COVID-19 and your life

[polishgenius]

26 minutes ago, Derfel Cadarn said:

We’re lucky we’ve still got nursery access (both key workers albeit I’m working from home). The nursery chain we use closes two of their three sites and moved all the key worker kids to one site.

 

This seems ridiculous. I know they're saving money and all, but surely the point of closing the kindergartens except for a few kids is undone by then ramming those kids into one space again, often as you have experienced far away meaning that if someone were to get it the potential spread is, well, spread out over a greater area.

Also, speaking from experience because I work in a nursery and we did the key-kids-only thing, it's good for many of the kids who do have to go in to have the extra space and quiet and teacher attention, whereas shoving them off somewhere strange where presumably they don't know the teachers will do the opposite for many.

[JGP]

Reluctantly calling them patterns, but am I alone in having come down with awful sleep patterns since the lockdown?

Like, I'll feel a little tired late afternoonish [no physical reason why, mind, my gym is closed] but instead of a nap it'll be a 4 or 5 hour sleep and wake up at 10 or 11 pm. Welp, fucked now. Or, more out of boredom than exhaustion I'll go to bed around 10 pm but sleep in to 11 am: or, go to sleep late [like 1-3 am] yet inexplicably wake up so damn early roosters would get annoyed with me.

It's just bizarre, and really messing with my zen  

[Fury Resurrected]

11 minutes ago, JEORDHl said:

Reluctantly calling them patterns, but am I alone in having come down with awful sleep patterns since the lockdown?

Like, I'll feel a little tired late afternoonish [no physical reason why, mind, my gym is closed] but instead of a nap it'll be a 4 or 5 hour sleep and wake up at 10 or 11 pm. Welp, fucked now. Or, more out of boredom than exhaustion I'll go to bed around 10 pm but sleep in to 11 am: or, go to sleep late [like 1-3 am] yet inexplicably wake up so damn early roosters would get annoyed with me.

It's just bizarre, and really messing with my zen  

I now sleep from 5 or 6am to 1 or 2pm, which is about 3 hours off my usual, and I wake up more in the night and feel less rested. I think it’s a stress thing

[JGP]

That's just shy of graveyard shift schedule there, Fury. You're probably right though. I don't feel stressed [nothing to really stress about, which makes me among the fortunate] but yeah, the world hasn't perpetually pissed me off this much since the early 2000s. Heightened adrenaline stress or something. 

 

 

[Derfel Cadarn]

47 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

 

This seems ridiculous. I know they're saving money and all, but surely the point of closing the kindergartens except for a few kids is undone by then ramming those kids into one space again, often as you have experienced far away meaning that if someone were to get it the potential spread is, well, spread out over a greater area.

Also, speaking from experience because I work in a nursery and we did the key-kids-only thing, it's good for many of the kids who do have to go in to have the extra space and quiet and teacher attention, whereas shoving them off somewhere strange where presumably they don't know the teachers will do the opposite for many.

We’re just grateful we have a space. Her own nursery went down to only 4 kids on some days, so don’t blame the company for closing it for time being. Still not a massive number of kids in the merged one.

We did worry how she would adjust in a new place but luckily she’s been fine. A couple of staff from her own nursery transferred so there are familiar faces.

[Fury Resurrected]

20 minutes ago, JEORDHl said:

That's just shy of graveyard shift schedule there, Fury. You're probably right though. I don't feel stressed [nothing to really stress about, which makes me among the fortunate] but yeah, the world hasn't perpetually pissed me off this much since the early 2000s. Heightened adrenaline stress or something. 

 

 

I’ve never been a morning person but this is getting excessive and will be hard to retrain out of after this ends. I think we are all more stressed than we realize. Such a huge sudden change in the world around us is something I think we are wired to have issues with

[Zorral]

Kim Stanley Robinson in the NYer -- paywall, but I think we can read one or two articles per month:

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-inquiry/the-coronavirus-and-our-future

This piece was written a lot earlier -- the way time runs in These Times -- and is too optimistic, at least when it comes to the US and UK, and their hypercapitalist cultures.  But then KSR's nature is optimistic and hopeful, partly due to how, when and where he grew up, just as mine is partly due to how, when and where I grew up.

 

[Tears of Lys]

Well, I've learned one thing as a result of this pandemic - don't get a serious illness that's NOT Covid-19 during it.  My husband has the unfortunate timing to get lymphoma, a blood cancer like leukemia.  He was diagnosed about three weeks ago, has had a PET scan and numerous blood tests, will start chemo on Monday, but hasn't even met his oncologist yet.  Her staff is very nice, but all serious-type questions are referred over to her.  And she's never available.

