Tell me if I am wrong...
Back in the STD/AIDS crisis doctors told folks that essentially when you were physically intimate with someone you were also intimate with everyone they were previously intimate with, and vice versa.
Extrapolate that to COVID-19. It seems to spread by breathing. So when you encounter someone you're breathing in air they breathed out. And if the virus is there, you're breathing that in. And then when you go to a new group of people you're spreading your previously ingested germs.
I am HUGELY concerned because one of my coworkers is hosting a family gathering this weekend.
I'm not really pleased that our company can't get us out of the office anyway, not in the immediate future. And I'm not really pleased that this person is our resource person, the most knowledgeable person on our team. So it is not like I can avoid this coworker.
I did ask her if she wasn't concerned for the virus, and she pretty much blew me off. She is close to my age, and thinks if she goes she goes. I'm not so worried about the going, I'm more worried about the debilitation and suffering before going and residual effects if it doesn't kill me.
And I realize I have not been uber careful, I've still gone grocery shopping when I didn't "need" to. And to be totally honest I bear some antipathy towards this coworker. Some of the rest of the team still has family members coming and going. But this has me really irritated. I think considering the climate she is putting the rest of us at higher risk.
If your state or county doesn't have a temporary ban on gatherings of 10 or more, and isn't implementing a "work from home'" and "stay at home" mandate for all non-essential workers, then the best you can do to protect yourself is to practice social distancing (6 feet apart) and wash your hands after touching any community surfaces she and others have touched.
There comes a point where you have to protect yourselves, if others are not respecting your right to a healthy work place. (Hold your breath when passing by her, if she ends up coughing/sneezing?)
I find myself holding my breath when people are getting too close to me -- First it was because I was worried I might be contagious after being sick -- now it's to protect myself from ever being that sick again.
Maybe set some sanitizer out in your workspace to show that you are being dilligent yourself in not spreading anything and encourage co-workers to do the same - to raise the bar a bit as far as your office's collective efforts in keeping everyone healthy?
Best to mind yourown business on this IMO, it is no different than going to a store. If she mentions anybody was unwell there, I would immediately DC lately go to HR or the boss and tell them, though!
Retire
well, that was the plan until the stock market tanked and took my retirement funds.
@HippieChick58 Ouch. Diversify.
@HippieChick58 I got seriously bitten in the 1987 Black Monday, by a six figure number!
...and thinks if she goes she goes.
She's basically forcing her attitude about this onto everyone else, which selfishly ignores the reality of others opinions about life and death. I'd talk to her superior about it with a "she stays home or I do, and btw I'm telling everyone here exactly why if I'm forced to do this" themed conversation.
And she is best buds with our supervisor. Oh yes this is a deeply dysfunctional office.
@HippieChick58 chips are gonna fall but don't let that bully you into silence. I'd also contact an attorney and pay a quick phone consult fee about options.
Liberty university is staying open and may be opening itself up for a few lawsuits.
[slate.com]
Good luck
If you were in Washington your office would probably be closed, that gathering "illegal".
Some of us on the coast where we're taking aggressive means to dispel this virus are wondering what "normal" is going to look like. We're told 6-8 weeks more of this shut-down and we'll be back to normal.
Normal being the cruise ships start-up again and we have 1000's of folks from states now doing nothing, rolling through Seatac Airport.
Here we are not allowed to have gatherings over 10 and most won't even do that. The 2 cases so-far were on the big island and both were in the same family. There has now been 1 confirmed case on Lopez (out of 2400 residents) and even though the name can't be given it has been said all those that were in contact with this person have been found and examined. All it takes is one infected person. Multiply, the number of people around you to multiply the odds of infection. If you're co-worker went I would stay away from the co-worker at work.
At our 'stage-of-life' we need to be overly cautious.