What is your plan for re-opening?

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I am really sorry, but honestly cannot be surprised since you are in ground zero.

I keep saying: if we are not super careful then everywhere could become as severe as NYC. If people are willing to say the name of their family member/friend (several actually) who they are willing to let die then I think we are ready to open quickly and carelessly. If not, we need to proceed with caution.

I've accepted it, and know that things are getting better here. I also got lucky in a sense that I am not as affected as others. But I wish people would take caution from us, kind of like italy probably wished we took caution from them.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

And your martial art school is going to come in and save the day is it?

We MA instructors may generate more violence into the society.

One day a girl called me and asked me if MA can be good for SD. I told her yes. She came to my house and showed me the bruise on her legs. She told me that her husband had beaten her up everyday. She spent 6 months in my school. During that time, people told me that she had beaten up her husband everyday. 6 months later she stopped coming to my school. Her husband came and spent 6 months instead. Today, I don't know who is the big boss in that family.

The above story is 100% true.

 

[Headhunter]

So first-those aren't the only people I know who have died from it so far. Which might be why I'm still continuing this argument. But luckily for me-no, no one that I was super close to has died yet, that I'm aware of. A couple people that I am close to have gotten it, and were actually sick but none of them have died. All of them have recovered sans 1 of my coworkers/friends who has SOB/fever and is waiting for results/seeing if she can ride it out at home.

A couple of people I know have gotten it and thankfully recovered but took a lot out of them mentally and physically. But I have known a couple of people who've died from. Not people I'm generally close to but people I knew in the past. That's why I am passionate about people not being stupid about this. Seeing people hanging around in parks drinking beers (and sharing beer cans as I've seen one occasion) it's just total stupidity. As for opening classes for kids I understand it's probably with the best intentions but it's also a huge risk of killing more people. As I've already said adults meeting up I can understand as long as they're sensible and make sure to keep their distance and use the correct protective equipment but children just won't do it...hell you have to constantly remind kids to wash their hands after going to the toilet so what chance do you have of keeping kids 2 meters away from each other when they're doing something fun

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

what chance do you have of keeping kids 2 meters away from each other when they're doing something fun

 

[geezer]

I was gonna ask why you belong to an association run by such a ship of fools and nincompoops? My dog, but I would disassociate on the spot, if some idiot tried to sell me on that load of backwash. Honestly, they are part of the problem.

First of all Mr. Crane, do not take the name of dog in vain. I warn you, I'm an animal lover!

Secondly, the gentleman behind this policy really believes in what he is doing. But like many of us, he lives in a self-reinforcing information bubble. I know for a fact that he is a very intelligent guy, but he has a totally different background than I do.

I was raise by parents who were not "rich" but with more money than average, and way more than I will ever have. In spite of myself, I had a first class education forced down my throat, one that emphasized being truly open minded. I had smart, educated parents who took me with them a couple of times when they travelled to Latin America or Europe. I even have a brainy older brother who went to undergrad at Dartmouth and graduate school at Oxford. Our neighbor and his best friend was truly a genius and went to Princeton, and has a couple of PhDs in theoretical physics and music or something. In short, I'm a struggling middle class dummy who grew up around a lot of smart and well educated people.

My friend running the MA association that I belong to is also really smart, but from a southern, right-wing, religious fundamentalist background. He is very articulate and writes quite well, but is self-educated past high school. He chose to serve his country honorably in the military and study martial arts rather than go to college. He is a creationist who believes the earth is about 6,000 years old, that the Bible is the literal word of God, and he favors extremely right-wing perspectives. Sometimes he leans towards outright conspiracy theories (like the whole "birther" thing), and his view of this pandemic reflects that. In short, he quickly learns whatever he puts his mind to. He just puts his mind into a very different place than I do. And overalI, while I place a high value on the principle of tolerance, he favors intolerance as a principle.

...But, there you see, we are both men of principle!

Oh, and we both love animals. He was super sympathetic when he heard I just had to euthanize my dear old cat that I had the last 16 years.

Regardless, many people share my friend's point of view. Calling them fools, nincompoops, or "deplorables" doesn't help any more than labeling those of the other point of view as socialists, snowflakes, or "elites". Finding common ground is probably the greatest challenge of the moment ...right up there with stopping this pandemic. Heck, you really can't do one without the other. So let's start by not calling each other names.

 

[Flying Crane]

First of all Mr. Crane, do not take the name of dog in vane. I warn you, I'm an animal lover!

Secondly, the gentleman behind this policy really believes in what he is doing. But like many of us, he lives in a self-reinforcing information bubble. I know for a fact that he is a very intelligent guy, but he has a totally different background than I do.