Second opinions, of course, are in the works, but I suspect we'll run into the same thing.

[JGP]

That sucks, Lys. Sorry to hear that.

[Iskaral Pust]

52 minutes ago, Tears of Lys said:

Well, I've learned one thing as a result of this pandemic - don't get a serious illness that's NOT Covid-19 during it.  My husband has the unfortunate timing to get lymphoma, a blood cancer like leukemia.  He was diagnosed about three weeks ago, has had a PET scan and numerous blood tests, will start chemo on Monday, but hasn't even met his oncologist yet.  Her staff is very nice, but all serious-type questions are referred over to her.  And she's never available.

Second opinions, of course, are in the works, but I suspect we'll run into the same thing.

Best wishes to him Tears.  This must be incredibly stressful for you.  And not a good time to be immunocompromised by chemo either.

[Zorral]

1 hour ago, Tears of Lys said:

Second opinions, of course, are in the works, but I suspect we'll run into the same thing.

I'm so sorry to hear this.  How very painful and stressful for you, for your husband, and all who love him.

[HexMachina]

3 hours ago, JEORDHl said:

Reluctantly calling them patterns, but am I alone in having come down with awful sleep patterns since the lockdown?

Like, I'll feel a little tired late afternoonish [no physical reason why, mind, my gym is closed] but instead of a nap it'll be a 4 or 5 hour sleep and wake up at 10 or 11 pm. Welp, fucked now. Or, more out of boredom than exhaustion I'll go to bed around 10 pm but sleep in to 11 am: or, go to sleep late [like 1-3 am] yet inexplicably wake up so damn early roosters would get annoyed with me.

It's just bizarre, and really messing with my zen  

My usual sleep patterns aren’t really what anyone would describe as healthy or normal but yeah, i am also experiencing even worse sleep patterns. Weekends are worse as I still work from home so have a semi-structured week but weekends I find I stay up until the early hours of morning and then I am awake again by 9/10

1 hour ago, Tears of Lys said:

Well, I've learned one thing as a result of this pandemic - don't get a serious illness that's NOT Covid-19 during it.  My husband has the unfortunate timing to get lymphoma, a blood cancer like leukemia.  He was diagnosed about three weeks ago, has had a PET scan and numerous blood tests, will start chemo on Monday, but hasn't even met his oncologist yet.  Her staff is very nice, but all serious-type questions are referred over to her.  And she's never available.

Second opinions, of course, are in the works, but I suspect we'll run into the same thing.

I am very sorry to hear what you are going through, best wishes to you both

[Derfel Cadarn]

3 hours ago, BigFatCoward said:

We had a place but my wife doesnt drive and our nursery did the same and amalgamated so instead of being 100 yards away it was 3 mile away. It would have been a 90 min round trip at start and end of day and we decided it wasnt viable. 

I was very lucky to pass my driving test just before lockdown!

[JGP]

26 minutes ago, HelenaExMachina said:

My usual sleep patterns aren’t really what anyone would describe as healthy or normal but yeah, i am also experiencing even worse sleep patterns. Weekends are worse as I still work from home so have a semi-structured week but weekends I find I stay up until the early hours of morning and then I am awake again by 9/10

Yeah, it's the damnedest thing. 

[davos]

I had just started a new gig the week the lock went into effect here (I started on monday, the shelter in place order was given on tuesday or wednesday after).   Since its a healthcare facing position and I'm in the lab, I've not missed a day.    We did have a reduction in hours for a few weeks, which hurt some, but far ahead of what a lot of people are dealing with.  My wife has been working from home the whole time, which means at least one of us is not out in it regularly.    My eldest daughter is living at home.  The store she works at was shut down for 5 weeks or so.  She's now getting some hours as they are doing curb-side service.  My youngest has been the most effected directly so far.  She's in her senior year of high school.  Her soccer season was canceled.  Her forensics competition,  in which she had a good chance of making state, was canceled.   Her work has been shut down.  Prom canceled.   Her graduation ceremony postponed indefinitely.  And we are concerned about rather her plans to start college in the fall will be disrupted.  She's making the best of it, but its been hard on her, and frankly hard on me to watch her loose so much.  

 

At the least, we are all healthy as we were 2 months ago as of the time of this writing.   Though a pandemic is not good for my anxiety in the least.  At least once a day, I have a round of worry that a cough or ache or upset stomach is the first symptom.  And I have more reason to be concerned than some as I am overweight with high blood pressure.  

