COVID-19 | Effects on Skoolies - No Politics please.

[Native]

We hope the rest of your trip is great and that you see high mask wearing percentages along the route.

[dzl_]

Originally Posted by ACamper

“appropriate situations” sure,

-If you are in a medical setting with developed, tested and polished virus containment procedures and the staff says “wear a mask”, yeah

If you think this is the only appropriate time to wear a mask than with respect I think you still do not understand the primary purpose or utility of mask wearing.

Appropriate situations meaning, following up to date guidelines and best practices from public health organizations and medical professionals who have spent many years of their lives training, studying, researching, and working in public health.

They won't always be 100% right 100% of the time, but they mostly are and they've got a lot more credibility, expertise, and authority than the all the rest of us who have decided we want to play armchair infectious disease specialist for the duration of Covid.

The advice is pretty reasonable and pretty easy to follow.
Here is what the CDC says regarding when to wear a mask:

CDC recommends all people 2 years of age and older wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

Here is what my state Public Health Department says regarding when to wear a mask:

You should wear a mask or face covering whenever you’ll be around someone you don’t live with, including:

• In any indoor public space
• When waiting in line
• When getting health care
• On public transportation or when ride-sharing
• At work, when near others or moving through common areas
• Outdoors, if you can’t stay 6 feet away from others

I find these guidelines pretty straightforward and pretty logical, when combined with other recommendations.

A big problem I have with the masks is they are a distraction. People are busy bashing people at the beach without a mask while big business is cranking folks thru amusement parks, leisure stores and other profit producing models “we require masks”= it's OK.

Someone has a unclean rag on their face but touches 37 different places while pushing a baby stroller, handling drinks, standing in lines, etc.
The masks are a joke. People had better hygiene and spacing habits before the mask mandates and COVID19 growth rates were slower.

If your point here is that its a problem and somewhat illogical to focus only on masks and ignore other reasonable steps that could and should be taken as well, then I agree.

[dzl_]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

the graphs are cool.. doesnt alot have to do with fit too? for instance a surgical paper mask that fits poorly seems like it would do less than a proper fitting dual layer cloth mask.. (my masks are cotton multi-layer..) not sure how you determine what type that is since i dont see it.. but dual layer cotton is a common type that a lot of people are wearing..

as are the blue paper ones.. whuch im assuming are surgical? or is cotton2 a dual layer cotton?

Yeah the study could've made which type is which more obvious, the info is in there but its hidden by default.


Cotton 2-5 are the 2 layer styles, Cotton 1 is single layer, and yes the blue paper one is the surgical mask.


I believe mine would be cotton 2 or maybe cotton 3 but hard to tell all the 2 layer cloth masks apart.



I will transcribe it here:
1. Surgical (3 layer)

2. Valved N95
3. Knitted
4. PolyProp (2 layer)

5. Poly/Cotton
6. MaxAT (1 layer)
7. Cotton 2 (2 layer pleated)
8. Cotton 4 (2 layer 'olson style')
9. Cotton 3 (2 layer pleated)
10. Cotton 1 (1 layer pleated)
11. Fleece / Gaiter
12. Bandana (doubled up)
13. Cotton 5 (2 layer pleated)
14. Fitted N95

[JackE]

Originally Posted by Polarweasel

Another reminder to play nicely and not be jackasses

You're the first person I have known to come from Nanaimo. I discovered the Nanaimo bar a few years ago while visiting my daughter in Alberta. I think it's one of the best deserts I have ever had. I have attempted to make them a few times down here in the states, but I think I must be missing that Canadian air that makes them so divine! My mouth is watering just thinking about them. I don't think the border guards will consider a run for Nanaimo bars as a legit reason to cross the border. Some day I plan on driving my bus up to Nanaimo just for some fresh genuine Nanaimo bars. It'll be worth every mile driven!

[ACamper]

I have been seeing a large amount of poorly educated mask wears lately, it is really a bit shocking. Many are forced into the mask and the situation so I do not blame them.

I see a lot of service workers touching surfaces that dozens of people touch then touch their mask right under their nose every 1-2 minutes. Basically they are wearing a petri dish and wiping potential virus spores on it 20 times an hour for 8 hours a day.

Some are more funny like all the people wearing masks running down empty trails and roads. Or people driving with masks on. Some mask wearers need to be clued in on how far a airborne virus particles can travel. Or just let them keep running in stupidity. lol

I refrain from labeling most of them as “Covidiots” only the aggressive ones that want to try to dominate and force others into their idiotic practices.

[joeblack5]

I do not think anybody is forced. There is always a choice.

As I have been often told being a former foreigner in the USA... If you don't like it.... go away..


