What is it like to live in US right now?

[Eternal Sunshine]

I keep watching the news and it seems like every day there is a record number of COVID cases and deaths.

I am curious to know how is daily life affected. I think that lockdowns/restrictions are minimal. So do you chose to wear a mask?

Do you still go out for a meal, to a cinema, to a gym? Or do you only duck out for essentials and then run back home? Are people genuinely scared or treating it as a nuisance?

[Ruby_Red]

9 minutes ago, Eternal Sunshine said:

 

Do you still go out for a meal, to a cinema, to a gym? Or do you only duck out for essentials and then run back home? Are people genuinely scared or treating it as a nuisance?

Out for a meal, movies, and gym? No - no - and no! And yes, I always wear a mask! 

People here are scared, depending on who you ask (some don’t care; they still think it’s a scare tactic). Some people with school-aged children in my community still want schools open, because they are of the opinion that somebody under 18 won’t be seriously affected, even if they catch it. And even though I disagree, I understand that it could cost them their jobs, if they need to stay home with kids, so it’s a tough decision. Some just can’t afford full-time childcare. It’s a tough situation for Americans these days. Not sure how other countries handle it. I know many European countries are on full lockdown again. But they probably get more financial support when unemployed and/or for childcare, thanks to govt programs that are better suited for these circumstances. 

[Happy Lemming]

12 minutes ago, Eternal Sunshine said:

Or do you only duck out for essentials and then run back home?

Personally, I just go out for essentials, then go back home.  My girlfriend does the same. I've put some larger home improvement projects on hold, as I need to go to various stores for building materials.  I'll do those projects after I get the vaccine.

We ALWAYS wear a mask when we leave the house and I'm quite diligent about washing our masks when we return.

As far as entertainment, we've been watching far too much TV. 

We do go for walks around the neighborhood, but avoid other people. We'll cross the street or take a different direction if we see others walking near us.  My girlfriend has also been able to do her "Silver Sneakers" work outs via youtube.  I can stream them to the television and she can follow along.  I filled various plastic containers with water so she can have a wide variety of resistance.

I don't that we are necessarily scared, but being in the (AARP) crowd; it is prudent to take precautions and follow the advice of the CDC.

My girlfriend did find out that a friend of a friend recently passed away from Covid-19, the woman (that passed) was 60.  "V" wasn't direct friends with this woman but knew of her.

[FMW]

I live in a large City, however the majority of the State is rural.  We have had a mask mandate since March and although our positive case numbers did increase with increased testing, our City residents haven't experienced anywhere near the amount of increase of cases that has been in the news recently. 

However the rest of the State where I live sees this as a personal rights issue and mostly refuse to wear masks or even socially distance.  They question the science and medical opinions, and some even think it's some kind of hoax (I've never quite understood the thinking on that).  My 74 year old mother lives in one of those areas, but thankfully she's an RN and does respect the science.  But she still has more exposure than I'm comfortable with.  When I went to visit her for Thanksgiving I made it clear I didn't want to have contact with anyone else, and she was fine with that.    

The rural hospitals are now overrun and sending their COVID patients to the City hospitals, so now they are almost at capacity space wise, and already past capacity when it comes to having enough doctors and nurses to care for everyone.

My WTF attitude earlier on has now progressed to actual anger.  It's scary to think about what happens when someone has a heart attack or serious car accident, or other incident that would result in the need to go to the hospital. The space and healthcare workers are all stretched thin with COVID patients from the rest of the State. 

I do occasionally go to restaurants and I go to certain music events (only in the City), but they all are limited to 50% of what the normal capacity is, everyone has to wear masks, and everyone uses hand sanitizer liberally and often.  Of course there is still a risk, but so far I'm personally aware of only a few people who have had COVID, and 9 months into this I think that says something about the success of the safety protocols in place.    

[Ellener]

2020 has been pretty dire in the US, yes. 266K+ deaths from Covid which is still raging all over the country.

