Is it possible to travel responsibly (during a pandemic)?

[KenGordon]

You are incorrectly paraphrasing my words to suit your needs, I did not say 10% have a plan, I stated 10% serious considering suicide, double the 2019 rate. See attached image from CDC website.

Don't think COVID shaming is an issue? See below for words from my work's staff psychologist:

View attachment 641566

People have made a lot of difficult choices for themselves and their families during this pandemic. Along with those choices have come feelings of guilt, uncertainty, grief, sadness and shame.


One concern that emerged is the act of COVID Shaming.


COVID Shaming is the act of ostracizing or shaming others for contracting the virus or putting themselves in higher risk situations for contracting the virus.


Shaming is different than asking someone to take ownership of a problem.


Shaming is not an effective way to influence or alter behaviors.


Per Huffington Post “Covid-19 Stigma is Becoming the Norm – And it’s extremely Dangerous”


“And even though shaming might at times feel like a productive way to alter someone’s behavior, it’s actually not. In fact, shaming usually backfires and makes people who feel the brunt of the blame less likely to engage with public health efforts like testing and contact tracing. In other words: It can lead to dangerous consequences.”


Nobody wants to get COVID or have their families get COVID. So why are people shaming people if they get it?


A few reasons are fear, FOMO and “Just World Belief”.


The FEAR part takes on many forms; fear you could get COVID, fear that your crew could get COVID, fear you will have to reschedule the entire crew until testing is complete, and sacrificing important plans.


FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) – Maybe you have sacrificed seeing family, taking trips, seeing friends or other social events so when you hear about other people engaging in some of these activities and getting exposed it can increase anger and a sense of missing out on life.

Nobody is shaming people that get Covid in this thread, just those that think they will not get it or have been lucky enough not to. And even then it is not shaming as much pointing out that they might just be deluded.

On the last point, there is a reasonable risk ‘budget’. Going to school, going to hospital appointments, having essential meetings about leaking roofs etc are all risks. Going to the pub, going on holiday etc are all risks. The budget is shared amongst the population. For a given death rate more people going on holiday etc must be balanced with fewer people going to school etc.

 

[KenGordon]

My choice. Not yours. My views on freedom. Not yours. I respect your choices and while you don’t have to like mine, you can respect it. I’m not here to talk politics.

That is political talk.

 

[KenGordon]

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/12/melbournes-hotel-quarantine-cluster-rises-to-13-as-more-close-contacts-test-positive-to-covid

So travellers bring the Kent variant to Melbourne resulting in a lock down of the state.

Can the “diseases of despair” people worried about the mental health of travellers give some thought to the non travellers who could go about their lives last week who cannot next week? Maybe having to put up with that will make them feel that they cannot control their own lives and destroy the freedoms they used to have.

And yes, the people with the nebuliser are idiots, but if they had been idiots at home then the people of Victoria would not have to suffer.

 

[Searcaigh]

I also see a push for double masking or improving the facial seal of your mask. I don't double-mask, and judging from the way my glasses fog up when I wear it (plus I have a beard)...

Have your tried spitting your glasses first or using baby shampoo or an expensive defog?

 

[uncfnp]

Don't get me started on the previous lack of PPE with the (then) President insisting that there was no shortage

Health workers and hospitals grapple with millions of counterfeit N95 masks

I have said all along the KN95’s we have are questionable and it now looks like our N95’s may be fake’s. First thing I noticed was the chemical odor.

The fact that our staff has had relatively few infections despite struggles with ppe has perhaps made me over confident that efforts to control transmission do work.

 

[wnissen]

Health workers and hospitals grapple with millions of counterfeit N95 masks

I have said all along the KN95’s we have are questionable and it now looks like our N95’s may be fake’s. First thing I noticed was the chemical odor.

The fact that our staff has had relatively few infections despite struggles with ppe has perhaps made me over confident that efforts to control transmission do work.

Yeah, the supply chain being so disrupted in so many ways has been extremely problematic. Unfortunately it hasn't been updated since May, but MIT was testing the filter material (not the fit) from assorted "N95"/"KN95" masks bought on the open market. Many did well, but many did not. 70-80% effectiveness was typical, but many were in the 40s. And of course that is before you get the thing on the face of an actual human being. The filter material performance is the ceiling for the performance in the field, unfortunately.

 

[sabbe]

I have no “needs” in this matter. You don’t understand statistics. You said 11% of ALL adults. The CDC said 11% of 40% of adults. Do you not see a difference? This is a spurious strawman argument. Somehow you’re trying to infer a correlation between suicide and people not traveling to Mexico.

Actually they said 40% of all US adults are struggling with mental health in some form AND 11% of all US adults are seriously thinking about suicide. It's not 11% of 40%. So that's 132 million struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues, and 36 million seriously thinking about suicide, double the 2019 statistics.

 

[tridacna]

Actually they said 40% of all US adults are struggling with mental health in some form AND 11% of all US adults are seriously thinking about suicide. It's not 11% of 40%. So that's 132 million struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues, and 36 million seriously thinking about suicide, double the 2019 statistics.

...and apparently according to you, all because of Covid shaming! Total codswallop.

 

[OceanEyes]

I read the following story regarding a US domestic manufacturer of N95 masks in the New York Times last week; hopefully the link will work and those without subscriptions will be able to read it.

Can’t Find an N95 Mask? This Company Has 30 Million That It Can’t Sell.

The company, DemeTech has the following website address:

DemeTECH

My wife told me that there was an item regarding this same company broadcast on NBC one night last week. I did not see the newscast, but you may be able to access it if you hunt around on the Internet.

I ordered some masks from them on Thursday, and received them on Saturday.

 

[100days-a-year]

I couldn't be bothered to read the whole 34 pages of drivel so far, can someone summarize the consensus on the OPs actual question plz withput any patronizing or pontificating