My sister hosted her bridge club (two tables, eight women) about three weeks ago, in south Alabama.

[DemoTex]

Six of the eight women, but NOT my sister, soon thereafter tested positive for COVID-19. Four of those women developed symptoms. The husband of one on those women showing symptoms contracted COVID-19. He died three days ago.

My sister is a staunch Republican, but did not and will not vote for Trump. Her friends are almost certainly Republicans. My sister claims to be taking COVID-19 very seriously, as she does have a couple (or more) co-morbidities. But a bridge party for eight? And she says she was aghast when these ladies commenced to kissing and hugging when they showed up at her house.

She lives on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. Big Trumplandia. Near the great DUer "trof." But I understand that Fairhope is a hotbed of COVID-19.

[Phoenix61]

1. I lived in Fairhope about 15 years ago. One of the

most racist places I’ve ever lived. Wasn’t sad to leave it.

[misanthrope]

42. Sounds about right

Alabama's most explosive White Flight areas of the last half-century have grown from Baldwin County's Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay. It is one of the most heavily Republican areas in a ruby red state and my experience is that the people who live there look down their noses at Mobile. They won't say it out loud but if you're around them you ascertain the reason has to do with Mobile's larger Black population.

[tanyev]

2. Wow. I have a FB friend in the St. Louis area.

She is constantly posting about trips to see friends, going out to eat, etc. She and her friends are not masked in the pictures she posts. I’ve started looking at her page every day to see how she’s feeling. I figure it’s only a matter of time.

[OAITW r.2.0]

3. Until 90% of the population starts taking this seriously, we will never get this under control.

Thing is, the same idiots who won't wear a mask will refuse a vaccine. At least, at that point, they will be selecting themselves from the gene pool.

[groundloop]

27. Sadly, them not wearing a mask puts the rest of us in danger.

I've read studies which have found that wearing a mask reduces your risk of becoming infected by the Coronavirus by around 30% and reduces the chance of you infecting someone else by over 90%. SO.... wearing a mask isn't so much about protecting yourself but rather protecting everyone around you.

[OAITW r.2.0]

28. That's why I keep self isolating. A trip to get food, go to the PO, or Walmart with mask and

hand protection. That's pretty much it. Will stay that way until sanity prevails.

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. OMG, I bet she won't be going to a bridge party again very soon.

If she's been tested and it was negative, she should probably be tested again to be sure. My nephew (a firefighter/ paramedic) got it in April, then tested negative and was cleared to go back to work. Then he was sent back after running a temperature to be tested again and it was positive. It's a tricky disease. Fortunately, he's fine now.

[blm]

5. Oh my

[MiniMe]

6. I've had a few people over for dinner

We are all over 60, so we are very careful. We don't go out around other people at all. It's very hard to not see other people at all. but social distancing seems to have worked for us so far. My housemate is 80, I am 63, and had a bypass in November, so we are both extremely careful.

[Upthevibe]

15. MineMe....

Are you inside for dinner?

I'm in L.A. and I normally see two of my best friends every week and a little larger group of friends about once a month. We are either in someone's backyard w/our masks on if we venture closer that six feet of each other and for the larger group we're outdoors in a park further than six feet for sure.

I just can't imagine being indoors........

[MiniMe]

21. We are inside

I'm on the East Coast, well not ON the coast, but east rather than west. It's been hot and humid, and we get thunderstorms rolling through on occasion. We stay well separated and don't hang out after dinner. Masks go on after dinner.

[Illumination]

26. Sorry, but getting together in a group isn't being "very careful or extremely careful".

I'm also elderly. Have had ONE person come inside my apartment since March. That was the
maintenance person! C-19 can effect every organ in your body! Besides the fact you're all high risk & it can kill you!

[MiniMe]

31. I haven't been anywhere outside in months

I did go to the pharmacy a month or 2 ago. My friends do about the same as I do

[Ms. Toad]

7. Sheesh . . .

I've been sleeping in a recliner in the living room for the last 14 days, since my spouse decided to go to a wedding shower at which they were serving a meal - and she was seated at a table with 7 other people (who all had to be unmasked for the time it took to eat said meal). Tonight it's finally safe enough for me to share the same breathing space.

And when my college buddy was looking for a place for his kid to stay on the way back to college I refused, until we hit on the solution of a tent in the side yard (with access to a bathroom that opens almost directly off the side door).

People in my house for card games - no way. I prefer a healthy heart and lungs for the rest of my life.

[Sogo]

11. On Friday, I had a cleaning lady at my house

for two hours. I required her to wear a mask, which she complained about. I told her if she didn't want to, she could leave....She is only one of two people (the other an electrician) who have been in my house since mid-March!

[Ms. Toad]

13. Our daughter's infusion nurse comes in every 8 weeks for a couple of hours.

I have not let anyone else in. Unfortunately, I can't get my spouse to fully comply.

