Please, please, please STAY HOME - that massage is STILL not worth your life

[big dale]

I get it. We all need touch. We all get that itch. He says he keeps his table super clean. We are both going to wear a mask. The economy needs to keep moving, etc., etc., etc.

 

And that's all fine and well, except things are getting worse. Period. This isn't speculation, or mind control, or the government trying to take away your rights. This is life or DEATH. There's a new more contagious version of COVID-19 in the UK and now the US. In the Los Angeles area 1 in 5 people tested is showing to be infected. This is an huge increase from before the holidays.

 

Ambulances are no longer transporting people in cardiac arrest if they cannot revive you on site you get left behind. There's no capacity for people hurt in car accidents or with other health emergencies. https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/05/us/los-angeles-county-california-human-disaster-covid/index.html

 

So, yes... come here and share stories and tips, make your wish list for when things are more stable, ask about your favorite eye candy, but think twice 365,620 times before you book a massage. (That's the US death toll as of this posting.)

 

And here's the thing; I know some of you are going to lambast me, and try your straw man arguments, report this post and try to have it taken down, but I really don't care. Somebody has to say this. We need to stop this thing. It starts with each of us acting responsibly.

 

Need info on how to keep yourself safe? https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

 

height=200pxhttps://uconn-today-universityofconn.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/GettyImages-1215979676-1024x717.jpg[/img]

Edited January 10, 2021 by big dale

[Otto]

Big Dale, you rock.

[Champagne_papi]

The best way to prevent the spread is still - WASH YOUR HANDS.

[Daniel84]

I take all precautions to keep me safe and my clients. I had Covid March 16th. I get tested every two weeks and still have active antibodies as I take care of my grandmother. I sterilize all surfaces and wear a mask if my clients request.

[+ augustus]

Is this new strain more dangerous?? All viruses mutate. And unfortunately there's no way to stop a bug. It even exists on cash for weeks. I'm not staying home. Also, hospital admissions in NY and NJ are actually down.

[Chummily]

Is this new strain more dangerous?? All viruses mutate. And unfortunately there's no way to stop a bug. It even exists on cash for weeks. I'm not staying home. Also, hospital admissions in NY and NJ are actually down.

 

The new strain isn’t any more dangerous, it’s just that it is able to spread way easier to others. Meaning an overall gain in sick people, potentially more people dying, etc

[big dale]

The new strain isn’t any more dangerous, it’s just that it is able to spread way easier to others. Meaning an overall gain in sick people, potentially more people dying, etc

More people getting sick and dying (or living with life-long health issues) sounds like the very definition of more dangerous to me.

[big dale]

The best way to prevent the spread is still - WASH YOUR HANDS.

It's a great tip, but not the only thing to worry about by a long shot. You may want to refer to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

[big dale]

I take all precautions to keep me safe and my clients. I had Covid March 16th. I get tested every two weeks and still have active antibodies as I take care of my grandmother. I sterilize all surfaces and wear a mask if my clients request.

Respectfully, what is your training around disinfection and sterilization protocols? What special equipment are you using to filter the air in the room you work in? What tools do you have at your disposal to clean and sterilize your space, tools, linens, etc?

 

Having antibodies to the virus that causes COVID-19 may provide protection from getting infected with the virus again. But even if it does, we do not know how much protection the antibodies may provide or how long this protection may last. There's simply not enough science, and you're cherry-picking what you're choosing to believe.

 

Wearing a mask only at the client's request puts both of you in danger. And your grandmother and other innocent people you later come into contact with are also put into danger.

 

I understand this is an income stream and that must be hard, but if you have to keep working please be safer.

[Daniel84]

I am following CDC and NY guidelines.

 

like I said I get tested regularly and follow the laws and rules to reopen. I use clean linens, disinfect all surfaces, and regular wash my hands. My massage therapy business is a real business that I pay taxes on. I treat my clients with respect and their safety is very important to me.

 

Mandatory

• OSHA recommendations for health and safety in salons as well as the hygiene and sanitation requirements of Article 27 of the General Business Law, 19 NYCRR 160.19, 160.20, 160.21, 160.22 and 160.24 are followed.

