Coronavirus - COVID-19

So sorry to hear, its the scary part of this thing, anyone is in danger - one would think by now they have more info but they just dont

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Sorry to hear. And yes, itā€™s scary. Iā€™m approaching 40 at a scary pace and Iā€™m really not all that healthy. I work too hard, exercise very little and have stress-related conditions that weaken my immunity to viruses. Case in point - when our some got hand, foot and mouth disease at the hospital, I was the only one in the household to catch it. Itā€™s apparently a highly contagious virus, but only I got it. Nobody at work got it either. I also get sick around the festive season due to some or other bug or bodily problem. This means Iā€™m very likely to get the raw deal of Covid19 if I manage to catch it. And whatā€™s even scarier is that I most probably will, as most people will end up getting it.

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Grim and sobering remembrance page by the NYT - be prepared to scroll down for a long timeā€¦

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My one big beef issue with this whole Covid-19 thing the numbers. So every time i hear of the numbers its the amount of cases but only a few places state that yes we currently have 22583 total confirmed cases but we have 11054 active casesā€¦

I just feel that when you hears 22583 its a thing of OMG we doomed but in actual fact only 11054 are infected and 11100 have recovered, Why dont they rather day we have X active cases and y recovered cases.

RIP to the 429 people that have passed away due to the virus.

And this is just in SA when i go to the global site you see 5million cases and then you thing OMG wtf but thats the ā€œTotalā€ cases of everything. I dont know just seems odd to me

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That is why I wait for our daily report from Alan Winde - I just look at total recoveries vs total active cases and then the amount of people in hospital.

He also does this:

Recoveries:

The Western Cape continues to record recoveries across the province, now approaching 7000.

In Witzenberg, where our targeted hotspot plan was first piloted, over 80% of the total number of Covid-19 positive patients, have now recovered. In Khayelitsha, 60% of the total case load to date has recovered, and in the Tygerberg region, 56% of the total number of cases have already recovered.

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There are several (good) reasons to track both total and active cases.

Off the top of my head: We need to track total cases to keep track of the overall infection rate. Thatā€™s the only way to try and get a picture of the virality and overall mortality rate.

Active cases (and as @Wyvern said: hospitalisations and ICU beds occupied) is important to track whether your health system is coping, and to see when the virus is subsiding.

Combined, the two numbers give an idea of how flat the curve is.

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https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/news/update-coronavirus-premier-alan-winde-400-increase-tests-25-april-national-backlog-growing

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So Iā€™m curious for you smokers here that ran out of cigarettes a while ago alreadyā€¦ since you were somewhat forced to quit, has anybody decided to quit permanently?
I suppose the same could be asked (to a lesser extent) about alcohol.

Without being able to buy these, it must have some effect on your health and/or finances? I donā€™t do either (except for some wine that I use in food), so it would be interesting to know how much it works out per month and what differences anyone has picked up health-wise? (I donā€™t know, energy levels, feeling, etc.?)

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I donā€™t smoke but know lots of people who do. Funnily enough, none of them quit. I had to help look for cigarettes for my dad. He says he would rather die than quit smoking. (My dad is one of the most stubborn people on the planet). But I do feel bad for him. My mother says he is not handling this well and he is super depressed.

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I honestly cant say, I spent the same amount on my vape stuff that I did before lockdown. Alcohol is a non issue altho I weirdly became addicted to the non alcoholic beers. But now I have stopped that R80 a week doesnt sound like a lot but it does add up.

We dont have smokers in the house so that was a non issue but for my dad the alcohol was an issue.

He ended up going to the warehouse where they work on the race car and raided that place for a few more bottles of booze.

I did give my one boss a 3/4 bottle of vodka and that made him so happy because they are desperate. With 2 kids under the age of 9 I dont blame them

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I donā€™t do either and neither does anyone in our household. My wife and mother in law enjoyed the odd glass of wine now and then, but they havenā€™t really missed the ā€œtreatā€ during the ban. So all in all itā€™s pretty much a non-issue this side. At least I can go for a walk again during afternoon hours from Monday, as the morning timeslot really didnā€™t suit my work schedule.

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I had actually decided at the beginning of this year that I would try my damndest to quit before my birthday in early May. So when the state of disaster week was declared before the lockdown, I made the decision to take the opportunity to quit then. I cut down radically for the first weeks (20 a day to 3 a week) basically to finish the open pack I still had in the house. That was 68 days ago, and Iā€™ve been completely smoke free for 42 days now.

Honestly, other than a much better sense of smell, I havenā€™t felt any particular health improvements - Iā€™m hoping theyā€™re all happening inside though :grinning:

Financially, my calculations indicate Iā€™ve saved almost R3000 so far. Money which I had already spent (also before lockdown, also because it was on sale at the time) on buying something Iā€™ve wanted for years - a record player - to use as a self-reward incentive for myself. I promised myself I would only get to use it once Iā€™d saved the equivalent amount it cost from not buying cigs. I reach that target tomorrow :grinning:

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The benefits are almost instant. As soon as a person stops smoking their body begins to recover in the following ways:

After 1 hour

In as little as 20 minutes after the last cigarette is smoked, the heart rate drops and returns to normal. Blood pressure begins to drop, and circulation may start to improve.

