[baramu]

You can’t work if you’re dead.

[Twiganne]

Here is a situation to ponder. To all of those who want to bash people who are not wearing mask first consider this. I have worn a mask twice. I was a nurse for 20 years so yes I respect the danger the healthcare workers are in. The thing is that when I wear the face mask my nose starts running and I am mouth breathing. So if someone does have the virus I am sucking it in sniffing and mouth breathing. Do you think it is fine for me to breath like that sucking up my runny nose from under the mask with my mouth wide open trying to breathe through a piece of cotton. My nose is sucking up more virus through my two most vulnerable modes of entry. I notice people wearing mask but not social distancing. Is that ok for you to walk a foot next to me because the aisles are not wide enough for social distancing. I wait on others to pass by yet they will walk right up to me. What if I am not coughing or sneeze into my elbow and protect you. The virus is spread through coughing and sneezing. I am tired of people shaming people for not wearing masks yet think that it is fine for you to walk right beside me with your cart? Yes I may not be symptomatic and not know it but if I am not providing a mode of transmission such as coughing or sneezing, then I am not going to infect you. As for gloves I see little or no use for them. Gloves are just like your skin especially if you scratch your nose. Also most of the younger population are unlikely to die from the virus. Why not let them go to work and help us develop herd immunity. At risk individuals know who they are and therefore should proceed with caution. It seems to me that people here have no problem with making frequent trips to get groceries. If not why are all of the shelves in the store empty. Since this is an older population why do I see so many at risk individuals crowding into the stores. Somebody must be shopping at the stores more than usual or there would not be empty shelves. What about all of the shoppers who walk right next to me to get down to an aisle instead of waiting. Are these individuals not supposed to respect social distancing? Just because they have a mask does not nullify them from keeping social distancing? It is both not just the mask. I think before we start judging those who do not feel safe wearing a mask consider your responsibility to social distance. I have yet to visit a store where people don’t feel the need to crowd right up to me. Whether they have a mask on or not they are still able to infect me if they sneeze or cough. Where is the bashing and guilt trip for those people? I have been out of this house to a store 4 times since this has started. I go out for essential needs only. How many others can say that?

[Jdavie1955]

Originally Posted by skarra

I understand there is a lot of frustration at staying at home, and some wonder is it worth it? i.e. is the cure worse than the disease, and is it worth giving up our civil liberties?

Here's my idea on making everyone happy. If I were President I would propose the following starting May 1st -

1. People who are compromised or don't feel they wish to play Russian roulette - stay at home like you have been doing already. They will need to stock up on TP, and keep watching Netflix etc. for the entire month of May.

2. For the others who do not fear the virus because they are young, healthy, or just feel immune to it all - we setup Covid-19 stations and beginning May 1st they line up to get their dose of infection. They need to be infected because by May 31st, they will get a card that says they are now immune and can now do whatever they want from that point on - go to parks, go to restaurants and bars (populated with like minded people), get back to work and even visit beaches - they will have all their freedoms back because they can not spread anything. It will be a small price to pay (1% or 2% deaths), but that is what Darwinism is all about. And if they really are strong, there's nothing to worry about.


Now the "participants" have to get infected beginning May 1st because we need to know for certain by May 31st that they had it and survived with immunity. After that they can either enjoy life, or do useful community service for the rest of the people still stuck at home by doing gardening and home delivery of groceries and restaurant orders. Maybe we pay them people $600 per week until they discover a vaccine for everyone else. The big plus is that the folk in 2. will have contributed to herd immunity and they will forever go down as heroes. (statues in every park?) For people in group 1., they will wait a little longer for the vaccine and with so many of the herd now "neutralized" they will not need to worry so much about making the occasional trip outside.

What do you think? Who's ready to start lining up for their dose of Covid-19 beginning May 1st?

I think this solves all the problems ... that's what all this walking has done to me. Given me time to solve the worlds problems.

I think this is a horrible idea. Not sure where you came up with something like this. Would never do it. I wouldn't gather in groups to protest our government either!

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by speedo8357

Freedom to practice my religion and also a violation of freedom of assembly clause. To name a few. I understand people’s fear of a disease, but what of their ability to work and provide for their families. $1200 Checks from the government are not going to keep coming.

No one is violating your freedom to practice your religion. You are allowed and even encouraged to pray to and worship whatever deity floats your boat. If you want to light the sabbath candles on Friday at sundown, have at it. No one will try and stop you. If you wish to kneel before a carving of some white guy with long flowing hair hanging by his bloodied hands and feet from a wooden cross, go for it. You won't see the Religion Police at your door.

You just can't do it inside a church, or in close proximity to anyone else.

My parents' synagogue has streaming services, and everyone is welcome to worship - from their homes - following the liturgy and prayers and enjoy the sermon and sing with the cantor and pray the kaddush just like they always do. They're just doing it from the comfort of their own homes instead of in a pew in the chapel.

The right to congregate - yup. At a 6' distance from everyone else, you absolutely may do that in public spaces, in Florida. Go for it, no one will try and stop you.

[DonnaNi4os]

Once again, I beg you to consider the healthcare workers. And I remind everyone that it isn’t just the elderly or those with pre-existing conditions that are succumbing to this disease. It robs you of oxygen and destroys your lungs. It is often described as a lung eater, for that is what it truly is. So please consider your words carefully before you suggest that anyone intentionally exposes themselves to this virus.

