RantWoman is seeing what pandemic postcards spill onto the
keyboard while waiting for a scheduled conference call.
Poorly Run Conference Calls
Scratch that. RantWoman is TIRED of conference calls. In
particular, RantWoman is tired of poorly run conference calls. RantWoman has
been on two calls in the last two days where RantWoman is going to have to
follow up with the person ostensibly running the meeting and say some version
of “That people talking over each other thing, it gets really tiresome. Would
you please consider… because if you don’t I will?” Isn’t RantWoman a delight to
be around?
The actual pandemic: the fambly experience
The RantSisters have now both successfully video-called with
RantMom. Yes, of COURSE the possibility of doing this has existed for years.
But only now has RantWoman figured out how to cheerlead to get RantMom to try
the needed steps. RantWoman called RantMom with cell numbers on both ends. RantWoman
found the video call button on her phone. First RantMom’s apartment came into
view. Then RantWoman persuaded RantMom to find the button to use the front
camera. Then RantMom’s face came into view. Even with RantWoman’s wonky
eyeballs, matters of focus and centering, it was glorious.
Why didn’t we think of it sooner?
(shh. Don’t tell anyone. Both RantWoman and RantMom still have
landlines. The landline phone is a lot easier to hold than our smartphones.)
Next on the agenda, ZOOM! Online Bible study for a motivator.
RantWoman last week invited RantMom to one such realm. RantWoman created
herself a Zoom account and sent RantMom an invitation to a meeting to practice.
RantMom got as far as downloading the app in the Playstore. Time was running
out. RantMom finally shooed RantWoman off and said let’s try it next time. Next
time was yesterday. RantMom was too giddy about her test result news. But
Little Sister was asking something about RantMom’s Zoom status and offering a
similarly-themed motivator.
RantWoman created another meeting and sent it off to the other
RantWoman: Little Sister thinks RantMom will want / like Zoom on her PC or her
tablet. RantWoman sent a meeting invitation because that link will get the
software installed faster than trying to Talk RantMom through all the steps.
Stay tuned.
Wait. Test Result News?
RantMom TESTED NEGATIVE! RantMom is just giddy! RantWoman wants to
be giddy but has read of both false negatives and false positives. RantWoman
has read too much of incomplete test kits. But RantWoman can try to just go
with the giddy! The retirement community is still locked down. RantMom would
still much prefer to be moving about more freely but one thing at a time. Today
was thorough cleaning and disinfecting of RantMom’s apartment, kidnapping of
her laundry with some miscommunication about dryer issues. And RantMom got to
go out into the hallway while the disinfecting was occurring. RantMom was
thrilled.
Irrepressible Nephew has also decided to return to his parents'
household. He was staying with a friend for awhile in order not to bring
anything home to his parents. But now there is a new regime: he will take clothes
off as soon as he comes in, put them in a closed laundry container, leave his
shoes in that area, do his own laundry! RantWoman's suggestion about also
throwing coats into the dryer was well received. Go Nephew. RantWoman will now
wonder whether nephew’s current flavor of self-employment is considered an
essential service.
Wait! Test results?
RantMom’s retirement community is the subject of this report from
the CDC
RantWoman notes a number of things that stand out:
--The article does not mention, but RantWoman is aware that the
retirement community has previous experience quarantining for norovirus.
RantMom found the norovirus quarantine tiresome but RantWoman imagines /
expects that previous experience means the staff already had a good sense of
what to do.
--RantMom’s retirement community is primarily independent living.
Residents’ living conditions and health status are both different from the
situation of residents in Skilled Nursing facilities like Life Care in Kirkland.
--Early in the process of addressing the COVID-19 situation, all
retirement communities implemented policies limiting all staff to work in only
one facility. RantWoman thinks this limit is probably extremely important in
limiting the number of people any single staff person is at risk of exposing.
RantWoman thinks this would have been sensible employee scheduling practice even
before COVID-19.
--RantWoman finds it interesting that a high percentage of both
residents and staff tested negative while reporting symptoms that could be
attributed to COVID-19. RantWoman presently has no further opinion except maybe
that is a point to study further.
