Coronavirus

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Sorry Colin

You can erase this if not suitable

I am at a complete stand still with the Virus restrictions

I need to get provisions

Am I safe shopping wearing this respirator?

What is the alternative?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

What is allowed now?

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Bob

There are much better websites than this where you can find the advice and information you need. At the same time there's an awful lot of misinformed speculation and downright dangerous nonsense out there so my advice woud be to trust ONLY HM Government or NHS/Health England websites.

Good luck and stay safe.

Dave M

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Official advice on link below Bob. Have you got anyone who can food shop for you? Many areas now have volunteers who can help. Your local council website may have details.

**LINK**

And keep watching the BBC news on TV.

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop on 24/03/2020 16:12:49

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Dave, I posted my question on this sight knowing I would get a sensible reply and could discuss it

Colin, if I had someone to do the shopping……..What makes this person special?

ie….Why can't I do the shopping?

I can't believe the Police can keep track of people walking about?

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Bob, the reason it is best that you do not do the shopping is that if you catch this virus at your age you are very likely to need hospitalisation from which you may not recover.

Your respirator will NOT keep you safe. You must stay at least 2 metres away from anyone else. If you have disposable gloves then wear them. Do not touch your face and when you get home thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water.

They are plugging this advice and the reasons for it on TV 24 hours a day. Surely you must have seen it?

Colin

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Captain Bob

Boris is doing his best to look after you and has asked you to stay indoors because this nasty virus likes to attack and kill those people who are over 60.

It is a very insidious disease that spreads very quickly between people.

If you catch it there is a very good chance that your immune system will go into overdrive and basically fill your lungs with fluid, even in hospital and on a respirator your chances of survival are less than 10%.

Yes you could do your own shopping but in doing so you will come into contact with lots of people, any of who could be infectious and infect you. In your case going shopping is like playing Russian Roulette with only one empty chamber.

Your painting mask isn’t good enough as its filters won’t stop the virus, you might as well put your head in a bucket as it will give you better protection.

The only masks that work are N95 and these don’t protect your eyes.

You haven’t gone through two world wars to be knocked off by a bug so do yourself a huge favour and stay indoors.

Paul

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Lots of information and advice on the BBC website too:

**LINK**

olin

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob,

This is sound advice, even as a 64 year old youngster ! I'm working from home and only going out for beer, and doing what my wife tells me, she has changed my name to "Wash your hands"

Still look on the Brightside, your sure to get a part on Doctor Who with that mask

Best Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks to everybody for your kind advice, I shall not go out now, until the coast is clear

I do have a son who can help us out, but I`m not happy about it really

I did call at the chemist yesterday, in my mask, the chap is very knowledgeable and he said the masks are only to stop the face being touched and the virus is not airborne……Which now sounds a bit suspicious?

In Tameside, there are only 35 officially confirmed cases, so the News says, which I find hard to believe

Hoping for the best for all of us, good luck to everybody

Bob

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

The number of confirmed cases is a red herring as they have mainly been testing those admitted to hospital. What you are saying is really that 35 people have been admitted to hospital. As evidence suggests that the number of diseased doubles every 4 days and it takes at least 2 weeks from getting the disease to being ill enough to need hospital care, and most people don't need hospital care, you are vastly underestimating the scale of the problem. It numbers also have the potential to grow very quickly.

Please don't jump on me if my numbers are slightly wrong as they are the best that I can put together from the incomplete information out there.

Take it very seriously and stay safe.

PS I would be very very wary of supermarket trolley/basket handles as they appear to be the perfect way to transmit the disease. If you go shopping remember that anything that you touched and bring home could be carrying the virus. It will still be there after you have washed your hands at home.

Edited By Chris E 1 on 25/03/2020 09:52:44

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Chris

The trolley handle warning is very real

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

There was a comment in the paper at the weekend that one way to discourage bulk buying would be to ban trolleys and insist that everyone simply uses baskets.

I have a pack of Dettol wet wipes in the car and after shopping wipe down my hands and the bits of the car I have tiouched such as the steering wheel, gear knob and door habdles etc. Not perfect as you have still toughedyour car key, the bags that you are carrying ete. etc. but it must reduce the risk.

Beware punp handle when you refuel the car too!

Wear gloves if you can, the virus won't survive so long on soft surfaces.

All this is why they are saying go out as infrequently as possible. I am trying to visit the shops no more than twice a week at most.

