Daily poll

[teaotter]

This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Monday to midnight (8pm Eastern Time) on Tuesday.

Poll #27050 Daily poll

This poll is closed.
Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 36

How are you doing?

I am okay
25 (71.4%)

I am not okay, but I don't need help right now
10 (28.6%)

I could use some help
0 (0.0%)

How many other humans live with you?

I am living single
15 (41.7%)

One other human
16 (44.4%)

More than one other human
5 (13.9%)

Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.

Comments

[ratcreature]

I think in part it's also that alertness to risk is exhausting, so you just can't think about infection risk all the time and just get used to things. Like people don't think that much about ticks either, no matter that they can carry really nasty infections. Everybody has seen the warnings to use tick prevention and to look for ticks, but you don't see everyone systematically check themselves every time after having sat in the park near some bushes on a bit of grass either even though that's tick habitat. Some people are really careful of course, but most only think of it if they are doing something usual that they think makes ticks more likely such as a long hike in the woods.

Ideally we'd just establish adapted habits, so that mask wearing becomes like hand washing after using the bathroom and before handling food, rather than a conscious risk assessment, but then people aren't that great about hand washing either, and arguably it's a bit more annoying to have something on your face all the time. Though imo not as annoying as slathering on repellent and doing frequent body tick searches when going somewhere with plants.

[fred_mouse]

I must admit to not paying much attention on ticks at all. I may have to go and do some research about local habitats, because I associate them with kangaroos more than anything.

On the one hand, masking as an established habit would have its advantages. On the other, once the disease risk drops a long way, I'm going to be dropping the mask because of the number of things it makes more difficult (staying appropriately hydrated and oxygenated for two. Yes, I know that the airflow doesn't change that much, but medical conditions mean that walking can put me over the line into dizzy if I do it with the mask on for long distances)

[ratcreature]

No idea about Australia but here ticks carry Lyme disease mostly, but they can also carry a nasty encephalitis, that kills 1-2% but causes neurological damage like paralysis in more, though not everyone bitten gets the neuro form of the disease. It's one of those things that a bunch of people can get and don't notice as more than a flu like thing and it only shows in antibody prevalence in endemic areas, but a small percentage gets unlucky. You can vaccinate against that at least, but it's three doses and only protects for a few years. Then there are several diseases that didn't use to be endemic here, but further south and are extending their range with climate change. So now you can get babesiosis and some others, and Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever has been extending its range in Europe too, though it's still mostly the Balkans, and human outbreaks not that frequent even there. Otoh it is quite lethal if you do get it, not quite Ebola but 40% or so.