Interim benefits were reissued at a higher rate in September and ran out in a couple of weeks most states, politicians have been unable to agree on how to proceed and went on Thanksgiving vacation without resolution. So millions of people are unable to pay rent and there are 'soup kitchens' and food banks and even tent cities. Some people are going to work whatever the advice because they have no alternative.

And some are 'essential workers' and we need them; in El Paso at one stage prisoners were being employed for $2 an hour to provide morgue services whilst there were insufficient personnel to cope with the dead...

In America we have health insurance instead of a health system, testing is free for people suspecting active infections who have symptoms. My state governor doesn't believe the doctor warnings about hospital bed capacity or lockdowns, we have now had several waves of Covid infection but so far not overwhelmed ICU capacity. 

I won't go to restaurants because they are not social distancing from what I can see. I cook most days now and rarely see anyone. The supermarkets where I live have been good about imposing face-coverings and cleaning carts etc and the workers are kind and encouraging.

Denial has been shocking from many americans, but if our economy tanks everyone will be more serious as their investments fail. I think that's the only time some people here will accept it's really a pandemic...plus the government will shut down on Dec 11 if the politicians don't finalise the US budget. Last time that happened it lasted 35 days and millions of people didn't get paid for weeks. Presumably the CDC test workers will still be funded as emergency workers. 

My sister who works for UK NHS told me she now receives a kit with several weeks of Covid tests so she can test herself twice weekly and protect her patients. We need to have initiatives like that here.

In Texas the long-term plan is dependent on a vaccine becoming available by Spring, a network of distributors have been registered. The vaccinations are supposed to be free. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Woggle]

If I stay inside everything sounds like normal but to see an area that was beaming with life during normal times just dead quiet is depressing. We go out for groceries and appointments that can't be postponed and that is it.

[carhill]

Health-wise, 17 total deaths in the county from -19, still under 1000 total confirmed cases, businesses followed state mandates even though county was largely unaffected, most effect occurred after the July4 holiday when city folk hit the beaches. Many businesses have shut down permanently. Remaining, and health care, are required to follow state mandates. State has been mail-in only for 20 years for elections so no gathering for the recent election cycle; unknown effects on health. Unemployment is low teens, however county is more subsistence, economy was devastated in the 90's and again after the 2008 financial crash so didn't have far to fall from any pandemic or related fallout.

I would opine life in US varies widely since the country varies widely. Some places are bustling and people largely living like -19 never happened, others are still locked down and ghost towns compared to former activity. New lockdown orders occurred in parts of California starting tomorrow and some businesses were forced to close last Wednesday after stocking for the Thanksgiving service period. In my rural Oregon county, it's pretty much life as usual which isn't very intense or fast paced anyway. People raise their own food and animals, hunt, fish, life goes on.

[Mrin]

I live in the mountains of Colorado. We were ground zero in March. We are not too locked down right now so life is pretty normal. I have antibodies (tested again last month) so I am not worried about my health. I do mask up everywhere I go. So aside from having to make a f@#$ing reservation to go ski, everything is pretty normal. 

[Cookiesandough]

Where I live, life is pretty much normal except most people are wearing ill-fitted, cloth masks and  you take them off once you sit down, or restrictions like only 50 people in a bar, and it has to close at midnight. I think the inanity of the rules and restrictions are contributing to people taking it less seriously . 

Edited November 29, 2020 by Shortskirtslonglashes

[Ruby Slippers]

I'm lucky that I've been able to work from home since March. For the most part I only go to the grocery store, where masks are required. I've been to other businesses and offices a few times, but hardly at all lately. I've gotten together with friends a couple times, but not lately due to worsening numbers. I've considered going back to the gym - memberships are very cheap right now - but don't want to risk it. I run in my neighborhood and do weight-lifting and body weight exercises at home. I'm thinking about where to make a charitable donation for Christmas and am leaning toward the food bank in my city, given that demand at food banks is through the roof.

