Surviving Covid-19 - Yak Support Network!

[ClockworkOrange]

Evening Yakkers,

As the whole world seems to be going into shut down due to Covid-19 I thought I’d set up this thread for Yakkers to share their stories, offer help (even just a few kind words my help someone) and generally use our world wide nerd network to keep in touch during these strange times.

Love Clockwork

 

[ClockworkOrange]

I’ll go first - I’m a father of three and I work in construction so my main worry is going to be surviving this economically as I’m sure it is for the rest of you. I’m also getting increasingly paranoid that we aren’t being told how deadly this virus is.

 

[Gunkaiser]

Yep, my existential dread is ramping up and I'm wondering if I'm in an essential industry...

But let's hopefully take this opportunity to make progress with our dudes...

 

[CaptainDangerous]

Distant father of one, work in a pub which has been shut down, promised nearly full pay for the next few month, but the biggest worry is if we can pick up trade once it’s all over! It was bad enough trying to compete against supermarkets to begin with, now they’ve got the monopoly (albeit indirectly) is the industry going to recover?
“people will always want drinks Captain” I hear you say, but the thing is, social etiquette is already right out the window! Too many are too eager to get tanked up on cheap plonk, head to the night scene late and cause a nuisance in the early hours of the morning. This self isolation is just going to amplify that mentality I fear!

health wise, I think the social distancing is completely the right thing and will save a lot of lives as a consequence.
economically, I think we are diving head first into disaster!

(the tin foil hat in me can’t help but think this is somehow orchestrated and is some kind of dry run for something worse to come, but I havnt made my hat yet so I’ll leave that one for another place and time! )

 

[Ben_S]

I’m also getting increasingly paranoid that we aren’t being told how deadly this virus is.

I think the UK government were slow to appreciate this and to act appropriately. Now at least they are getting the message out, but I think a lot of people still aren't heeding it for various reasons, even though they are being told.

I gather some hospitals are already being overwhelmed (in the UK that is) and things will continue to get worse even if people social distance/isolate now, because of the time lag. I just read something saying how disspiriting this will seem, because it will look like measures aren't working, even if they are.

My mum is a recently retired nurse. She's actually ill at the moment - says she never remembers being as ill for as long as this - but she was asked whether she wanted to go back to work. If she did, she'd be an at risk group and not get treated if it comes to prioritising (which is likely).

So far, my partner and I are ok. We're both late 30s, no kids or major health issues, and able to work from home, so fingers crossed we'll be ok. Strict isolation would be a bit of a challenge, in terms of getting supplies, as we have no relatives nearby. There's a local 'mutual aid' group on Facebook if we need it though.

For now, I've been enjoying some long walks through nearby suburban woodland. We saw a deer yesterday, only about 10 minutes' walk from our house.

 

[Gunkaiser]

Well apparently I'm essential because we make commercial aircraft (lawls) and murder machines... Both of which are required in these trying times.

 

[Ben_S]

On a lighter note, a friend's wife came up with this:

Smells Like Quaran-Teen Spirit

Dedicated to all the school kids now ‘learning from home’ Load up on soap and wash your hands Make sure there’s loo roll and some cans We’re over-bored stuck in one place Oh…

betweenmarxandmarzipan.wordpress.com

 

[Ardavion]

Distant father of one, work in a pub which has been shut down, promised nearly full pay for the next few month, but the biggest worry is if we can pick up trade once it’s all over! It was bad enough trying to compete against supermarkets to begin with, now they’ve got the monopoly (albeit indirectly) is the industry going to recover?
“people will always want drinks Captain” I hear you say, but the thing is, social etiquette is already right out the window! Too many are too eager to get tanked up on cheap plonk, head to the night scene late and cause a nuisance in the early hours of the morning. This self isolation is just going to amplify that mentality I fear!

health wise, I think the social distancing is completely the right thing and will save a lot of lives as a consequence.
economically, I think we are diving head first into disaster!

(the tin foil hat in me can’t help but think this is somehow orchestrated and is some kind of dry run for something worse to come, but I havnt made my hat yet so I’ll leave that one for another place and time! )

This the pub we (usually) meet in? When this all blows over I'll try more to make it through to evenings to do miniatures/wargame and buy a coke or two - we need to nail down and be more communicative about when you're planning on being at the pub so I know to turn up.

I know one guy won't turn a pub's fortunes around, but I'd like to be able to help keep the lights on a bit, and I need more motivation to build/paint models.

 

[cainex1]

I'll leave my thoughts in the form of 2 videos.. more to come...
But I work in food delivery so I'm definitely working, got gloves and a real mask (not the spooky kind but I have one of those too) and I'm taking over-the-top precautions to keep myself and others safe.

P.S. I would love your thoughts on the videos if you have the time.

 

[Ardavion]

Father of none, girlfriend in another town that I'd normally visit but due to the situation we're not seeing each other - I'm trying to text her occasionally to let her know I'm thinking of her.

Currently "self" isolating with my parents, since I'm working from home (recently moved jobs to be a systems developer for an environmental testing lab which allows me to remote in) and having some level of company is healthy; if any of us were infected we'd all be, and so far we all seem fine.

My main worry is that I go out to get the groceries for the house, get infected without knowing, then bring it back in and infect my parents.

I'm "reasonably" young and "reasonably" healthy (in terms of COVID-19), but my parents are in their sixties - not quite the at risk group, but one wrong step and they're not going to be well at all. My dad having Type 2 Diabetes may also put him in the at-risk bracket.

