COVID-19 and us — 6.12.20

A Few, Not So Random, Thoughts on COVID-19, the Police and School

Yes, I’m going to keep wearing my mask while I’m in public and around people. If I get seriously ill, my wife is in trouble because her health issues mandate 24-hour care. If she gets gets COVID-19, she probably won’t survive.

This summer, we stay home and wear a mask in public. And, if you don’t wear one, STAY AWAY!

The Police

I believe that the police, or someone who performs their functions, are a necessary evil.

Given the above, de-funding the police will not accomplish anything positive. Are reforms necessary? Yes, most certainly.

What Reforms?

I’d like to propose two reforms.

First, there is a need to better screen those we recruit and train to be members of our police departments. We need to make sure that those who become policemen, and policewomen, are primarily, if not exclusively, interested in helping people. Those who, for whatever reasons, need to bully people must be weeded out. We must screen out those who are inclined to throw around their authority and hide behind its badge and who lie to cover up their mistakes.

Think lying is not a problem facing our police departments? Look first at the videos currently circulating on the internet, and then think of how many times your friends complained about a run-in with the police in which they claimed the police lied about what they did. (I would imagine most of us know someone who was given a traffic ticket they didn’t deserve because the traffic cop lied. Maybe, it’s happened to you. Did the cop actually lie? If the cop lied about something small like a u-turn, missed stop sign, unsafe lane change, what would stop him/her from lying about an assault or firing a weapon?)

We need honest police who believe that violence is a last resort, not a first response.

Two

Second, we must de-militarize our police departments. Police departments are not armies and police are not soldiers. The primary purpose of the police is to protect a community and its people. The primary purpose of an army is to, using extreme violence, destroy an opposing army.

When a police department becomes an army, the people it is supposed to protect become the enemy. If you doubt this, look at any recent, or not so recent, video of police behavior at rallies in which people are exercising their rights to assemble and protest. Yes, like the right to bear arms, the right to protest is a right protected by the U.S. Constitution.

And, maybe, we should give the police a chance to become members of the community they are hired to protect. How about we subsidize their purchase of housing in the cities they work. Beginning officers aren’t going to be able to afford to live in high priced cities like San Francisco or Newport Beach. If they lived among those they policed, might they better identify with those they came into contact with? And, again maybe, have them park their cars and walk around the neighborhoods they patrol. Once or twice (or, maybe, more often) a year knock on people’s doors, introduce themselves and ask about the community. Make the police us and not them.

School

Ghads, the more I think about making schools ready for the 2020-2021 school year, the more I want to laugh or cry.

Social distancing? Take a class of forty students and set it up for social distancing and you have a class of fewer than twenty. If you give teachers the same 240 students, they must now teach twelve classes. (No, this is not a fantasy. During most of my forty year career, my classes had 35-40 students and I taught six classes each day.)

More classes? Or, shorter classes but teachers are still responsible for students learning the same material? Students coming to school every other day? On-line school on the other days?

Do you know any teachers who are looking forward to teaching under COVID-19 conditions next year? How about, do you know any teachers who have just retired and are breathing a sigh of extreme relief?

How about, do you know any teachers who are considering early retirement because they, belatedly, see what is coming?

Remember, the economy tanked and tax receipts will be down, school budgets will be down; teachers will get fewer supplies and salaries and benefits may, will, be re-negotiated.

More work, lower salary — they all have college degrees; do you think many of them may look for work in some other profession?

Can you imagine being a newbie, first-year teacher, just beginning his or her career under these conditions? I can and still cannot decide whether to laugh or cry.

California State Department of Education

Cal-Ed recently published a guide on how to open schools in the Age of COVID-19. What’s in it? A lot of educational and bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo. Don’t believe me? Read it yourself.

In essence it says local districts are responsible for everything, reasonably practical or not, with no realistic how-tos.

Typical response like Donald John: I take no responsibility; handle it at the local level. I imagine it will devolve to individual schools and teachers, like most things educational do. They have no real authority but have all of the responsibility and will take all of the blame when (not if, in my humble opinion) things don’t work out.