I was raise by parents who were not "rich" but with more money than average, and way more than I will ever have. In spite of myself, I had a first class education forced down my throat, one that emphasized being truly open minded. I had smart, educated parents who took me with them a couple of times when they travelled to Latin America or Europe. I even have a brainy older brother who went to undergrad at Dartmouth and graduate school at Oxford. Our neighbor and his best friend was truly a genius and went to Princeton, and has a couple of PhDs in theoretical physics and music or something. In short, I'm a struggling middle class dummy who grew up around a lot of smart and well educated people.

My friend running the MA association that I belong to is also really smart, but from a southern, right-wing, religious fundamentalist background. He is very articulate and writes quite well, but is self-educated past high school. He chose to serve his country honorably in the military and study martial arts rather than go to college. He is a creationist who believes the earth is about 6,000 years old, that the Bible is the literal word of God, and he favors extremely right-wing perspectives. Sometimes he leans towards outright conspiracy theories (like the whole "birther" thing), and his view of this pandemic reflects that. In short, he quickly learns whatever he puts his mind to. He just puts his mind into a very different place than I do. And overalI, I place a high value on the principle of tolerance, he favors intolerance as a principle.

...But, there you see, we are both men of principle!

Oh, and we both love animals. He was super sympathetic when he heard I just had to euthanize my dear old cat that I had the last 16 years.

Regardless, many people share my friends point of view. Calling them fools, nincompoops, or "deplorables" doesn't help any more than labeling those of the other point of view as socialists, snowflakes, or "elites". Finding common ground is probably the greatest challenge of the moment ...right up there with stopping this pandemic. Heck, you really can't do one without the other. So let's start by not calling each other names.

I would never take the name of Dog in vain, sir. And as a fellow cat owner who has lost some along the way, I am deeply sorry for your loss. In addition, I inherited a colony of feral cats when I bought a previous house. I trapped them and worked with the local SPCA to have them fixed and returned to their environment where they could live without making more kittens. They were my buddies and some didn’t make it along the way due to illnesses and injuries. I know what it feels like.

 

[Grenadier]

Admin's Note:

Keep it civil, stay on topic, and keep the politics out of it, folks.

Consider this your only warning.

 

[Danny T]

Yeah maybe I shouldn't be training.
Where I am we have had 12 Covid cases but almost 15,000 cases of influenza.

 

[geezer]

Yeah maybe I shouldn't be training.
Where I am we have had 12 Covid cases but almost 15,000 cases of influenza.

What? A flu pandemic too? I'm going to hide in the bedroom, under the covers!

BTW, just where are you again, Danny?

 

[Danny T]

What? A flu pandemic too? I'm going to hide in the bedroom, under the covers!

BTW, just where are you again, Danny?

New Iberia, La.

 

[geezer]

Yeah maybe I shouldn't be training.
Where I am we have had 12 Covid cases but almost 15,000 cases of influenza.

Jeez! That sounds terrible. 15,000 cases of flu this year? I googled New Iberia, LA and the population was listed at around 30,000. Half of the people there got the flu this year? Or are you including a much larger area?

Also, I googled deaths by flu and pneumonia in New Iberia Parish (prior to Covid-19) and the rates were listed at about 15 per 100,000 in the most recent years.
Source: Iberia Parish Influenza (Flu) & Pneumonia Death Statistics | LiveStories

Lack of consistent testing and a track record makes it much harder to be precise with Covid-19, but it does seem to be far more contagious, with significantly higher hospitalization rates and mortality rates. That said, it isn't like the black death, smallpox, or measles (before vaccines for smallpox and measles, and antibiotics to treat yersinia pestis).

Recent efforts to estimate the Covid-19 mortality rate, based on NYC data, have yielded the figure 1.4%, or about ten times the rate of the seasonal flu (taking into account under reporting of Covid-19 infection rates with possibly only a tenth of all cases being tested and reported and perhaps only half of the Covid-19 related deaths being reported)
Sources: Coronavirus Death Rate (COVID-19) - Worldometer

So, my take-away- this thing really is a lot worse than ordinary, seasonal flu ...and unlike the flu, there's no vaccine or proven antiviral treatment yet. On the other hand, it's not nearly as bad as the 1918 "Spanish Flu" or the great plagues of history.
Refernce: How does the new coronavirus compare with the flu? | Live Science

So, my advice is go home, stay in bed, and have somebody bring you hot soup. And lots of crackers. Gotta have crackers. And hot sauce. Definitely!
...or I suppose, you could actually go on and live your life, acting as responsibly as you can. I suppose some people might choose that.

BTW, if I got the data above all screwed up, be kind. Sure, my dad was an MD, but I went to Art School!