And my mother is in a nursing home.  They had one resident die of Covid-19 and another case in the staff.  All residents were restricted to their rooms for a while. They've been testing and have had no further cases.  That was scary but it appears we had some fortunate with us there.  

So, while we certainly have had some significant impact from the pandemic and its effects, so far those have been minimal compared to those experienced by a lot of people.  That could obviously change.  But one day at a time and hopefully eventually after a lot of days, we will realize we got through this ok.  

 

[Luzifer's right hand]

On 5/8/2020 at 9:40 PM, JEORDHl said:

Reluctantly calling them patterns, but am I alone in having come down with awful sleep patterns since the lockdown?

Like, I'll feel a little tired late afternoonish [no physical reason why, mind, my gym is closed] but instead of a nap it'll be a 4 or 5 hour sleep and wake up at 10 or 11 pm. Welp, fucked now. Or, more out of boredom than exhaustion I'll go to bed around 10 pm but sleep in to 11 am: or, go to sleep late [like 1-3 am] yet inexplicably wake up so damn early roosters would get annoyed with me.

It's just bizarre, and really messing with my zen  

Nvm

[ljkeane]

11 hours ago, Tears of Lys said:

Well, I've learned one thing as a result of this pandemic - don't get a serious illness that's NOT Covid-19 during it.  My husband has the unfortunate timing to get lymphoma, a blood cancer like leukemia.  He was diagnosed about three weeks ago, has had a PET scan and numerous blood tests, will start chemo on Monday, but hasn't even met his oncologist yet.  Her staff is very nice, but all serious-type questions are referred over to her.  And she's never available.

Sorry to hear that Tears. I hope everything goes well.

[Fragile Bird]

16 hours ago, Tears of Lys said:

Well, I've learned one thing as a result of this pandemic - don't get a serious illness that's NOT Covid-19 during it.  My husband has the unfortunate timing to get lymphoma, a blood cancer like leukemia.  He was diagnosed about three weeks ago, has had a PET scan and numerous blood tests, will start chemo on Monday, but hasn't even met his oncologist yet.  Her staff is very nice, but all serious-type questions are referred over to her.  And she's never available.

Second opinions, of course, are in the works, but I suspect we'll run into the same thing.

I just saw this, Tears, I hope all gets settled and things turn out for the best. Lots of love being sent your way. 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

I am disgusted at what I'm watching right now on MSNBC.

Four very wealthy people are trying to rationalize how they can send people back to work so THEY can make their money back, all while suggesting that they're trying to help watchers recoup some income.

The old hag that said 65 year olds are still young and need to keep working and consider a second job was a nice touch. I'm sure the dining room set she had in the background costs more than the average worker's annual wages.

Fuck them.

[Jeor]

27 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Four very wealthy people are trying to rationalize how they can send people back to work so THEY can make their money back, all while suggesting that they're trying to help watchers recoup some income.

Yes, COVID-19 is going to be a cataclysmic driver of generational and wealth inequality. Those who own and profit from the means of production are going to be pushing all the workers to go out and earn them money.

I'm also more worried about the generational impact. Yes, older folks are the most at risk and have the most to lose from being infected. But I'd go so far as to say that young people are going to be the most screwed by this crisis. Young people are going to have to shoulder the future tax burden, young people form the bulk of workers in the most vulnerable sectors (casual, entertainment, restaurant, entry-level jobs), and the labour market will also be distorted by lots of older people working longer, hence young people will have fewer opportunities for advancement - and let's not even talk about anyone with the misfortune to be graduating around this time.

To bring my post back from the macro level and more in the spirit of this thread, as a young person (ok, early thirties but I'll still say I'm young!) I'm concerned about what the future is going to look like. As I've written previously, I have found this crisis to be personally quite manageable. Beyond the frustrations of online educating (I'm a high school teacher), my job at least has been safe, I live alone (so budget pressures with kids aren't a concern), and my personal finances are in good shape to weather the crisis.

However, longer-term I'm looking ahead and not relishing what's coming. The teaching profession, which is already mostly older folks, is going to have a lot more people clinging on to their (effectively tenured in Australia) positions, meaning pretty lousy prospects for career advancement. My taxes are undoubtedly going to rise and rise in the coming decades, and I'm probably still one of the luckier ones.

I know some people took years to climb out of the Great Recession, it's going to take young people a lot of time to dig themselves out of this one too.