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Author Topic: Phases of re-opening  (Read 3196 times)

Gwen

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Phases of re-opening
« on: June 28, 2020, 06:49:52 pm »
I was wondering how everyone is doing with the different phases of re-opening the economy in their towns/cities...

Here in Guelph we are in phase 2, so most places have re-opened in of course a different way.

Before Covid19 hit I had minimal hearing loss, but no biggie, I could sign, talk and speech read a bit.  Then I took one crazy fall up at the barn, and literally flew into the side of a metal stall... ok, you can sign or yell at me, either works (I'm a forever silver-lining gal).

Thanks to phase 2, I was able to see an audiologist 2 weeks ago and was able to get hearing aids, with an app so I can control them with my cell phone... woohoo, I  isn't technology awesome!!

They've made it mandatory for us to wear masks at any business we visit.  I eventually found masks at a Giant Tiger store that have very thin elastic straps.  This was really exciting for me because when I put on a mask with regular straps, it would mess with the volumes on my hearing aids... never a dull moment LOL!

My hubby decided to wear a western bandana, which makes him look like an 1800s bank robber  ::)

What are things like for you in your area??


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Re: Phases of re-opening
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2020, 06:31:54 am »
I was wondering how everyone is doing with the different phases of re-opening the economy in their towns/cities...

Sorry to hear about your fall, but it's good you seem to be not too badly affected and you're looking at silver linings - ah face mask straps and hearing aid controls, it's these things that you don't really think about until you're faced with them (I just have glasses which have a tendency to fog up).

I need to update myself for the up-to-date position here actually, I've gotten out of the habit of reading the government updates (presuming that my employer would pass on all the info it was imperative for me to know - which has so far panned out, but one shouldn't really presume).

I do know I have to wear a face-covering on public transport (which I'd been doing anyways) - I also choose to use a set of bandanas I already owned, and I fold them using the how-to guide the government provided online (which I think is the same as the CDC one).  Mine are more hippy in design - also, I reinforce them at the nose and chin using some pipecleaners which we happened to already have in the kitchen drawer.

Apparently some business which were set to re-open (with social distancing) on 4 July have now been put back at least a week - I'm disappointed because I really wanted to get a sports massage or a consultation with a chiropractor, or both.  I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer.
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Gwen

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Re: Phases of re-opening
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2020, 08:58:50 am »
I also choose to use a set of bandanas I already owned, and I fold them using the how-to guide the government provided online (which I think is the same as the CDC one).  Mine are more hippy in design - also, I reinforce them at the nose and chin using some pipecleaners which we happened to already have in the kitchen drawer.

Cool, I'll look online for those instructions.  Since we have to wear masks, they might as well be stylish and fun!  and Pipecleaners… Brilliant idea!!


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Re: Phases of re-opening
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2020, 11:34:02 am »
I was wondering how everyone is doing with the different phases of re-opening the economy in their towns/cities...

So sorry to hear about the fall! I've been finding the masks with behind the head elastics or ties a lot more comfortable to wear in general - the ones that go round my ears never feel as stable. (And I have some skin irritation there that I don't want to make worse.)

I'm in Massachusetts, so we were hit hard early on, and they've been reasonably cautious about re-opening. (I never thought I'd be glad to have a governor who'd worked in the health insurance industry but it's turned out to be handy....)

I am working from home at least through August, based on current information (I've been working at home since March 16th). Even once people are back on campus regularly, I think it's likely I'm going to continue working from home most of the time (my doctor is glad to back me on this) until there's a vaccine or the thing is generally not a huge threat anymore. (Due to the asthma, I also have a chronic cough that is usually not contagious, so I also don't want to freak people out that I might be sick all the time!)

Exactly how high risk I am of serious complications is an interesting question - I have one chronic thing that puts me at high risk (but it's well managed), I'm asthmatic (but I get allergy shots and medicate regularly) which reduces risk based on current info, but I have existing lung damage from pneumonia when I was 11, so more lung damage is definitely a really really bad thing, even in modest amounts. And my body systems basically appear to run on inflammation, despite trying a bunch of things to help with that, which is higher risk.

So I am being super careful. Right now, I go out for:
1) Allergy shots (my allergist is being super careful: you show up at your appointed time, masked, face away from the office door, they crack it open, do the shot, you wait fifteen minutes in your car, come back to the office, they do the other arm, you go away, no one else in the office. But not a thing that can be done by telehealth.)

2) Picking up my community supported agriculture share weekly at a nearby farm (entirely outside, everyone's good at wearing masks, and it's really nice to be outside and nod at other humans.)

3) Occasionally going for a walk in my neighborhood or the nearby bike path (but we have now hit "It is hot enough I don't want to be out there" plus breathing through the mask if I'm going at an exercise pace is hard on my lungs.)

