covid-19 reopening

[redbird]

I just checked the city of Somerville website, and they're not reopening phase 3 step 1 businesses until July 20. The state as a whole moved to that stage this past Monday, and Boston is doing so Monday, July 13.

I no longer live in Somerville, but am following their guidelines specifically because they're more cautious than the state as a whole.

This probably doesn't affect anything I'd be likely to do, but it's a further note of caution with regard to things that were in phase 2 (either part): do I take the bus to the outdoor farmers market? Is Trader Joe's too high a risk? (Groceries are essential businesses, but we've been getting all our groceries delivered, with the exception of the pastries I bought when I was in Davis Square on Thursday to see my doctor.

Tracking all this is complicated in part because what is in which phase, and how many phases there are, varies widely. At first glance Massachusetts has a four-phase plan. But phase 2 was divided into two steps, and phase 3 will have at least two parts. And then -- I hope -- we wait for a vaccine or real treatment for COVID-19 before moving into a "new normal" that will still involve less physical contact with other people than in the Before Times.

I put on a mask this morning, watered the plants (calling hello to a neighbor who was exercising several yards away) and went for a walk around the neighborhood. In Belmont masks are strongly advised when going for a walk, but required only indoors or anywhere you can't maintain social distancing; I'm wearing mine even when it's not required, if I go further than the yard or front porch.

Comments

[sine_nomine]

It sounds like you are being abundantly wise. I wish more of the country was doing the same.

[redbird]

Yeah.

[pameladean]

Minnesota is being more cautious than many places, but not cautious enough in my opinion. In any case, appended to any explanation of changes is always the remark that people in vulnerable groups should exercise caution. This isn't very helpful.

Minneapolis doesn't require masks to be worn outdoors, but I feel weird passing people wearing them when I'm not -- this happens seldom, but it does happen -- so I'm thinking of wearing one that can readily be pulled up or down, or at least putting one in my pocket.

P.

[redbird]

No, not helpful, especially given the vagueness of "vulnerable groups." My risk factors are age (mid-50s), and maybes on blood type and that one of my medications increases the chance of upper respiratory infections.

The MS means that I'm starting with less energy or get-up-and-go than other people, which is part of why I'm being careful -- I'm not sure that makes medical or epidemiological sense, and my doctor hasn't told me to be more careful than average.

I'm doing this partly because I can: I don't have obligations that mean leaving the house much.

[pameladean]

Yes, I am lucky to be able to really hunker down. I have risk factors that have been consistently cited -- obesity, diabetes -- as well as being I think about ten years older than you. They (by which I mean the CDC) just removed hypertension from the list of certain risk factors, saying that it's more likely the heart issues that come along with much but not all hypertension that are the issue. They also said that risk increases with age but took away the specific "over 60" aspect of it.

I think that's why Minnesota is vague, because knowledge is changing. They would probably do better to put up a list and change it promptly when knowledge changes. I'd also like specific things that comprise behaving cautiously, though the lockdown provisions probably work fairly well.

If I had any other major chronic condition rather than the ones I do have, I'd be equally cautious, because the virus seems to seek out any kind of chink it can find.

[adrian_turtle]

Sometimes I'm out late at night, I think I won't need a mask if I'm not going near anyone else. But then I smell the guy a block away who smokes outside his building. Or I see a jogger or dog-walker on my side of the street.

The kind with ties behind my head, I tie the lower lace and leave the upper one loose until I need it. For the kind with ear loops, having it in my pocket means I can't get to it when I need it. (Especially with my iPhone taking so much pocket space. But even if I had plenty of room, there's hand sanitizer and tissues and wallet and keys and fumble and ack.) What works for me is carrying it on my wrist like a scrunchy. I mean, like 2 scrunchies.

[pameladean]

I hear you about the things in one's pocketses, for sure.

The wrist idea is brilliant. I am going to try that.

P.

[joseph_teller]

Sitting here in Cambridge I perfectly understand and feel that EVERYONE is moving too fast on the reopen as I watch state by state falter and overload their hospitals with the sicka and the dying.

I said from the beginning that we were facing a Spanish Flu like situation and that massive shut down and quarantine was the safest move... MA is opening up too fast. I do not trust the state numbers, and haven't since May when they started changing their calculations and data gathering methods.

Here in Cambridge all the testing appointments were full for the month of July as of the 8th. That means 3 weeks of people who may have the virus cannot get tested for it without being hospitalized. ANd there is a point where the tests are useless if you are past a time stamp in the infection process. Hundreds could be showing their first symptoms right now that will not be logged on the state records.