Also ...Is there not a line in history of this country... .. Do not ask what your country can do for you ...but what you can do for your country?


I would translate that at this moment.. what can you do for the people around you.....



today .. that is wearing a mask, you might very well help yourself but it shows that you are willing to help someone else.


Keep the AC of ,,the virus survives longer at lower temps.


Johan

[ACamper]

Originally Posted by joeblack5

As I have been often told being a former foreigner in the USA... If you don't like it.... go away..

As a citizen I like to make my country a better place if I can. All of the great things we enjoy were made by people making something better.

Who is the one to tell others to "go away"? Are you a registered immigration agent ? or court appointed immigration official ?


Hopefully people keep making this country a better place. Including our pandemic response.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by joeblack5

I do not think anybody is forced. There is always a choice.

As I have been often told being a former foreigner in the USA... If you don't like it.... go away..


Also ...Is there not a line in history of this country... .. Do not ask what your country can do for you ...but what you can do for your country?


I would translate that at this moment.. what can you do for the people around you.....



today .. that is wearing a mask, you might very well help yourself but it shows that you are willing to help someone else.


Keep the AC of ,,the virus survives longer at lower temps.


Johan

thats one of the biggest issues we have here in ohio is way over-use of the A/C.. I love my A/C when driving the bus like the next guy.. but every place i go into the A/C is on deep freeze now mnore than ever.. coffee shops setting it to 68 now.. back when bacteria were an issue.. those that remember the flesh eating thing and the MRSA and all. . people figured out bacteria like it warm and moist well they are employing the same technique now of blasting the A/C, turning the ceiling fans up all the way in places.. its gotten so uncofmortable to go anywhere now.. i really cant walk in anyplace without shivering..



as a kid pretty much every place set the heat at 72 and the A/C at 75 in summer.. not anymore...



and come winter the one thing that would really help with indoor propagation will be lost.. which is the heat.. they all believe it needs to be freezing cold and those gas furnaces that heat the plenum to 120f and makes dry air would be huge help. they will not run them enough to get that hot..



I hear time and time again "oh got to keep it cold to keep the virus from spreading"....



and they wonder why customers dont want to show up.. even the fat ones are cold!
-Christopher

[dzl_]

Originally Posted by ACamper

I refrain from labeling most of them as “Covidiots” only the aggressive ones that want to try to dominate and force others into their idiotic practices.

You seem to be continually focused on others overwearing masks, and continually talk about being 'forced' by others to wear a mask. I question why that is?



I live in an area where people are very conscious of mask wearing, and have never been harassed or 'forced' to do anything. And really have never had to think hard about wearing a mask, just follow public health guidance and common decency/manners. Its quite simple.


1. If proper social distance cannot reliably be maintained, wear a mask
2. If a business, group, city, etc wants you to wear a mask, while on their premises do so. Even if you don't think its necessary, its common decency.

3. If you can tell someone near you is uncomfortable with your disdain for public health best practices, put some space between yourself and them or otherwise do something to make them feel more comfortable. Its the empathetic and decent thing to do.


Regarding labeling people "covidiots" maybe instead of focusing on what you perceive as other peoples overreactions, focus on educating yourself only from reputable sources of public health information, you can probably improve your own practices, and also be empowered to help others that you think are 'covidiots' (there is a saying about glass houses that is potentially relevant here) better understand those best practices, that you can now be an ambassador for.


A runner running with a mask on is not being an idiot, they are being conscious and courteous of others. The fact that you seem them running on "an empty road or trail" (1) means it wasn't empty, you were there, (2) cannot be predicted by the runner in advance (3) says nothing about whether their whole route will be empty or not. This is not stupid, its courteous, particularly considering that mask wearing can be more important during high exertion activities and the necessary social distance is greater.



Usually if you are receiving the same criticism over and over, it is worthwhile to at least consider that it may be at least partially true. Its possible that you have just been 'accosted' by a lot of aggressive irrational people, its also possible that there is something you could learn from the regularity with which you seem to be 'accosted' considering this isn't something happening to the vast majority of people even once.

[ol trunt]

Well said DZL. Thank you. Jack

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

thats one of the biggest issues we have here in ohio is way over-use of the A/C.. I love my A/C when driving the bus like the next guy.. but every place i go into the A/C is on deep freeze now mnore than ever.. coffee shops setting it to 68 now.. back when bacteria were an issue.. those that remember the flesh eating thing and the MRSA and all. . people figured out bacteria like it warm and moist well they are employing the same technique now of blasting the A/C, turning the ceiling fans up all the way in places.. its gotten so uncofmortable to go anywhere now.. i really cant walk in anyplace without shivering..



as a kid pretty much every place set the heat at 72 and the A/C at 75 in summer.. not anymore...



and come winter the one thing that would really help with indoor propagation will be lost.. which is the heat.. they all believe it needs to be freezing cold and those gas furnaces that heat the plenum to 120f and makes dry air would be huge help. they will not run them enough to get that hot..



