Corona Virus

[Chavak]

So is this whole virus thing affecting anyone directly? I just had a tour of Turkey cancelled so now I have to find a new time to travel. People are buying out certain items in the store. The state has gone crazy banning events that have more than 250 people attending, although I don't know how they came up with that magic number. And of course my retirement accounts are tanking, but I'm not worried about those because they will eventually come back. I do worry though that many people are going to be very adversely affected by this and not be able to bounce back financially.

[Jason]

I work in a popular hotel. We are down to under 10% occupancy and running on a bare-bones team of employees. It's really sad.

I see everything on Facebook about people panicking and buying up all the toilet paper and cleaning supplies from the stores. Why toilet paper? You'd think they'd buy up all the canned goods!

The panic is going to cause far more problems than the virus itself, if you ask me.

[Dana]

All the panic and reaction to this flu worries me more than anything.  Now, they've cancelled the pre-season baseball games. Stores are being cleaned out of soap, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and other stuff from stock piling. Some of the stores are putting limits on products per customer which they should.

If the economy tanks from all this hunkering down and closing up of shops and stores and schools and even the St. Patrick's Day Parade, I'm concerned the panic will grow.


The swine flu did not have near this effect. People continued to work, attend events, go to school and carry on.

I don't understand the toilet paper frenzy either, since it's a respiratory flu!   Most of the surrounding grocery stores where I live are out of toilet paper. I hope they have kleenex.

I love this Seinfeld episode.  Kinda prophetic. 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVA1i26SkKE

[searchinmyroots]

As you probably already know, NY has taken similar steps -

No crowds more than 250 people, closing of schools, cancelling events such as the St. Patrick's Day parade and other things.

My father is in the hospital and there is a lot going on there as well as other medical facilities as you can imagine. They keep changing the rules everyday.

Dinner meetings for work may go online and many people are working from home.

I'm sure things will get back to normal one day, just hope it is sooner than later!!

[searchinmyroots]

Just got back from the grocery store.

Half of it is wiped out.

[Dana]

Just got back from the grocery store.

Half of it is wiped out.

Yesterday, we went as well and now we're considering downloading the grocery store App for home delivery.  Never thought I'd see that day.  Maybe that could be an option in these times?  This morning on the news there was mention of an increase in job openings for people being laid off of restaurant positions, to grocery store home delivery service.   It seems like a good effort to eliminate the long lines and resulting frustration.

[searchinmyroots]

Just got back from the grocery store.

Half of it is wiped out.

Yesterday, we went as well and now we're considering downloading the grocery store App for home delivery.  Never thought I'd see that day.  Maybe that could be an option in these times?  This morning on the news there was mention of an increase in job openings for people being laid off of restaurant positions, to grocery store home delivery service.   It seems like a good effort to eliminate the long lines and resulting frustration.

Yes, my son has been telling me for years to just "order your food online", and "why do you want to go to the store and wait on line?".

Well, I like interaction with people (except of course if they are sick!) and it's also nice to get out and also to see what new things may be offered.

But with what's going on now, it might be the safer way to go.

My son told me he cannot order food with Amazon Prime because they don't want people to hoard all the food leaving the shoppers at Whole Foods with nothing.

Hope life gets back to normal sometime soon!

[Jason]

Yes, my son has been telling me for years to just "order your food online", and "why do you want to go to the store and wait on line?".

Why do New Yorkers say “on line”? The expression is “in line.” You say “online” to refer to the internet, but you wait “in line” when there are other people ahead of you waiting for some service.

But with what's going on now, it might be the safer way to go.

Absolutely.

Hope life gets back to normal sometime soon!

I’m shocked at how far this has gone / had to go. I’m tired of the Corona phase already. Let’s get over it.

[Chavak]

I've always wondered about the New Yorker expression of "standing on line" too. My guess is it stems from a time when there were lines physically painted on the ground that you stood on. I also wonder about "take away" instead of "take out".

[Chavak]

Went to the store yesterday to do my regular shopping, place was packed with long lines. Empty frozen food section, pasta aisle almost empty, butter gone, and of course the cleaning aisle empty. Reminded me of the old photos we used to see of communist Russia and it's empty shelves. People have gone insane. Now gun stores are having huge lines and selling out of ammo and firearms. I guess people want to protect their toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Absolutely looney tunes.