My take: by October everyone gives up and things go back to the way they were last October (pre-COVID-19), come heck, high water, illness and death.

COVID-19 and us — 5.17.20

COVID-19

Well, here we are in the middle of May and the novel coronavirus is still with us. Tens of thousands are getting it for the first time and some are getting it for the second (or third?) time. Thousands are dying of it every single day.

Numbers

In fact, more than a thousand are dying of coronavirus in the United States every day. As I am writing this, Johns Hopkins University says there have been 89,399 deaths in this country. At the current rate we’ll be well over 100,000 deaths before June.

As America begins to re-open without a vaccine for the coronavirus the number of cases will probably rise. People who have been cooped up in their homes and apartments and not exposed to the virus will come into contact with others who have the virus (but not the symptoms). The virus will spread. The more people come into contact with others, the faster the spread.

One sees the videos of people crowded into restaurants and bars, without facemasks, and wonders who among them have the virus. There’s no “V” on the foreheads of those infected. You just can’t tell — it’s a crapshoot. Take your chances; get infected and take it back to your wife and kids (significant other, roommate, parents, etc.).

Odds

They think it won’t (can’t) happen to them. Hey, less than one-half of one percent of the people in the US have COVID-19. Odds are they won’t get it.

Well, that’s not quite the case. Only 1.5 million people have been hospitalized or tested positive for the virus. With the limited testing we have there’s no telling how many people actually have the virus and are capable of spreading it to infect others.

But, let us go ahead and use the 1.5 million figure. That’s about one of every two hundred people in this country. How many people do you come in contact with each day you go and eat in a restaurant, drink in a bar or sit in a salon, hairdresser or barbershop? Five, ten, fifteen, more?

How about we say ten? After twenty days, you’ve come in contact with two hundred people. What are the odds now?

You’re a barber and cut the hair of twenty people a day, none of whom wear masks; in ten days you’ve come in close contact with two hundred people. Of course, there are two other barbers in the shop and they also cut people’s hair. How many people, in total, are you in close contact with in our large and roomy barbershops.

Nail salons. My wife typically spends an hour to an hour and a half getting her nails, fingers and toes, done. The same at her hair stylist. Talk about close contact.

How many people a day does a bartender, supermarket checker, factory worker, coffee shop/sandwich shop employee come into contact with?

Schools

Perhaps, we should consider schools — elementary and secondary.

During my teaching career, my classes averaged thirty-five to forty students each. Not bad huh? Well, I taught six classes each day and it’s not much different today in middle/junior and senior high school.

You want schools to re-open? Deal with those numbers.

COVID-19 and us — 4.06.20

COVID-19 now seems to be the current determinant in our lives. It keeps us at home and away from our friends and jobs. When we are out amongst them, it forces us to keep our distance from each other. There are lines at grocery stores and temperature checks at medical centers.

One becomes disgusted, or more so than before, at politicians and office holders who offer nothing but self-serving verbiage. Ghads, the current POTUS makes even W seem to have been almost competent. James Buchanan must be smiling that he is no longer considered, by me at least, to be our worst president.

Home and Doctors

Di and I have stayed at home most of the time. We haven’t been taking many drives to calm her nerves and have been to the doctor’s only once in the last two weeks.

On the 31st we saw her rheumatologist for her twice yearly Prolia shot. Following the injection we went upstairs to the lab and had blood drawn (a ten minute wait and two vials). A day or two later the doctor called and said the results were good and she would see Di again in six months.

All the rest of our medical/dental appointments have been moved to May or June for re-scheduling, as have Di’s hair (I cut my own hair.) and nail appointments.

Most of the food I usually purchase is again in stock at most markets, although paper products are in short supply (and missing altogether at Target).

The pharmacies are open and have our meds.

