Sometimes I wonder what we would all do if there was an actual war in our country as there has been in so many others. Or some disease worse than COVID-19. As a nation we can’t manage to contain coronavirus infections because we want to be free and are bored. God help us if something truly wicked this way comes. 🤔

Sueb20, I hope your dad and daughter are not ill. Jinx....prayers for your father. My mother is 87....I feel your pain. If my mother were to pass from this disease I am not sure how I would cope.

That is so true KSWL!

Oh yes, I know we will have to still be careful after vaccinations, but things will be better and loosen up somewhat. But, there will be people, like my MIL, who will get vaccinated and then think they can go full speed ahead. I have already been telling her she will still need to wear a mask, etc. etc. etc. It is sad, but we rarely visit around her because she gets out and about. : (

I will just continue my home projects, etc. and once the weather warms up I have plenty of outside projects.

Yes Mtn - the thought has crossed my mind that I don't believe masks are mandatory in TX as they are here in MN. I haven't seen anyone in public without a mask in so long that the idea of that does freak me out a bit. On the one hand it (along with the likely coming surge) makes me think I should forget the idea of this trip. On the other hand I thought about wearing N95 masks to better protect ourselves. Oh well, I have some time to decide.

Kswl, I have thought of that too! But it is just a fact, kids and adults of younger age (than me) are not mentally that "tough" anymore. Sad, to say.

I feel so lucky to live in a state that has not gone overboard on the lockdowns. I am especially looking at it for our kid's point of view. It is horrible the suicide rate in some states. There really is something wrong with the states that do not have in-school yet, when "science" is saying it is safe. Just unfathomable that kids have not been in school and have lost a year of learning and year and not being able to socialize and is such a big factor at their age. Did you happen to see the viral video of the dad in Virginia who is begging the School Board to open the schools? You can just feel his anguish and pain. It must be hard seeing other states with open schools and your own schools are shut down. At least, our schools are open.

This school year for us, has really been dumbed-down for my DS and it is because kids without internet aren't going to their hub with internet and their parents aren't holding them accountable for doing their work, so, of course, we cater to them. Sorry, but it just makes me angry. For us adults, yes we can handle it much better, but it is really getting to people now, it seems.

We have taken a couple trips during Covid. We have gone to a wedding during Covid. We wear masks and social distance in stores because it is the polite thing to do-not because we have to-since we've had Covid. It is very, very rare that you get it twice.

From the research I've done, I'm not too worried about the people who have already had Covid, and I won't be worried about the people being vaccinated any longer-AS LONG as the protein spike doesn't change in the mutations of Covid. Right now, from my understanding, the vaccines work with all these mutations, because all Covid mutations currently has the same protein spike. EVERYONE should be getting the vaccine and as quick as possible so we can get this over with!

Go to St. John. : ) Everyone has to test negative 72 hrs before they get on the plane, and mask compliance was excellent.

2katz,

I am not sure where in Texas you will be going but I know in SA and Austin every place of business requres a mask. I live in San Antonio and I never see people not wearing a mask.

If you are not wearing one people will stare at you.

Thanks ak - we will be visiting friends on Canyon Lake. Other than picking up some groceries and maybe eating outside somewhere the only other things we will be doing are playing golf and hanging out with our friends at their place.

I feel naked without a mask outside of my house. I've gotten better at detecting smiles from behind a mask as laugh lines crinkle. Greeting every walker I pass has become a thing, and they usually reciprocate.

True aktillary, we go to the Dallas area all the time, and people wear masks in businesses. SA and Austin, for sure, even though I've only been to Austin once during Covid. You don't want to be stared at! That struck me funny! LOL

One of my adults kids got into a screaming match with a non-masker at Costco in northern NV. I kept trying to tell her to forget about it and let's go-don't get into a fight with a crazy person, but dd was furious that someone would not wear a mask in public with others in the same store--Costco no less, which has a strong mask policy. Anyhow, it ended with dd telling the non-masker where she could put her anti-science conspiracy theories and that while the non-masker might not care whether she lives or dies, the rest of us are quite concerned as to whether we do or not. It's usually the over 60 folks around here who will not wear a mask and somehow are not asked to leave the place of business. I told dd that some people have a death wish, which you can't control.

