Preparing for Coronavirus?

[Cheerful]

Apparently there is a national garlic shortage.  The US crop was mostly lost due to bad weather and China isn't exporting much.

Funny you should mention garlic.  The only place I could find nonChina granulated garlic in the last few years was Costco, their Kirkland brand (in a huge container, of course).  McCormick had some California granulated garlic for a few years then China, again.

Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer, based in USA, was purchased by China's WTH Group, Ltd. in 2013.

[Anselm]

To stay in shape with the gym shut down I got some Indian clubs.  They were quite the rage in 1890 and a nice change to my normal exercise routine.  Some of you may have noticed that exercise weights were the first things to disappear from stores and on the used market.

[spork]

To stay in shape with the gym shut down I got some Indian clubs.  They were quite the rage in 1890 and a nice change to my normal exercise routine.  Some of you may have noticed that exercise weights were the first things to disappear from stores and on the used market.

In related news about shopping trends, from The New York Times: "One of the few apparel companies that has been doing well, at least online, is Lululemon, thanks to its generous selection of the sweatpants and leggings that serve as particularly good work clothes when your office is in the basement."

I give kudos to whoever wrote that and got it past an editor.

[Katrina Gulliver]

To stay in shape with the gym shut down I got some Indian clubs.  They were quite the rage in 1890 and a nice change to my normal exercise routine.  Some of you may have noticed that exercise weights were the first things to disappear from stores and on the used market.

Are you also wearing a woolen exercise onesie, Teddy Roosevelt style?

[Anselm]

To stay in shape with the gym shut down I got some Indian clubs.  They were quite the rage in 1890 and a nice change to my normal exercise routine.  Some of you may have noticed that exercise weights were the first things to disappear from stores and on the used market.

Are you also wearing a woolen exercise onesie, Teddy Roosevelt style?

No, but that is a great suggestion.

[hmaria1609]

The "stay home" order will be relaxed in Maryland on Friday:
https://wtop.com/coronavirus/2020/05/maryland-coronavirus-update-may-13/
A bit of good news for the day!

For the region at large, here's a more detailed article:
https://wtop.com/coronavirus/2020/05/virginia-maryland-suburbs-aligned-with-dc-in-covid-response/

[Vkw10]

We had an online faculty/staff recognition event today. About 30 minutes before the start, Dr. FastTrack sent a frantic note to department's chat, asking if it was okay to wear t-shirt or if collared shirts were recommended. Ms. Savvy replied that collars, combed hair, and shaved faces were recommended if one intended to have video on, but otherwise a professional photo could be uploaded to Zoom.

I laughed myself into a coughing fit. After the event, the department chat was flooded with comments about administrators with long hair, cats walking across desks, and starship backgrounds. First time I've ever enjoyed such a ceremony.

Next time a pandemic appears to be starting, I'll recommend VPs and Provosts get a crew cut.

[apl68]

We reopen to the public on Monday.  I've spent the last week and a half trying to get sneeze guards to protect the staff at the circulation desk.  We finally got them installed.  I can rest easier now.

[hmaria1609]

We reopen to the public on Monday.  I've spent the last week and a half trying to get sneeze guards to protect the staff at the circulation desk.  We finally got them installed.  I can rest easier now.

That's great news! Please let us keep us posted how it goes.  :)

Earlier today I got an e-mail blast from mk Solutions about its sneeze guard products:
https://www.mksneezeguard.com/en/
Its products are made for libraries. Hope the above link is useful to fellow librarians here!

[Economizer]

Ramen! What is it with Ramen? Big and small stores alike cannot keep Ramen in stock. Oh, sure the just below a buck ramen is kinda stocked. But the 20 cent flavors are gone almost as soon as they hit the shelves. Maybe there is a widespread marketing scheme or a secluded people, not yet studied., that require few nutrients.

[hmaria1609]

Yesterday, parts of Maryland reopened under Phase 1. Here's a sampling of local businesses managing their reopening:
https://wtop.com/maryland/2020/05/md-businesses-open-to-limited-customers-as-coronavirus-restrictions-are-relaxed/

[spork]

[. . . ]

Next time a pandemic appears to be starting, I'll recommend VPs and Provosts get a crew cut.

I've been cutting my own hair with electric clippers for over three decades now. As my wife says, "You've been waiting for this moment your whole life."

[Thursday's_Child]

I'm in one of those re-opening states.  Yesterday at a popular big box store:
- about half of the shoppers and most of the employees were wearing masks;
- about 1/3 of the masked were wearing them incorrectly - nose exposed was the most common error;
- I saw no strong correlation between any particular factor (age, sex, race, size of group) and being either masked or non-masked;
- inability to remain 6 ft. from others (who were not in your group) was rampant, especially among the non-masked;
- cheerful cries of greeting to those you'd missed - followed by hand-shaking and other distancing violations - was only seen twice in the (maybe) ten minutes it took me to grab some essentials and check out.

I glumly predict a spike in cases starting very soon.

[mamselle]

I haven't been out and don't plan on going out, generally (and our 'open status' is now on hold, which is also fine with me)...but I'm not surprised.

In March I was thinking we might hear an "all clear" by, say, September.

Now, I'm thinking December, maybe even next March.

I've worked with infectious disease specialists. They're the most sober, least excitable folks I know.

They have no investment in playing the "hoax" game, or spreading false rumors to get power, or any of that stuff.

If they say you need to do something, or not do it, you need to listen and follow instructions.

I wish people would stop channeling their inner rebellious, three-year-old selves, and grow up.

M.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

If you have any advice on convincing people to not run around like a bunch of nimrods down here, then I'd love to hear it. There are faculty who have been quite vocal about not wearing masks, their civil liberties, etc. I predict that these faculty will probably do an about face if and when they and family members become ill.