The COVID-19 pandemic

[Rainrider22]

Can we edit the title to not be all caps? We are in weird fucking days I agree but seeing all caps every time I come to the site isn't going to help anything.

Someone needs some toilet paper!!!!     (I AM JOKING )  (oops  sorry about the uppercase)

[MidTowner]

Very good article, thanks for sharing.

Yes ... but everyone should keep 14 days of food at home? Really? That's how we get the hoarding panic that we are seeing now.

You're right, it's asinine to suggest that people should have 14 days' worth of food at all times. The recommendation from the federal government for many years has been that you should be able to take care of your family for 72 hours in the event of an emergency. That includes having sufficient water (four litres per person per day) in the case of a failure of municipal water systems. It also includes having a hand-cranked radio, and a bit of cash in case accounts can't be accessed. 72 hours; not 14 days.

The guidance that media have been passing along for weeks now has been that, when you do your normal grocery shopping, you should add a bit of extra food to your purchases in anticipation of a need to self-isolate at some point. That seems reasonable.

If you do need to self-isolate, chances are you know a number of people who won't be doing the same at the same time. Call one of them and ask them to drop off some food for you. I would describe that situation as challenging and inconvenient, not apocalyptic.

[jamincan]

I think I could live off Campbell's soup and grilled cheese for about two days right now, and then I'll have to resort to eating beans, frozen corn and a pot roast I have in the freezer. Once those go, I guess I can start rationing an Amazon box I haven't disposed of yet.

[MidTowner]

I think I could live off Campbell's soup and grilled cheese for about two days right now, and then I'll have to resort to eating beans, frozen corn and a pot roast I have in the freezer. Once those go, I guess I can start rationing an Amazon box I haven't disposed of yet.

If you need to isolate yourself in your home sometime in the future, send me a message and I will happily drop off a few meals at your door for you.

[jeffster]

I can start rationing an Amazon box I haven't disposed of yet.

They're not bad if you have gravy with it. Just sayin'

[ac3r]

What I can't understand is why everyone is buying bananas. It's like every major grocery store in the city is picked clean - unless they're organic ones.

[panamaniac]

What I can't understand is why everyone is buying bananas. It's like every major grocery store in the city is picked clean - unless they're organic ones.

Apples, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, rutabagas, onions, I could see, but bananas?  Perhaps they're planning to make lots of banana bread with all the flour they've hoarded! 

[jamincan]

So I finally did my shopping this morning and there were still quite a few bananas. Toilet paper and kleenex was already picked clean before I showed up around 8am (and the lineup for checkout was already halfway around the store!) Mac and cheese was pretty much all gone. Canned goods was noticeably depleted from normal as were dried goods, but there was still plenty when i went through that aisle. Bread was fully stocked. Fresh fruit and vegetables generally seemed what you would normally expect. I was waiting for the rotisserie chicken to finish, so went back to the deli when I was done shopping and fortunately realized the self-checkout there was free and managed to save myself a *very* long wait in line. The lady at the deli counter said there were a lot more unfamiliar faces than normal, but I don't know how true that is.

Stanley Park Zehrs, for what its worth.

[MidTowner]

I stopped at the downtown Shoppers Drug Mart this morning and everything was exactly the same as every Saturday morning- one person in line-up, plenty of green bananas, everything fully stocked except for the sale items, which were half-gone as usual.

[white_brian]

St.Joseph's in Guelph has now been closed to visitors

[embe]

Some people would say it's better than to have and not want, than want and not have.  ...Not a perfect interpretation but drives the mentality in a lot of situations.

[neonjoe]

St.Joseph's in Guelph has now been closed to visitors

My mom was an ALS resident there until she passed. She required a BiPAP machine to breathe. If she were still alive I would want the hospital to be closed to all visitors. This is a good call on their part.

[KevinL]

Service reductions on GO Transit for the duration of the pandemic crisis, starting Wednesday.
https://www.gotransit.com/en/trip-planni...le-changes

[tomh009]

Service reductions on GO Transit for the duration of the pandemic crisis, starting Wednesday.
https://www.gotransit.com/en/trip-planni...le-changes

That's a pretty severe cutback. Less exposure for employees, to be sure, but more crowding (and thus more exposure) for the passengers.

[panamaniac]

Service reductions on GO Transit for the duration of the pandemic crisis, starting Wednesday.
https://www.gotransit.com/en/trip-planni...le-changes

That's a pretty severe cutback. Less exposure for employees, to be sure, but more crowding (and thus more exposure) for the passengers.

I would expect them, within days, to cut the number of passengers carried per vehicle to ensure adequate social distancing.  If people must still commute, they might be wise to start looking into alternatives.