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Just @ me next time.
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At least our governor has some fucking sense.
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Aiiiiiii just read the Vox article about the new variant/grocery stores. We usually go to the grocery store twice a month (once to TJās, once to the health food store next door). The place next door does curbside, which at least can halve things for us, and we can explore what we can do re: TJs and curbside. Still, Iām definitely in the group of people for whom the twice-monthly grocery shopping is an emotional lifeline and I do not like this at all.
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So I canāt find that article again 
Can someone link it again? I am the embodiment of dysfunction.
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This one?
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That one. It is eminently sensible and thoughtful and seems right and also fuck meeeeeeee I donāt want it to be right.
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Yes ty!
Okay though Iām confused by this:
ā . āPicking up groceries at the curbside is even better, and having them delivered is even better still.ā (If youāre able to get groceries delivered or pick up curbside, it will also help reduce the risk for those who canāt.)ā
Why would delivery be better than pickup? My grocery store just puts them in the trunk, how is that any different than me carrying them in from my porch?
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There are some curbside pickup sitches that arenāt fully no-contact ā for example, I can curbside pickup on foot next door, and have before, which is not full no-contact. Maybe thatās what theyāre referring to?
Otherwise, I tend to be on the side of ājust have me and the grocery worker involved and not get a delivery driver involved.ā
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Same. If I do curbside, they can prep my bags from stock, after hours, etc. Doesnāt need to be someone inside shopping for me lol.
But okay, not no contact pickup makes sense as the difference there.
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I saw that article this morning andā¦ugh.
Iāve been limiting my grocery trips to twice a month, but Iām definitely in there for longer periods of time because Iām getting way more stuff. Is the article saying that itās better to go more frequently, but be inside for shorter periods of time? I wish there was more solid info out there.
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I would think longer trips less often would be ideal. Because then you have time to see if any symptoms arise, so youāre not risking being a vector. Constant small exposures mean that you constantly have a rolling risk of transmitting to other people. I donāt think it changes your risk profile much, but it certainly changes societies risk profile.
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Well! My momās boss has covid as does another employee in her floor. Sheās getting tested this weekend, I guess. Itās fine. 
(She lives with us. Itās not fine.)
Assuming I donāt have covid, re groceries being risky:
So, we have a nanny that has to go pick up her groceries for financial reasons. We were considering paying for instacart express or something so she can get orders for the time being. Is that weirdly controlling or thoughtful and mutually beneficial?
We canāt do anything about her kid being in school but they havenāt had one covid case and her school has tons of protocols in place š¤·
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Instacart is the absolute worst from a customer perspective. Iād go with literally any other service.
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Yeah, the part about shopping for 5 minutes onlyā¦ I canāt even get through the line in 5 minutes, much less get what I need, particularly factoring the extra time spent dodging people or obeying the one way aisles. That will result in more trips, which is also bad, so, ???
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I shop about once every two weeks, but it does take around an hour to get through the whole store if I need things from all areas. I also just donāt stand near people if I can do that, and other people in my store seem to feel the same way. Like nobody is crowding you or leaning across you to get to something on the shelf, they stand back and wait for you to move. Itās actually been pretty ok.
I did just recently stock up on lots of things though, in case things start disappearing again. Iām lucky to have lots of storage space.
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Yeah Instacart can go blow bubbles. Goddamn 20-50% markup per item from a lot of stores and shit customer service. We used them a bunch and first, but never again lol.
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What are the other services besides instacart? Any good experiences?
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People on the covid USA physician/APP group on facebook have recommended this mask:
Also, NIOSH-approved N95 masks are available these days:
If you wear a mask with dual headbands, itās good to watch a youtube video on how to don & doff. You also have to get rid of all facial hair for better fit.
We got our first fresh direct order this week, and it seems like a safer alternative: a limited number of people pack orders in a central warehouse, your stuff is loaded on a refrigerated truck, and delivery is contact-less.
Since itās been >12d since my first dose, and my husband probably wonāt be able to get his until March-April, Iām taking over all in-store duty as well.
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Somehow we seem to have avoided an outbreak of the UK strain? It seems like in a week or two the mask mandate will be revoked if we continue to have no new cases. I do not understand how we have managed to avoid escalating community transmission so many times now. There must be something about our response, or climate, or?
Never mind our success at keeping people safe though. According to my parents our premier is a dictator taking away peopleās freedom. Wearing a mask indoors is the worst thing in the world, even for someone who used to work in a hospital? Being handed a mask by the police when you donāt have one is the height of a police state (people familiar with the history of the Queensland police under conservative governments will understand the absurdity of this).
Also āthis is just like a normal bad flu season in the ukā. Hmmm.
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