When I start feeling antsy to get out and about, something will come up that reminds me of what is going on out there. Like the terrible sadness of families that have lost loved one whose stories were told last night on 60 Minutes.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-deaths-families-60-minutes-2021-01-31/

What makes me most sad about Covid life is losing things that will never come back. I am sure my volunteer position is gone for good. My mother’s mental health has declined a lot, although I have continued to see her. I was hoping she could move to assisted living but that would be like putting her in jail since no one could visit. Now I feel like the opportunity to move her there is pretty much gone. At my age I only have a certain number of years that I can still travel and I am losing probably two of them. On top of that, I’ve come up (down?) with a bunch of physical ailments that I blame partially on inactivity and that also make me wonder how much traveling I’ll be doing later. At first I dug into household projects but now I can’t even get started.

I’m getting my first vaccination at the end of February. I’m glad for that but it’s not going to change things much. Maybe less worry.

I need a vacation and a Tesla.

Allison, I tend to agree we're all going to be exposed to Covid. There are days I think this is the end of the world.

Kswl, as a nation we can't manage Covid because of the previous leader and the people who bought what he said, and they still think that way. Imagine if he'd believed in science and told everyone to stay put, or protect yourself and others every time you leave the house? Instead he came to my state and that's when Covid took off like a wild fire.

I've only had to get out of my car twice which was to get gas and I had to go inside once. I put my clear and loose cooking gloves on when I stepped out of my car and didn't take them off until right before I opened the door. No covid on my hands. Opening the door to a business is a great way of catching covid.

DH as able to get his first shot but he has to go to various court houses several times a week and I just know he's going to get it and give it to me. I'm truly a goner if he does. Today he had to go to the store to buy a watch and he said there were people not wearing a mask even though there's a notice on the front door.

Somehow I don't let it get me down, maybe I've accepted it? I feel sorry for those who live alone. Those of us who have a partner are blessed.

The only thing that gets me down is I've missed almost a year with my grandchildren, and although they live one minute away by foot, I can't go in their bedrooms and have intimate chats, or have intimate chats anywhere because we have to keep our distance. I just want to hold them. And kiss them all over. :)

Their mom got Covid and I thank God everyday she's fine and those kids didn't catch it.

Ded can you find a reliable person to come in and help her with daily tasks? My Dad has someone, but that person is the person exposing us all to covid. I just wear a heavily layered mask when in close contact with Dad. That's the best I could do other than totally shut him out. It has destroyed his mind. Not so much dementia but other mental issues. He is nonstop horrid to me, in very hurtful ways. He's failing both physically and mentally, although not super bad with memory, just executive functioning, but he copes by taking out all his bile on me. Very common for caregivers I know. I dealt with it previously by ceding some of his "looking after" to others but harder during covid. Not sure what will happen long term. He wasn't about to go into assisted living before the pandemic. He fights with everyone in his presence, I can't imagine him getting along in such a group setting. He's already made enemies of most of his condo neighbors.

Opening the door to a business is a great way of catching covid.

Sharing air with others is the primary way that Covid spreads. Surfaces have not proven to be a huge source of infection. Of course I use hand sanitizer after being in a store or other place outside my home, but the only business that I've gone inside of since mid December has been UPS to drop off a return.

Info about surface transmission:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00251-4

Terri, I'd taken a good deal of comfort in the fact that surface transmission is unlikely, but then this "new strain" thing has me worried a bit anew. If the chance of surface transmission is "x" now, could it be "10x" with a more virulent strain is my concern.

Oakley, End of the world because of Covid? Boy, who have you been listening to?

I am a confirmed introvert and I also have covid fatigue. I'm tired of not seeing family, not seeing friends, not shopping except to the supermarket. I haven't seen my 94yo MIL in person since Christmas 2019. I miss going to restaurants, going to flea markets and antique shops, just being around people.

My dh and I did travel cross country twice... eastbound in the spring and westbound after thanksgiving. Staying in hotels, sanitizing everything. Packing all our food for the trip so no stops for food. I'm extremely happy to be in southern California for the winter. After our quarantine, my sister & BIL are in our bubble and that helps a lot.

