Saturday, April 4, 2020

Worry

My wife and I have been cut off from the outside world and isolated from outsiders for over two weeks now, so I feel like we are safe from infection.

My inlaws finally heeded our advice and have begun to stay home, even though they had been refusing to do so. They called here to demand that we give them some of our supplies because they didn't listen to our advice a month ago when we told them to buy things like sanitizer and N-95 masks. When my wife told them that we had no masks to spare for them, we got the line: "You would think at a time like this, you would worry about your parents and take care of them." We were- we told you a month ago to buy that stuff and stop going out to social clubs. You wouldn't listen. All I could spare for them was half a dozen surgical masks. I tried explaining to her that the masks I have won't fit her anyway.

My son called this morning to tell me that the medical group he works for is heeding the nationwide call for medical personnel, and he is being sent to NYC to support the hospitals that are losing people due to infection. He is getting hazard pay that is about triple what he usually makes, but that seems like small potatoes for the risk being taken.

He also told me that medical people are being attacked if seen in public wearing any sort of clothing that identifies them as medical workers. Apparently people are afraid that the doctors and nurses are infected.


3 comments:

SiGraybeard said...

If they're only paying him triple time, they'd better be providing housing. A couple of hundred square foot rental in NYC is like a Godzillion bucks - more than a Florida house payment.

Divemedic said...

Yes, they pay for all expenses: airfare, hotel, food, PPE, and transportation between the hotel and the hospital. He tells me that he will be getting about $20K for each week he is there plus paid his regular salary for two weeks after he gets home so he can self quarantine.

Nick Flandrey said...

People attacking medical staffers is Africa level sh!t. The end truly is nigh if that becomes widespread, even locally.

nick