Coronavirus

Some new developments since yesterday. Since I woke up with a green code I was able to go into work. My wife took the first shift taking care of the kids (we get 10 hours a week each to manage COVID disruptions like this) since yesterday was a surprise no school day. I got to work, cleared out a bit of my inbox, gave my team a priority tasking (sending out remote work tools to the key personnel), and went to chat with my boss. While I was there he said I should check my code and sure enough it turned yellow sometime between when I left the house and talked to him. I was sent home and was unable to use the mass testing site in our neighborhood (yellows must test at specific sites that do nasal swabs each in their own individual vials instead of cheek tests 10 to a vial). All in all I was in the office for about an hour.

So I grab a taxi to go to the yellow testing site, sit down in the car and check. My code turned back green! Since you cannot test at a yellow site with a green code I told the driver to pull over (we had only gone two blocks) and we walked to the community testing center. Went through the line not bad, about twenty minutes. When I got to the front the poor guy in PPE was sweating profusely, hacked up a lung, and gave the weakest cheek swab I've had in my life.

In the afternoon we did manage to play a scenario of Journeys in Middle Earth at our normal time (so did make up a bit for Saturday). Then we received notification that everyone should test. So my wife took the kids. She went to the same testing center three times yesterday. Just for chuckles I checked my code and sure enough it was yellow again. It later turned green and has stayed green since.

This morning I am staying home to make sure that the kids are able to participate in online classes properly (I sometimes have to monkey with the VPN since the class will assign things like watching YouTube videos that are illegal here) and playing referee as the two boys get frustrated and start picking fights. A huge problem with this apartment is we only have one room where things can be done, a connected living room/dining room. The bedrooms are too small to do anything but sit on the bed and read a book, ok for watching a video, but not for concentration in a class. So the two of them are getting on each other's nerves.

The leadership in the Mission has decided against asking for departure status for any place except Shanghai, but recommended we stock up on food and water. I personally feel it is a mistake. Long story short I am going to be distracted and barely able to do my job over the next seven weeks because I will be distracted managing my staff (who each get 10 hours off a week) as well as taking 10 hours a week myself for child care. I already don't have enough time to train the person who will be staying. She arrived two weeks ago and this is her first tour. Unlike a normal assignment, here in China we have roughly four times the responsibilities of a normal post and I cannot possibly leave her with the tools to succeed while I am distracted the whole time. My replacement is supposed to arrive in August, but is having difficulties buying a plane ticket. Apparently his last assignment was Moscow and the Russians have placed him on some sort of a no fly list that the Chinese honor.

I did find out more about why Shanghai did go on departure status. Apparently there was an incident where the authorities broke into an American's apartment and abducted the (non-Chinese speaking) seven year old. While it was not a diplomat's child, that apparently was enough to go to departure status. I sadly have no faith in our current leadership. The purpose of departure isn't to wait until things are awful and try to correct a mistake, it is to draw down a post so the people left behind can focus on what matters (maintaining operations, security, and American Citizen Services).

Shanghai just made the morning news here.

Finally got it here. Schools go maskless and my daughter gets it a few weeks later.

What's odd is that she tested negative yesterday and this morning using the test kits the government sent out. She has a sore throat and congestion, no other symptoms. I took her to the doctor thinking it could be strep, no such luck.

I have a headache which could be unrelated, no other symptoms. My wife has no symptoms and, according to state guidelines, is expected to still teach in person as long as she's symptom free. Seems fucked up, but it is what it is. We will see how it goes.

One of my local friends just caught his second case of Covid. So much for herd immunity.

Nobody is masking on campus, and case counts are low. 1-2 faculty who haven't caught Covid are wearing masks, and I feel awkward not wearing one. If I'm in a crowded small room I'll wear one if other people are. It all seems random at this point.

I wear a normal mask inside in the halls on campus mainly out of habit, but you are god damned right the n95 comes out when I'm put in a tiny room with 50 coughing students.

The flu has been making the rounds here lately, and I don't even want the flu this year. I get the flu shot every fall, but the flu shot targets the most prevalent strains at the end of the previous flu season. The previous flu season was almost non-existent due to masks and social distancing, so it was less clear which flu strains were going to be big this year.

Tonight YouTube presented me a video that was my "Covid song"... it came out right around lockdown and I ended up watching it several times back in 2020. It's a bit depressing, which makes it pretty perfect for that time period. Watching it reminds me of how miserable I was then. I still really like the song, but... ugh.

Shellhead wrote: One of my local friends just caught his second case of Covid. So much for herd immunity.

Sister-in-Law went to a weekend gathering of her and a bunch of sorority sisters somewhere out in East Buttscratch. She brought home a second case of covid, despite two shots + booster.

I can't believe that not even East Buttscratch is immune to this horrific scourge.

Vaccinations don't stop you from catching it, they reduce (hopefully massively) your chances of getting very ill or dying ... especially as COVID mutates, like the flu, and make vaccines less effective.
Of my work team of 9 (all triple shotted) five six have had it this year, one guy twice, and we're all still working from home (until next month when it's office for 2-3 days).

Mrs mc got it, real bad, and I picked it up too. This shit is the worst flu I've ever had, I'd say, and damn if it doesn't just wipe you out completely.
She had an asthma attack on about day 2 with it which was scary as. I was about 30 seconds from calling an ambulance and probably should have. All okay now but totally wiped.

god, glad you all came out ok.

I am genuinely concerned for the long term effects tbh. I don't want either of us to feel like this regularly.

On the plus side we binged all those spiderman movies that the family insisted we had to watch before we watch no way home, so at least I only had to watch them while semi-conscious

You and your wife are vaccinated mc?