BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Greetings.

besleybean · April 8, 2020 11:43 am

We try and keep safe distances at work, but it's difficult with the youngest kids.
We had a 4 year old last week and I kept having to remind her to keep her distance...seems so cruel!
We have several staff self-isolating, either cos they are vulnerable or have a vulnerable family member.
We have had some displaying symptoms or again, a family member doing so, but once they have passed the quarantine period they have returned to work. But there could be others of us going off at any time.
I should point out that the school hub is being manned with minimum staff.
Most of the teaching staff are working from home.

Yitzock · April 8, 2020 6:18 pm

Schools (elementary, high school, university) have all gone online here, too. All the classes that people in my year were TAs for moved to online teaching. The class I'm a TA for was an online class to begin with, so luckily I didn't have to adjust to a different way of doing things.

There are a couple of seniors' homes in the province that have had several coronavirus cases, but luckily the one where my Oma is staying has been proactive and stopped letting visitors come inside the building for weeks now and seems to be doing a lot to make sure nobody gets sick. We have brought stuff for her a few times (we stay outside and a staff member comes to the door to get it) and tried a Skype call (but my Oma wanted to hang up after only five and a half minutes even though she didn't have to hang up for another fifteen) so that she can sort of see us even if not in the flesh.

besleybean · April 8, 2020 6:22 pm

Me and my daughter do video calls with the Italian family.

diva · April 8, 2020 8:39 pm

Yitzock wrote:
Schools (elementary, high school, university) have all gone online here, too. All the classes that people in my year were TAs for moved to online teaching. The class I'm a TA for was an online class to begin with, so luckily I didn't have to adjust to a different way of doing things.

There are a couple of seniors' homes in the province that have had several coronavirus cases, but luckily the one where my Oma is staying has been proactive and stopped letting visitors come inside the building for weeks now and seems to be doing a lot to make sure nobody gets sick. We have brought stuff for her a few times (we stay outside and a staff member comes to the door to get it) and tried a Skype call (but my Oma wanted to hang up after only five and a half minutes even though she didn't have to hang up for another fifteen) so that she can sort of see us even if not in the flesh.

This sounds very familiar to me. My mum is in a care home and of course I am worried about her because she is 87 and suffering from Parkinson's. There are many cases of coronavirus infections in some senior's homes but so far we have been fortunate with my mum's place. They too banned visitors from mid-March on and try to keep any risk at a minimum. It's hard not to be able to visit my mum but I accept that it is for her safety.

I am still commuting to work five times a week. Initially my coworkers and I had been asked to set up alternating shifts which meant I was allowed to work from home every other day, but then our higher-ups changed their minds. Truth be told, I can't get much done when I am working from home because I can't access the intranet when I am not in the office, and our bosses always refused to buy the neccesary equipment. Of course now they realised that this was probably a mistake.

besleybean · April 8, 2020 8:41 pm

We have an intranet system, too.
But we have quite a few other hosting sites we use, so the teachers have been uploading material that way.

nakahara · April 14, 2020 11:07 am

Preventive measures against the virus were quite strict from the very start here in Slovakia, so the situation here is not so bad considering the number of the infected, I think. But the inability to do anything but to mope at home, the uncertainty about the future, the economic black-hole that sucks out life from forcefully closed down shops, a duty to appear in face mask everywhere, even when you are strolling in an empty park, the inability to visit your relatives out of fear that you´ll bring infection to them.... it really gets on one´s nerves and I am afraid it will end up in a full-scale depression soon.

Yitzock · April 14, 2020 1:59 pm

Good to know that the number of cases isn't as high as in other places.

I haven't had to go out with a mask on yet, since the last time I went shopping was before we were required to wear them at stores. But my parents have had to (and my neighbour sewed masks for all three of us that she gave us this weekend), and my mum has been finding it a strange experience. She forgets that people can't see that she's smiling at them when she recognizes them.

Your description of your experience of your depressing boredom seems to go with the quote from your signature, nakahara. Perhaps there is some kind of project you can devise for yourself to keep from feeling too much stasis? Perhaps it's the time for a new writing project or something?