I am 63 and my dh is 64... it will be many months before we are vaccinated.

Covid has certainly been the end of the world for roughly 2.2 million people globally. That's a fact that political spin simply cannot stand up against.

Lpink , I feel for you. At least my mother is a pleasant person, trying her best with the little physical and mental capacities she has left. We tried getting an aide for a couple hours a day but there was not much for her to do and it made my mom miserable to have a stranger in the house. If she was a horrible person I would have less compunction about dropping her off at an assisted living facility, but I just can’t do that to her.

Even if it is inevitable that everyone will be exposed to Covid I prefer to wait until I and my family have been vaccinated so that our chances of a mild if any illness are much greater. I will continue supermarket pick up for groceries and online order delivery for everything else. I won't willingly contribute to the problem of spread and mutation of the virus.

I'm not saying that no one should go anywhere ever, as I do believe that there are ways to travel safely. We did so in several times last year - but we didn't go to restaurants and limited our shopping to picking up some groceries. With these new variants I'm hesitant to do that now though.

I totally agree with you Terri. The new variants change things. I also agree with you about the surface issue and I think gloves are pretty much useless. Use your hand sanitizer, or wash your hands. The gloves can carry the germs just like your hands can. You are not washing gloves after touching something.

Terri, packing your food is a good idea. We did alot of picnics before the weather turned cold. This weekend we will celebrate our 39th anniversary, which many years we have celebrated with a trip. Weather permitting, we have talked about driving somewhere up in the mountains, enjoying the scenery, etc. Eating a picnic in the car may not be the most romantic thing, but I will be with my favorite person. Thanks for the idea.

Yes Mtn - I too wonder about increased risk of surface transmission with the new variants. It has been a relief not to have to disinfect every grocery item I bring into the house, quarantine my mail for three days, spray disinfectant on the newspaper, etc. For a while there I was practicing aseptic technique as if everything was contaminated with Ebola virus.

Yes, Tina, I never understood gloves. To me gloves would protect the skin on your hands from irritants, or protect a cut from contamination. Other than than, I don't get it.

I don't think I realized that these feeling of anxiety are cf. I think I am less patient and probably more demanding of others. I have a framed poster in my kitchen that says "I bake because murder is wrong." That sums up some days for me.A lot of days. It was easier when I was working outside at Longwood four days a week as it filled the hours. We're not traveling or doing much of anything. My dd and her husband moved to the area last month, so our pod of two has happily doubled.

We think dh had covid back in late Jan. He was traveling a ton for work and came down with a bad cough and fever that hung around for a week or so. Of course this was before we knew what Covid really was. He's the one I worry about. He is healthy now, but he definitely fits some of the more worrying profiles. Actually, when I think about it, I spend a lot of my time worrying about him contracting the virus. And he knows I do and I know it bothers him. It's not a control thing on my part--its a worry thing. Wow, I've used the word "worry" in four out of five sentences. That says something.

Jinx and Sue, I hope your dads recover quickly and fully. Same to your daughter, Sue. My parents live in NYC and I worry (five!) about them as well. They are scheduled to get the vaccine on Feb 23. It cannot come soon enough.

Group hug, everyone.

@graywings123 - If a vaccine was almost in reach for everyone who wants it and there were no current or future variants for which the current vaccine is marginally effective I would probably feel as you do.

“I feel so lucky to live in a state that has not gone overboard on the lockdowns. I am especially looking at it for our kid's point of view. It is horrible the suicide rate in some states.”

Olliesmom, I just want to make perfectly clear that I do not agree with your statements in any way. i wish my state of Georgia—- which still has no statewide mask requirement in place— had more stringent lockdown policies. About 50,000 people in the U.S. commit suicide annually. To date, 410,000 people have died of Covid 19 in twelve months’ time. We need better mental health services that are ongoing and can monitor kids and adults alike who are at risk. Around 90% of suicides have a prior diagnosed mental illness of some kind, so we already know who is at risk. As a country we don’t take mental illness as seriously as other conditions. That is a national failure of of our health care system and, IMO, another symptom of our toxic insistence on rugged individuality and “snapping out of it” without treatment when people, especially children, are depressed or show other signs of mental illness. Once the figures are tabulated for 2020 we will see what further damage has been done, but as yet there is no confirmed national figure for suicides that I can find except several articles confirming the trend is up. Blaming suicide on home schooling, lockdowns and other safety measures designed to keep the population safer as a whole is counterproductive and is not borne out by facts.