I hear time and time again "oh got to keep it cold to keep the virus from spreading"....



and they wonder why customers dont want to show up.. even the fat ones are cold!
-Christopher

"A lot of people say it goes away in April, with the heat"

[Biscuitsjam]

First, I want to admit my previous prediction was wrong - I've been saying for three months that we would be in crisis in August. It seems we got right up to the edge of disaster and then people starting taking this more seriously, causing a slight decline in the number of cases per day instead of the continuing growth that I expected.

I've noticed that people in my neighborhood have largely returned to normal life about three weeks ago after taking this seriously for months. Their kids are in school and daycare and going to T-ball and soccer practice. Older kids are at college. The adults have restarted adult Bible studies and backyard barbecues. I don't know if our neighborhood is representative, bit I think we'll start seeing an increase again.

Interestingly, Florida has been playing games with their numbers. Testing for the general population has gone down, but they are testing pro athletes, their coaches, trainers, and media every single day, making the positive rate go way down since these folks are "in a bubble."


This is an interesting interview with Dr. Murray, chief of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation:

But if significantly more people -- about 95% of the US population -- wore masks, the projection of total deaths from now to December would drop by almost 70,000, he said.

On the other hand, if governments ease current social distancing restrictions and mask mandates, the daily US death toll could reach 6,000 by December, up from his current prediction of 2,000 daily, Murray said.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/08/23/h...day/index.html

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

"A lot of people say it goes away in April, with the heat"

the heat down south and even up north drove people inside..



mask wearing and hand washing are definitely helpers however many areas free of overly air-conditioned spaces are fairing much better..



despite what the politicians and activists want to believe, the few conservatives refusing to mask up are not driving the pandemic wild.. im not sure how much travelling you have been doing across the country the last 6 months but ive been doing quite a bit and can say that esp the last few months masking up has been pretty universal.. siure i see a few here and there without but for the most part its much better..



the rolling average of new cases in the USA is falling steadily.. the rolling death average is still half of what it was in april / may.. and with new cases falling that will begin to follow..



as the beginning of fall comes around and people go outside again ill bet we see the numbers drop off more.. and it wouldnt surprise me to see a spike as late fall / winter sets in with midwest and northern states driving the increase..



its pretty easy to follow the summer heat in the science. being we are having a HOT summer this year.. first the south got sick quicker.. ohio re-opened our businesses pretty much the same time as did georgia and louisiana.. yet our case increase lagged.. why? people were outside.. walk paths, bicycling, etc.. restaraint dining rooms re-opened but everyone sat on the patio.. restaraunts were worried reduced capacity yet they didnt even fill the 50%.. but every patio chair did.. then it got hot here.. and I saw it myself.. no one outside anymore on patios except the few of us who actually like being hot..



this past week since ive been home from my trip the weather got more mild and guess what people back outside and away from indoor spaces..



the south is still blasted hot.. we will be hot here again this week and i'll bet the dining rooms fill again..



obviously its hard to micro-watch the covid cases as we arent testing every person every week.. and other factors like school starting and sports returning muddy the waters...



but from the data ive deduced on my own I would say in the USA where A/C is over-used that the summer heat drove the spread upward.. in european countries and in USA northwestern states where many homes / businesses dont even have A/C the people are outdoors more and their numbers dropped..



is it all weather? of course not.. alot has to do with public response also.. masks, distancing, hand-washing, etc..



but anyone who lays all of the numbers in one basket by saying "oh its the masks.. oh its the right wingers.. oh its the karens..." is blasted wrong as there are many factors to the rate of infection..



large group activities can and always will spread diseases.. thats a fact.. and up north in the winter the flu spreads easily because many indoor activites take place each year starting in fall in normal years.. .. gaming conventions, lots of indoor sports, indoor dining (patios are closed so everyone packs inside), schools in session, many business conventions.. since it cold outside the people stay in the convention center and hotels rather than spread outside.. shopping malls,, holiday parties, etc..



the flu season typically drops off in summer (they say) because with a vaccine that many highly active people get vaccinated. (business travellers, sports athletes that dont want to get sick and miss games, etc).. and because the spring typically slows the spread.. with the flu vaccine there is already a certain herd immunity achieved so the drop off in spring due to people being outside lowers the exposire rate enough that it typically doesnt tick back up in heat waves as people migrate indoors.. that herd immunity is not something we have with covid.. it does appear the covid mutates slowly so reinfections are thus far un-proven or are very rare.. but we are far from being anywhere close to any semblence of herd immunity..



more and more it looks like T cell research shows that long term multi-strain immunity may be achievable.. and that those who have been exposed to many coronaviruses throughout their lives are perhaps the ones driving the asymptomatic cases (you catch it can spread it but never even get a sniffle).. and those with mild cases,



spreading fear and politics only makes this worse.. anyone who makes it sound like we are worse off now than we were in apri is sporeading Bull.. the numbers tell otherwise.. are we out of the woods? for damn sure not!!, but quit spreading doom and gloom.. its unfortunately those of a certain political affiliation that seem to want to continuously spread doom and gloom..


read the science, interpret the science.. think and quit watching fox and CNN..


