COVID-19 Affecting Your Plans?

I'm in healthcare in a super high risk position to get exposed so I am 100% certain I will get it eventually. Until that time I wouldn't change anything about being outside. Most of my hikes and trips are solo so I'm way ahead of the curve on the social isolation aspect. My job has bagged all travel so I'm out of luck on a conference next month in DC. They also have implemented a rule that you need to get screened before returning to work if you travel out of state, which seems silly as there is no question the virus is alive and well in the community.
 
Hiker Seth said:
I'm in healthcare in a super high risk position to get exposed so I am 100% certain I will get it eventually. Until that time I wouldn't change anything about being outside. Most of my hikes and trips are solo so I'm way ahead of the curve on the social isolation aspect. My job has bagged all travel so I'm out of luck on a conference next month in DC. They also have implemented a rule that you need to get screened before returning to work if you travel out of state, which seems silly as there is no question the virus is alive and well in the community.
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screened where ? Right now nobody gets screened unless they have full blown symptoms, as they don’t have enough testing analysis capabilities. A company in Colorado had 10 employees attending a conference outside the US where 1 later tested positive. Company tried this week to get the 10 individuals tested, but were told it’s not possible unless you have symptoms. Therefore all are self isolating at home.

our local pharmaceutical company (who is working on the cure) ordered all office people to work from home yesterday (Social distancing). Manufactory still running.

I agree it’s already spreading everywhere and I assume we will get it. Actually getting tested for it is not so simple.
 
Titans said:
screened where ? Right now nobody gets screened unless they have full blown symptoms, as they don’t have enough testing analysis capabilities. A company in Colorado had 10 employees attending a conference outside the US where 1 later tested positive. Company tried this week to get the 10 individuals tested, but were told it’s not possible unless you have symptoms. Therefore all are self isolating at home.
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At my place of employment. They have plenty of screening capacity. Supply isn't an issue.

I should clarify to say that by screening they are implying that you have an interview with employee health, not get the full blown test if you have travelled, but again I am told we have plenty of capacity to test.
 
Should be in Grand Gulch next Saturday for 4 days. So I am hoping it does not affect anything. I have two friends flying in from the East Coast, which could be the only problem if they run in to travel plans. If that is the case, I might be doing a solo trip or looking for someone to escape the real world for a few days. @Wanderlust073 nailed it! And I am liking @scatman 's style!!! Looking forward to my first trip to Grand Gulch!
 
Titans said:
screened where ? Right now nobody gets screened unless they have full blown symptoms,
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Just need a doctor's note to go to a drive up test center here in CO. The shortage here is on the supplies the state has to buy open market - swabs and such.
 
Wanderlust073 said:
Just need a doctor's note to go to a drive up test center here in CO. The shortage here is on the supplies the state has to buy open market - swabs and such.
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Yes, I just read that too. But beginning this week when the 10 people in Denver needed to be tested it wasn't possible, we are friends with one of the 10.
It's excellent they got that up and running!
 
Wanderlust073 said:
Just need a doctor's note to go to a drive up test center here in CO. The shortage here is on the supplies the state has to buy open market - swabs and such.
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It is affecting my plans, for various reasons. I am 61, and have a history of heart and respiratory disease. And I am worried, or let's say concerned. I can't take off and stay away from other people (I am Jealous @Yvonne! Although I am going to Cedar Mesa in a couple of weeks). We live near Aspen, with people coming from all over the world to ski.
No drive up windows here.
The operative word is "doctors note", which requires making a call, getting the doctors note, Then I have to go to a doctors office, sit in a waiting room filled with sneezing/coughing people, and pay for my test because I am not covered by the Division of Insurance, then wait for the results, 4 days I think?
In South Korea:
The test takes 10 minutes at most, via drive up. Results are texted to you usually the next day. And it's free — paid for by the government. They are testing 3600/million people, the US 5/million.
I am looking forward to my backpacking trip!
 
