Posted on 03/19/2020 10:05:08 PM PDT by blam
Supermarkets across the U.S. are launching seniors-only shopping hours for older people looking to avoid larger crowds during the coronavirus pandemic. But some public health experts are split on whether the benefits outweigh the risks.
A few big chains, including Whole Foods and Stop & Shop, as well as some mom-and-pop stores, announced this week that they are blocking off the first hour or two of the business day for only people 60 or older to shop.
The special hours afford seniors, one of the populations most vulnerable to the coronavirus, a chance to navigate a store that’s hopefully been freshly sanitized and restocked, and is less crowded than other times of the day. Some stores’ special hours also apply to immunocompromised people who are especially vulnerable to the virus, too.
Though well-intentioned, the concept isn’t necessarily the safest, according to Thomas Russo, a doctor and the chief of infectious diseases at the State University of New York at Buffalo medical school.
“Albeit a grocery store is fairly expansive in terms of airspace, it’s still an enclosed system,” Russo said. “It’s not quite as close quarters as a cruise ship, but it’s a variation of the model in my mind.”
The highly contagious coronavirus is transmitted through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Those droplets can remain in the air for hours, linger on cardboard for up to 24 hours and stick to other surfaces ― like plastic or stainless steel ― for days, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday.
Nursing homes have been especially vulnerable to the spread of the coronavirus. In Washington state, at least 27 people who have died
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at aol.com ...
Curb side pick up from online ordering is how I shop now.
blam wrote:
“What do you think?”
I think this senior is using instacart, tipping heavy, and wiping down everything they can deliver.
FYI, I have used them on and off for a year:
65% of the time they screw up 5-10% of the order,
the prices are 5-10% higher as they don’t always list the generic brands.
Instacart is very good at issuing refunds or credit for wrong items.
Probably safer during senior hours than it would be during wolverine-owner appreciation hours.
Ain’t nuffin’ safe.
Life is full of risks. Choose your poison.
And carefully.
I forgot to add, IMHO their website sucks dog butt.
My last grocery store trip was on Saturday. I’m not going again until this clears, special hours or not. My county doesn’t have any cases reported yet, but surrounding counties started to report cases this week. It seems to be closing in, and I am shutting in other than for doctors appointments.
It’s probably safer than regular hours.
But honestly, I personally wouldn’t go anywhere near a public place right now unless it was a outright dire emergency.
Need to let this thing burn out.
In relative terms, shopping during the opening senior hour means being among fewer people in a cleaner, restocked store. How is that not better than any other time of day?
I’m a Senior and I opted not to shop during old folks shopping hours. For one thing, I’m not a morning person. I usually shop around 2pm. For another, being around other Seniors scares me. Besides, my children have stocked me up on food and told me not to leave my house.
Whether you buy the groceries at the store yourself or someone else delivers them, each item as well any bags carrying them should be disinfected with a sanitizing wipe before being brought into the house. Produce should be thoroughly washed. And you should, of course, wash your hands afterward.Yikes -- disinfect EVERY item you purchased?
One grocery store in our town just banned the use of reusable shopping bags that have become so popular since the libtards got control of shopping paper and plastic bags. They suddenly discovered those reusable vinyl bags contain gazillions of germs and virions.
What do I think? Honestly, I have NO idea anymore. I'm taking sensible precautions: increased hand washing; disinfecting knobs, drawer pulls and light switches; not congregating; staying in; just going for walks. Waiting for Nitrile gloves to be delivered via Amazon.
I guess I'm of two minds on this: I think it will either 1) blow over and things get back to normal pretty quickly or 2) it will spiral down, the global economy and credit will lock up, and people will soon be jumping out of skyscraper windows. I'd bet 70% on #2 and 30% on #1.
I haven't hit the full depression point yet, but I've been locked up only two days. Full depression is coming soon. This is not what I expected my retirement to be. At least I'm still breathing freely.
Wear a mask, hand sanitize, etc.
Several days ago, I heard that masks were NOT effective. That was being put out to prevent panic buying of the available stock. Clearly, masks have some protective effect from the airborne stuff.
Be sure to remove shoes in the garage or near the door and SPRAY the soles with disinfectant (Lysol, etc.).
Stay safe and be well...
This guy ( and the reporterette) is an idiot.
Fresh air is constantly pushed into the building by the rooftop units.
Overnight, the air in the building is replaced SEVERAL TIMES.
The surfaces Thomas Russo claims to be worried about CANNOT be cleaned by ANY means known to humanity. Only common sense precautions can deal with that particular vector.
Yet more baseless alarmism masquerading as “cautionary information”.
Dear Lord, forgive me my visceral hatred of these vile liars.
Walmart and Aldis started home delivery in my local. Don’t even have to sign for it, they just leave the order outside like a UPS delivery.
We are doing online delivery And pickup at grocery store. My husband is more concerned than I am...Question: the virus hangs on pkgs, etc?...why aren’t delivery/mail people falling like flies?
I predict this blows over in 3-4 weeks tops.
Warmer weather will likely reduce contagiousness.
Effective treatment strategies will be confirmed.
Once such treatments are widely available, even high risk subjects will be quickly curable, for the most part.
They will not completely eliminate deaths, but will reduce them to the point where it is clear this shelter in place and shut the economy down procedure will clearly be no longer cost effective.
where is the common sense?....where is the gratitude?...
have family members or friends shop and drop at the doorstep....
Well, the seniors are at no more risk going early in the morning than they would be going later in the day.
And I thought part of the point of this was to allow them to get needed supplies before the TP locusts descended on the stores.
I can’t even retire now my 401 k has been devastated...
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