Shopping

I went shopping yesterday afternoon. First to Trader Joe’s and there was a line fifteen or twenty people deep — all of us six feet apart standing behind taped lines on the walkway. Had to take my re-usable bags back to the car as they weren’t allowed in the store — TJ’s paper bags without charge. Bought a hundred dollars worth of goods (most I’ve spent there without buying alcohol) so I won’t have to return for a week instead of my usual two or three visits for fresh stuph each week. They even had kleenex and toilet paper — in limited quantities.

All employees were wearing face masks and gloves.

I then drove to Von’s and picked up some meds for Di and a couple of loaves of the bread she likes. Oh, yeah, the Starbucks inside was open and I got her a white hot chocolate with whipped cream, her fave. One barista had on a facemask and the other did not. Some Von’s employees had masks, others not, go figure. And, they allowed re-usable bags.

Also

Last Tuesday our cleaners came as usual. The gardener came on Thursday and the home care service called yesterday to say that Di’s caregiver would be here, as usual, on Wednesday.

It began raining last night/early this morning and is supposed to continue off and on until Thursday — the lawn, trees, flowers and Di and I appreciate it.

Di’s family is getting together once or twice a week on Zoom. Noon here for Di and David and eight in the evening for Tricia and Helen in England.

Mist and Smoke are in Di’s room sleeping curled up together on a window chair and Di is watching TV in her new recliner. I’ll fix her a fortified milkshake for dinner tonight. For myself, lima beans and a largish baked potato.

One more thing to do before dinner. Update the medical sheets I print out periodically with our medicines and doctors names and phone numbers. Di’s is up to date in the computer but I need to do mine. I have to include a few notes about her condition so. If I get unexpectedly taken to Emergency people will know about Di and be able to have her, and the cats, taken care of. Remember folks, the only precautions and preparations you’ll ever regret are those you didn’t take and should have.

Stay healthy.

COVID-19 and us — 3.26.20

Cardiologist

It’s a few minutes before 1:00 pm here in breezy, sunny SoCal. Yesterday’s video-conference with my cardiologist went fine. Although my ascending aortic aneurysm has slightly increased in size, it is not yet large enough to warrant surgery. So, an increase in my meds by half a tablet/day and another CT scan in six months. Oh, and keep checking my blood pressure and heart rate, which I do on my Omron.

Shopping

With Di’s caregiver looking after her I went shopping after the video-conference. First to Old World for some day old Farmers Bread and some of their fine liverwurst. I didn’t notice the sign and box as I entered and was admonished to don a pair of gloves while in the shopping. OK. I didn’t have to spend any of my money as I had three gift cards (spend $5 and get a $10 gift card) — it pays to check one’s email for offers like these.

Then it was off to the beach for lunch. The city parking lots were closed along with the pier and pier plaza but the beach was open.

The Beach

I stopped at TK’s for a Big Bargain Special (burger and fries). The chairs and tables were in storage and fix-up work was being done but they were still serving take-out food. I parked along PCH (parking sticker was still good at the meters) and walked across the parking lot at Tower 17 and ate on the sand wall.

There was a steady stream of walkers, joggers and bikers along the path but the numbers weren’t large — a half dozen people per minute, maybe. Within view of my seat there were three homeless tents and belongings, all on the city beach. To my pleasant surprise the restrooms were open as I needed to get rid of some of the morning’s coffee.

More Shopping

Went to Von’s and picked up Di’s meds and some of their bread that she favors. I was going to also do some shopping at TJ’s and Target, picking up a white hot chocolate for Di at the Starbucks in Target, but I’d been gone for a couple of hours and decided to get the hot chocolate at the Von’s Starbucks and stop at home before finishing my errands — good choice, at the Starbucks in Target was closed.

I went to Pet Supply to get cat treats and some food as our Chewy shipment was being delayed a few days.

Picked up some vitamins for Di at Target — they were still out of TP and Kleenex; I mean the shelves were completely empty.

Trader Joe’s was limiting amounts of some items and the number of people in the store at one time — I had to wait for about five minutes to be let in. Most things were available, although some were clearly in short supply. Bananas – check, cheese – check, milk – check, creamer – check and so on. Until the paper aisle. No TP, no paper towels and no Kleenex. Ah, well, I wasn’t out of any of those but Di uses a lot of Kleenex and we’re down to three unopened boxes.