I appreciate the comments and suggestions, all. Thermo and SPOT on my list to acquire prior to departure. Of note: CANY and ZION permit websites not showing many openings. If folks are bailing I sure hope they have the courtesy to notify the NPS to cancel and reopen their slots for others. Wasn't planning Needles this trip but wouldn't mind a Lavender/Upper Salt option. I also feel a tad of comfort knowing that the NPS has knowledge of my wherabouts.
 
gnwatts said:
It is affecting my plans, for various reasons. I am 61, and have a history of heart and respiratory disease.
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Don't know what to tell you, man. Stay safe as you can, wash those hands, and fingers crossed Roche's test kits with 3.5h turnaround that were approved today are produced and distributed in large numbers asap.

And have a good time in Cedar Mesa! :)
 
gnwatts said:
It is affecting my plans, for various reasons. I am 61, and have a history of heart and respiratory disease. And I am worried, or let's say concerned. I can't take off and stay away from other people (I am Jealous @Yvonne! Although I am going to Cedar Mesa in a couple of weeks). We live near Aspen, with people coming from all over the world to ski.
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my school decided to not have classes in person, I'm okay with that.
I still have my Zion visitor center job and see hundreds of people each shift. But even with my chronic lung disease and other issues like immune suppressed and cardiovascular issues I'm just not worried at all.
Not sure if they will limit visitor center services but until now all is normal and I love being around visitors from all over the world and help them plan their trip in Zion. Not planning to stay at home simply because I'm in the highest risk group. If I will get it, then I get it and stay at home for the two weeks and am over it for good. Not worried at all.
Since I never travel outside the country nothing is affecting my plans
I just enjoy my daily hikes after school and work like always and am super excited to spent my summer in Yellowstone. It will actually really nice not having so many other visitors in the park.

I hope that all who canceled their plans will return their permits so I can pick some and play


And I'm super excited to go on a weeklong geology field trip starting tomorrow
 
OwenM said:
This seems like a perfect time to chance places whose visitation has skyrocketed in recent years. Like Zion, which I love, but avoid due to lack of an off-season, lately. Maybe there wouldn't be so many people there for a change!
I was blessed with a strong immune system, though. About to be 49, and haven't really been sick since getting chicken pox when I was 3.
I certainly don't want to be dismissive of the suffering and deaths coronavirus has caused(as those people and their families have my full sympathy), it's just not something I worry over for myself at this point.
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I saw a selfie from someone yesterday riding the shuttle at Zion at 11 am. They were the only one on the shuttle along with the driver, or they did a great job of making it appear that way. Crazy! Between the virus and the fact that a handful of popular trails in Zion are all shut down due to rock slides and maintenance projects at the moment, it makes a lot of sense why the crowds would be so scarce now at those places. If you have down time for work and what not, definitely a good time to swing out to those places if you can.

My organization has requested all that can work remotely from home to do so, but my department is considered essential for continued presence int he building. Hard to directly operate a TV channel from home. Because we are part of a college campus, we have a lot of students that work for us. As a precaution, we've had to cut back on a bunch of student hours, (some already going home to finish out the semester online anyway), and have spread out our full-time presence to fill those voids. This means that we now have less redundancy to allow vacation time to be taken and what not. Especially at the risk of any of our other employees getting sick, with anything, or a member of their household, they will have to stay at home and that would be really tough if one of us was out on vacation. I had planned to take a couple days off in early April and then again in May for a couple different trips, so I'm really hoping this all settles down enough to make that possible by then. April is probably really iffy right now, but May is the big one that will be a huge disappointment if that doesn't happen.
 
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My trip to southern utah is a little over a week away. I'm not too concerned for myself as I am not in a high risk group but I do think about what ifs; what if something happens while I'm away. What if the wife gets sick, my daughters school closes, etc? I'm just playing it day by day right now.

@Yvonne as promised, I sent you a present ❄️
 
Outdoors24 said:
That Scatman-55 virus also seems like some pretty serious business. I am already 200 plus miles away from Yellowstone, so I am good there. I will make sure to watch out for any sudden bagpipe music. :)
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You may want to avoid bluegrass music also. If you find your feet starting to do a little jig, stop immediately and get two weeks of bed rest. :)
 
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