Liberty · April 14, 2020 4:28 pm

Masks are frowned on here. I would love to wear them - I know they are not that effective, but I'd feel a bit safer! I think lots of people are struggling with being locked away and isolated, and with finances and so on. Such a difficult time.

Scarlaty82 · April 14, 2020 4:48 pm

nakahara wrote:
Preventive measures against the virus were quite strict from the very start here in Slovakia, so the situation here is not so bad considering the number of the infected, I think. But the inability to do anything but to mope at home, the uncertainty about the future, the economic black-hole that sucks out life from forcefully closed down shops, a duty to appear in face mask everywhere, even when you are strolling in an empty park, the inability to visit your relatives out of fear that you´ll bring infection to them.... it really gets on one´s nerves and I am afraid it will end up in a full-scale depression soon.

I think things are easier to endure when you know when that will end. It's not what is happening now.
You don't know when you will return to work, can't make projects.
At least, here in France. Perhaps some countries manage better. Anyway, even countries like China which tried to end confinement worries the second wave like they say.
I have a friend in Taiwan and he told me that they take that very seriously at the beginning, isolated ill people immediately, wear masks, etc... and they didn't have confinement and not so many dead people. But they trust their governement and are obedient, have civic sense. It's not what I see here in France. I don't think things will be better in one month so letting kids come back to schools is an heresy and as it's only to let people who stay at home to take care of their children be able tocome back to work, it's economy above health. How can we trust these leaders ?
Sorry, I'm in a bad mood after yesterday announcements here.

Hope you and your families are doing well.

Yitzock · April 15, 2020 2:32 pm

Liberty wrote:
Masks are frowned on here. I would love to wear them - I know they are not that effective, but I'd feel a bit safer! I think lots of people are struggling with being locked away and isolated, and with finances and so on. Such a difficult time.

In Canada, the discussion about masks has changed since experts are learning more all the time and the situation has changed over time. At first, it was established that masks don't help prevent you from getting the virus and were only for healthcare workers (although even when that was the message being communicated to us there were still stores that had sold out of masks), only stop someone from spreading it if they have it. But now some experts are suggesting everyone wear one when they go to stores (not necessary if you're out for a walk and keeping distance,I think, but in a busy closed place it's recommended). I guess the point is that they can stop droplets from going into your mouth and nose and if you're asymptomatic can stop you from spreading it.
I'm still trying to stop associating seeing people wearing masks with the paranoia we saw at the beginning and the thoughts I was having when I would see someone wearing one, "You're taking them away from the healthcare workers who need them." At least a well-made homemade one like we got from our neighbour will not deprive the stock of medical supplies.

Liberty · April 15, 2020 3:07 pm

Yes, it's the homemade ones I'm talking about (there's the same problem here with lack of supply for frontline staff). I've read mixed things but my gut feeling is they would help a little if used carefully, not least because of stopping you inadvertently touching your face! Talking of that, I've only just had the idea today that I need to wear hair clips all the time, as my hair keeps getting in my face! My anxiety is high because I'm in a very high risk group. My friends are losing people and it's so awful as nobody can see their loved ones or even have a funeral at the moment.

I had been looking at what they did in Taiwan, Scarlaty, and wishing they were doing it over here, but sadly no. I don't really understand the government's thinking. It doesn't even make sense in terms of putting economics above help, because all that's happening now will be so expensive - more expensive in the long run than early testing and tracing and preparation.

Yitzock · April 15, 2020 5:14 pm

Yeah, it depends on how the homemade masks are made. The ones my neighbour made have a special material inside them that's supposed to block droplets and a couple layers of outside material, so they seem pretty good.
I can understand why you want to be cautious if you're in a high-risk group. That same neighbour I talked about is in her 70s and very worried (a bit overly cautious imo, doing things like waiting three days before touching her newspaper after it arrives, but at the same time I understand why she would want to be).

