The Supermarket thread

Went to Stop and Shop yesterday at around 2pm.  It was pretty well stocked.  Parking lot felt about half full.

Meat was getting a little light - but still enough of a selection.  

I did get the last couple of boxes of mango myMochi.  I didn't check the lysol section.

Are shoppers wearing gloves and masks out in the wild? 

steel said:

Are shoppers wearing gloves and masks out in the wild? 

I wear a mask but not gloves. I've read that gloves are not that effective and it's more important to wash/sanitize and avoid face touching. I keep sanitizer in the car and sanitize my hands after I leave the store.

Question re: Kings.  Are the cashiers wiping down the conveyor belts between customers as I have heard other stores are doing?  Are the cashiers separated from customers with plastic shields?  Are customers being properly (6') spaced out?

Has anyone been to Target for groceries?  I tried to order some items online for them to bring to my car, but a lot of the items I wanted weren't eligible for that service.  Target's site just noted what aisle the item was in.  Wondering if I should try to venture there or go to Kings for a few things (milk, paper towels if any, fresh/frozen veggies).  

bub said:

 FYI I saw a report this morning about a confirmed case in a cat, with symptoms.  Ugh.  If you're one of those people that lets your cat wander the neighborhood, maybe you should rein that in for now.

It was one cat in Belgium who is fine and articles conclude there are no other cases, proof was inadequate and their is no known incidence of pets spreading the virus.

Corona viruses of course exist in animals, but rescuers and shelters are tearing their hair out, as we try to calm fears as people are abandoning animals. That is real. 

We are the carriers and it did come from live animal markets as did several major diseases. Remember swine flu. We will worry about domestic animals, yet people are stocking up on meat and chicken who are fed antibiotics which has made us so resistant when we need them. This from WHO

One voice for One Health

For World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2018, WHO/Europe is joining forces with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Sub-Regional Representation for Central Asia to urge governments to adopt or strengthen their use of the One Health approach.

The situation is urgent for a number of reasons:

• Antimicrobials are widely used in livestock production, sometimes to promote growth and sometimes to prevent infection, rather than treating the animal. This overuse of antimicrobials can lead to more drug resistance among microbes.
• The same classes of antimicrobials are often used in both humans and food-producing animals.
• The food chain is an important route for transmission of disease and requires close monitoring and coordination to prevent its spread.

Don't mean to go on a rant but we rescues are getting swamped with pleas do to fears about the spread of this virus. 

I have to shop, wear my coat, then sit on my car seat, put the coat in the closet and like most of us imagine a halo of virus waiting to kill me in my sleep.

We are the carriers, let's be careful about be frightened of domestic animals.

And @bub, I never adopt to people who let their cats out, because they get hit by cars and can contract FIV or FELV, which reminds me of tearing my hair out to explain FIV called Feline AIDS is not spread to people.

Apologies if I sound a bit preachy.

Morganna said:

bub said:

 FYI I saw a report this morning about a confirmed case in a cat, with symptoms.  Ugh.  If you're one of those people that lets your cat wander the neighborhood, maybe you should rein that in for now.

It was one cat in Belgium who is fine and articles conclude there are no other cases, proof was inadequate and their is no known incidence of pets spreading the virus.

Corona viruses of course exist in animals, but rescuers and shelters are tearing their hair out, as we try to calm fears as people are abandoning animals. That is real. 

We are the carriers and it did come from live animal markets as did several major diseases. Remember swine flu. We will worry about domestic animals, yet people are stocking up on meat and chicken who are fed antibiotics which has made us so resistant when we need them. This from WHO

One voice for One Health

For World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2018, WHO/Europe is joining forces with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Sub-Regional Representation for Central Asia to urge governments to adopt or strengthen their use of the One Health approach.

The situation is urgent for a number of reasons:

• Antimicrobials are widely used in livestock production, sometimes to promote growth and sometimes to prevent infection, rather than treating the animal. This overuse of antimicrobials can lead to more drug resistance among microbes.
• The same classes of antimicrobials are often used in both humans and food-producing animals.
• The food chain is an important route for transmission of disease and requires close monitoring and coordination to prevent its spread.

Don't mean to go on a rant but we rescues are getting swamped with pleas do to fears about the spread of this virus. 

I have to shop, wear my coat, then sit on my car seat, put the coat in the closet and like most of us imagine a halo of virus waiting to kill me in my sleep.