I am not going to be one of the last people to catch and possibly die from COVID when a vaccine is almost within reach.

I feel the same way. I am more determined to isolate until I am vaccinated.

Anne Frank was in that attic for over two years.

Yes, we are wimps compared to that brave girl.

At the end of the month, it will be almost one year since the change to remote instruction. It has been a grind. It is hard for the faculty because doing everything remote takes so much longer. And we have to plug along on our committee appointments. The students are struggling due to many factors including bad internet access. Some of them have had Covid, had friends or family members with it and had to quarantine. There are students who are attending my class in their cars because that is where their internet signal is best. But there are classes that are hybrid and some have even full face to face instruction. This seems like a bad idea with the new variants which have been identified in the state, but, hey, the show must go on.

DH is very busy. People working from home want larger homes. People are still moving here. But this means people are coming into the office. I worry about his risk. Yes, they wear masks and have bought HEPA purifiers. There isn’t a whole lot more they can do. We bought KN95’s.

MIL comes over outside only. She has her vaccine appointment coming up soon.

We are missing travel and concerts. All my conferences are virtual. . Nothing will happen until at a minimum maybe August if we are lucky. I hoped to buy a new car last fall, but I am not driving enough to even use the cars I have.

I am participating in a vaccine clinical trial for Novovax, so IDK if I’ve had the vaccine or placebo. There is a 2/3 chance. DH was unable to enroll. I’ve had no side effects but reading the UK data, it seems there are way fewer side effects though I may have more after the second dose in two more weeks. When it moves to group 3, DH hopefully can get vaccinated because he is interacting with the public.

My sister texted that she was going to a meeting/delayed holiday party from her women’s group and I told her this was not a good idea to go to anything indoors and she should double mask if she decides to go. She’s had one dose of Pfizer. The data show that the vaccines prevent death and severe disease which is amazing, but it is still possible to test positive. Our brother has stage 4 cancer and she spends the most time helping him. I know their positivity rate is “only” 7% and it’s double that here, but still.

I am wishing healthy vibes to Sueb and Jinx for their family members.

Time to get to bed. It’s just been so busy.

I just read that 1 out of 5 people in the U.S have some form of mental illness. I had no idea it was that high.

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml

Ouch...Ded Tired, I’m sure you didn’t mean it quite the way it came across, but I do want to point out that it’s not only “horrible” people who get dropped off at assisted living facilities.

But just also want to clarify that both my dad and my DD are quarantined but neither of them actually has Covid. Yet. 😷 They are each equally unhappy about missing their exercise routines!

kswl, thank God that 90% who are more at risk you talk about, are not ALL in lockdown states right now. I cannot imagine the numbers. Can you?

Sue, I think you misunderstood me. I said if SHE was s horrible person, which she is not, not that only horrible people move to assisted living. I was responding to Lpink, who has difficulties dealing with her father.

I assumed in reading your post Dedtired, that you meant, "against her will." Moving an elderly person against their will would seem to me to be very difficult, but sometimes for the best.

Ded, I'm glad to hear your Mom is pleasant and tries her best; I know you do a lot for her. She sounds like a sweetie. I hope I am sweet when I'm old and need help, but I'm not all that sweet now, so there's that.

What we need, Ollie’s mom, is better support and monitoring of those we know to be at risk to preserve THEIR lives, not less restrictive protocols that will unnecessarily put others’ lives in danger. I fear that type of willful misunderstanding is politically motivated, which is a big part of our nationally failed Covid 19 response program.

I shan’t engage on this topic again.

Gloves do help to remind you not to touch your face or eyes. We still wear non-latex gloves when shopping, and although I know we are most likely the only ones in Wegmans wearing them, I feel better with them on.

