assume that’s what Home Depot’s fancy funnel was all about and I have to wonder who’s going to keep track of how many people are inside.)

That’s a good start. Don’t make stupid rules — don’t engage in virus protection theater.

Longing for a Leader

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The Queen’s speech reminds me that America has no leader.

I was taking my trash to the “curb” (2 miles away) when Her Majesty The Queen of England spoke from Windsor Castle on live television to her people. The rest of the world listened in. I heard about the speech on Twitter and it only took a moment to find a video of it, tweeted by @RoyalFamily:

I watched it. And I cried.

I cried because I miss the days when Americans had a leader who could speak so eloquently, so selflessly, so encouragingly to the people of our country to help us through difficult times.

I cried because I miss the days when America was a country I could be proud of, with a leader who could actually lead.

As an American, I’m tired of being lied to and treated like an idiot by Trump’s administration. I’m tired of being angry as I sit by helplessly watching the grifter-in-chief enrich himself, his family, and his friends at the expense of taxpayers. I’m tired of poor decisions taking us backwards, step by step, in science and ecological responsibilities. Of broken promises making enemies out of friends. Of a man who is making us the laughing stock of the world every time he opens his mouth.

I’m tired of a president who spews hate and bigotry that divide our country, turning friend against friend and ripping families apart. Of the constant stream of outrageous statements or behaviors to distract the people from what’s really going on behind the scenes — the political maneuvering to take down opponents and get away with whatever he wants.

And I’m sick about the way Trump has handled the entire coronavirus situation, from the moment he first addressed the issue and downplayed its potential consequences to his daily rally substitutes full of lies and misinformation to more recent revelations regarding him sending emergency equipment to red states when blue states were in dire circumstances.

So as I watched the Queen address her people for only the fourth time in her 68 years of reign, all I could think about was how calming and encouraging and adult her words were. She was saying what needed to be said to encourage Britons to do the right thing, to work together to stop the spread of the virus. She was complementing them on their efforts, she was praising the emergency medical workers, she was admitting that it wasn’t going to be easy but by working together they’d all get through it. She was bringing her people together.

She wasn’t downplaying the problem. She wasn’t pointing fingers or making excuses. She wasn’t playing political games. She wasn’t bragging about her ratings on Facebook or complaining that people weren’t being nice to her.

No. That’s because she’s an adult. Because she’s a leader — even if in name only — who knows how to lead.

And that’s why I cried. I cried because that’s what I want to see in America, too.

I can’t wait until we get this orange clown and his cronies out of office.
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Fighting Coronavirus with Masks

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Making masks a requirement could help shorten our lockdown.

Here’s the deal: the coronavirus is extremely contagious. It spreads primarily from people’s noses and mouths when they cough, sneeze, or even talk. While the 6-foot rule does help prevent the spread, covering your nose and mouth with something — anything — will help even more.

The big problem is that some people who have coronavirus have few or no symptoms. They’re carriers who are lucky enough not to feel the affects of the illness. But they can still make other people sick! And if they don’t show any symptoms or don’t have serious enough symptoms to suspect they have it or can’t/won’t get tested, they can’t know they have it. They’ll go out to buy groceries or dog food or work in their essential jobs. And every time they cough, sneeze, or talk, they’re spreading virus germs that can make other people sick.

Listen to the CDC

The Centers for Disease Control provides lots of advice for fighting the virus, including this:

“CDC continues to study the spread and effects of the novel coronavirus across the United States. We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms. In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.“

The solution? Require people to wear masks when out in public. This covers their mouths so they keep their germs to themselves.

Now I know what you’re saying. I can hear you screaming it from here. There’s a mask shortage! Masks should go to medical professionals!

Yes. I agree. Surgical masks — especially those designated as N95 — should must go to medical professionals and first responders.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t make or buy your own relatively effective mask. There are tons of instructional videos online these days; I shared one in yesterday’s blog post; I made that mask for myself. Just yesterday I saw a tweet with a picture of a mask made from a folded blue shop towel, rubber bands, and staples. And masks are widely available online from folks with sewing skills — check Etsy.

Homemade face mask
Here’s the mask I made for myself yesterday with the instructions in the video I linked to above and in yesterday’s blog post. It’s cotton fabric from an old set of curtains. Machine washable and durable, I expect it to last as long as I need it to. I’ll probably make a few others so I can always have a clean one handy when I head down into town.

I was in town briefly yesterday and was glad to see a handful of people wearing masks. But what I’d really like to see is everyone wearing masks.