Our tent guests understood the rules, and we were up on the deck chatting a bit - and the first thing my spouse says is, "Do you want to come in?" I immediately interjected, "No." But later she brought them to pick out games to play. I've also come home to find other guests inside. Each time I give her the stink-eye and we have the conversation that guests are to stay outside. It's only happened 3 times that I know of, and each time they have stayed in the family room - which I don't do more than pass through on the way to the deck.

But it's a challenge.

[marlakay]

39. I go through same thing

We take dog for walk daily and we don't wear a mask as not that many people around. When we pass people I move way out of the way to not come near them, my hubby will stay on sidewalk and sometimes stop to talk only a few feet away.

And when I try to tell him he isn't being as careful as me, he denies it and says he is.

Ugh...if it wasn't for me he would forget mask all the time. Today we went to Trader Joe's and for once I didn't remind him and he stayed in car because he forgot his mask, of course cashier told me they had spares if it happens again.

I don't go anywhere without mask, wipes, etc.

I think people think it won't happen to them.

[Rebl2]

18. That

would be the last time she cleaned my house. I have a friend who works at a thrift store and when she and the others are in the back they take their masks off. When a volunteer complained, they told her not to bother to come back. Town she lives in very red.

[Illumination]

30. You sound like me Sogo! Had ONE person in my apartment since March. That's the

maintenance person! Currently having a problem with the newspaper person for months now. Had to call The Dept. of Health because he refuses to wear a mask in a 55+ building with 3 floors & he uses our elevators! Hope your house keeper works out...

[Upthevibe]

16. Ms. Toad....

I couldn't agree with you more about having people inside for a gathering......

[Roland99]

8. Darwinism

[Upthevibe]

17. Roland99.....Yep....

Intellectual Darwinism......

[Skittles]

9. you are in cahoots with the retired old fart?

yes INDEED

you want I should kick your sister's coviding ass, Mac? LEMME AT HER! (I will be masked)

[DemoTex]

10. We were DU originals: Skittles, trof, and Demotex (me, May 2001 .. along with Will Pitt)

I hope they dust off the old DU tombstone when I croak. I actually have that image saved on some obscure external hard-drive.

[Gore1FL]

24. I feel like chopped liver.

There are a lot from the old days I truly miss. Some that I don't at all.

I remember when DU was on CSPAN and we were trying to bump the better threads to the front page. Also EarlG's reference to "Bumblefuck towns" in Utah made it to the TV airways.

It bothers me a bit, I must admit, that this site that was built on the election theft and poor presidency of George W. Bush now looks upon him and those that put in in power with high comparative regard.

[Skittles]

37. yup

I was lurking back then (I was very disgusted when the Supreme Court appointed Dubya president and had been looking for others who felt the same) and joined in August 2001

[marlakay]

41. I met Will years ago

We had a DU get together in San Francisco I think in 2004 or 2005. He was visiting from DC.

[Grasswire2]

54. Will has a very vibrant FB group following.

Entertaining and enlightening us every day.

[ProfessorGAC]

47. I Was There Too, Tex!

Old timer chiming in.

[sdfernando]

12. Play stupid games....

win stupid prizes.....in this case, COVID-19. I wonder if they think the bridge game was worth it????

I’m glad your sister is OK and hope she remains so....but honestly, what was she thinking?!?!?!?

[klook]

14. Wow, that's sad.

Croaked over a bridge game!


If I’m not mistaken, Jimmy Buffett lives in Fairhope, correct? Hope he makes it through this ok.

[aggiesal]

19. Covidiots! n/t

[Illumination]

20. What a story! That's unfortunate & OMG brought it home to one of the husbands & he died?

Wow! The grief & guilt she must feel & it didn't have to happen!...

[smirkymonkey]

22. Yes, that is really tragic.

Especially since it could have been prevented.

[genxlib]

35. The opposite is also a possibility

Maybe the husband had it first and his wife brought it to the party.

[Illumination]

38. Oh, like he was cheating on his wife???

[genxlib]

43. WTF? Who said that?

It's not VD. There are plenty of ways he could have already had it. Why would you assume that is what I meant?

[Illumination]

44. "ALL close contact with an infected person can expose you to the virus"!

[LisaL]

49. Covid is not an STD.

One of the woman who went to this party presumably was infected ans spread it to other five. We don't know which one was infected.
It has nothing to do with cheating. When it comes to covid, close contact means within 6 feet of someone.

[Illumination]

50. Actuallly we should be app. 26 feet apart says CDC with no close contact. This country should be

shut down right now! Unfortunately we have an impeached so called "pres" that's committing
genocide. Never said C-19 was an STD, however, C-19 has been found in sperm. Look it up if you don't believe me. Do your research like I do...