Got home and shortly thereafter Di’s caregiver left.

Continued

Oh, our gardener came while I was gone, he usually comes on Thursday. I doubt he’s in an occupation considered “essential” but I’m glad he’s still working. I don’t believe he is any danger to us and I doubt he has enough saved to get through this situation without working.

Well, it’s about time for Di’s video-conference with her brother and sisters . . . Stay safe my friends.

COVID-19 and us — 3.24.20

As I type this COVID-19 cases number some 417,582 with 53,660 here in the US. Really, with some 7+ billion people in the world the numbers don’t seem large; when one considers the curve of new cases, both worldwide and in the US, it is frightening.

COVID-19 Graphics

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/maps-visuals

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51768274

The above links and others give graphic evidence as to the spread of the virus. Just use your search engine of choice (I like Duck Duck Go) and key in COVID-19 graphics.

Since my last post . . .

. . . not much has changed. Both medical and non-medical appointments have been re-scheduled for some time in April or left in limbo. My appointment with the cardiologist has become a video appointment. I’d added an hour to the time foe Di’s caregiver to be here on Wednesday so I could be at my appointment and a couple of hours later got a call from the cardiologist’s office. Would I be able to attend via phone or video (Zoom) on my computer? The scheduler was working from home. Video? Yeah, I could do that. So, tomorrow I’ll have a video medical appointment (my first) at somewhere near the same time the physical appointment had been scheduled.

I’m hoping two things. First, that, yes, I will not have to wait long and, second, that he’s already seen the CT scan’s results and that means I’m OK for the next few months. Fingers crossed.

Shopping

The supermarkets have quieted down. They are no longer crowded, at least at the times I go, and the shelves are mostly full. Paper products and cleaners seem to still be in short supply.

It looks like the idiots who panicked and have supplies of TP and wipes good for several years are out of money or space for storage. It should only take a week or two for suppliers to get shelves stocked again.

There is plenty of milk, fruit and salad fixings available.

Tomorrow, after the video meeting with the doctor, I’ll go shopping. Milk, salad, fruit, ice cream, frozen veggies, bread, cheese, creamer, potatoes, and kleenex are at the top of the list (and a roast chicken). I’ve got a Chewy order for the cats, including a new cat tree to replace the current torn up one, coming this week, hopefully.

A few days ago we drove along PCH into Long Beach (to get Di out of the house during one of her anxious periods) and parking lots of shopping centers were mostly empty. It reminded me of the days of my youth when stores were mostly closed on Sundays. The only lots with cars were those having grocery/drug type stores, restaurants set up for take-out and laundromats.

The beach

There didn’t seem to be too many people enjoying the beach, at least not as many as I usually see. There were few vehicles in the parking lots of the state and city beaches and the RV lots were mostly empty. The only place I saw a large number of people was Huntington Dog Beach and even there people didn’t seem to be in large groups . . . mostly.

There were too many people in the downtown/pier plaza/pier area for the city authorities and some of our self-appointed nannies so today the pier and pier plaza were closed and tomorrow the beach parking lots are going to be closed.

I’ve seen a lot of people out biking, walking, walking their dogs and families but not in large groups. Mostly, it’s singles, couples and parents with children and pets. Social distancing exercise.

For those of you who don’t believe in the efficacy of social distancing here is a graphic from the “Spanish Flu” of a century ago. It shows a comparison of the death rates of Philadelphia (which took few precautions) and St. Louis (which closed itself down). I believe the graphic is self-explanatory, but here’s the entire story:

https://qz.com/1816060/a-chart-of-the-1918-spanish-flu-shows-why-social-distancing-works/

Stay healthy my friends.

PS: I don’t know about you but I think the number of cases of this virus are way off. I’ve never really believed the stats coming from China — do you? and from the United States? We can’t even get enough tests, much less actually test people. Oh, Well . . . muddle through time . . .