Remember, while you wearing a mask probably won’t keep you from getting sick, it will keep you from spreading the virus to someone else. If everyone wore masks, we’d greatly reduce the spread of the virus — and maybe we can all get back to something a little closer to normal life than what we have now a little sooner.

Three Social Media Tips in the Time of Coronavirus

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Dial it down, for your sanity and the sanity of others.

Okay, I get it. You’re stuck mostly at home, possibly with a spouse and/or kids. Your routine has been upended and you have gaps in your day that you need to fill with something. So maybe you’re checking in on social media a little more than usual. Seeing what’s new with friends on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or some other social networking platform I’m either too old or too young to be connected with.

I’m with you. Although my “routine” hasn’t changed much, as I discussed in my previous post, I have definitely been checking in on Twitter a lot more than usual. (I pretty much dumped Facebook about three years ago, although you will still find a half-dead account there for me.) And based on the increased number of new tweets coming in every minute or so, I have to assume that many of the folks I follow there have also ramped up their access. I suspect it’s the same on all social media platforms. You’re bored, you’re lonely, you’re stressed, you’re starved for information — for whatever reason, you’re online more, reading more posts, and sharing the posts you want everyone in the world to see.

Whoa. Take a step back and look hard about how it’s making you feel. That’s what I did about a week ago. I realized that all coronavirus/COVID-19 and all finger-pointing politics all the time was making me depressed and angry. And that’s not what I use social media for.

That said, I’d like to offer three tips for social media during the time of coronavirus.

General Tips for Keeping Your Sanity on Twitter

On March 4, I posted a Twitter thread with some advice for folks who were getting frustrated by the anger and hate being shared on Twitter. Here it is in its entirety; tweet by tweet:

As someone who has been on Twitter for nearly 13 years and has authored numerous training materials/articles about it, can I share some advice for folks frustrated by the anger and hate being shared here? (1/13)

First of all, don’t feed the trolls. If someone replies to you or someone else with nasty, hateful comments, do one of the following (1) ignore them, (2) mute them so you don’t need to see any more of their crap, … (2/13)

… or (3) block them so you don’t have to worry about them seeing/interacting with your tweets. I usually block because life’s too short to deal with assholes. (3/13)

If someone on Twitter is spewing hate against a group of people or otherwise violating the Twitter Terms of Service (TOS), report them and (optionally but recommended) block them. I consider it my duty to report these accounts. (4/13)

If you think an account is fake — remember, we’ve been warned that foreign actors are screwing with US elections — report and block it. It’s quick and easy. (5/13)

Don’t make things worse by trolling people you don’t agree with using nasty or offensive comments. Remember what they say about honey vs vinegar. (Google it.) 6/13)

Don’t believe ANYTHING you read on Twitter unless it’s from a reputable source or you’ve read it elsewhere on an independent reputable source. Related: anyone can cook up a chart or graph or “poll results” to fool you. Ditto for photos these days. (7/13)

Related: just because you agree with something and WANT it to be true doesn’t mean it IS true. (8/13)

Don’t share information you have any reason to believe might not be true. (See above.) There’s enough bad information out there — don’t add to it! (9/13)

Follow folks who tweet about the things that interest you most. If you’re sick of politics, unfollow folks who tweet/retweet political things. You can always follow them again later. And don’t be offended if people unfollow you. (10/13)

Understand that I’m not telling you to close your mind to other ideas. I’m telling you to keep things civil in your discourse, share (and believe) factual things, and be aware that foreign operators are actively trying to disrupt our elections. Don’t let them suck you in! (11/13)

And finally, remember that Twitter is what you make it. Follow only the accounts that really interest you and stick to viewing “latest tweets” instead of “top tweets” to ensure that YOU are the one curating your Twitter feed. Block the bad actors. (12/13)

Social media is not real life. Remember that, whether you’re on Twitter, Facebook, or any other platform. When it stresses you out, take a break.

See you online. (13/13)

1. Curate your newsfeed.

On Twitter, if you have settings adjusted just right, you should see only three kinds of tweets:

  • Tweets posted by the accounts you follow. You have absolute control over this. If you don’t like what someone tweets, don’t follow them.
  • Tweets retweeted by the accounts you follow. You have some control over this, too. If you don’t like what someone retweets, you can turn off retweets for that account. If there’s one particular account that a Twitter friend retweets that you really don’t want to see, you can mute that account.
  • Ads. Unfortunately, you don’t have much control over that. (But cut Twitter some slack since they really do need to make money somehow.)

This is Twitter. Facebook is a whole different animal, one I’m very glad that I no longer deal with. But you do have some control on Facebook, too. Unfriend people or simply don’t include their posts in your newsfeed. Ditto for Instagram and others.