 

[Danny T]

Jeez! That sounds terrible. 15,000 cases of flu this year? I googled New Iberia, LA and the population was listed at around 30,000. Half of the people there got the flu this year? Or are you including a much larger area?

Also, I googled deaths by flu and pneumonia in New Iberia Parish (prior to Covid-19) and the rates were listed at about 15 per 100,000 in the most recent years.
Source: Iberia Parish Influenza (Flu) & Pneumonia Death Statistics | LiveStories

Lack of consistent testing and a track record makes it much harder to be precise with Covid-19, but it does seem to be far more contagious, with significantly higher hospitalization rates and mortality rates. That said, it isn't like the black death, smallpox, or measles (before vaccines for smallpox and measles, and antibiotics to treat yersinia pestis).

Recent efforts to estimate the Covid-19 mortality rate, based on NYC data, have yielded the figure 1.4%, or about ten times the rate of the seasonal flu (taking into account under reporting of Covid-19 infection rates with possibly only a tenth of all cases being tested and reported and perhaps only half of the Covid-19 related deaths being reported)
Sources: Coronavirus Death Rate (COVID-19) - Worldometer

So, my take-away- this thing really is a lot worse than ordinary, seasonal flu ...and unlike the flu, there's no vaccine or proven antiviral treatment yet. On the other hand, it's not nearly as bad as the 1918 "Spanish Flu" or the great plagues of history.
Refernce: How does the new coronavirus compare with the flu? | Live Science

So, my advice is go home, stay in bed, and have somebody bring you hot soup. And lots of crackers. Gotta have crackers. And hot sauce. Definitely!
...or I suppose, you could actually go on and live your life, acting as responsibly as you can. I suppose some people might choose that.

BTW, if I got the data above all screwed up, be kind. Sure, my dad was an MD, but I went to Art School!

Well according to the our Parish Health Unit totals we average about 12,000 cases of influenza per year. This year was a higher than usual year for us. We have approx. 75,000 people in the Iberia Parish. 30,000 in the City of New Iberia. Also I posted 'cases' of the flu not deaths from the flu.

Louisiana is much warmer than NY and covid doesn't seem to like the higher temps. Though New Orleans was hard hit due to Madi Gras and locked down we haven't been as restricted.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I don't personally eat meat, but I don't make fun of people that do.

Whether people eat meat or not is not my business. But when people don't wear face mask around me, it can be my business, or even my family members business.

When I run, I keep dodging people who doesn't wear face mask. Sometime I just wonder whether my running exercise is worthwhile for the risk that I'm taking.

This is the issue. Until we understand that "one for all, and all for one", we are not ready to open our society yet.

I have a mask with me at all times when I'm out. Whenever I'm going to be near someone, I put it on. If someone steps too close to me, I ask them to step back. I'm doing my best to protect others and myself, and don't really appreciate it when those around me aren't doing the same for me (masks are to protect others much more than the wearer).

 

[Gerry Seymour]

To be honest martial arts is the last thing I care about right now. Yeah not training sucks but I'm still doing my own stuff every day so not like I'm not doing any. Martial arts are not essential and tbh they should be the last things to reopen simply because it's probably the sport that has the most physical contact and simply it's not worth the risk

This is pretty much where I am. I'm considering setting up some outdoor classes (the moving air apparently reduces the risk of transmission) when things are closer to whatever the new normal is and doing just forms, exercise, and movement drills for a while. That'd allow for good distancing, give us all some exercise, and maybe bring in some folks who haven't made it to the early-morning Saturday class (the only time I'd been teaching).

But I'm in no hurry. I only had one serious student, and she'll be back whenever things open back up. All the rest probably won't come back to classes, so I'll just be starting fresh, anyway.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Different ones have different opinions. One of my fellow students is an ER Doctor, and he's saying we should be opening things back up. Or should I listen to the doctors that say things you agree with, instead of the doctors I know and trust?



I could do my own stuff, or I could take a break. However, most of my students are kids. Kids that are stuck inside with their families all day, every day. Kids that need exercise and entertainment. Kids that need socialization. The Zoom classes are okay, but the kids really need to be kids.

I listen to the epidemiologists and disease experts. They're mostly consistent in their views.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

^^^The leadership of the association I belong to has absolutely solved this problem!

First, the heck with this "virus". They've simply started back up. At the HQ gym they take the temperature of students entering the gym, inform them not to practice if they feel sick, and tell them they can chose to wear masks if they want to.

Since many of the drills are done in touching, in close contact at clinch-range, they also provide free use of hand sanitizer. They make it clear that it is entirely up to the student to take care of him/herself. Besides, I was told privately, this is "Covid" really just like the flu. Apparently it's "the fake, liberal media that has hyped this" -- supposedly for political reasons.

