That was very punny, SEA. Sorry that the rest of you got subjected to that.

The way I see it, @JASFLALMT, we should all just report SF99's post for not being positive, and also being just plain disrespectful. I don't want to see the topic closed because one person doesn't know how to engage in polite intelligent conversation.

On topic, though, I don't see how any MSing can continue in the current environment. The public is not acting rationally, and standards for shops cannot be controlled by the clients any longer. Things have spiraled so far out of control in the past 48 hours that by the time I got to my fast-casual Mexican shop for lunch today, half the standards were no longer applicable. I will submit the report since it's still assigned to me, but the client will not be able to use the detail in a productive manner.

Let's just call it all a wash for March and reboot in April....

It's going to be uneven across the states and slso depending on the types of shops. Here in Ohio there are fewer cases than other states, so the restaurant shops I am doing next week should go well. I also have convenience stores to do, that should be fine. April will likely be a different story. I wont be doing any restaurant shops that month. Grocery store shops are out of the question for awhile.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

Here in Ohio there are fewer cases than other states, so the restaurant shops I am doing next week should go well.

It spirals out of control quickly...but hoping it doesn't happen there and you can do your shops.

When I agreed to this shop earlier in the week, everything was business as usual. I went grocery shopping that day and it was a normal experience. I walked by that same store today and it was all-out havoc!

Steve, it seemed yesterday was when things got crazy. We went to Costco the past two weekends and once during the week, and there was no hysteria. Then, they postponed the St. Patrick's Day Parade, said 50% capacity in bars and restaurants, 12 states closed schools, Broadway closed, stadiums closed, professional sports stopped, local pools, ice rinks, etc closed, nursing homes banned visitors, places like Disney closed, and more.

From somebody living in Seattle.....Here are the reasons that COVID-19 is (currently) scarier than the seasonal flu, H1N1, etc.:

* Currently we do not have any treatments for it. We can alleviate symptoms, but are at least a year away from having vaccinations, anti-viral drugs, etc.
* It is incredibly contagious - more so than H1N1 or the flu. The CDC and WHO estimate that it's contamination's exponential growth constant is somewhere between 1.15 and 1.25 when using "days" as a unit for time. In other words: the number of actual people infected doubles ever 4-6 days. (the number of actual cases is very different than the number of confirmed cases.)
* We don't know how many people in the United States are actually infected as we have done very little testing. The first death in the U.S. was somebody who had been dead for several days before it was determined that he had COVID-19. At that point, the CDC estimates that the virus had been in the U.S. for at least six weeks.
* Unlike the flu, H1N1, etc., it is not uncommon for young healthy people who are infected to be almost completely asymptomatic. Of course they are very much still contagious.
* This coronavirus does kill. Scientists do not know the actual death rate, but some estimates are that it is as high as 3.4% of all infected people. More conservative estimates are between 1% and 2%. We will not know the "actual" rate of mortality for some time. However, the seasonal flu is roughly .1% (one tenth the most conservative rates for COVID-19).
* Right now, in the U.S. between 15% and 20% of infected people require hospitalization. If COVID-19 continues to spread at its current pace, we will not have enough hospital space ore medical equipment (such as respirators) to serve those in need. If we reach that point, the mortality rate will rise.

Folks, this thing is coming - we are just at the beginning of it in the United States. We don't need to panic, but we do need to take it seriously. How many lives it will claim is yet to be determined. If we take it seriously with social distancing, good hygiene, etc. we can greatly slow it's spread - which will reduce the number of folks who get infected and allow our health care systems better keep up with need. If we ignore it,it will be bad.

Here is some of the math:
[feld.com]

We are where Italy was -10 days ago. Look at them now. Because a lot of people don't feel sick they spread it. We have a very large Boomer population and they (we?) are the most at risk. If young healthy feeling people who are not showing symptoms don't take it seriously they spread it to us. We do not have enough hospital beds, masks, respirators, gloves, etc. to deal with it.
Please, please, educate yourselves before it's too late for the people you come in contact with. This is an extremely comprehensive article with lots of research, charts, graphs, etc. [medium.com]

A lot of really important and useful information above here.... ^^^^

@Niner; I understand the impetus to take assignments. It feels uncomfortable to be idle when we are used to being busy, but we are the lucky ones that don't need the shops to survive. I'll gladly leave any remaining shops to to those who may benefit more from them.

I think it's now safe to say that virtually everyone will be affected by this, so we all just need to treat the situation with the importance it deserves, and not panic. Bring some TP to a neighbor in need, keep washing our hands, and share this helpful information with each other.

With all the emails I have been receiving from various companies I do business with, I am slightly surprised at the lack of response and outreach from the MS companies, however. So many mainstream businesses are just accepting the inevitable losses and providing generous benefits to those who may be affected. Where's the position of leadership from the MSPA?...the emails from the heads of the MSC's telling us to put our health and safety first?...the assurance that we will be paid, either on time or sooner, for all assignments, even when they go south because of the chaos?