Facilities offering massage therapy and spa services must:

• Provide accommodations for clean and disinfected face coverings during massage in prone position (e.g. cotton pillowcase draped in face cradle) or avoid such positions altogether. Employees may perform massages on customers in prone positions if the employee is equipped with both a face covering and face shield or eye protection. Ensure that customers don face covering when switching from prone to side or supine position.

• Ensure that all linens are changed between clients and laundered appropriately and that they are stored in appropriate containers between use.

[Chummily]

More people getting sick and dying (or living with life-long health issues) sounds like the very definition of more dangerous to me.

 

You’re absolutely right. I guess I worded it poorly. By not any more dangerous, I mean the symptoms are pretty much the same. But yeah 100% more people sick/dying is inherently more dangerous.

[Cruiser7]

Also, hospital admissions in NY and NJ are actually down.

In New York hospitalizations have skyrocketed. Granted, we’re not at the breaking point like California, but over 8,000 as of today which is up about 1,500 from last week.

[Cruiser7]

You’re absolutely right. I guess I worded it poorly. By not any more dangerous, I mean the symptoms are pretty much the same. But yeah 100% more people sick/dying is inherently more dangerous.

I don’t think you worded it poorly at all.

By “more dangerous” one usually associates that with being more virulent or more deadly. This ‘new’ strain is neither, just way easier to catch.

[Otto]

Is this new strain more dangerous?? All viruses mutate. And unfortunately there's no way to stop a bug. It even exists on cash for weeks. I'm not staying home. Also, hospital admissions in NY and NJ are actually down.

 

Well by golly Augustus, don't pick your nose!

 

According to doctors, picking your nose can put you in danger of catching COVID.

 

https://bestlifeonline.com/picking-nose-covid/

[+ augustus]

In New York hospitalizations have skyrocketed. Granted, we’re not at the breaking point like California, but over 8,000 as of today which is up about 1,500 from last week.

 

Still much less than in April-May of 2020. Also very few people on ventilators and most are sent home after a few days. The death rate is much lower too.

[Cruiser7]

Still much less than in April-May of 2020. Also very few people on ventilators and most are sent home after a few days. The death rate is much lower too.

All true, for a variety of reasons (speaking of vents), but god knows we don’t want to get back to April-May levels. That was almost catastrophic and we’re creeping back up to almost half of where we were. And when you compare it to the summer numbers, it’s harsh.

[Kent1972]

Over a third of a million Americans dead, millions more sick, many with long lasting, pegsps permanent, damage to their bodies, and a few still try to downplay this virus. Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.

[dutchal]

Is this new strain more dangerous?? All viruses mutate. And unfortunately there's no way to stop a bug. It even exists on cash for weeks. I'm not staying home. Also, hospital admissions in NY and NJ are actually down.

 

New York hospital admissions have been increasing steadily since September 4: https://forward.ny.gov/daily-hospitalization-summary-region

The idea that they remain below the spring peak, when people were dying in ambulances waiting to be offloaded and bodies were being piled into refrigerated trucks and u-hauls, is somehow a sign that things are in healthy shape, is obscenely wrong and wrong-headed.

 

Yes, all viruses mutate, but that doesn't make that fact harmless. The majority of mutations are either neutral or harm the virus's virulence, but a minority increase the danger from the virus in one way or another. There have indeed been two mutations now documented that increase the overall danger from this virus. The spread of one, originally found in the U.K., increases your chances of catching it if exposed. And if you catch it, while odds are you won't get too sick, there is about a ten percent chance of your getting seriously ill and about a two percent chance of your dying. How many of you, if told the plane you were about to get on, had a ten percent chance of crashing resulting in your serious injury and a two percent chance of crashing and killing you, would get on the plane? The new South African strain may be resistant to the vaccines, which could mean a whole new ball game pretty much equivalent to an entirely new pandemic. And the fact that all viruses mutate also means that there are other, newer mutations out there not yet detected. Indeed, the more people who get the virus, even if not ill at all, increases the number of mutations that will occur, including the number of potentially more dangerous mutations. That's part of the danger with the new UK strain.

 

The only way to avoid these risks is not to catch it in the first place, which means taking precautions, including assuming that anyone and everyone you meet could be contagious but asymptomatic, and as the infection rate rises, that means this assumption becomes ever closer to an accurate fact.

