Coronavirus Updates

[Innula Zenovka]

I can't read the article (subscriber only), but I concede your point about the timeline. This is a very fast moving target, and I'm probably not giving them enough credit. On the other hand, there were some people who were paying better attention.

Inside the Story of How H-E-B Planned for the Pandemic

I'd seen the story in the Washington Post, which makes the same points about the timeline and advice:

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said canceling or curtailing Mardi Gras was never considered. Federal agencies that are part of planning Mardi Gras every year — including the FBI and Homeland Security — did not raise concerns about the coronavirus, she said. Federal officials who walked the parade route with members of her administration were focused on terrorist attacks.

“We were not given a warning or even told, ‘Look, you know what? Don’t have Mardi Gras,’ ” she said.

At that point in late February, American life had not been seriously altered. People were still packing airports. The NBA hadn’t suspended games, and Disney World was still open for business.

“Leadership matters,” Cantrell said. “And if the federal government is not responding to or saying that we’re potentially on the verge of having a crisis for the pandemic coming to the U.S. — that would change everything. But that wasn’t happening.”

Cantrell noted that a couple weeks later, she did cancel the St. Patrick’s Day Parade — and was harshly criticized by some in New Orleans. As it happened, partiers didn’t heed the ban, and bars in the French Quarter were packed.

 

[Pamela]

I can see the local and state pols viewpoint. There was a total absence of foresight and leadership from the people who had previously taken up the task of national pandemic preparation. Also, realization of a) the leadership vacuum and b) the obligation of local governments to step up had not set in. No Cuomo, for instance. Also, no Bel Edwards who ironically has become more proactive now (better late than never) than many state governors.

On the other hand, yes, people knew what was happening. MedCram and John Campbell were putting out videos in January.. It's kind of like 9/11 where some people knew there were bad guys in the country with plans of some sort, but no one acted.

Thank god for the NBA and NCAA! Without Rudy Gobert and March Madness we'd be even worse off. Along with Washington state, they supplied needed political credibility. (H.E.B., a Texas grocery store chain, was busy preparing since January, but who did they share their info with? Probably thought of it as a competitive advantage.)

It all leaves the Mardi Gras organizers kind of off the hook of having to explain why they did nothing. As far as I know no one with enough credibility came directly to them telling them to stop though we know, I think, how they would have reacted. Party on!

It wasn’t HEBs info. They didn’t have some secret back channel. And they sure weren’t celebrating that much of Texas would be looking to them during an apocalypse.* Why would people look to H-E-B ? Because, for example, when FEMA and the Red Cross fiddled around during Harvey, H-E-B was on the spot with their mobile kitchens feeding thousands. When no one could get in or out of Beaumont, they sent a plane full of supplies,

Entirely apart from that, EVERYONE loves H-E-B. Yes, they do kick the asses of other stores, because their service is excellent and prices are fair. Seriously, love for H-E-B is a popular discussion topic.

* I tend to catastrophize anyway so when I heard the first inklings of the virus I extrapolated what we essentially have now, and my first thought was not of govt protection but HEBs. Not long ago I read an article on most beloved grocery stores in the US, I think H-E-B was tops.

Found it H-E-B Replaces Trader Joe’s as America’s Favorite Grocery Store

 

[Jolene Benoir]

It wasn’t HEBs info. They didn’t have some secret back channel. And they sure weren’t celebrating that much of Texas would be looking to them during an apocalypse.* Why? Because, for example, when FEMA and the Red Cross fiddled around during Harvey, H-E-B was on the spot with their mobile kitchens feeding thousands. When no one could get in or out of Beaumont, they sent a plane full of supplies,

Entirely apart from that, EVERYONE loves H-E-B. Yes, they do kick the asses of other stores, because their service is excellent and prices are fair. Seriously, love for H-E-B is a popular topic.

* I tend to catastrophize anyway so when I heard the first inklings of the virus I extrapolated what we essentially have now, and my first thought was not of govt protection but HEBs. not long ago I read an article on most beloved grocery stores in the US, I think H-E-B was tops.

My aunt works for them, as does my second cousin (her grandson). She has been right on the front lines of what is happening in our nation's grocery stores. Needless to say, I am incredibly worried. It's heartening to know about H-E-B's preparations and forethought. I still fear for all those who are in the stores passing money between each other, coughing openly and things like that.

 

[Kara Spengler]

Well, their governors should bow and scrape to donnie when asking him to do his bloody job. Like in any other third world country.

The furthet WTF is he is worried about his reelection. Then at least state he did this to is one that won it for him.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

(H.E.B., a Texas grocery store chain, was busy preparing since January, but who did they share their info with? Probably thought of it as a competitive advantage.)