[lana-banana]

Living in a big city here: it's OK. My husband was full-time remote before this started, and I was partially remote, so that part hasn't been a huge change. I exercise at home every day and feel fine. We have a mask ordinance; if you're out of your house for any reason, you need to have a mask on. While there's a hefty fine, it's only really enforced at commercial establishments like bars. We have free testing available and have gotten tested a few times, including when we took a trip out of state. We have been going to the farmers' markets and grocery stores and that's about it---most of the restaurants do carryout, and although some places are open we just don't feel it's safe for the workers there. We have a "bubble" of sorts of close neighbors on our block, but we never go inside each other's houses.  Some people brag about how they never go to grocery stores, which I find annoying: that's just transferring the risk to your poor underpaid Instacart worker, not eliminating it. The neighborhood mutual aid groups we support/volunteer for are busier than ever, so every weekend or so is a drive for clothes, coats, or free flu shots. 

The biggest tragedy in my view is the way it's decimating small businesses, especially restaurants and bars. Some have the capital and ability to make it work, but most won't survive the long run. Tom Colicchio and other independent service industry leaders estimate anywhere from 40-85% of independent restaurants won't make it through the winter without sustained government aid. Some cities are taking matters into their own hands and doing their own grants. Will that be enough? I doubt it. It'll probably just stanch the bleeding at best.

What we should be doing is following France's lead: let schools stay open where it's safe, and pay all small businesses to stay closed or mostly closed, and keep their folks on payroll. That seems to be the best way to balance risks. But in America we're closing schools and keeping everything else open, and our cases are skyrocketing - partially because teachers are one of the precious few groups in the US left with a viable union, and given how badly our government has mangled the pandemic I don't blame them for fighting to stay closed. 

Edited November 29, 2020 by lana-banana

[Ellener]

Schools are open here @lana-banana but thousands of teachers and children who went back have tested Covid19 positive, then the school is closed and 'deep-cleaned' and the people quarantine, I think that's for two weeks.

[FMW]

My City is having the same experience.  Schools are open, some full time in person, others half in person and half remote.  But the in person schooling gets shut down on occasion because of outbreaks.  

[ShyViolet]

5 hours ago, Eternal Sunshine said:

Do you still go out for a meal, to a cinema, to a gym? Or do you only duck out for essentials and then run back home? Are people genuinely scared or treating it as a nuisance?

Are you kidding me?  No, not at all.  There is no going to the cinema, out for a meal or the gym.  Restaurants are open at limited capacity but I think it's extremely foolish to go out to eat during a pandemic so I have not gone to a restaurant since the pandemic started, except for takeout.

I'm in New York City which has had the highest death toll in the country.  Daily life is very affected and things are horrible.  Just horrible.  People are basically divided into two groups: those who are genuinely scared and still haven't been able to go back to normal life; and those who are trying to ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist (and those are the people causing the second wave now).

[SincereOnlineGuy]

5 hours ago, Eternal Sunshine said:

I keep watching the news and it seems like every day there is a record number of COVID cases and deaths.

I am curious to know how is daily life affected. I think that lockdowns/restrictions are minimal. So do you chose to wear a mask?

Do you still go out for a meal, to a cinema, to a gym? Or do you only duck out for essentials and then run back home? Are people genuinely scared or treating it as a nuisance?

 

It depends a great deal upon where in the U.S.  you live.

 

"the coasts", generally speaking, generally have politicians who have implemented lockdowns and safety measures to help prevent the spread of Covid.   The so-called heartland is laced with politicians and others who have been somewhat hypnotized from the beginning into believing that Covid is a joke.   (much of all of this is a function of those on the coasts not vacationing  in the heartland in great numbers this year, thus delaying the onslaught of Covid toward the middle of the country, while at the same time allowing residents there to go on believing that Covid was a hoax)  (often their dying words are:     "I can't have Covid, because Covid doesn't exist" ).

