COVID-19 Assistance Thread

ZekeTheG33k · Mar 23, 2020, 8:40 PM

@Auspice said in COVID-19 Assistance Thread:

@Seamus said in COVID-19 Assistance Thread:

@Auspice Is your state not one that is doing the 'freeze' on Evictions?

They are, but I suspect late fees are still a thing.

And having had to pay late fees before due to an online payment system fucking up, you can find yourself with nearly $200 worth in just a week. I won't get paid again for 2 weeks.

@RightMeow thank you, I didn't notice I grabbed my link vs the public one. D'oh.

To be frank that's kind of shitty. They will stop you from getting kicked out but will still let you incur additional fees during this time. I really hope the Senate gets their heads out of their asses and gets the checks out to those whom truly need them.

Rinel · Mar 24, 2020, 1:11 AM

I don't have a lot to offer, but I can give legal advice to people who need it in Louisiana. Mostly, this will consist of referrals to attorneys I know and trust.

Otherwise, if you're in Louisiana and you seriously need help, let me know, and I'll find a way to get you what you need. I've been here a long time and have contacts in most parts of the state.

jibberthehut · Mar 24, 2020, 2:46 AM

@Rinel Can you take my brain weasels? They need a new home. I don't like them.

Auspice · Mar 24, 2020, 3:04 AM

@jibberthehut said in COVID-19 Assistance Thread:

@Rinel Can you take my brain weasels? They need a new home. I don't like them.

would like this myself.
I've been in a not-great mood all day.

Rinel · Mar 24, 2020, 3:44 AM

@jibberthehut said in COVID-19 Assistance Thread:

@Rinel Can you take my brain weasels? They need a new home. I don't like them.

Unfortunately I'm pretty sure my mental illnesses just tear apart and devour anything new that enters my psyche, so you'll have to find another, more loving home for your brain weasels.

jibberthehut · Mar 24, 2020, 3:45 AM

@Rinel Finnnnnnnne. Ugh. I'll put them on the side of the road for craigslist.

Deleted · Mar 24, 2020, 6:31 PM

I have had zero takers but my offer is still open. Just let me know what I can do. Don't be shy.

buttercup · Mar 25, 2020, 6:43 PM

I feel somewhat distanced from people. I think I am at the other end of a number of people. My family has livestock. couple of cows, chickens and goats. We have a 1 acre garden at my property down the road and we have a good amount of land.

We all went to work from home (my wife coaches and teaches at a local high school), my three sons are home, and I went work from home because I need foot surgery I can't get to June it looks like.

We aren't sweating things. Had guns. Had bullets. Have lifestraws and a stock pond if I ever needed it for a couple of years worth of water. Tucked away food stores a long time back for peace of mind.

It's been great. I get to spend time with my family. We started a civ6 game we play every night together for 10-15 turns. We started playing pandemic. My youngest (8) doesn't get it quite yet. We don't need to go anywhere but I gotta say I wish this could be life more often then not. I like this.

That said I of course would wish this to never happen and would give it all up in a moment for one life ... etc. etc.

We are newly married, new family, we have been using this time to bond and grow.

Rinel · Mar 25, 2020, 8:44 PM

@buttercup

There's absolutely nothing wrong with finding good in all this horror, and I hope you and your family are untouched and joyful throughout it.

Aria · Mar 26, 2020, 4:03 AM

"The specimen is NEGATIVE for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus associated with COVID-19. A negative result does not rule out the possibility of COVID-19 and should not be used as the sole basis for patient management decisions."

What does that even mean?! Lawyerbots, is this some medical liability bullshit that you make doctors offices put in their paperwork so that my family doesn't sue them if I keel over and die?

(And no, I'm not convinced that "I must really have COVID-19 and am dyyyyyyyyying!!1!?!!?1!!" I'm terrified at the prospect that the husband and I don't, given that we've both been knocked-on-our-asses and had-to-go-to-the-ER level sick for three weeks with something that has all the symptoms of COVID-19, but have apparently tested negative for it and everything else under the sun, and just how dangerous that might be if either of us catch it now.)

mietze · Mar 26, 2020, 4:10 AM

@Aria it means that that test did not detect the virus at that time. Some people get tested too early so theres not a lot of viruses up their nose, or if it's not collected properly. So if you continue to be symptomatic or decline they may want to test you again. Or at least that was in the information I was given about my son's test.

mietze · Mar 26, 2020, 4:11 AM

That being said, there is a flu variant that has remarkably similar symptoms. My son's medical provider tested for influenza and the covid19 virus for that reason

GangOfDolls · Mar 26, 2020, 4:11 AM

@Aria My mom got a similar result (she's married to an ED doctor and he's just on the rollercoster of constant exposure).