[sallybowron]

You still don't have an adequate solution for this one.

[Ray Greene]

We’re so old here in the villages that we wouldn’t be any great loss. So let’s party like the idiots we are.

[wganderson13]

I've going about my days like nothing has happened. Our social club has meetings in the park, bring your own chairs, have dinner with someone everyday, do my electrical side jobs, 3 X's/wk. A BIG nothing burger like hurricane Irma. We're a fat, lazy & stupid people, laughing stock of the world. Our main concern is TP. We need to go hungry to realize how easy we've had it.

[Andyb]

No. 1 has merit, I’m assuming No. 2 is a joke, funny. Just glad your not President. Lol

[mydavid]

Unlike people like us that are retired, and the biggest worry we have we might have to cook are own meals, won't be able to go dancing and packing one of the local drinking establishments' They have the worry about how are they going to put food on their table and a roof over their head, and will they ever get back to work. Do your part Village people, wait a little longer to do all the above and keep everyone safe.

[jklfairwin]

Herd immunity apparently does not work with this virus. I say apparently because, like almost everything about this new virus, it is not known for sure. It is becoming common belief among professionals that you can get it more than once and that the presence of antibodies does not indicate immunity. And there are some scientists who point out that there may not be an effective vaccine for many years based on the fact that some other coronaviruses do not have effective vaccines despite many years of research and effort.

[jklfairwin]

Hopefully, you have signed a waiver to not take up scarce treatment resources when you contract COVID 19.

[Joelack99]

So let’s think about this. Latest estimates show 43% or so of those with the virus have no symptoms, but are contagion spreaders. That’s ok. Of the remaining symptomatic folks (57%), 8 of 10 will have minor to very uncomfortable symptoms, but 20% will have severe enough symptoms to need hospitalization. That’s 20% of 57% or 11.4% of the Infected population. We have about 100,000 in The Villages but half of us won’t get it at all, so you only need to get 5,700 hospital rooms ready for that month or so when those people’s lives will depend on it. If you get that right, conservatively, 500 people will die and if you can’t handle that little rush most of the ones you don’t have rooms, med staff, ventilators and/or dialysis machines for will die, so instead of 500, we will probably lose more like 2,000 of our neighbors. By the way, these figures are based on estimates for the entire population, not a population of seniors like we have around here. So maybe 3-4,000 die...what’s a few more or less?

Now, as all this happens, the geniuses in charge are going to figure out this was a rather bad idea, so what will you get? More freedom, do you think? Or will we start all over with isolation which is what we are trying to escape? Don’t focus too much on these numbers, they are just guesstimates... if I’m off by 75% all the same sorts of things will happen and we’ll still be right back where we started.

So don’t listen to the selfish people who want to throw open the doors in the middle of the storm. Hunker down. Plan for another month or two til the worst of this is past, then be careful, gradual, safe as you move back into the world.

Also, pray for an effective therapy...there very well may well be one or more soon, which will change these numbers dramatically and allow us to get moving again.

Stay safe, friends.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Joelack99

So let’s think about this. Latest estimates show 43% or so of those with the virus have no symptoms, but are contagion spreaders. That’s ok. Of the remaining symptomatic folks (57%), 8 of 10 will have minor to very uncomfortable symptoms, but 20% will have severe enough symptoms to need hospitalization. That’s 20% of 57% or 11.4% of the Infected population. We have about 100,000 in The Villages but half of us won’t get it at all, so you only need to get 5,700 hospital rooms ready for that month or so when those people’s lives will depend on it. If you get that right, conservatively, 500 people will die and if you can’t handle that little rush most of the ones you don’t have rooms, med staff, ventilators and/or dialysis machines for will die, so instead of 500, we will probably lose more like 2,000 of our neighbors. By the way, these figures are based on estimates for the entire population, not a population of seniors like we have around here. So maybe 3-4,000 die...what’s a few more or less?

Now, as all this happens, the geniuses in charge are going to figure out this was a rather bad idea, so what will you get? More freedom, do you think? Or will we start all over with isolation which is what we are trying to escape? Don’t focus too much on these numbers, they are just guesstimates... if I’m off by 75% all the same sorts of things will happen and we’ll still be right back where we started.

So don’t listen to the selfish people who want to throw open the doors in the middle of the storm. Hunker down. Plan for another month or two til the worst of this is past, then be careful, gradual, safe as you move back into the world.

Also, pray for an effective therapy...there very well may well be one or more soon, which will change these numbers dramatically and allow us to get moving again.

Stay safe, friends.

And for those who pretend to be worried about all the people who are unemployed in some threads (while complaining about not being able to enjoy drinks at the squares in other threads) - feel free to give your stimulus checks to some of the unemployed folks. What's that, you say? You make too much money - as a retired person - to qualify for a stimulus check? Then - give some of your own money to some of the unemployed folks.

Or buy them groceries. Or go to the utility company and give them money to cover utility bills for 5 poverty-level households for the next two months. So many things you can do, if you truly want to help the unemployed. Forcing them to risk death just so you can eat at Demshar's is not one of those things.

[Nancy@Pinellas]

I’d rather be safe than sorry. There is a glitch in your plan. South Korea is reporting that some who have recovered from COVID19 are getting infected a second time. That would mean one could “line up”.... get the virus and not be immune. It won’t work.