2katz, what a small world! My last house was in Canyon Lake. It is lovely there. Here are a couple of photos of the view from my former backyard

Looking at my 90-day virtual Zumba subscription I bought on TG weekend, and realize it expires Feb 27. It's sobering to think another 90 days will have passed. OTOH, don't know what I'd do without the virtual workouts. They've been doing them since March.

I spent part of my morning looking at hotels in Bermuda online. This pretend-vacation-planning might help me to get through February.

AK - I do remember you lived in Canyon Lake! We visit our friends every couple years and I always thought there’d be a chance I might meet up with you when I was there.

@sueb20 - I think pretend vacation planning is good therapy. 😊

@3katz4me, I drove across Texas in December. I found the metro areas of Dallas and Austin to be fairly well versed in precautions. Everyone masked, etc. West Texas was entirely different. Between Abilene and Clovis, NM it wasn't unusual to stop at a gas station and be the only customer masked.

It's frustrating to me as a teacher that we are not doing more to make schools safe and prepared to meet this challenge and the next one that comes along. People need socialization, which is why we should have right from the get-go jumped on this like General Marshall did on the reconstruction of Europe after WWII. They knew if they didn't act at a massive scale, the misery of the war would undermine democracy and we'd just be back where it all started in another 30 years. I think its the same with this virus, infectious diseases are going to make a comeback, it has been predicted for decades by scientists aware of how the conditions present in the world would inevitably lead to that. I'm sure you all have concerns about your local schools, but mine were in tough shape even before this. In some cases, we teachers just make do no matter what, but now that our lives are at risk, it's sort of at the breaking point. So many teachers I knew were getting out of the profession even before this, due to lack of community support. Some schools will manage this better than others, and the weakest schools will of course have the most trouble, just as some people will have a lot of trouble surviving the virus while others not so much . . .

Edited to add that I wish I could get my husband involved in the "pretend" or even real shopping for a truck to pull a camper. He keeps talking about it but is hesitant to do it due to the financial uncertainty . . .

@jakabedy - that sounds kind of like MN before we had the statewide mandate. In the city the vast majority wore masks but in the more rural, smaller town areas where our lake cabin is the vast majority did not. I appreciate that everyone here is now required to mask up.

Sueb and jinx your dads are in my heart.

Thank goodness my MIL got her first dose of Merdena today!! Although she had a friend drive her as she didn't know where the particular health department is (not her county). We have given up worrying about her, she will do what she wants to do, go where she wants to go. I did tell her that I am not getting in a car with anyone other than my husband. I will be so glad when she has her second dose (2/22) and within the weeks after that, reaches some immunity or at least would have less serious symptoms. She is 84.

Thank you, roarah. ❤️

He‘s hanging in there. He’s a very active person (long retired, but took a full-time job related to a hobby he loves because he HAS to be busy) and doesn’t do well with having to sit at home alone. His mental state right now is really bad. We talk on the phone numerous times a day, but I still wake up in the middle of every night and am desperate to call him, make sure he’s ok. Seeing him pop up on my phone every morning for “morning check-in” is such a relief (we laugh because he knows he has to check in every couple of hours or I freak out). His cough is better, but not the fatigue. He still can’t smell or taste anything.

Is preemptive treatment an option?

ivermectin I bet - which apparently has good results with covid patients

There is one that starts with an "R" that I have two friends who were each treated with it. One of these guys was looking at ICU/ventilator if his oxygen level went down any further. The R drug did the trick. I think he had 4 or 5 doses. I don't know if that might be the acne one or not, I've not heard of that. Is he on Vitamin D?

His cough getting better is a good sign though. My brother tested positive over 3 weeks ago, had a fairly mild case but is still dealing with low energy and fatigue. It's driving him crazy. He had his first dose of Moderna a few days before he tested positive and had his second dose last Friday. Spiked a fever and terrible headache. They thought his bad reaction to the second dose of the vaccine might have been due to his having covid in between the doses.

Try not to worry. It's hard, I know. My brother is in the midst of a divorce, doesn't live here and was very, very close to my dad. My sister and I worried about him and like you, all we could do was call and/or text. It's hard. I hope he is on the road to recovery!!