 

Also, some cities have lots of people who could work from home at their tech jobs, and that makes it much easier on the surrounding society.  Additionally, those who live near the core of many cities are inundated with the effects of scores of businesses having shut down.   Homeless are about all you find on the streets in some of those areas.  The surrounding suburbs are happily functioning with high-salaried tech workers working from home, and people following common sense at grocery stores and the like.

 

It's just... that...   from afar...  much of the fun stuff  for which the U.S. is most sought-after, might be shut-down in the present, leading others to believe that the USA isn't perhaps as "fun" right now.

 

We'd all probably do better IF willing to get up and go outside and walk around (for the walking/exercise... not for much else).  Grocery trips every week or two are mostly routine... when you adjust to your new "routine" including a mask while in the store.

 

I'd say that "most people" aren't that far deviated from a comfortable life routine...   (It's just that "most" has shifted from "90%"  to perhaps  "65%"   and with that, LOTS of others might disagree with the word "most" - even though "most" would still apply )

 

The effects of Covid's spread are more a function of freedom, wealth, and desirability as a destination than of giant efforts by political figures to take whatever steps they have taken.  Populations that get up and move around the world on a routine basis are as a general rule much more affected than those who don't.  Before most anyone could 'respond' to Covid, the dice were already in the air  with regard to who was going to spread it (in terms of people already then traveling as they typically {did} ).   As of Feb. 1... or March 1... or March 17...  still approximately nobody  was visiting/vacationing-in Laos or Cambodia... and very few from there were out traveling the world...  and thus, despite 24 million people between them, they have had zero Covid deaths.

 

I don't know of a single person I can claim to "know" in real life who has, or has ever had Covid... and life will go on.

[Ellener]

1 hour ago, SincereOnlineGuy said:

I don't know of a single person I can claim to "know" in real life who has, or has ever had Covid... and life will go on.

Lucky you!

I had two friends die here in Houston. Numerous acquaintances have had it and my brother ( he's in England ) tested positive with few symptoms, he's fine now after 14 days quarantine. Earlier this year I had bronchitis then pneumonia, I wasn't well enough to go sit in the line for testing, CDC said assume it's Covid and self-isolate so I did, for a month. I just did the antibody test last week and don't have Covid antibodies, but have been social distancing/ limiting contacts/ wearing a face cover and hand washing all year anyway. 

When it's ready I'll take the vaccination. 

 

 

 

[mark clemson]

For me it's not SO different than before, there's just a lot less to do evenings/weekends. Restaurants and bars and similar have been shut, then reopened, then shut again, etc.

The majority of people where I am wear masks in indoor locations, outdoors it's hit or miss. I have taken plenty of walks with no mask and no sense I needed one where I was. In a more crowded urban environment I think I'd feel and behave differently.

There is no "enforcement" beyond retail workers asking you to leave a store, unless you go around doing stupid aggressive things (e.g. spitting on people and claiming to have COVID or nonsense like that).

I think the main tragedy, and QUITE significant for them, is those who lost their lives/loved ones and those who've lost their jobs. Some with mental health issues have been struggling as well.

[Interstellar]

I live in NY an epicenter of Covid and I go out most of the time to groceries and the gym People have gotten used to it really. It’s the law here that you have to wear a mask whenever you’re going shopping or while working out. The malls have opened as well and people have really adjusted. Everyone’s masked.  I was in Whole Foods today and everyone’s wearing a mask. I’ve went out to restaurants, and the recently opened movie theatres so it’s become a way of life. Everyone here’s compliant and people socially distance. People are just happy to be able have some semblance of normalcy; shopping, go gymming, eat at restaurants and see movies. We can put up with a thin piece of fabric over our faces. NY strong and all that. Of course, the 4 percent increase in cases has everyone anxious and cautious.

Edited November 30, 2020 by Interstellar

[Ellener]

36 minutes ago, mark clemson said:

I think the main tragedy, and QUITE significant for them, is those who lost their lives/loved ones and those who've lost their jobs. Some with mental health issues have been struggling as well.

