Sick of the media causing grief over Coronavirus

[mrs rubble]

Again gaius thank you for highlighting the roles of the doctors and nurses and devaluing the role of the scientists who guide them! 

[gaius]

I'm sorry you feel that's what I said rubble. My mother used to work in a lab and my grandmother was an RN. I understand and appreciate the work lab techs do, and how important you are in the overall workings of the health-care system. It's only the fact that you deliver a high quality of work that allows patients to be treated correctly.

That being said, we're in the early stages of a once in a generation type war against a disease and I doubt your colleagues are doing themselves any favors by refusing to answer the phone during said war. It's likely we'll all feel some economic pain by the time all this is over.

[Ellener]

6 hours ago, mrs rubble said:

We’re not in China here.

We are not, and we need to preserve the freedoms people are not given there; and it has not been contained by whatever they did anyway.

It's a difficult situation but people need to keep calm and not in any way 'witch-hunt' anyone or panic and make things worse.

 

[carhill]

The Apple support guy who helped me yesterday works from home in Florida and was talking about a trip to LA and I advised him that we do have Covid19 cases in CA but that air travel is generally not an exposure issue with reasonable precautions and suggested a non-stop if possible (plenty are available) to limit exposure in connecting airports. He apparently didn't know about the cases being reported so that information helped him hopefully. He got my Apple services running again so win-win, though it took 2-3 hours of work. 👍

I don't really know how it is for people with TV washing over them daily. I don't see TV, haven't for a long time. Covid19 stuff comes mostly from CDC and scientific and government sources from around the world. I do follow one guy in the Atlanta area who consolidates those resources and does many hours long live streams on YouTube. I've found the resources he uncovers to be helpful and a method to balance opposing views/experiences. Overall, I don't have a significant negative vibe on this deal and usually my gut is right. It's deadly to a few and inconvenient and frustrating to many more, sure. It'll likely be gone in a few weeks. Then we'll move on to the next media sensation.

[Els]

I agree that the media hysteria is pretty messed up, but I'm not sure what that has to do with lab staff striking? I haven't heard of any strikes, but I don't think medical/lab staff striking at this time is a good idea, because the more conscientious colleagues who DO carry on working will just end up carrying triple the load. And that f***s everyone up.

I'd say the same if it was a doctor's or nurse's union striking at this time. The whole point of strikes is to cause inconvenience, not to literally place people in harm's way.

Edited March 10, 2020 by Elswyth

[Beendaredonedat]

8 hours ago, mrs rubble said:

 If anything my colleagues decisions to not answer the phone is another level of avoiding COVID19 

 

WT? last I heard a virus isn't able to travel over a phone line.  0.o

[pepperbird]

5 hours ago, Ellener said:

We are not, and we need to preserve the freedoms people are not given there; and it has not been contained by whatever they did anyway.

It's a difficult situation but people need to keep calm and not in any way 'witch-hunt' anyone or panic and make things worse.

 

We've had the virus up here since the end of January. So far, there's been one death.
One.
 

[SincereOnlineGuy]

3 hours ago, pepperbird said:

We've had the virus up here since the end of January. So far, there's been one death.
One.
 

With that having been a man in his 80's at a care center who was infected by one of the workers at the care center.

[mrs rubble]

6 hours ago, Beendaredonedat said:

WT? last I heard a virus isn't able to travel over a phone line.  0.o

Telephones can have sputum droplets in the mouthpiece, and bugs from dirty hands. So yes not answering the phone eliminates the risk of spreading germs that way. You are correct a virus can't travel down a phone line.

[Beendaredonedat]

Unless someone with the virus used the phone, then I think you'll be okay.

[mrs rubble]

8 hours ago, Elswyth said:

I agree that the media hysteria is pretty messed up, but I'm not sure what that has to do with lab staff striking? I haven't heard of any strikes, but I don't think medical/lab staff striking at this time is a good idea, because the more conscientious colleagues who DO carry on working will just end up carrying triple the load. And that f***s everyone up.

I'd say the same if it was a doctor's or nurse's union striking at this time. The whole point of strikes is to cause inconvenience, not to literally place people in harm's way.

These group of lab workers have been striking on and off for the last 10 months (so long before the virus) the latest strike started nearly a month ago (again before the virus got here), and is due to end. NONE of the previous strikes have been mentioned in the media, it is only because of the virus that it's hit the papers to try and shame the workers into backing down. We really haven't had too many tests referred for corona virus at this stage either.

They are all still working, but just not answering the phones, the other 85% of staff belong to the other union and do answer phones (myself included). Nobody is carrying extra workloads, and nobody is in harms way, generally what it means is that between 3.30pm and 7.00pm where there is a member of that union on a sole shift the managers have to organise somebody to come in and answer the phone which IS an inconvenience.

Nobody who works in healthcare would ever put anyone in their care in harms way.

[pepperbird]

16 hours ago, mrs rubble said:

These group of lab workers have been striking on and off for the last 10 months (so long before the virus) the latest strike started nearly a month ago (again before the virus got here), and is due to end. NONE of the previous strikes have been mentioned in the media, it is only because of the virus that it's hit the papers to try and shame the workers into backing down. We really haven't had too many tests referred for corona virus at this stage either.

They are all still working, but just not answering the phones, the other 85% of staff belong to the other union and do answer phones (myself included). Nobody is carrying extra workloads, and nobody is in harms way, generally what it means is that between 3.30pm and 7.00pm where there is a member of that union on a sole shift the managers have to organise somebody to come in and answer the phone which IS an inconvenience.

Nobody who works in healthcare would ever put anyone in their care in harms way.

Those who work in the field have to have some way to collectively protect their rights. This being said, they are also people with families of their own to think about. I can't imagine any of them actually putting anyone else in harm's way.

[Noproblem]

On 3/9/2020 at 7:57 AM, d0nnivain said:

That is why I don't know what to believe.  The CDC, NIH & WHO are saying wash your hands & cover your mouth when you sneeze  Those don't sound like ominous precautions so why are countries closing borders.  DH works for a department of the US gov't.  Offices in Washington & California are being closed, with the employees being told to work from home.  It's the flu as I understand it, not guaranteed death for everyone who contracts the virus.   

There is something they are not telling us which is so scary!

[Ellener]

The BBC news website has lots of accurate information/links and some very positive articles about the viral outbreak and how people are coping and helping each other.

[Ellener]

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-51951583/coronavirus-three-grandmothers-self-isolating-together 

[Miss Spider]

Remember back in 2019 when we told ourselves 2020 was going to be a better year

 

😩

[simpycurious]

4 hours ago, Cookiesandough said:

Remember back in 2019 when we told ourselves 2020 was going to be a better year

 

😩

Cookie, we are gonna STILL make 2020 a good year.  Keep the Faith.  You are an eternal optimist and shining light so now is your time to let that light

shine.  I will say this though moving forward, the virus will change how many live (in the short term) and maybe just maybe people (as a whole) will 

realize how precious life truly is.

[mrs rubble]

Aww! I love to see the positive out of this! 

Our fellow colleagues are not striking anymore and they are about to renegotiate their worth, given the situation and the need for more of us I’m pretty sure they will settle this ASAP. 

Keep safe folks, look out for your neighbours, and the elderly, and be kind to each other.