--RantWoman experienced exactly ZERO accessibility #a11y issues
reading the article.
Digression: speculation
RantWoman has no relevant academic
credentials and modest relevant data geek work experience, so RantWoman gets to
wonder and hope the questions take root with someone better able to
investigate. RantWoman has been thinking about symptoms and transmission of the
virus. The virus is transmitted by getting inhaled. The initial symptoms
include a bunch of things that suggest to RantWoman some kind of neurological
attack early on: runny nose, severe headache, visual distortions, confusion.
Dry cough and diarrhea / upset stomach, fevers, fatigue also. How do these
symptoms differ from the onset of other corona viruses? Aside from the fact
that people have no immunity, in what ways is this COVID-19 virus different
from other corona viruses?
There. RantWoman is now at the end of her knowledge but not at the
end of her curiosity.
Pantry
RantWoman was thinking of penning some meditations about #PandemicDining
#QuarantineCuisine, grocery shopping, using up what is in the larder. RantWoman
is still thinking about penning such an item but along the way it occurred to
RantWoman that, if she needs to borrow someone’s eyes to help clean out things that
have been in the pantry Much Too Long, RantWoman could settle down and try out
BeMyEyes. RantWoman could do this, but she also needs to grapple with some
phone misbehavior issues. And to wrangle some science projects inhabiting the
refrigerator and …
To mask or not to mask
RantWoman is following the discussion of masks with both interest
and dread.
RantWoman is the sort of dork who may just
wear turtleneck sweaters and pull the neck up over her nose and mouth some of
the time. RantWoman thinks eye glasses count for as much eye protection as is
practical because many of the masking measures also cause RantWoman’s glasses
to steam up.
RantWoman has some scarves she can dig
out. RantWoman will aim for ones that make a fashion statement but can easily
be handwashed and sterilized because RantWoman does not do laundry very often.
RantWoman has a number of items of mostly
worn-out old clothing that she could cut up and sew some masks from. RantWoman
could do this but threading a needle is more of an adventure than RantWoman
tries to take on very often. RantWoman has ponytail holders which could work as
elastic but something to cinch the top
would also be on point.
RantWoman has been reading on Twitter of
the Deaf Studies student who sewed some masks with clear plastic over the
mouth. This RantWoman assumes is to aid people who lip-read. RantWoman
understands linguistic exasperation with young deaf people who are expected to
learn to lip-read instead of having full access to learn sign language.
HOWEVER, there are plenty of elders who have lost hearing and rely on
lip-reading to help mask that problem. RantWoman would point out, the people
who need the transparent masks over their nose and mouth are not necessarily
the Deaf people or people with hearing loss.
The people who need transparent masks are everyone who visits the elders
with hearing loss and who wants to up the odds that what one's elder is seeing is helpful for lipreading. Alas, reasonable as it might be to have a transparent mask for others to lipread through, RantWoman has no advice whatsoever about what materials to choose to both provide needed sneezeguard and to be easily sterilized.
There. Off of soapbox.
Social distancing at the neighborhood grocery store.
The other day RantWoman ventured out to pick up some of her usual
eyedrop prescriptions. RantWoman also stopped at the grocery store. The place
was as busy as it formerly was on Saturdays though there were many fewer kids.
The atmosphere was this weird mixture of giddy, nonchalant and on edge.
RantWoman thinks she was not the only person in the store happy just to be
around other people, to hear the random snippets of chatter and sounds of
people moving around.
People mostly seemed to manage social distancing though this was
difficult at times. Besides lots of customers, staff were also busy restocking
shelves, it was clear some shelves would not get restocked though.
Near the checkstands, there were blue mats on the floor every six
feet to space people out while waiting in line. These seem sensible until one
waits in line, gets to be called or figures out it is one’s turn to advance to
the checkout. RantWoman finds the find one’s cashier visually difficult. Of
course, if RantWoman finds this step too visually difficult she could figure
out how to ask for / accept help. RantWoman could figure this out…
But Enough postacards for tonight.
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