
Very late on Friday night, like at 10pm, I got an urgent email from a provincial industry group wanting to know by Monday morning, how many machines your business has, what types, what fabric supplies do have on hand, etc. They wanted to assess the local industry capability, just in case we need to help out with manufacturing apparel or gear.
Hmmm... Does that sound familiar to you? Times when industries are asked about capabilities and called to help out with manufacturing.
Then I was texting with someone today. He's a pilot, so he’s out there working. And I thought, oh yeah, that’s right. You're essential services! You're one of those people on the front lines risking illness to transport what we need. I sent him a pic of me in a bikini. I thought he deserved some kind of reward for his efforts.
Then I thought...um, wow. Pinups for pilots? Again, this is really reminding of something.
He talked about wanting to meet me, you know, when this craziness was all over...
Wait a minute, what movie am I now?
I talked to friend of mine last week. He works in grocery store. He told me how crazy and busy things had been with all the panic buying. Then he got sick with cold, so he had to stay home from work. He was still sick a few days later, so he was probably going to have to stay home for a week or so.
Another front-line worker. Someone who probably caught his cold on the job, from all of the people out buying groceries!
During the BC Health Ministry briefing today, they talked about healthcare workers getting sick and how that's a risk.
That’s a real problem, because we need healthcare workers to take care of us!
And worse, the healthcare workers are transmitting it and that’s an issue! That’s how the illness spread to care homes for the elderly and why we have outbreaks in several care homes in the Greater Vancouver Area now.
The healthcare workers picked up the illness in the community. They didn’t realize they had, because they were in the incubation period and they passed it on to the very people they were caring for.
Healthcare workers are not getting sick from patients...they're getting sick when they go out for groceries.
This what they’re talking about when they talk about “Community Transmission” and the great danger with community transmission.
Healthcare workers are at risk in the community. They’re getting it in the community, they’re getting it at the grocery store, etc. They’re getting it from YOU!
We have to stay away from other people, because it protects them!
I've been in self-isolation, because I got a mild fever last weekend. I still have it, a very mild cold. So mild I probably wouldn't have even noticed if I wasn't looking for it. But a friend told me that they had come down with a cold and a fever. And I knew a couple of people in my building had just returned from an international trip. I ran into one of them in the elevator and they were wearing a mask, and they told me they were going getting tested for COVID-19. So I was concerned and checked my temperature.
I think with COVID-19 for some people, it's so mild you barely notice it. I think that's part of the problem. You don't realize you have it. You feel pretty good, so you go out and do things.
And if you do get a more serious cold, the 14 day incubation means you spread it around for 14 days before you even realize anything is wrong.
They talked about this during the briefing too. How that 14 day incubation period means when a person does get sick, they have to track down everyone that person interacted with in the last 14 days.
Can you remember every place you went, every store you checked for supplies, every person you got within 1-2 metres of in the past two weeks? Every person you stood next to in line? Every person who rang up your groceries? Who rode in the same elevator as you?
So just stop, please! Don't go out! Not now! We are in a state of emergency! Seriously. STAY HOME!
I know it's hard to comprehend just how important it is, but we are at war with a tiny, invisible enemy. And we need to work together. It's about YOU. It's about me. It's about ALL of us.
Here in BC, they're saying the next 10 days to 2 weeks are critical!
Only go out if you absolutely NEED to go out.
If you do go out, treat it like the fucking zombie apocalypse! Stay 1-2 metres (3-6 feet) away from all other people!
You should ONLY be spending time alone, or with people you live with, that's it right now!
All other connection is virtual! Phone calls, texts, email, video chat. Connect! But do it remotely.
Thank goodness we still have power and an internet connection, though it feels it’s gotten much slower than it’s been in years, since everyone seems to be using it now.
We can do even do some #QuarantinePinups to share with those wonderful people working to provide us with essential services, like groceries & healthcare, but it's going to have to be wearing a bikini on the balcony, doing some pinup shots on the patio or taking some photos in various rooms around the house.
#Coronavirus #COVID19
Note: If you are in BC and have industrial sewing machines and fabric supplies and have not filled out the survey yet, please feel free to contact me and I’ll send you the details. They want the information by tomorrow morning, Monday, March 23rd. (I did ask if I could share the information publicly, but they haven’t answered, so send me a message if you need the details.)