I'm trying to be careful where I can, keeping my distance - parking in the most empty part of a car park if I go shopping, only buying what I need or taking the opportunity to buy milk/bread/toilet roll, rubbing my hands with hand sanitiser when I get back in the car, minimising my contact with people, but you can't be 100% isolated; heck, when I'm in the house I self isolate to my room but I can't avoid the people I live with all the time.

I'm more conscious of my breathing, now; since this is a respiratory illness, I'm finding that I'm taking deep breaths more often. I just feel more aware of something that I just naturally do when it is an indicator that something may be dreadfully wrong.

On the point of toilet roll, by the way - the hysterical panic should have died down now, can we please get back to fully stocked and barely frequented toilet roll aisles now? It has improved, mind; the Tesco I was in today had a whole pallet each of 4-roll and 9-roll packs of TP, and a group of people trying to reason whether they should buy two packs of four or one pack of nine (and I just walk past, pick up a 9-roll and keep walking, because I don't have time to get infected with either COVID-19 or your dumbassery - you're triyng to save pennies spending more time in public increasing your chances of getting infected, PICK UP A PACK OF HOWEVER MANY YOU THINK YOU NEED AND GO HOME!)...

 

[trollmeat]

Australia: had to wait until the sportsball was finished to actually start talking about a lockdown.

~”Uh, so there are 500 new confirmed cases and we’re not sure how it spread...”

 

[ClockworkOrange]

So we were just printing something for medium Troll child and the ink ran out.....it’s a sign! the world is nigh etc

 

[CaptainDangerous]

Its when he says “hello” is when you should worry!

 

[Space Truckin]

Any advice for dealing with other peoples OCD and germaphobia? Especially when it's your wife...or more importantly my wife

 

[Punktaku]

Its when he says “hello” is when you should worry!

Especially if he’s American Jesus with his AR-15 bushmaster...

Spoiler: Offensive image

Spoiler: More my style

Spoiler: Video

 

[Tiny]

Self isolating due to asthma. Not 100% as still need to go shopping for supplies and go to post office once a week, but as much as possible. No kids so that makes things easier.

Mrs Tiny has quit work. She's a self-employed reflexologist so her pay has dropped to zero but she still has to pay rent on the room she works from.

Thankfully people are home in front of their computers, so sales have been fairly good for me this weekend. Hopefully that will continue and we'll be ok financially.

We also got an offer on our old house so hopefully that goes through soon and we'll have one less mortgage to worry about.

Mostly worried that others aren't taking it as seriously as they should. My parents in particular.

My dad is late 60s, officially retired a few years ago, but is still going to work in a non-essential job because he hates the thought of stopping working. Mum is asthmatic and a smoker and is not in the best health. They both insist on looking after my brother's kids 3 days a week (my brother split with his wife shortly after the kids were born and lives with my parents). Their mum works as a pharmacist so comes into regular contact with sick people. They'll probably catch it sooner rather than later. If they get really ill or die, at least I can say I told you so.

 

[Tiny]

Any advice for dealing with other peoples OCD and germaphobia? Especially when it's your wife...or more importantly my wife

Let her indulge it? Now is the time, if any, to let her get on with it.

 

[Ben_S]

I've seen a few nice memes along the lines of Lord Kitchener posters saying 'your country needs you to stay indoors'.

Previous generations had to go off and fight wars that were far more dangerous than the virus. All we need to do is stay at home watching TV, painting models, etc.

 

[CaptainDangerous]

Especially if he’s American Jesus with his AR-15 bushmaster...

Spoiler: Offensive image

View attachment 108033

Spoiler: More my style

View attachment 108035

Spoiler: Video

Spoiler: JESUS SAYS HELLO

 

[cardyfreak]

I’m due for some Covid related troubles methinks. I work for the gas board as an emergency call out gas engineer, and apparently stopping houses from blowing up due to gas leaks makes me a ‘key worker’

‘So far, so what?’ I hear you say! I returned to work three weeks ago after being off for eight months with what I thought was a simple torn cartilage but turned out to be various forms of arthritis attacking my legs and spine. Here’s a sexy pic of my leg-

In case you can’t tell what’s going on here, one of my knees is slightly bigger than the other.
Turns out all the excruciating back pain I’ve suffered through for years was actually my spine and hip fusing itself together! Huzzah!

To get this thing under control I was started on some medication that suppresses the immune system to stop it from attacking my body. It has worked great so far, and as I said I’ve managed to get back to work and that was good and all, but then this bloody Covid-19 has kicked off and now it’s looking like I’ll be placed under house isolation for 12 weeks. Bad news cos I won’t be able to see my kids for a long time.

Anyway, I have what I think is an interesting family story about worldwide pandemics and how they can have unforeseeable and unintended results;

My great-grandfather was captured at the Battle of the Somme in the Great War and was released some time after November 1918 during the Spanish Flu Pandemic. He returned home to Scotland only to find his wife and children had been killed by the pandemic. How is this a good thing? Well he remarried and started a new family, and this is when my granda entered the world. So if it wasn’t for the Spanish Flu killing off my GG’s first family, I wouldn’t be alive! I mean, it’s horrific to think about really. The poor guy lost a wife and kids. But still, good for me

Funny how life turns out. Hopefully this new one doesn’t finish what it’s older cousin started 100 years ago.