Seems they are doing what they always do, and letting their clients lead, with little regard for shoppers. It appears that the hotel, restaurant, healthcare and retails clients have to pull the assignments before the MSCs act. It would be nice to see them step up and stop having shoppers clog a potentially strained system. With so many worried about having enough food for the week, do the seconds it takes for the understaffed restaurant to serve a meal and invite you to return really matter as much right now?

SteveSoCal opines--The way I see it, @JASFLALMT, we should all just report SF99's post for not being positive, and also being just plain disrespectful.

Bob's opinion--As to the post being negative, to me it was neither that nor positive, rather factual according to SF99's manner of thinking. With respect to his/her verbiage being disrespectful, I also disagree in that I am a believer that some Americans have become far too thin skinned; that includes politically correct BS.

I just had the flu last month and now I'm coming down with something. Its pretty mild but I have a dry cough which later developed to coughing up phlegm. I have some shortness of breath and some slight pain in my chest. I go to the gym regularly but I'm gonna take it easy this week. Once they ramp up the testing I'm definitely gonna get tested.

I am still getting emails advertising shops. The rates are still low. I'm surprised that they don't have to offer bonuses on these shops.

Also, as Steve said, there hasn't been much concern from the MSCs. Almost every business I have contact with, from banks to car dealers to restaurants and everyone else imaginable, has sent updates about how they are handling the situation.

The MSCs have not sent out a single email reassuring people they will get paid, or providing guidance about completing or cancelling assignments, especially in heavily affected areas.

Take care of yourself.

@DavePi wrote:

I just had the flu last month and now I'm coming down with something. Its pretty mild but I have a dry cough which later developed to coughing up phlegm. I have some shortness of breath and some slight pain in my chest. I go to the gym regularly but I'm gonna take it easy this week. Once they ramp up the testing I'm definitely gonna get tested.

@shopperbob wrote:

As to the post being negative, to me it was neither that nor positive, rather factual according to SF99's manner of thinking. With respect to his/her verbiage being disrespectful, I also disagree in that I am a believer that some Americans have become far too thin skinned; that includes politically correct BS.

Understood, Bob, but I was thinking disrespectful and negative to the forum in general. We as a group have a well-understood agreement to not bring politics into the MS discussions. Purposefully throwing a discussion into chaos for whatever reason is disrespectful.

I live in NY, in Westchester County where we have a large outbreak. I am staying away from New Rochelle, where it occurred. But otherwise, I am still doing my shops. I am not afraid of this virus, but I live with my elderly parents and I would not want them to get it from me.

I have those HD shops starting in a few days and I feel sorry for the cashiers. There is so much anxiety and disruption around here. It seems cruel to add to it seeing how many ways I can sneak things through during the checkout process.

Five years ago I used to work in Guest Services at a mall. Despite multiple tries, I have been unable to remove myself from their automated text system. This morning I got a message that they were thinking about temporarily changing their hours. Cynically, I wondered if it was for the public health good or because the stores didn't have any customers.

@shopperbob wrote:

SteveSoCal opines--The way I see it, @JASFLALMT, we should all just report SF99's post for not being positive, and also being just plain disrespectful.

Bob's opinion--As to the post being negative, to me it was neither that nor positive, rather factual according to SF99's manner of thinking. With respect to his/her verbiage being disrespectful, I also disagree in that I am a believer that some Americans have become far too thin skinned; that includes politically correct BS.

This forum is no place for politics. Period. This rule’s been rather transparent for as long as I’ve been around on here.

Opinions do not equal facts. I never stated who I was talking about, for the record. We have had a few idiots running our country over the years, and I didn't specify which one (although I do happen to think that the current one isn't smart). What do you call a former president? Mr. President. And my insinuating the current one isn't smart also does not equate to anti-Trumpism. Again, my opinions aren't relevant either, and my opinions do not equal facts.

My post was just bait to prove a point, and unfortunately Jake chose to take the bait and run with it.

@shopperbob wrote:

Bob's opinion--As to the post being negative, to me it was neither that nor positive, rather factual according to SF99's manner of thinking. /quote]

Kathy, have you replied "STOP?" That usually works. If it doesn't, change the number to someone you really dislike.

We have 13 confirmed cases here in Ohio. Going out this afternoon to do some convenience stores and later doing a BJ's carryout shop. It will be interesting to see what the volume of business is out on the West side of town, which is a shopping mecca, pretty much. I got a text from World Market, they are giving away pizza pie cutters in honor of Pi day, so I will find time to stop in there on my rounds. Which makes me think of Dave PI!

Communities can do some things for themselves. Here, students are given small sums to offset some expenses. Small emergency grants are available for likely effective responses [prevention, intervention, etc.].

I need to find out how some programs might need assistance. How far does a cash gift go? Can I just shop from the food bank's list and drop off items at the door, or something? Can the home-delivered meals program continue? Who else could use some help that is provided in a healthy manner?????

Here they have asked for cash or grocery gift cards instead of supplies. The same for the animal shelter. They said they get better prices by buying in bulk so the cash goes farther than you shopping for them.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

Communities can do some things for themselves. Here, students are given small sums to offset some expenses. Small emergency grants are available for likely effective responses [prevention, intervention, etc.].

