I just looked through the most recent posts and threads thinking I’d find a thread about this for sure. And it’s LP and Stream threads all the way down. Which, y’know, is not an indictment or anything. This is a community for exactly that after all. But I’m still a bit surprised there was nothing on the current situation.
We do live in strange times. There’s this weird global pandemic thing going on? It started as a cute little Epidemic in China, back when nobody really knew what this would all develop into. Not sure you’ve heard of it it’s all thanks to some stupid virus called COVID-19, sometimes called the Corona Virus (although COVID-19 is just one Corona Virus.) It’s a nasty little shit that can get transmitted very easily because many (especially young and otherwise healthy) people suffer only light symptoms or are completely asymptomatic. Those still carry and can spread the disease. But it can get very bad and even deadly. So a lot of places around the world have decided to put in place policies to prevent the virus from spreading further. People who are tested Corona-positive are put in quarantine. Self-quarantine for lighter symptoms but if it really gets you you’ll be in a hospital.
Me? I live in Germany. I would describe the situation as business somewhat unusual. It’s mostly normal. But a lot of businesses that gather a lot of people at the same time had to shut down. This mostly affects restaurants, clubs, bars, theaters. Not really big offices like call centers, though. They are encouraged to work from home, though, if possible (like me). Essential places are still open to the public (stuff like grocery stores, because you can’t very well expect 21st Century humans to hunt and gather, especially in an urban environment.)
There’s also an order that disallows gatherings of more than 2 people. There’s many exceptions for that though. Like family, work and many more because there’s just too many unique circumstances that require an exception to that rule. There’s a bit of misinformation going around that this constitutes a lockdown. It does not. Although I work from home now, which is the main difference for me, I still go about my everyday business as usual. I try to leave the house less but it’s usually not possible. Sometimes you just gotta go for a walk.
The grocery store I usually shop in is closed, though, but not due to the virus. They’re just adding on to their building so it’s under construction. So I had to go to a different place. I got pictures too.
You can see they use shower curtains or whatever kind of tarp that is to prevent their workers from getting into direct contact accidentally from behind. Not visible here is that they also have sheets of plastic in front of them. Two weeks or so ago they were crudely cut-out thin sheets with box cutters. By now they have something sturdier looking. Probably plexiglass. As far as I know this is the only store that does stuff like that.
Oh, and a lot of shelves are empty. Canned foods, noodles and toilet paper as well as other paper products in particular. Many places now refuse to sell larger quantities of those to people. Here’s a toilet paper shelf where somebody decided to place a single bottle of Corona beer. This is art.
Because my worst worry for when I might get put into quarantine for 14 days is that I can’t shit properly anymore.
Anyway, how are you doing?