COVID-19

[ChioLu]

The Costco locations are crazy. Customers are lined up before opening (which wraps around the building) to get bottled water and toilet paper. They way people are running down the aisles with carts, it looks like an episode of the game show “Supermarket Sweep”. There is a hashtag on Twitter called #CostcoPanicBuying.

I’m in LA and updated my earthquake preparedness kit after the July 4th quake. For Christmas, I included flashlights and hand sanitizer as stocking stuffers. Initial reaction was “Um, thanks?” but now friends have actually thanked me.

[Theta1234]

Hey AST, where are you going in Iceland? It’s one of my favorite places. The reality is that outside of the Capital, it’s really not crowded at all. The only suggestion I would have is to visit your doc before you leave and see if they will give you some basic scripts—or just take some OTC meds with you. If you get sick on a Sunday, you are out of luck there as the pharmacies don’t open until Monday. Most stores close around 6pm on weeknights so it’s smart to just have some stuff with you. I’m heading to Nepal in May and my doc is just giving me my own “medicine cabinet”

If you need any input on Iceland, feel free to PM me.

[Phrozen Sands]

The German chancellor is predicting 70% of the German population could be infected.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by Theta1234

Hey AST, where are you going in Iceland? It’s one of my favorite places. The reality is that outside of the Capital, it’s really not crowded at all. The only suggestion I would have is to visit your doc before you leave and see if they will give you some basic scripts—or just take some OTC meds with you. If you get sick on a Sunday, you are out of luck there as the pharmacies don’t open until Monday. Most stores close around 6pm on weeknights so it’s smart to just have some stuff with you. I’m heading to Nepal in May and my doc is just giving me my own “medicine cabinet”

If you need any input on Iceland, feel free to PM me.

Thanks so much! Any tips you have would be appreciated! I'm so overwhelmed with all there is to see and do. And of course I can't pronounce or remember the names of anything, so I've got a giant list going. I know I want to go glacier hiking for sure. Also planning some whale watching, and if puffins are spotted, that would be awesome, but it's still a little early in the season. I don't feel like I need to visit the Blue Lagoon, but other (free!) hot springs would be nice. Right now, the plans are to land in Reykjavik on 4/22 and take off on 4/27. Still debating about whether to stay in town for the entire trip or spend a few days stationed in a different part of the country.

Originally Posted by Phrozen Sands

The German chancellor is predicting 70% of the German population could be infected.

Based on?

[Benzgirl]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

Based on?

Well, the New York Times is reporting that Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that 2 of 3 Germans are infected, so I would say that 66.67% is close enough to 70%.

[ForrestGrump]

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

Well, the New York Times is reporting that Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that 2 of 3 Germans are infected, so I would say that 66.67% is close enough to 70%.

Merkel said in an address to the German parliament that two out of three Germans may become infected, not that they are infected currently. Again, her assessment isn't outside the realm of possibility, based on what epidemiologists are predicting. Merkel's number is just on the high side of the predicted infection range.

As for my own experience, I work for a federal agency that still has provided absolutely no guidance beyond hand washing and "Dracula Coughing." They haven't advised us to postpone or cancel non-essential travel, request video teleconferences instead of in-person oral arguments, or do additional telework beyond the one day a week that most of us already do. We've been waiting for promised guidance since early last week, and nothing has arrived, not even after someone in my office was put in quarantine yesterday with a "probable" case of Coronavirus. "Probable" only because the narrow testing parameters spelled out by the CDC a couple weeks ago are still in place, at least in my area, so she can't be tested (yet). But given everything, her doctor is pretty sure she is infected. In the absence of any direction or communication from agency leadership on how to deal with this, middle management in my office is trying its best to deal with the situation, and the disruption that has resulted. For myself, I have to go in to the office today, but will start teleworking three to four days a week beginning tomorrow. Let the social distancing commence!

I wish I could say that my agency is an aberration, and that others are handling this better, but I've heard similar stories from friends at other Departments. It seems like a lot of state and local jurisdictions are ahead of the feds in dealing with this. Mind you, only my impression

[Rod D]

Originally Posted by ForrestGrump

Merkel said in an address to the German parliament that two out of three Germans may become infected, not that they are infected currently. Again, her assessment isn't outside the realm of possibility, based on what epidemiologists are predicting. Merkel's number is just on the high side of the predicted infection range.

Merkel or the NYT isn't up with the facts. https://www.worldometers.info/corona...untry/germany/
These estimate, give to the public, do more harm than good. Even in China, then haven't seen numbers like those. They are bending the curves.