Another COVID Life Entry
The drama continues as the world carries on its struggle against the pandemic. I actually stopped by my work Sunday night for my usual overtime. Unfortunately, there was not much work for me to do in the microbiology department. Jokes are on you guys, I am an essential personnel, so the title of this post is misleading.
Feeling dejected, I talked to some of my colleagues as well as those in the molecular department. The good news is, they have caught up on all the testing. The bad news is, they will have to retest everything when the new tests arrive tomorrow. I assume this has something to do with the new test kits pushed out by Abbot Laboratories.
At the time of writing, this is the stats for the State of Utah. You can find it on the government website.
The number of tests only apply to those who exhibit symptoms and are otherwise sick for COVID-19. So it does not reflect anyone who may be an asymptomatic carrier. For a state with 3.2 million people, the numbers do seem okay compared to other places such as New York.
Several other political figures, such as the mayor of Salt Lake City have urged stay-in order. Can't blame them since coworkers have told me that there are people still hanging outside. By outside, I mean at various trail heads. Also, let's not mention the muck up by families welcoming their LDS missionaries home not too long ago.
The governor is being nice before he requests the National Guard to come. I hope people wake up and follow simple instructions before that happens.
What about the people?
Even amidst the uncertainty, there are many people in the community trying to do some service. For example, I came across a dentist practice giving out schematics for 3D printing. They are offering blueprints for printing masks.
I never thought I would find mask printing instructions from dentists, but here we are. If you do have 3D printer(s) or know people who do, feel free to forward those instructions.
In a time where social distancing is a must, there are still ways people can help each other. I don't know about you guys, but it seems to me it's time to embrace the mask culture. It may not look fashionable, but it will most likely reduce the chance of you become infected with the virus.