We are the carriers, let's be careful about be frightened of domestic animals.

And @bub, I never adopt to people who let their cats out, because they get hit by cars and can contract FIV or FELV, which reminds me of tearing my hair out to explain FIV called Feline AIDS is not spread to people.

Apologies if I sound a bit preachy.

 I'm more than happy to be wrong about the potential for creepy sick cats to be wandering around. Not a cat person and have always mildly disapproved of cat owners' practice of letting cats wander freely and, among other things, using my backyard as a toilet.

There was a post about a lost cat on the MillburnNeighbor site asking everyone to check their garages for the lost cat.  Not.

Can someone briefly list the markets, if any, that are accepting pre-orders and payments and allowing pickup in front of the store?  

bub said:

Can someone briefly list the markets, if any, that are accepting pre-orders and payments and allowing pickup in front of the store?  

I don't know of any supermarkets doing this.  I doubt they have the manpower to do so.  
This is more the domain of online shopping services like Instacart.

However, some of the liquor stores are doing this.

stores like target that are doing curbside often don't include grocery items...I have heard of a number of stores offering curbside though.

some shoprites let you order online and pick up in store.  i don't know if they stopped that altogether or will bring to the car.

as far as the cat, if it really affected pets, I would think we would hear about a lot more.  there is a chance the cat was actually sick from something else, but just happened to also have covid in its system....but it ws actually the other illness causing the symptoms.

I went to Kings this morning to get a number of needed food items. Almost no one anywhere was wearing a mask but everyone had gloves. I followed drummer boy's advice and used a wipe on my hands as soon as I got back in the car and wiped down all the items when back at the house.

There was just a bit more traffic and people than I anticipated in the village which was actually somehow reassuring as it is simultaneously a bit spooky to see all the closed businesses. I could detect a bit of tension in the air (so to speak).

It did feel good to go hunt and gather.  

WHO has repeated their advice about masks:

• They serve no purpose, unless you are sick.  
• They will capture droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs.
• They do not block virus particles in the air.

tomcat said:

WHO has repeated their advice about masks:

• They serve no purpose, unless you are sick.  
• They will capture droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs.
• They do not block virus particles in the air.

 horsepoop, I say.

tomcat said:

WHO has repeated their advice about masks:

• They serve no purpose, unless you are sick.  
• They will capture droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs.
• They do not block virus particles in the air.

I am pretty sure this is accurate ... but they also keep you from touching your face and also serve as a very tangible reminder to be careful. I don't have any "real" masks of any kind but somebody in my family is making cloth masks for everyone in the family who wants them. FWIW, my niece who is a nurse definitely wants several. That convinced me to get on the list as well. But if any of my niece's colleagues put their name in - they come first.

drummerboy said:

tomcat said:

WHO has repeated their advice about masks:

• They serve no purpose, unless you are sick.  
• They will capture droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs.
• They do not block virus particles in the air.

 horsepoop, I say.

Got it.

Because you are better informed on the matter than the WHO.

I respect scientific authorities but I was always skeptical about this black and white assertion that ordinary surgical masks are useless and there is credible, authoritative commentary out there to back up the idea idea that they provide some benefit though not of course as much as the N95.  Seems like the original impulse was to discourage people from hoarding masks.  But credibility matters.

WHO's on first. WHAT's on second and a mask is on the face of every healthcare worker I see.

jimmurphy said:

 

drummerboy said:

tomcat said:

WHO has repeated their advice about masks:

• They serve no purpose, unless you are sick.  
• They will capture droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs.
• They do not block virus particles in the air.

 horsepoop, I say.

Got it.

Because you are better informed on the matter than the WHO.

First of all, those recommendations are not even accurate, as they don't make any distinction between types of masks. N95 masks most definitely block virus particles. That's the point of their existence. Surgical masks, not so much.

Also, if they only help those who are sick, why do doctors and nurses wear them while working? These recommendations make no sense because they are obviously confusing when you look at what's happening in the real world.

secondly, read this

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/opinion/coronavirus-face-masks.html

drummerboy said:

First of all, those recommendations are not even accurate, as they don't make any distinction between types of masks. N95 masks most definitely block virus particles. That's the point of their existence. Surgical masks, not so much.

Also, if they only help those who are sick, why do doctors and nurses wear them while working? These recommendations make no sense because they are obviously confusing when you look at what's happening in the real world.

secondly, read this

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/opinion/coronavirus-face-masks.html

 News now is saying that they may update guidance to say wear a mask.

