This can't last much longer.

[KentuckyWoman]

I live in a senior community. One of the neighbors, couple in their 90's. He suffers dementia. The loss of social interaction has caused him to deteriorate some. Her too. Yesterday the wife snapped and hit him- not hard - but obviously any violence is totally out of line. She said he's OK. She called the office and one of the staff came down, took him in another room and checked him over, had a good chat. 5 hours later she was still falling apart on the phone with me. She's mortified this happened and terrified of what tomorrow will bring.

People, this lady is the most patient kindest person. If she's wearing thin I can't imagine what Americans generally are doing. Millions of people haven't gotten paid in more than a month. Stress. Being cooped up in the house. Stress. Noisy kids all day instead of a few hours in the evening. Stress. Fear of death. Stress.

This virus isn't going anywhere any time soon. And you can bet your dimes there will be another something within a few years that has us doing the same dance. We need to find a new normal so life can go on. Not today, or tomorrow or even this month and probably not even next month. But there does need to be a serious fact based conversation about how to move forward.

If anyone in media reads this, I beg you. Stop covering the White House and start covering the actual facts instead. Do your job. Shining the light on what is really what and putting forth a real conversation is the only light we have right now.

[Oppaloopa]

1. Thank You.

[w0nderer]

2. this needs to go ...

viral
sorry bout the bad joke

it really does need to be spread all over though so people can think about it

[SharonAnn]

3. I live in a senior community, too. Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Nursing

Our management is doing everything they can to keep us "locked down". No visitors, no more social gatherings, no dining room (meals delivered to apartments), and it's really hard. Virtually no social interaction, no trips off campus, it's much more challenging to deal with than I would've expected. Even things like housekeeping service are curtailed because has to do so much more continual cleaning of traffic areas.

I like to have a social life along with my alone time. But that's not really an option right now. I'm in independent living, still driving, etc. and usually would go out with friends a few times a month for movie, or dinner or shopping. I can't imagine living like this with a spouse who had Alzheimers, though several of them have moved to the Memory Care unit.

I just have to remember that I'm fine, being well taken care of, and follow instructions to try to prevent Covid-19 from showing up on our campus. But it's way more stressful than I expected.

[calimary]

4. We made that an ask in my Indivisible group's "Call to Action" email this week.

I included addresses and phone numbers for every major TV network. The ask was: "PLEASE STOP COVERING THE WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS BRIEFINGS! All trump does is use them for showboating and free two-hour campaign speeches. They are worth NOTHING. Even when the doctors come on, he hurries back over to the mic to take over again, and lie, blame, self-congratulate, blame some more, lie some more, and whine about how he's not getting enough credit or appreciation or worship or whateverthefuck he wants next.

It does make for a good time to go out front and pull some weeds, though. Or check the laundry. Or make a snack. Or play with the kitties. Or fold towels. Or check the mail. Or sort socks. Or clean out the litter boxes. Or water the plants. Or brew some tea...

[Warpy]

5. Unfortunately, facts are slow in coming

because we're still in the data collection stage on this nasty little virus. We don't yet know what drugs are good, what drugs are bad, and what just don't do anything. We don't know if the data from S. Korea showing some people are either being reinfected or don't clear the virus completely will hold up. We don't know which of the 70 prototype vaccines will work, if any of them do. We won't know any of this for months, yet the news has jumped on all sorts of things as either "good" or "bad" without sufficient data, meaning people are harming themselves with it. However, I agree that not covering that lying blowhard in the White House would be a good first step.

Social distancing bought the health care system a little time, that's all. As soon as businessmen get back to doing business and expecting workers to show up for it, we'll see increased spread. With the White House scooping up all the PPE, that was largely wasted time.

Everybody knew this was coming once SARS and MERS jumped species. That's why Obama had the pandemic task force in his White House. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation did a thought exercise called "Event 201," which is on You Tube, about what it would be like if magical thinkers weren't in policy positions. Sadly, Big Dummy didn't get the script and probably would have eaten it if he had.

I don't know what the answer is, but like your two resident, I think a lot of people are getting very frayed around the edges by prolonged isolation.

[Dem2theMax]

6. I've noticed a change in behavior on DU.

I tend to watch and listen more than I speak, and I've noticed cracks here. A few weeks ago it was all about hugs and support. And it still is, don't get me wrong.

But I'm noticing that people's tempers are a little shorter. Where in the past they might take the time to think about something someone has posted, they react first, and then have to go back and apologize because they took something in the wrong way.

It's been interesting to see this happening on here, because I'm really isolated in my own life. I have noticed that when I talk to friends, I hear more stress than usual, I feel it in myself.

This is affecting all of us on different levels, levels we may not be aware of just yet, unless we are students of ourselves. I've noticed a lot of changes in myself, none for the better. So I'm actively trying to do self-care so that it doesn't get worse.

I've thought a lot about what this must be doing to families who are not used to spending every moment together. I worry for them. I worry for everyone's mental health as well as our physical health.

Then I think of the doctors and nurses. They will all have PTSD. There's no way they will come out of this unscathed. None of us will. We are all going to have to find The New Normal.

When my parents died 8 years ago, I had to learn that new normal. I never thought I'd be experiencing another one. This time the whole world is participating.

[Drahthaardogs]

7. Funny thing is, I lived on a ranch

And THIS was more or less how we grew up. Mostly isolated, always worried about money, Most things around the place can kill you - the tractor, the horses, the silo, hell better be careful picking up a board in case a rattlesnake is hiding underneath.

[Amishman]

8. Yup, we are approaching the practical limits of the shutdown strategy

People are social creatures, it's literally in our DNA. Alcoholism, drug use, domestic violence,and suicides are all going to surge soon as we reach our emotional limits.

The economics of this aren't sustainable either. We need an exit plan. 4 more weeks is probably getting close to the practical limit on multiple fronts.

[BarbD]

9. Our only hope is to plan for a SUSTAINABLE future.

It will take all of our energy and all of our intelligence.

The first step is testing to determine where we are.

With the administration putting every conceivable roadblock in the way of testing, this is a formidable task.

[mcar]

10. What a sad story

Bless you for showing your neighbor sympathy.

[KentuckyWoman]

12. Now that it is out we all know there is trouble

Over 70 years of marriage they will be ok. As friends we know they need a little extra.

[tclambert]

11. I'm out of jigsaw puzzles! Is it enough of an emergency to justify going to the store?

I know it was foolish not to lay in a supply of them. I was busy fighting over toilet paper. I suppose I could murder my neighbors and take their jigsaw puzzles. I'm not sure that's the moral thing to do.

[Initech]

13. That man is completely off of his rocker.

He is becoming more unhinged and power hungry by the day. This is getting to be some scary shit. We need the 25th amendment now.

[Karadeniz]

14. Okay...how about bingo? The inmates can open their doors, sit near them and someone in

The hall can shout out numbers, game tokens can be sanitized, help group can make disposable cards...residents could sing from their rooms...exercise, too...but it'd still be lonely.