[Kent1972]

Many of us on this forum remember the early days of the AIDS crisis. While not the same, there are some parallels and lessons that should have been learned. The Reagan administration downplayed AIDS, deliberately undercounted cases, and much of the country was in denial about its severity, or even existence. Ronnie didn’t mention it publicly for years.

 

The real lesson from the early response to AIDS is that viruses do not have ears. They do not listen to grandstanding, rationalizing or denial. They just keep infecting.

[Luv2play]

The best way to prevent the spread is still - WASH YOUR HANDS.

Actually I don't think that is true any more. While washing your hands frequently during the day is still important and also helps avoiding other infections like the common flu, here in Canada we are being told most transmission is via breathing in the virus.

 

Therefore it is more important to wear masks when near people in public and avoid prolonged exposure to strangers of over several minutes.

 

Contracting the virus from touching surfaces that are infected and then touching your face is not considered to cause more than about 2 per cent of cases. And we are being told to forget all that advice about washing your groceries before handling them in food preparation.

[Luv2play]

New York hospital admissions have been increasing steadily since September 4: https://forward.ny.gov/daily-hospitalization-summary-region

The idea that they remain below the spring peak, when people were dying in ambulances waiting to be offloaded and bodies were being piled into refrigerated trucks and u-hauls, is somehow a sign that things are in healthy shape, is obscenely wrong and wrong-headed.

 

Yes, all viruses mutate, but that doesn't make that fact harmless. The majority of mutations are either neutral or harm the virus's virulence, but a minority increase the danger from the virus in one way or another. There have indeed been two mutations now documented that increase the overall danger from this virus. The spread of one, originally found in the U.K., increases your chances of catching it if exposed. And if you catch it, while odds are you won't get too sick, there is about a ten percent chance of your getting seriously ill and about a two percent chance of your dying. How many of you, if told the plane you were about to get on, had a ten percent chance of crashing resulting in your serious injury and a two percent chance of crashing and killing you, would get on the plane? The new South African strain may be resistant to the vaccines, which could mean a whole new ball game pretty much equivalent to an entirely new pandemic. And the fact that all viruses mutate also means that there are other, newer mutations out there not yet detected. Indeed, the more people who get the virus, even if not ill at all, increases the number of mutations that will occur, including the number of potentially more dangerous mutations. That's part of the danger with the new UK strain.

 

The only way to avoid these risks is not to catch it in the first place, which means taking precautions, including assuming that anyone and everyone you meet could be contagious but asymptomatic, and as the infection rate rises, that means this assumption becomes ever closer to an accurate fact.

I read somewhere that the treatment being given to some patients is actually causing the mutations to multiply. Its the treatment where blood plasma is used from previously infected patients who recovered. Not to be too alarmist since most mutations do not present more risk of dying and in fact some cause weaker symptoms. But still, something that has to be watched, which I assume scientists are doing.

[+ Lucky]

Like many others, I read the posts about hookups and massages with interest. It's kind of a vicarious pleasure. Personally, I wouldn't take the risk right now. I kind of support others' right to take the risk, but then again, it's the taxpayers who likely will end up paying for their treatment should they get sick. So that leaves me encouraging others to NOT take the risk. As if they would listen to me! ?

[HK520]

I take all precautions to keep me safe and my clients. I had Covid March 16th. I get tested every two weeks and still have active antibodies as I take care of my grandmother. I sterilize all surfaces and wear a mask if my clients request.

with all due respect, there is zero scientific proof currently that someone who had Covid in March still has immunity - yes, it's possible, but not certain. And there have been some cases of people being re-infected.

[Becket]

All of this is a reminder that 1. We're no where near through with this shit.

2. It's no time to be a selfish pig. You may get it. It may be mild. And someone else may get infected by you. And they might get very sick, or suffer and die. And the death will affect families in myriad ways, few of them good. 3. We are in desperate need of national leadership here. Coming soon (Jan 20?) I hope.

4. Please, my friends, Romans, Countrymen, think of someone else this day. Someone sicker, weaker, needier.

[Pittlookalike]

Big dale is absolutely correct. Nearly every masseur i have communicated with has had covid.