Scarlaty82 · April 16, 2020 9:07 pm

About the masks, I made one myself and someone told me to put inside the tissu a piece of vacuum cleaner's bag to improve protection.
Did anyone try this ?
A friend of mine is helping me by buying groceries for me (I stay at home because of high-risk group) but her 16 years son will go back to school soon and I worry that he brings the virus at home and contamine her without symptoms (she's tough) so I try to anticipate more precautions.
Those new measures tend to increase herd immunity which is good for the end of the pandemic but bad for unhealthy people.

Liberty · April 17, 2020 8:21 am

I know some people are putting things like that in the masks. People are making masks which can hold a filter, and people are improvising with kitchen roll, etc. I don't know how effective it is!

I am washing everything that comes into the house, or if I can't wash it, leaving it for a couple of days. Groceries could have been contaminated at shelf-stacking, at the checkout, etc., no matter who is delivering them! But I understand your worry about your friend's son.

I'm hoping that high risk people like us can stay at home indefinitely, even if everything else is back to normal. I think it needs to reach a certain level of risk before it's safe to come out. That might not be for months.

Scarlaty82 · April 17, 2020 12:00 pm

Thanks for your answer, Liberty.
I'm trying to let the shopping in the garage for one or two days, I also put spray of bleach but I can't do that for fresh or frozen one.
I told my friend she would have to wash every day what her son wear when he come back home even shoes but when you're not at risk, it's a bit demanding.
I don't think I'll want to go out before months and I can endure it.
Hope happy times be back soon.
Take care.

Last edited by Scarlaty82 (April 17, 2020 12:01 pm)

Yitzock · April 17, 2020 10:18 pm

I forget what the material my neighbour used in our masks was called, as I had not heard of it before. I'm sure you can research what makes masks more effective, which materials.

I'm hoping it will be sooner than a few months before things start changing, by the beginning of June, if only because I have theatre tickets for a performance in June. My parents and I got box seats (because the tickets were on a good discount), so we wouldn't have to be near anyone but each other except in the lobby. I'm hoping they just space people out in the other sections and maybe have people wear masks while they're watching the play. That seems reasonable to me (I'd be willing to do that if the choice came down to seeing the play or not seeing the play). Worst case scenario and they have to cancel, I hope I'll be able to get tickets for another day.

Liberty · April 18, 2020 12:38 pm

I think one of the difficulties with theatre is that the performers and other crew members wouldn't be able to work safely. However, I think the way things are going here is that the restrictions may well be lifted, and there will be a period of return to semi-normality (before possibly things get worse again). Hopefully your play might be in that period of time?

I've mentioned months isolation for myself because I'm at such a high risk of serious complications. But even that isn't something that is planned at the moment - I just think it's the safest thing to do for people in those groups.

besleybean · April 18, 2020 12:48 pm

Sorry, @Liberty.
You know I don't always pay enough attention!
You're working from home, is that right?
Do you have a doctor's letter to say you are in a vulnerable group?

Yitzock · April 18, 2020 2:08 pm

Liberty wrote:
I think one of the difficulties with theatre is that the performers and other crew members wouldn't be able to work safely. However, I think the way things are going here is that the restrictions may well be lifted, and there will be a period of return to semi-normality (before possibly things get worse again). Hopefully your play might be in that period of time?

Yes, I suppose the actors and crew could have some issues, potentially, though they aren't always face to face in close proximity, moving around. I hadn't really thought about that aspect of it, I guess it depends on the size of the cast and crew and where they are all situated over the course of a performance.
It's either set for mid or late-June, so I'm remaining hopeful as discussions begin about slowly changing things. So far the company that puts it on has set their opening to June 2nd and it has not yet been announced if that will be postponed or not.

Scarlaty82 · April 18, 2020 5:09 pm

Depends of what are the rules in your country. If schools are open, why not theaters ?
For the spectators, it's possible to put distance but in that case, they have to cancel part of the places. and draw a lot perhaps ?
But it's more difficult for actors indeed.
Hope for you things are going better. Fingers crossed.