And, to solve the problem of the loss of income, they just doubled the annual Association dues (depending on gym size) from mere $75 to $150 per month. But, since I teach just a few students semi-privately at a park, my dues will only go up to $125 per month. When I asked how I was supposed to pay that, I was told to either increase my fees to a minimum of $50 per hour per private student (or about $400 per month) or to increase my group class size from 2 to at least 10 at $120 per month per student.

They forgot about the third option. I stop teaching for their "Association".

Yeah, third option, without hesitation. Sheesh.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I have a mask with me at all times when I'm out. Whenever I'm going to be near someone, I put it on.

I find out that sometime it will take me 5 seconds to pull my face mask off my pocket and then put it on. If I let my face mask to attack under my chin, I can pull it up within 1 second. That extra 4 seconds could mean life and death.

Since virus can get in through eyes, I decide to put my ski goggles on.

I'm seriously thinking about to order some equipment like this.

Deep Sea Diver Costume for Men

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I find out that sometime it will take me 5 seconds to pull my face mask off my pocket and then put it on. If I let my face mask to attack under my chin, I can pull it up within 1 second. That extra 4 seconds could mean life and death.

Since virus can get in through eyes, I decide to put my ski goggles on.

I'm seriously thinking about to order some equipment like this.

Deep Sea Diver Costume for Men

I don't think you need that full thing since it doesn't spread through perspiration (aka sweat). Covering your mask is for other people. Covering your face/eyes and washing your hands is for yourself. You should also in general be paying enough attention to your surroundings to notice someone five seconds away that is coming closer to you. The exception being around corners, but even then if you make a wide turn you should be okay.

 

[Headhunter]

This is pretty much where I am. I'm considering setting up some outdoor classes (the moving air apparently reduces the risk of transmission) when things are closer to whatever the new normal is and doing just forms, exercise, and movement drills for a while. That'd allow for good distancing, give us all some exercise, and maybe bring in some folks who haven't made it to the early-morning Saturday class (the only time I'd been teaching).

But I'm in no hurry. I only had one serious student, and she'll be back whenever things open back up. All the rest probably won't come back to classes, so I'll just be starting fresh, anyway.

Yeah a few places are doing that now around here outside classes with only 5 people each

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Well according to the our Parish Health Unit totals we average about 12,000 cases of influenza per year. This year was a higher than usual year for us. We have approx. 75,000 people in the Iberia Parish. 30,000 in the City of New Iberia. Also I posted 'cases' of the flu not deaths from the flu.

Louisiana is much warmer than NY and covid doesn't seem to like the higher temps. Though New Orleans was hard hit due to Madi Gras and locked down we haven't been as restricted.

So mostly out of boredom I decided to look into this. I focused specifically on deaths in my search because that's really what I care about. Which ignores that an equal number of flu vs. an equal number of covid would mean more covid deaths because honestly I can't claim that without knowing full well what the percent of covid deaths actually is (which probably won't be known until this fall). I found that in the Iberia Parish there was a 0.0165% of the male population and 0.0127% of the female population that died of the flu each year. I checked on based on CDC reporting, and .031% of the population in the iberia parish has died from covid. As far as having covid from what I could find, it's .485% of the population. Which is more than the flu, but admittedly not at a percent that I'd be concerned about if I lived there.

As for the idea that they don't like higher temps; If the temperature is below 133 fahrenheit, it can still live there. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-warm-weather-will-not-slow-covid-19-transmission

Now like I said I probably wouldn't be concerned about a .031% death rate or a .485% infection rate. But my concern is that each area that got a larger infection rate had that at some point or another. And personally I'm not too concerned about your facility-you seem to be doing everything right. You are taking people's temperatures at the door, monitoring for symptoms, and I presume you are telling people as they enter that they are doing so at their own risk and their families risk, so this really isn't directed at you. But it's important to keep in mind that with any pandemic the number can shoot up in a day, before you're aware of it. And the sucky thing about this virus is that it's most infectious before you show symptoms, so it can spread through your county before you're aware of the spread. And I linked the one site, but from what I can see louisiana is not close enough to the equator to discount it from heat (the wuhan latitude is 30.5928'N, while Iberia parish is 29.4993° N. So while you guys are about a degree closer to the equator, it's not enough to discount weather. And Wuhan is where it all started to begin with).

Again, I'm not saying you guys should or shouldn't be open. My recommendation, if you want to avoid the accidental death of any of your clients or their families (or yourself) would be to operate over zoom. And that's what the schools near me are doing without any loss in income (everyone who can afford to continue to pay for zoom classes is doing so during this time, with no complaints, so the studios near me are still doing okay despite not opening up physically), but I do support you taking the safety measures that you're taking for the time being.