Maybe they simply kept up on the news and took its implications seriously.

The first US cases were reported in the middle of the month, after all.

 

[Pamela]

My aunt works for them, as does my second cousin (her grandson). She has been right on the front lines of what is happening in our nation's grocery stores. Needless to say, I am incredibly worried. It's heartening to know about H-E-B's preparations and forethought. I still fear for all those who are in the stores passing money between each other, coughing openly and things like that.

Nurses and checkers are the most at risk.
Yes H-E-B gave workers a raise.
They are working hard to get groceries delivered or ready for pickup, enforcing distance in stores, etc.

 

[Pamela]

Maybe the news is different over there? Here it was not on the radar until March sometime. I only know one person in my office who started working from home around the start of the month.

I live in Texas. I had already started prepping in late Feb. My extended family all did.

 

[Kara Spengler]

The peak prosperity guy was warning from January 28. I was worried in early February. We are neither of us public health specialists nor clairvoyant. The people whose job it was to register the danger and react to it were asleep at their jobs or had been removed from them by austerity or cuts.

There were already a lot of reasons to close down public gatherings by the beginning of march, not least what was happening in Italy and other countries in the far East by then. But the UK, Spain, US and others prioritised businesses and tourism over public safety.

Could they have seen it coming? Yes. Acted earlier? Yes. Prevented it? Not without cutting off all contact with the rest of the world early and doing aggressive testing and contact tracing, which none of them did.

On the east coast of the us the earliest it was on anyone's radar was when the first cases appeared on the west coast. Companys started dusting off their contingency plans but most individuals did not view it as something that might affect them until the middle of the month. My company was doing two half ppl in and half ppl home on the 12th and 13th and it was a surprise when they announced on the afternoon of the 12th everyone would be home as of the 16th.

 

[Jolene Benoir]

Nurses and checkers are the most at risk.
Yes H-E-B gave workers a raise.
They are working hard to get groceries delivered or ready for pickup, enforcing distance in stores, etc.

I know. she is a checker. She is keeping me up to date on the state of affairs there (Austin). Her management seems to be doing some other things that are helpful as well. She has a friend who is a bit older and has some health issues. They have put that person to work on tasks that are away from the public. They are enforcing lines outside (and distance) when people are waiting for their trucks (of which the products are being sold out very quickly despite limits put upon them). They do have a shield of sorts to protect them, but people are still doing stupid things like licking their credit cards before putting in the machine, coughing openly, things like that.

So far, she's hanging in there, but is very tired.

 

[Kara Spengler]

I know. she is a checker. She is keeping me up to date on the state of affairs there (Austin). Her management seems to be doing some other things that are helpful as well. She has a friend who is a bit older and has some health issues. They have put that person to work on tasks that are away from the public. They are enforcing lines outside (and distance) when people are waiting for their trucks (of which the products are being sold out very quickly despite limits put upon them). They do have a shield of sorts to protect them, but people are still doing stupid things like licking their credit cards before putting in the machine, coughing openly, things like that.

So far, she's hanging in there, but is very tired.

People lick their credit cards? Why? Do they taste good or something?

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

People lick their credit cards? Why? Do they taste good or something?

Maybe a holdover of people licking their fingers to separate cash.

 

[Isabeau]

Or fucking assholes?

 

[Sid]

There is no need to hoard stupidity.
There is more than enough of it out there.

 

[Pamela]

People lick their credit cards? Why? Do they taste good or something?

Only one way to find out.

 

[Pamela]

Finally I have vindication for always going to straight to worst case scenario first. I had us locked down fast and early. Family rolled eyes: “ Don’t you think you are going overboard again (Like you do with everything)?”

Ha!.

Reminds me of when my family was so critical I had “become addicted to a video game”. They sure changed their tune on that too.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Family rolled eyes: “ Don’t you think you are going overboard again (Like you do with everything)?”

Parts of my family are still there despite my sister being a nurse, but she's only in her 40s so what would she know.

 

[Fionalein]

People lick their credit cards? Why? Do they taste good or something?

I used to hold cards and pens with my mouth when out of hands ... obviously not the time to do such a thing anymore...

 

[Clara D.]

I used to hold cards and pens with my mouth when out of hands ... obviously not the time to do such a thing anymore...

My mouth is a tertiary "hold things" while hands are busy, and I'm trying to break myself of it.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

My mouth is a tertiary "hold things" while hands are busy, and I'm trying to break myself of it.

Head out to one of your local nuclear test sites and see if you can't gain telepathic powers or grow a little helper.

Spoiler

 

[Clara D.]

Head out to one of your local nuclear test sites and see if you can't gain telepathic powers or grow a little helper.

Spoiler

I want my prehensile tail, the transhumanist millennials need to get cracking.