Yes, and it hurts a lot more than 'quite significant'!

 

 

 

[Woggle]

I will say that if this vaccine actually does work and things return to normal seeing things come back to life will be just beautiful. All the experts are seem to have good feelings about it so I wish people would hunker down for a little more time because it seems there is light at the end of the tunnel. Make sure you are alive and in good healthy to experience things coming back to life.

[Happy Lemming]

10 hours ago, Eternal Sunshine said:

I am curious to know how is daily life affected.

 

I was talking to my neighbor from across the fence (over 25 feet away) and he was agitated from his Thanksgiving experience.  He and his wife went to their daughter's home for Thanksgiving as they wanted to see the grandchildren. The daughter had set up 4 tables in the driveway (6 feet apart), they were "ordered" to stay at their table.  The daughter served plates of food while wearing a mask to each of the four tables of guests.  I'm assuming each table was a different household.

[Watercolors]

On 11/29/2020 at 7:58 AM, Eternal Sunshine said:

Do you still go out for a meal, to a cinema, to a gym? Or do you only duck out for essentials and then run back home? Are people genuinely scared or treating it as a nuisance?

No, no, and no. 

My state's governor closed down restaurants for sit-in dining service (you can only order take out or delivery from any restaurant here), he closed all movie theaters since March of 2020, and he closed all gyms. He also closed all bars. The only venues open are healthclinics, hospitals, dentist offices, gas stations, grocery stores, and retail chains. Everything else: closed.

Even actors and actresses on commercials in the U.S. are wearing masks! The pandemic has seeped into our pop culture. Even tv sitcoms produced in 2020 reference the COVID pandemic in various ways. Talk show hosts have virtual audiences now. They even have virtual guests or sit 6 feet apart from a live guest. 

We are not allowed to socialize. In my building the noise curfew is 10 pm and we are restricted from having guests. Well, this horrible woman who lives next door to me, had about 15 people over and they smoked weed and drank and played music until 3 a.m. I don't know if i was more upset that i reeked of pot all day from the weed smoke that seeped through the shared wall, or that she dared to have a party and I wasn't invited. I haven't socialized with anyone in person since this pandemic began. I have virtually socialized with people, but that's not even close to the same. 

Cloth masks are not 100% protective but its what the majority of people (including myself) wear. I have about 10 different cloth masks that I wash on a regular basis. 

I only leave my place to grocery shop, get gas, or go to the doctor's. 

Schools here are all closed 100% now with no hybrid model. Even the teachers are teaching from home now that K-12 schools here are 100% distant learning. 

The pandemic is destroying cities and states economies that will never recover. 

Now, you can't qualify for unemployment unless you've made a certain amount of money already (at least in my state that is the qualifier). So, people seeking unemployment in my state are effed, if they own a small business, or if they have a job and lost it. 

New Zealand now had 96 active cases of COVID whereas it had 0 cases before. 

I highly doubt this pandemic is going to go anywhere in 2021. I think we'll be wearing masks and socially distancing until 2023. But I don't see how Congress can keep stimulus money from us anymore. Society will collapse if they don't do something quick here. 

 

Edited November 30, 2020 by a LoveShack.org Moderator
Removed political comments in non-political forum.

[boymommy]

We always wear masks! We live in a VERY strict state (Pennsylvania) and the laws here require masks to enter any store. We have not really gone out to eat because the restrictions keep changing and "technically" you can take masks off while eating although they limit the amount of people inside a restaurant and don't allow people to sit at tables directly next to each other (social distancing). The other requirement is that if you are going to be drinking you must order food along with it. This is by far the WEIRDEST rule. It started in New York and apparently our state adopted it here as well. The theory is that younger people won't go out and get drunk later in the evening and instead stay home if they are forced to eat a meal at the same time as they are drinking each drink! lol So basically we rarely go out to eat or get drinks, only really get take out and no movies or really anything since covid hit! They closed the movie theater for a period of time and then opened it but I think it closed again. 