I'm getting my groceries by delivery otherwise, plus other necessities, and tipping significantly on the grocery deliveries. (The CSA trip is good because at least I move the car once a week now... for a while in there, I had to remember to go drive it for ten minutes every couple of weeks.) I don't have laundry in my apartment, so I get a pickup/delivery for a wash-dry-fold service every three weeks. (Not cheap, but you do sorta need clean laundry.)

I have a selection of masks from different Etsy sellers and other resources, and have more or less figured out which ones are most comfortable in which settings, which is helpful.
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Re: Phases of re-opening
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2020, 01:51:50 pm »
I eventually found masks at a Giant Tiger store that have very thin elastic straps.  This was really exciting for me because when I put on a mask with regular straps, it would mess with the volumes on my hearing aids... never a dull moment LOL!

I wondered if I was the only one having strap issues because of things....I don't have hearing aids, but I wear glasses and keep my hair tucked behind my ears (it's a SUPER big annoyance to me if my hair is falling all into my face...hair and I have a difficult relationship to begin with). 

So, wearing a mask means I feel out of breath (I have noticed breathing issues this year, the mask makes it worse).  It's not horrible, just that very present "I'm breathing too shallow and feel like I'm out of breath" feeling.  I run hot, so my glasses are always fogged up (should I breath or do I want to be able to see??? lol).  And then with all that stuff (hair and glasses) behind my ears, it's like there's not enough room for the mask strap (and I have a tie on mask my friends made me, so it doesn't have to hook behind the ears, just rest on top securely enough to not fall down...but it always feels like it's falling down).  I've been considering buying a few of the elastic strap ones to see if those feel better.

We live in a smallish town in Kentucky (which has a pretty low state-wide case rate, and our town/county is also very low), so we aren't seeing a lot of anything.  It's 'technically' required to wear masks in public...but no one is enforcing (except the beauty school oddly enough, I went to get my hair cut and had to hold a mask over my face the whole time), but people are ignoring all the rest of the rules, shopping without masks and in clumps.  I have a friend who is immunocompromised and his wife (who does pretty  much all their shopping) won't even go to the stores here in town, she shops in tiny stores outside of town, because no one in town is following safety precautions.
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Re: Phases of re-opening
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2020, 06:35:01 pm »
Cool, I'll look online for those instructions.  Since we have to wear masks, they might as well be stylish and fun!  and Pipecleaners… Brilliant idea!!

I made mine out of some Swiss-cheese patterned fabric because I thought it was funny. I used a drawstring-behind-the-head arrangement for the ties.

Regarding reopening in my area, my thoughts can be summed up in one sentence:

A fricking nail salon ARE YOU FRICKING KIDDING ME?

(and now everyone from Ontario knows where I live LOL) My city was at 0 cases (in a population of 150k) and now we're nearly back up to where we were at the peak of the first wave. Because of *one nail salon*. Grrr.
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Gwen

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Re: Phases of re-opening
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2020, 10:03:37 pm »
Regarding reopening in my area, my thoughts can be summed up in one sentence:

A fricking nail salon ARE YOU FRICKING KIDDING ME?

Yup!  When they told us that on the news, I signed pretty much the same thing  >:(
I'm literally afraid now to get a manicure, or even a hair cut until things are much less Covidish!!




PerditaPickle

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Re: Phases of re-opening
« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2020, 12:58:12 am »
Regarding reopening in my area, my thoughts can be summed up in one sentence:

A fricking nail salon ARE YOU FRICKING KIDDING ME?

Yikes, I had no idea!

I've a friend who keeps going on about how tattoo parlours can't reopen yet and I kept sympathising as I couldn't really understand why, but now I think I can see it.

Also, drawstring! That's genius   ;D
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Re: Phases of re-opening
« Reply #8 on: June 30, 2020, 06:36:07 pm »
Also, drawstring! That's genius   ;D

Maybe, but I've discovered that muscle memory for tying shoes does not translate to tying a bow at the side of my head where I can't see it :P
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Re: Phases of re-opening
« Reply #9 on: June 30, 2020, 06:54:05 pm »
Maybe, but I've discovered that muscle memory for tying shoes does not translate to tying a bow at the side of my head where I can't see it :P

I saw someone use a paperclip - open it into an S-shape and pass the ear loops through each curve. I'm not trying it because it's guaranteed to tangle in my hair.

Sneaking into the consultation room to reapply lip balm was NOT how I planned to spend my work breaks! And on top of it, I have to wear those boring disposable masks, because the snazzy handmade ones I got from Etsy don't look professional enough. Bah, humbug, I say!
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