Generally, what means is that you tested negative but there is a very small percentage of incorrect results. These are mostly negative results, who later turn out to be asymptomatic carriers. It's meant to enable doctors to make treatment decisions that assume you are COVID-19 positive even if the test was wrong.

I would, if you can, attempt to seek out another test? I'm not sure where you live so I don't know the ease of that decision but re-testing might be worthwhile even if it's just for your own peace of mind.

mietze · Mar 26, 2020, 4:15 AM

It was also recommended that my son remain at home even with the negative result for an additional 14 day period (though the rest of us were released from lockdown as long as we had no fever), but then the governor issued a stay at home order and banned all gatherings of any size of people who do not live together, so it ended up not really mattering.

If you can isolate still,I would move heaven and earth to do so.

Aria · Mar 26, 2020, 4:19 AM

@mietze said in COVID-19 Assistance Thread:

That being said, there is a flu variant that has remarkably similar symptoms. My son's medical provider tested for influenza and the covid19 virus for that reason

Yeah, I was tested for Influenza A & B, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and had bloodwork done in the hospital in case it was a bacterial infection (and the husband wasn't sick yet at that point). The nose swab checked for Pan-SARS RNA with the SARS-COV-2 test. Literally everything has come back negative. I have no clue.

mietze · Mar 26, 2020, 4:29 AM

@Aria might just be some other virus. There are def vital pneumonias and other weird stuff out there this season and others. I got viral pericarditis earlier this year! If you are not improving at all I think it's worth at least calling the doc, but until you are recovered if you can I would isolate even if you're not under orders to do so. I know in my area they have really restricted testing to conserve the ppe supply, and unless it's a drive up clinic I dunno that I would want to wait around to be tested where they are funneling covid19 symptomatic folks sharing the same space. Hope you are on the mend soon. I know it is a fucking scary time.

Auspice · Mar 26, 2020, 4:35 AM

As a note, re: testing... For anyone not following the news, Austin is pretty much run out of tests. They can only offer them to people hospitalized right now. So if you end up with symptoms, I'd monitor/isolate rather than spending money (and risk of exposure) on a doctor visit.

Until there's more tests, that is.

WildBaboons · Mar 26, 2020, 1:24 PM

I think a lot of places are like that, even if they haven't run out of tests yet but are trying to make it so they don't.

My state has a relatively small reported outbreak (142 as of yesterday, 100 of which are in a small geographic area) but have performed 3400 tests. That's a really small percentage of positive results compared to the number of tests performed and that's with only testing people that are considered Tier 1 for testing which includes:

Hospitalized patients
Health Care Workers
First Responders
Residents of nursing homes, jails, assisted living, large group living type places

Unless someone qualifies in one of those groups, the state CDC is telling doctors to make a clinical diagnosis. I know a lot of people I've talked to see only the number of positive results and think they just are not doing much testing, but don't realize that that they are actually testing 20-30 times that many people. There are a few other, faster testing methods approved, many of which use existing equipment that a lot of labs have on hand, but I am too far from the logistics of that process to know what the actual delivery time on those test kits will be.

The point stands though, if you think you have it, act like you have it. Follow the guidelines.

Auspice · Mar 27, 2020, 3:18 PM

I'm closing my GoFundMe. A friend just pointed me to a friend of his who was offering to help people and she sent me everything else I need.

I'm.... in shock, tbh. Like, completely. I've literally been praying daily (and am not religious) for a way to figure this out. To be able to pay bills, feed myself, feed my cats, etc..

So, help is out there. It may not be easy to find (and you may have to swallow anxiety, fear, pride, etc. to talk to people), but it's there.

Aria · Mar 27, 2020, 2:36 PM

Alright, lawyerbots.

@insomniac7809 and I may or may not need some guidance in dealing with his employer. Anyone familiar with labor law in Pennsylvania or able to point us in the direction of resources?