[LisaL]

51. I don't care where covid 19 was found or not found.

You responded with a very bizarre suggestion to the post that claimed nothing of the sort.

[Illumination]

52. I was joking actually.

[RockRaven]

23. With all due respect to you/your sister, people are very blind to themselves/their circle.

The six-foot thing is a polite fiction. So is recently testing negative, as an excuse for socializing. So are many of these so-called precautions.

Nobody should host an eight person bridge party and be taken seriously when they say they are taking Covid seriously.

[calimary]

25. Yikes!

Six out of eight.

And one death.

YIKES!

[Collimator]

29. I have a friend in San Francisco

He is HIV positive and takes the precautions very seriously. He has indicated that most businesses in the city are also taking the matter seriously, possibly because they remember a disease that hit them hard even while the rest of the world dismissed it.

[Larissa]

32. Glad to hear your sister is okay

The minute I read your post it reminded me of a NYT's article I had read early in the pandemic -- back in April. Dateline: Colorado Springs. Here's the link:

Bridge was Their Passion, then People started to Die
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/29/us/coronavirus-bridge-colorado-springs.html

[electric_blue68]

33. Yikes! .......

Last edited Mon Aug 24, 2020, 12:25 AM - Edit history (1)

Hopefully your sister will continue to be healthy. Wow
Terrible for all these other people


I haven't seen my sister since Feb and we usually get together every 4-6 weeks. Normally after Christmas we'd also next see our favorite cousins by April, or May. Haven't seen my friends either.
Sigh.

I go out every 2 to 3 days very local- food, house (apt) goods & sundries, and right back home. Always with mask. Don't always bother with the gloves, but hand washed as soon as I get back home. Got alcohol, out in spray bottles.
1x/month pharmacy elsewhere since ours closed. I go by short bus (a bit too far and in addition because of a big hill) ride. I haven't traveled by subway since very early March. I use it all the time.

I hope to get to a particular park which is very big and spacious first time since last ?Oct. My only second trip to Traders in 5+ months soonish - 3 buses.

Finally meeting up separately with sis, and 2 other friends over the next 4 weeks - outside during the day. All of us properly masked, and distanced.
Only because we are in NYC and our case number s are down.

My usual out & aboutness has been cut by 95%, and will be increased by 5 - 10% while the weather is still good and low rates of infection.
Still it will cut my outside activities by 90% - 85% percent until we get a good vaccine. Even then we made have to keep certain precautions at times? Always? Sheeesh, who knows for the moment.

I'm a healthy 67 and hope to stay that way!

Oh, yeah, one maintainence person wearing mask had to repair a badly running faucet and I even let that go on way longer than I ever would have otherwise! Took me till about 2 weeks after NYC stage 3 openings to feel safe enough to have them come in.
And a social worker just a few days ago. That's it for inside my apt by myself.

[Tanuki]

34. I am sorry to hear about this sad and distressing incident.

Thank you for posting, in case anyone who reads it might have been getting lax about covid precautions. I know a few people who, although initially very careful, seem to be increasing their close-quarters social contacts in a manner that I find careless and potentially dangerous. Your sister's catastrophic bridge party is a potent reminder of what is at stake.

[womanofthehills]

36. A member of my book club suggested we meet on her porch

Staying 6 feet away. We all declined and said we felt more comfortable meeting on Zoom.

[electric_blue68]

40. To the very long time DU'ers....

(since you happen to have partially posted in this thread)

...when the political off-topic sub-forum of a rock band site I've been on for a looong time wasn't generating enough posts for these crazy times...

I remembered from seeing way back in 2000-01,2002 when I only had access to the Net at the Library and a paying Net-cafe... wasn't there a site called DU?

Luckily the owner, tech people, and you and lots of other posters have kept it lively for so long. Congrats!

[calimary]

45. Well, as someone who found my way here after the bush/cheney

election theft allowed them to take Al Gore’s rightful place in the White House, gotta say it kept me sane through all that. And I’m very grateful!

It allowed me to discover that I wasn’t alone in how angry and burned and ripped off I felt. It was a relief to find others sharing my sense of dread and outrage. It helped me get through all that, and more. It’s been a genuine public service.

[electric_blue68]

46. good timing for you...

Luckily I had/have friends, family, and acquaintances feeling the same way! And in a quite blue city like NYC I wasn't an "outlier".

[ProfessorGAC]

48. DU Started Up...

...IIRC, the day 43 was inaugurated. January 2001.
I heard Skinner do a phone interview on cspan WJ a couple months later.
I checked it out and have been here since.
So, yes DU was around back to early 2001.

[electric_blue68]

53. Good you found it so early...

It certainly caught my eye after W was elected .
I was like -Oh! Look at that!

With my intermittent WiFi access back then there was only so much time available. Glad it has thrived, that I remembered the name 19 years later, and bought a smartphone right at the beginning of the shut down.