The sad part for me is that my boys were able to go back to school at the start of the year but now we found out their school district is pulling everyone out and switching back to virtual school due to the increase in covid cases. They are so upset and hate homeschooling! I do too! haha It's a nightmare. I swear I can put up with so much from covid but homeschooling I just can't. I'm not a teacher and teaching my own kids is so stressful. They say I am way meaner then their teacher haha

[major_merrick]

People's experiences will likely vary by whether they are urban or rural, and what section of the nation they live in.

I live in a rural community in the Mid-South.  My husband works in management, and volunteers with our County Defense Force.  His mother (my MIL) is the County Coroner, essentially the chief doctor of our community.  In December 2019 through February/March of 2020, COVID was a big concern.  We had advance warning of the virus before it ever came to the USA, and my MIL has studied it closely.  We locked down early and HARD.  Then things eased up as treatments became clearer and we noticed that it didn't spread here.  When people did contract the virus, my MIL's office had the latest treatments on hand - no wait, minimal cost, no shortages.  At this point, it is only a nuisance and more of a political issue than anything else. 

My county has not been hit hard by the virus.  Nobody has died, and hospitalization is super rare.  Much of that is due to the County Defense blockade of the roads leading into our area - it has been maintained due to civil unrest, rather than exclusively due to COVID. People who live here and own property here can come and go as they please.  Outsiders with no verifiable business here are turned away at the checkpoints.  This has kept infection rates very low.  Inside our county, people go to church, eat at restaurants, shop, and generally don't wear masks.  Schools in our county are in session, 100% in person.  The only real spike in cases was when the colleges in the nearby city tried to start classes.  Students from our county attended, got exposed, then came back.  They were isolated and treated, with no real harm done. 

Elsewhere in my state, people are less free.  The governor created a mask mandate and tried to close down some businesses.  Our county and three others said NO, and threatened to establish an Independent Economic Zone and no longer collect state sales taxes.  The governor backed off, and repealed the mandate/shutdown for counties that did not have high rates of COVID.  In my county, people are still employed.  The county actually created jobs for people who became unemployed, so that people didn't suffer.  Surplus food was sent to a county office, where people in need could receive it.  The checkpoints also kept outsiders from coming to our stores and buying all the merchandise.  Stores voluntarily instituted rationing, and so people were able to get through the crisis and continued to have access to in-demand items such as toilet paper.  Compare that with the nearby city, where there are continual "spot shortages" of all sorts of items.  

For me, life is relatively normal.  There are a couple of pain points, though.  Since I'm pregnant, I self-isolate and I mostly stay home.... "cabin fever" is not fun.  Also, since my husband and two other members of my family serve in the County Defense Force, they are gone a lot more than I'd like.  Defense volunteers in my county have donated hundreds of thousands of hours of time in order to staff the checkpoints, patrol the roads, and respond to emergencies.  I worry a lot about my husband when he's out, because he's most likely to be exposed to the virus and to politically-motivated violence.

I think we're all looking forward to this being over, but dreading the possibility that it might not ever be over.

[boymommy]

13 hours ago, Eternal Sunshine said:

Are people genuinely scared or treating it as a nuisance?

In the state of Pennsyvlania it's pretty split. Some people think it's largely hype and don't care very much about masks (I feel these people are SUPER dangerous!) and downplay the virus. You will see them in stores WITHOUT a mask on but they probably wore one in then took it off just to get past the security at the door checking everyone. I live in a smaller town though not a big city (like Philadelphia or Pittsburgh where numbers are higher) so obviously rates have not spiked quite as high around here. I don't know anyone who has had it (at least locally) but a friend of mine in Philadelphia contracted it from her spouse (who is a doctor) but was a-sympdomadic. They both thankfully recovered. 

I believe the majority of people are scared and take it seriously. Thank goodness for that.