My COVID19 update for the week

in #ocd4 years ago

My self-isolation (aka slightly modified introvert lifestyle) continues.

Today I had a couple pro-happiness COVID activities.

For one, I have started leading two weekly meditation sessions on Zoom. Fridays are for experienced meditators (no instruction) and Saturdays are for beginners. We started last week as a once off, and this week it became a regular weekly thing.

Right now it is only for my neighborhood, but I'm thinking of opening it up a bit more broadly. We'll see how that goes. I like the idea of keeping it local so that once we aren't self-isolating anymore it will be easy to keep meeting in person if people want to.

Second, I put on one of my 3 remaining masks from wildfires where I used to live a couple years back and drove over to my mother's house to take her for a walk in her neighborhood.

Her entire household is pretty vulnerable to illness, as between them they have diabetes, lupus, heart problems, etc. So I've been trying to get them to be more responsive to threats from COVID19 in many ways. For the most part my mother stays in her bedroom, wearing a mask whenever she goes to the kitchen or bathroom.

Thankfully as of this week everyone in that house is either retired or being educated from home, so it seems they will be able to get exposure levels down to where they can all use the house freely. I hope so at least.

My sister who lives there got such a bad cold last week that her husband took her to the hospital, but the test came back negative for COVID19. I made the case that if she got even a cold the household clearly isn't doing enough to protect itself, since it was only luck of the draw that it was a different virus she picked up.

I think everyone in my family is approaching the level of caution I've been urging the last month.

My new commitment is to wearing my mask whenever I go shopping, which is pretty much all I go anywhere other than walking the dog these days. I don't wear it for walking the dog, but my neighborhood is sparsely populated, so it's easy to stay 6+ feet from other strollers.

How about you?

Have you been self-isolating?

Are either of your parents alive? If so, have you been urging them to self-isolate or make other lifestyle changes to protect themselves?

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I can’t wait to be on lockdown for a month. I want to stay home and get stuff done. A month at home healthy sounds a lot better than a month at home sick

Yeah, if you listen to reports from young people who've gotten it (say mid-20s to mid-30s) it sounds like hell, yet not bad enough for a hospital to take them! Only people who are having difficulty breathing are getting admitted. If it just hurts like hell to open your eyes or sit up, tough it out at home.

How are you enjoying your self isolating lockdown period there

I live like this always. Just missing my dance classes and time at other family houses just hanging out chatting. Now have to call them each on the phone.
How are you doing?

Probably then not a new thing that much for you

I put on one of my 3 remaining masks from wildfires where I used to live a couple years back and drove over to my mother's house to take her for a walk in her neighborhood.

What kind of mask is this?

I've read that people are starting to make their own.

Avoid crowded places, and do everything you can to boost your immune system.

That is my plan anyway.

Cliff High, seems adamant that vitamin C, D and chaga tea is enough for most people.

https://twitter.com/clif_high

They are N95 masks. They were required where I lived even just to go to collect one's mail from in front of the house, or risk permanent lung damage. That's how bad the smoke was 24-7 for a few weeks! I still had a couple left though. You can't even smell smoke while wearing one. Come in handy now for sure!

Good advice from High. I don't know what chaga is, but vit-C and D for sure. Plus the rest of what you said.

Making masks seems to work best if you double up on t-shirt material. High blocking to breathability ratio. Thankfully I haven't had to do that, since the little I go out, my existing masks should stretch the entire period until we flatten the curve.

Stay well, my friend.

I like to think most people will get through this, with common sense.

The largest contributing factor in increased lifespan is proper hygiene.

I definitely had (still have?) a few blind spots regarding best practices.

Stay sane, its going to get worse before it gets better.

i can not wait to see this self isolating to stop kind of bored

How long will it last in your area