After 12 hours

Cigarettes contain a lot of known toxins including carbon monoxide, a gas present in cigarette smoke.

This gas can be harmful or fatal in high doses and prevents oxygen from entering the lungs and blood. When inhaled in large doses in a short time, suffocation can occur from lack of oxygen.

After just 12 hours without a cigarette, the body cleanses itself of the excess carbon monoxide from the cigarettes. The carbon monoxide level returns to normal, increasing the bodyā€™s oxygen levels.

After 1 day

Just 1 day after quitting smoking, the risk of heart attack begins to decrease.

Smoking raises the risk of developing coronary heart disease by lowering good cholesterol, which makes heart-healthy exercise harder to do. Smoking also raises blood pressure and increases blood clots, increasing the risk of stroke.

In as little as 1 day after quitting smoking, a personā€™s blood pressure begins to drop, decreasing the risk of heart disease from smoking-induced high blood pressure. In this short time, a personā€™s oxygen levels will have risen, making physical activity and exercise easier to do, promoting heart-healthy habits.

After 2 days

Smoking damages the nerve endings responsible for the senses of smell and taste. In as little as 2 days after quitting, a person may notice a heightened sense of smell and more vivid tastes as these nerves heal.

After 3 days

3 days after quitting smoking, the nicotine levels in a personā€™s body are depleted. While it is healthier to have no nicotine in the body, this initial depletion can cause nicotine withdrawal. Around 3 days after quitting, most people will experience moodiness and irritability, severe headaches, and cravings as the body readjusts.

After 1 month

In as little as 1 month, a personā€™s lung function begins to improve. As the lungs heal and lung capacity improves, former smokers may notice less coughing and shortness of breath. Athletic endurance increases and former smokers may notice a renewed ability for cardiovascular activities, such as running and jumping.

After 1-3 months

For the next several months after quitting, circulation continues to improve.

After 9 months

Nine months after quitting, the lungs have significantly healed themselves. The delicate, hair-like structures inside the lungs known as cilia have recovered from the toll cigarette smoke took on them. These structures help push mucus out of the lungs and help fight infections.

Around this time, many former smokers notice a decrease in the frequency of lung infections because the healed cilia can do their job more easily.

After 1 year

The risk of heart disease will decrease by half after quitting smoking for 1 year, and arteries and blood vessels will begin to widen after 5 years.

One year after quitting smoking, a personā€™s risk for coronary heart disease decreases by half. This risk will continue to drop past the 1-year mark.

After 5 years

Cigarettes contain many known toxins that cause the arteries and blood vessels to narrow. These same toxins also increase the likelihood of developing blood clots.

After 5 years without smoking, the body has healed itself enough for the arteries and blood vessels to begin to widen again. This widening means the blood is less likely to clot, lowering the risk of stroke.

The risk of stroke will continue to reduce over the next 10 years as the body heals more and more.

After 10 years

After 10 years, a personā€™s chances of developing lung cancer and dying from it are roughly cut in half compared with someone who continues to smoke. The likelihood of developing mouth, throat, or pancreatic cancer has significantly reduced.

After 15 years

After 15 years of having quit smoking, the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease is the equivalent of a non-smoker. Similarly, the risk of developing pancreatic cancer has reduced to the same level as a non-smoker.

After 20 years

After 20 years, the risk of death from smoking-related causes, including both lung disease and cancer, drops to the level of a person who has never smoked in their life. Also, the risk of developing pancreatic cancer has reduced to that of someone who has never smoked.

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Yip. Real apparently. Otherwise I would have put it in the other thread.

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Hahaā€¦ Congrats.

Yeah, smoking can be quite hazardous. I had two aunts that smoked most of their lives and both of them died of cancer caused by smoking. The one had quit for years before she died. She didnā€™t last long after being diagnosed. The other one that Iā€™m not sure of whether she quit or not, she started having some weird symptoms, they diagnosed and she died that same week.

I think I have the tendency to get addicted easily so I guess Iā€™m lucky that I never got an interest in smoking or alcohol.

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Does anyone know if itā€™s allowed that couriers and deliveries deliver in a complex?
Our body corporate has said that they arenā€™t allowed in and that you have to meet them outside. Was just wondering if this was in writing anywhere.

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I havent heard that specific one yet nope - as far as I know couriers are going direct to the houses or appartments

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I guess it would depend on who your trustees are. Mine are scared people that restricted everything. There was a shouting match outside because someone couldnā€™t get people to bring him a new fridge.

Sometimes I feel body corporates spend too much time making up rules.

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And then making people tattletales and spies - even the office body corporate is bad at that

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