However, the mask is to prevent unknowing carriers from spreading the virus.

Not to protect the mask-wearer.

But if you want to wear one to “protect yourself”, knock yourself out.

Glad to see you ignored everything I wrote.

All I'm saying is that it stands to reason that if you put something/anything in front of your nose and mouth, that's got be more effective than nothing in front of your nose and mouth.

And until I see a study saying otherwise, I'm wearing a mask.

masks v. no masks

dave said:

masks v. no masks

 What other variables did they control for? Such as the availability of test kits and stupidity of chief executive?

I appreciate the wisdom of a comment made by a health official in Chicago;

"If you think we are doing this all for nothing, -that's the idea. We want nothing to happen to you or your family."

Umbrellas do not prevent 100% of rain drops from hitting you.

If umbrellas were good for people out in the rain trying to take care of the sick and dying, would it make sense for you to have an umbrella while you stay home? While you CAN stay at home?

Do you need a mask . . .

While you go to get gas? When you can have food, and medicine, and TOILET PAPER, and liquor delivered?

Are you really going to use a mask that a nurse could have worn?

drummerboy said:

Glad to see you ignored everything I wrote.

All I'm saying is that it stands to reason that if you put something/anything in front of your nose and mouth, that's got be more effective than nothing in front of your nose and mouth.

And until I see a study saying otherwise, I'm wearing a mask.

I didn’t ignore it, but you know what, I’m sorry.

My objection was to the dismissal of expert guidance. Seemed Trump-like to me.

I try to defer to those who know more than me about things. And I consider the WHO a greater authority than I am. And to be frank, than you are.

There’s nothing wrong with doing whatever you can to protect yourself, effective or not. And it may be effective.

As I said, sorry.

jimmurphy said:

I didn’t ignore it, but you know what, I’m sorry.

My objection was to the dismissal of expert guidance. Seemed Trump-like to me.

I try to defer to those who know more than me about things. And I consider the WHO a greater authority than I am. And to be frank, than you are.

There’s nothing wrong with doing whatever you can to protect yourself, effective or not. And it may be effective.

As I said, sorry.

my opinion  about expert guidance is that it needs to make sense. blanket prescriptions that fly in the face of other knowledge are worth nothing.

On masks, heard tonight that they seem to be seeing masks as helpful after telling us we shouldn't bother. The excuse for the shift was "we are still learning." 

I'm thinking an Arabian Nights style veil. Very Thief of Baghdad.

drummerboy said:

my opinion  about expert guidance is that it needs to make sense. blanket prescriptions that fly in the face of other knowledge are worth nothing.

 Let’s leave it there. 

I got this in an email from Warren Democrats about Whole Foods and Instacart demands.

I hope you, your family, your friends, and your community are doing well and staying strong. It’s a scary time, so we’ve got to have each other’s backs. I’m thinking about all of the people who are putting themselves at risk to fight this pandemic and do essential work — including nurses, doctors, other health care professionals, workers at grocery stores, and delivery workers. And that’s why I wanted to email you about something powerfully important that’s happening right now — workers speaking out and fighting for safe, just working conditions. Today, Instacart grocery-delivery workers are going on strike to demand basic protective gear like hand sanitizer, soap, and disinfectant wipes, along with paid sick leave and hazard pay. Tomorrow, Whole Foods workers are calling in sick to call for paid sick leave, hazard pay, funds to cover the costs of coronavirus testing and treatment, commonsense safety measures like adequate sanitization at stores and warehouses, and more. By fighting for their rights as workers, they’re fighting for workers and families across the country. By fighting for basic safety, they’re helping to stop this crisis. I support the workers at Instacart and Whole Foods who are in this fight and on the frontlines to keep people fed and at home. And I’ll fight alongside all workers who are fighting for basic protections and basic rights. We can’t let corporate greed cut people’s lives short.

How have people changed their shopping schedules?  I used to go 3-4 times a week. Or maybe that was 2-3 times. Anyway, I'd go every couple of days, never buying more than my reusable shopping bag would hold. I got pretty good at buying just enough to fill it up.

I'm trying to switch to a once a week schedule, which I've kept to once so far. If I can can make it to Friday that will be two weeks in a row. But I'm getting itchy. I need a few things, but nothing that can't really wait a few days.