On Twitter, you can further curate your newsfeed by muting tweets that contain certain words, phrases, or hashtags. This comes in really handy if you don’t want to see any tweets about, say, #COVID19 or #coronavirus.

(For instructions on doing any of these things, consult the Help feature of the social media platform you’re dealing with. Don’t ask me. I don’t do technical support anymore.)

Last week, I started unfollowing a lot of Twitter accounts that post primarily about politics and/or coronavirus. I didn’t mute any terms; I just stopped following accounts that were posting stuff that was making me stressed or angry. This includes highly respected journalists and politicians who I can count on to provide accurate information. The trouble is, I was sick of reading about the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. (Widely shared opinion, backed up by facts: The Trump administration fucked up and continues to do so in a variety of new and anger-inducing ways. I get it already.) I also stopped following accounts that were posting content from unreliable sources, much of it written to stoke emotions or mislead. (See sidebar.)

But yeah: I stopped following accounts which, in many cases, were following me. Sorry folks, but I’m on Twitter for me, not you, and I’ve already voiced my opinions on the popularity contest.

The ones I didn’t want to stop following — most of them real friends who I know personally — were closely examined for what they retweeted. If I found that they kept retweeting the same political pundit over an over, I simply muted that pundit’s account. This way, when they retweeted without comment, I wouldn’t even see the tweet.

I also started following other accounts that tweeted more upbeat content, much of which has nothing to do with these difficult times. I’ve embraced Twitter’s pilot community and even attended a video conference virtual fly-in with pilots from the US, Canada, and UK. And who doesn’t love pictures of baby goats?

The result: my Twitter feed is a much less stressful place.

2. Don’t share crap.

Ah, crap. It’s the word I apply to any content that is obvious click-bait (see sidebar), is written to generate a (usually negative) emotional response, and/or contains fallacies or half-truths that mislead. Basically anything from the far left or far right news media is probably crap, although I can’t limit it to those sources.

When you share these things, you spread the crap around. Think about that literally for a moment: having some sort of shovel or spatula and using it to spread crap where it’s under everyone’s nose. Do you really want to do that?

How can you tell if something is crap? You can’t always. I usually refer people to the Media Bias Chart, which displays the logos of media outlets on a chart to indicate overall reliability and political bias. Basically, if you’re getting your information from one of the sources in the green box, it shouldn’t be crap. Although that chart is updated often and you can view it online, you have to pay to download it. Here’s a taste of version 5.1; I urge you to follow the link to see the full chart and use it to evaluate your favorite sources:

Media Bias Chart Green Box
Here’s a tiny piece of the Media Bias Chart v5.1. If your favorite news source isn’t in the green box, you’re probably not getting real news.

For the record, I get my news from NPR, the Washington Post, BBC News, and the Guardian (which doesn’t appear to be listed). I occasionally read the New York Times, but they piss me off more often then not.

3. Share upbeat or useful stuff.

What has truly amazed me is the quantity of (usually) non-political content that’s poking fun at our dire situation in a way that makes it palatable. Yeah, life sucks right now and it’s likely to get worse here in the US before it gets any better. And with the economic ramifications, we’re likely to be feeling it for a long time to come. But hey! We’re all in the same boat! Let’s look on the bright side of things.

Many of my Twitter friends have been tweeting or retweeting videos that make me laugh — or at least smile. They show off the creativity and resourcefulness of strangers in the world around us. There’s no hate, no anger. There’s just fun. That’s the kind of stuff you should be sharing with your social media friends. Don’t share hate, anger, frustration, and finger pointing. Share entertaining or enlightening content that makes people happy.

You might also consider sharing useful information. I ran across a video last week that explained how to create masks that could be used (and reused) by local hospitals. Guess what? They can also be used by you when you go out and do your grocery shopping. If you have a sewing machine and some fabric and elastic, you can whip up a mask — or enough for your family — in no time. And if your local hospital has a mask shortage, contact them and see if you can make masks for them, too.

Similarly, I’ve also seen posts about food storage and recipes. New family games. Home schooling. Video conferencing. Working from home. Staying in touch with family or friends. Keeping your sanity. That’s the kind of content we should be sharing now. The kind of content that can improve our world and, possibly, bring people together.

We’re all in the same boat. Why would you want to poke holes in it with divisive or hateful content?

Above All, Remain Calm and Carry On

Lily and Rosie
Rosie (top) and Lily lounging on my bed. They’re calm; you should be, too.

The situation sucks — you don’t have to tell me. It’ll get worse here — that’s a given. But we can get through this together. Do your part and I’ll do mine.

Now enjoy this photo of my two puppies and relax.