Colin

[CookieParticipant @cookie15923]

Hello all, stay safe i know it's a pain staying in especially now with more retailers stopping mail order but we will get through this if we all stick together , Regards Dave

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

bob, you obviously have a computer so………..do like my kids have told me to do forum this evening………….and do your shopping on line…………..I believe that the big supermarkets are being told by the government to relax delivery charges to customers, especially the elderly;y and susceptible to the virus.

log on to your local favourite supermarket, trawl through the items and shelves for what you want to buy, order it on line, pay for it by debit or credit card, and it is delivered as soon as there is a slot available……………..it is quite fascinating to see what is available on the shelves that you normally dont see, and a god send at this historic time in our lives.

I always said I would never do it as I like to walk around the shops and chat…………….but at this time, this is the safest way for us all. try it old friend………..once you get used to it………….its easy.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you Neil

i had thought of that, but assumed that they couldn't cope

Luckily, we have we also have a Daughter that is available,

Job done

Look after yourself and everyone else

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Where we are in Preston, there is no point in going shopping. The local supermarket would only let me have 1 ltr of long life milk, six eggs, and numerous other items limited to one. So to carry on in that way, I would have had to go out practically every day to keep us fed! Buying online from supermarkets is a non-starter for us. All slots booked up. Yesterday we got in an online queue that said it would be an hour before our turn came up. Waited patienty and after an hour, it was our turn. A calender page for April appeared on the screen showing available delivery days. The only one that was not greyed out was the 15th. With the reactions of a wild west gunfighter (although I am 76) I hit the button within a microsecond, but I was outdrawn and plugged with "Not available!"

This has hapnned on almost all supermarket sites. When it all began, we did get a delivery slot for Tuesday last, but it never arrived. On contacting them, they said they couldn't fulfill the order and would send it when they got it.

As I was contemplating going out and getting branded a "selfish and potential murderer" (We didn't panic buy in the first place). We decided to give it another go, and went direct to the food companies, and were able to order all that we wanted, alethough at a much higher price. That was yesterday (26th March) and we hope our dwindling supply of tinned food will last until it arrives. We have 6 eggs, a couple of frozen loaves and a few tinns of vegetables!

Despite all this, I am feeling rather "invigorated" and feeling far more lively than I have for some time. Self isolation doesn't bother me (try 9 knots to South America in a tramp steamer if you want to know what isolation, and lousy food is!)

Have laid in 1,000 sheet of A4 paper, and more drawing pens. Am well stocked up on glue and wood etc, and model shipbuilding supplies are plentiful online. In the meantime, we are enjoying the cleaner air and declining pollution. All the greyness and mistiness has gone, and everything is sharp and clear, with blue skies and a clean feel to the air (even if it is full of Corona).

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

**LINK**

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Bob

About 25 years ago the Government sent every household. a handy guide book

I think there was a threat of something serious about to happen

It advised that every household should stock up with food and other essential items, but don`t panic!

This is what we did and now it has paid off!

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Bob

I don't remember that, but I was probably away at sea. But no! It hasn't paid off at all, has it? They specifically told us a few weeks ago that we should not be selfish and "panic buy," or stockpile anything. In retrospect, I wish we had. Now, as I said above, it is very difficult (and expensive) to get anything in the food line. It will probably take years for all countires to receover economically from all this, but they will not have learned their lessons, and we will all soon be back to polluting everything again.

Bob

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

This is what we did and now it has paid off!

My first thought was that little of that stuff can be any good after 25 years……. Sorry, Bob!

It's an ill-wind, though. Sitting outside in our garden yesterday afternoon, soaking up the spring sunshine and a large G&T, there was no traffic noise, no incessantly-barking dogs from the nearby boarding kennels and I swear I heard a skylark above the field next door. We'd found everything on our shopping list at the local store; there was no queue, and no-one was rude, officious or ignorant. I even summoned up the enthusiasm to wash the car!

Apart from the threat of this b****y virus it was almost idyllic.

Dave M

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Dave

Having to wash your own cars, is you chauffeur self isolating? Perhaps you should let your butler off G&T duties so that he could wash the cars.

I know things are getting bad but this is no reason for letting standards slide.

Paul

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Paul

I had to let them both go as I've started saving up for that glue you recommended. Looks like I'll have to learn how to mix a G&T for myself, eh?

DM

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Dave

Isn't there anybody in your remaining staff that could do this for you, the Valet or one of the Footmen perhaps even the Cook or one of the many House Maids, as you are drinking in the garden maybe one of the Gardeners or Tennent Farmers.

Paul

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Sadly none, Paul. They are all allegedly 'self-isolating', which I have taken to be them resigning their positions. As such I am under no obligation to support them or their disgusting relatives any further. Anyway, as far as I know Tennents is a brewer of a very inferior ale – known as 'lager' – and has no discernable connection with agriculture other than the obvious.

Oh, God – I feel the need for more sustenance! Hungry?

Dave M

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