-Christopher

[EastCoastCB]

I doubt the covid situation improves with flu season.

Down here in FL we are WAY worse off than we were in April. That's no bull. We weren't losing 100-200 per day down here in April.

Haven't watched Fox of CNN in a number of years.

[ACamper]

Originally Posted by dzl_

You seem to be continually focused on others overwearing masks, and continually talk about being 'forced' by others to wear a mask. I question why that is?

Usually if you are receiving the same criticism over and over, it is worthwhile to at least consider that it may be at least partially true. Its possible that you have just been 'accosted' by a lot of aggressive irrational people, its also possible that there is something you could learn from the regularity with which you seem to be 'accosted' considering this isn't something happening to the vast majority of people even once.

The theme of this thread has been had masks weaved in and out of it, before I even stepped into it. The tone has been bashing and threatening people not wearing them. My angle has been to stop hating on people who do not share the same pandemic strategy. I am willing to step in and take the other side to call the hostile people out. A large amount of hateful and threatening posts have been deleted so much of the ongoing mask context in not visible now.

Outside of this thread my pandemic discussions go much deeper then who is wearing a mask correctly.

[Native]

The theme of this thread is in the original title ... COVID-19: Its effects on Skoolies.


It has warped into multiple discussions about all sorts of roughly COVID-19 related topics.


Personally, I would like to hear more about how folks have adapted their Skoolie Life during the pandemic, or what parks are really open, or talk about their experiences travelling during all of this. Offers for Skoolies to have a place to stay for a day or two. Neat places to go during the pandemic. The effects on trying to obtain a bus, travel to get it and return from such a trip, getting it registered with DMV offices shut down, getting the materials, finances, and assistance to work on the buildout. Etc, etc, etc.

[cadillackid]

I took a 10 day 2500 mile road trip .. from my perspective life was largely “normal”.. granted the dev bus was very much a godsend in that eating out every night for me on a trip is required. So having the bus to order carry out and eat in the bus was a big help,

Most states I travelled through had dine in available for those that wanted.

I stayed in nice newer suburban hotels and they were largely social distanced and clean.
Truck stops and gas stations were business as usual I had no issues getting fuel or even getting parts to make minor repairs that cropped up on my trip.

The biggest thing I did notice though is in towns how many things close much earlier than they ever did.. no 24 hour Waffle House carry out, no 24 hour wal mart, in most towns everything was pretty closed by 8 or 9, occasionally I found a restaraunt open till 10. Gas stations and truck stops were open later, not sure how late as once I learned everything closed early I tended to make sure I was done on the road by 8 each night or already had my lodging set by then ..

In the past I might drive and not even order a hotel until 9 or 10 and then checkin at 1130 or midnight and eat a late night Waffle House.. not so now..

Travelling is very much possible.., once my bus is all back to snuff from these projects I’ll be back out on the roads !

[Oscar1]

Thanks to Native for trying to put this train wreck back on the rails
So Friday I attempted to complete my registration and get plates and insurance only to be told that I now needed to provid a scale slip in Kilograms. My bus is imported from the states and everything is recorded in pounds and I guess they can't do the math. Why they couldn't have told me this requirement during the five previous inspections who knows. So another $100 three day permit later and I'm off to the closest scale which is about 2 hours away in a little town east of Vancouver called Hope (famous for the first Rambo) since it was Friday night I thought it would be a nice date night to take my lady to the Dairy Queen for an ice cream on the way to the scales. Still got two days left on the permit so today it was off to Home Depot for bus supplies and a stop at the works yard to give it a bath.
So back to the DMV tomorrow to see what they can think of next! Haha

[Native]

LOL ... sounds like business as usual at the DMV! I sure do hope they get the right weight measurement in Hope! What is really funny is that pounds are a measure of weight and kilograms are a measure of mass. Go figure.

[Native]

A guy walks into a bar in Houston.
The bartender asks him what he'll have.
The guy says, "Two Hurricanes and a Corona."
The bartender replys, "That'll be $20.20!"