I need to find out how some programs might need assistance. How far does a cash gift go? Can I just shop from the food bank's list and drop off items at the door, or something? Can the home-delivered meals program continue? Who else could use some help that is provided in a healthy manner?????

SteveSoCal replies--.We as a group have a well-understood agreement to not bring politics into the MS discussions. Purposefully throwing a discussion into chaos for whatever reason is disrespectful.

Bob removing the egg from his face--This is not an excuse, rather an explanation of ignorance concerning not mentioning politics. In addition, I completely agree concerning any ulterior motive for posting an opinion.

Jake - I have taken these precautions for years and they are nothing new to me. I have carried sanitizer with me for a long time and definitely used everywhere. I have always washed my hands MULTIPLE times a day. Maybe not for 20 seconds, but I have changed that. So I probably fall into the category of someone who takes plenty of precautions. Good. But what scares me are the people who don't take precautions, and it only takes one, especially since I am in that high risk category. In otherwords, anyone else's actions could have bad consequences for me. So I can't support your position on actions taken by our government. I do not however understand the run on TP and PT. For goodness sake, what were people using before?

@LIJake wrote:

I know I am in the minority on this but the virus hasn't changed my life at all, except for using hand cleanser after each shop. My hands are much more sanitary than in the past. Turn on the TV and what do you see? - corona virus. Turn on the radio and what do you hear? - corona virus. Talk to your neighbors and what do you hear? - corona virus. Go to the stores and they are of of toilet paper, $.88 pasta (Ronzoni), hand cleanser and most canned goods. Toilet paper! Really? I'm sorry but I consider this as a contrived state of panic and totally overblown and politicized. Take some basic precautions and this too will pass. I know I'll probably get a lot of blow back on this, but it is the way I feel.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2020 07:46PM by CureMS.

Costco- no toilet paper, wipes, hand sanitizer, bottled water. Walmart- nothing. Three local supermarkets, no toilet paper. One guy had his cart filled with toilet paper and there was none left for anyone else. The one store that had toilet paper had a proverb next to it and said only buy what you need. Another store was price gouging.

Given the current economic uncertainty I am prioritizing shops for MSCs that I am most comfortable will be able and willing to pay.

[www.businessinsider.com]

Survivors of COVID19 might have lung damage (30% reduced capacity).

While too early to tell long-term effects for sure, SARS (2003) did leave some people medically damaged even after recovery from the virus itself.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2020 08:18PM by shoptastic.

I've tried several times to stop the texts. Nothing happened, but as annoying as the monthly system checks are, it's kind of interesting to see what's going on at the mall. It's the one that protestors are most likely to use for public disturbances, and when I get a message telling the stores to close their doors I know that something's going on.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Kathy, have you replied "STOP?" That usually works. If it doesn't, change the number to someone you really dislike.

@MFJohnston wrote:

Right now, in the U.S. between 15% and 20% of infected people require hospitalization. If COVID-19 continues to spread at its current pace, we will not have enough hospital space ore medical equipment (such as respirators) to serve those in need. If we reach that point, the mortality rate will rise.

Folks, this thing is coming - we are just at the beginning of it in the United States. We don't need to panic, but we do need to take it seriously. How many lives it will claim is yet to be determined. If we take it seriously with social distancing, good hygiene, etc. we can greatly slow it's spread - which will reduce the number of folks who get infected and allow our health care systems better keep up with need. If we ignore it,it will be bad.

Here is some of the math:
[feld.com]

This.

We don't have the hospital beds to treat the estimated people needing one. Without a place to rest and get respirator help, the virus carriers can die.

Wuhan had that happen.

I believe Italy is in that situation RIGHT NOW. They don't have the beds to treat people.

COVID19 spreads exponentially. If you graph a log or exponential function, you know there is an inflection point where the line goes straight up. It can start off "slow" and not very steep, but the curve explodes upwards at some point. The U.S. is just getting started, imho, as we were slow to take action. No early effective testing and quarantines. Travel ban should have happened way earlier. etc. etc.

I personally think we'll start seeing cases explode in the next 10 days or so.

I hope I look stupid saying all this and we turn out totally fine. BUT, GET READY!!!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2020 08:32PM by shoptastic.

Hysteria has arrived. Sooooo, went out for a delicious dinner last night. Yes, MSC. Had a wonderful time and delicious food. My date was fun and entertaining as was our server I observed a woman coming in with an elderly male. She requested that the table be disinfected while they waited. My date and I stopped by the grocery store on the way home. Wiped out clean. I wanted to buy beans, peppers and pepperoncini specifically to make dinner tonight. Wound up buying organic milk,
yogurt, blueberriess and strawberries. Went to self checkout. Staff person snarling instructions and showing very high stress behavior. Addtessed her by name as we were exiting and told her she was doing a great job. I think it made her day. Hope so. With a family of 5, I am always stocked with tissue, paper, Chlorox wipes, hand sanitizer, pasta, bread, eggs, butter, sauce, beans, cookies, coffee, milk, chicken, frozen and fresh veggies, soap, shampoo, conditioner, fresh and frozen ravioli and various fresh fruit. I do not feel the frenzy but have openly witnessed it. My commute to work and back has noticeably gone down with regard to crowds. Stay safe everyone.