I love credit cards so much! v3.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[afan]

I really like your post. I work in a nursing home where we now have 3 positive residents, one of which passed away two nights ago, and A LOT of test results pending for residents with symptoms (it takes us 5 days to get results- ridiculous). I had to call verizon wireless today about about an issue I was having and the girl I spoke with said she was working from home and asked if I was working from home too. I told her no, I'm actually on my lunch break working in my nursing home right now. She responded by saying "Thank you for your service." It was so unexpected to hear that because that's always what you say to your military, but it really made me feel good. In my town we haven't yet been hit hard. It's just starting. Already there is such a different feel to the place and a lot of staff are nervous. We have parents and family members at home that we worry we could take it home to. I'm concerned enough about DH, DS, and DD. My parents are in their 70's with multiple health conditions. They live next door, but I've told them I won't be seeing them until this is over. Some of our staff here don't have the ability to do that. One of my close co-workers lives with and cares for her 80 something parents. We had several employees who walked out the day we had our first positive patient, and a trickle of others quitting since then. I can't imagine how it will get if it spreads more through our facility. I work in physical therapy, but our therapy staff has been helping nursing, activities, and anywhere else after we finish our treatments for the day because we're short staffed now. I've actually really developed a greater appreciation for our activities staff. Our poor residents have been stuck in their rooms- not able to come out for any reason- for weeks now, and our more active, social residents are really struggling with that. Our activities staff is doing an awesome job keeping them busy, helping them face time family members since they can't visit, playing hallway BINGO, things like that. I'm really praying for negative results on the ones we have outstanding. I know how it feels here in my building- I can't imagine how those working in the hard hit areas must be feeling.

I haven't heard more about the one facility here that everyone heard about as we had the 1st case and the first care facility that got hit, in a few days. I'm hoping that means they've got it unser control now and not that other stuff had taken priority on the news. The army arrived earlier this week and their field hospital for non covid patients will open next week though it looked ready on the news the other day. I think figuring out which hospitals, patients and how they get to the field hospital is what's in process now.

As I've said before, if it hasn't hit your area yet be grateful but with an incubation up to 2 weeks and people not abiding by rules all over it doesn't mean things will stay quiet where you are. We were quiet too at one point and I can actually thank that we have a crappy public transit system in the Seattle area and that we are car reliant because I'm sure all the subway riders and walkers are what had made nyc spike so badly.

@DisneyMandC thanks for the amex info, I'll chat with them once I'm on my laptop after work since my plat was end of feb. Also hadn't thought about the blackouts for the olympics but that makes sense.

 

[gottalovepluto]

6.6 million initial claims last week. Yikes. Briefing.com was expecting 2.8 million.

Praying Paycheck Protection Program helps business owners and employees.

Honestly Wall St had no clue what to expect so they just guessed close to last week's number. Next 2 weeks should be very interesting if they can get the small business paycheck loans functioning.

 

[smmco]

I live in Central New York but I am feeling keenly, what those down state of me are living through. It is painful to watch. I believe that plane full of doctors and nurses who made the choice to come here, in spite of the very likely great personal cost to both themselves and the ones they love are the ones who divide those who have a "job" from the ones who live a "calling." They are true heroes, in my mind... just like my loved ones who are military, in the Marines and Air Force. This is a war... and it affects all of us, whether we see it that way now, or not. I'm feeling guilty lately that what I am doing right now to help, is sitting on the couch watching it unfold from a distance, while others put their lives on the line every day.

I will say this. I hope if I or the ones I love end up in need in the coming months... we find ourselves in the care of those who were called on, and chose to respond.

That’s all we’ll and good, but i have a hard time believing monetary incentive is not a major factor. I know nurses all too well. The housing costs being so high makes it difficult to get travel nurses without offering a big incentive.
I do know a couple of nurses that went to Africa during the Ebola outbreak. Now that takes guts and dedication.

 

[hulagirl]

I told her no, I'm actually on my lunch break working in my nursing home right now. She responded by saying "Thank you for your service." It was so unexpected to hear that because that's always what you say to your military, but it really made me feel good. In my town we haven't yet been hit hard. It's just starting. Already there is such a different feel to the place and a lot of staff are nervous.

My father in law is in a nursing home and we aren't able to visit him now so I too, thank you for your service and for sharing your story. I don't even know how to tell you how much what you are doing matters. (and means to me personally)

I want to come out of all this with a soft heart that can feel compassion and sorrow during hard times, even if they don't directly touch me. I want to feel that in equal measure to the joy and happiness I've felt during the vacations every one of us have known as a result of years of successful, lucrative credit card churning.

If I am forced to take a pause on all of it... on Disney, and Hawaii, especially... how little that matters in the bigger picture here. SO important for me to re-examine what actually does.

I have lots of Jetblue and Hilton points I could share with any doctor, nurse, or first responder who wants to go but might not otherwise be able to get there and stay. If any of you know a place I could post that, that might be more effective, please let me know.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I 'think' @smmco is in Arizona, but I could be mistaken. She's definitely told us at some point. I look at the numbers a lot. And, I tend to compare things to my state of Maryland. Right now, Maryland has 2331 confirmed cases, and 36 deaths, allowing for errors. Arizona has 1530 cases and 29 deaths.

Arizona has about 1 and 1/4 million more people than Maryland and their hospitals do not show a regular bed shortage. They do show a lack of ventilators needed and a small shortage in ICU beds.

Maryland on the other hand shows a shortage of 2075 beds. So, Arizona with more population has a projected loss of about 1387 lives by August. Maryland's projected loss of lives is 1766.
The part I can't put together is why Arizona will peak earlier than Maryland? April 27 versus April 29? To me it looks like Arizona is better prepared to weather the peak = less dying as the state reaches full usage of their resources. There could be age demographics worked into this study but it doesn't show it to us.

Yeah I'd guess age. AZ is PACKED with retirees...

 

[Judique]

I'm not a PhD so I get lost when this gets too technical. I do work with PhD economists and am the daughter of one so that helps some

Here's the link to the article: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.27.20043752v1.full.pdf

What I can't figure out is how the heck is VA's death rate supposed to be as high as Michigan's? I guess it has to do with us not peaking for 7 more weeks. Ugh.

Thank you!

 

[smmco]

Yeah I'd guess age. AZ is PACKED with retirees...

The ones still here are out on the golf courses. Everyone has to have there own golf cart now. No sharing. A lot them leave for the Summer starting in April.

 

[georgina]

Some hopeful news for the future...

Potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by UPMC, Pitt

https://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stori...oped-by-upmc-pitt/XCZNYVI7GVC2JFTWCSQYUM55WU/

I'll get in line to sign up for that clinical trial!

 

[StephPlum]

I chatted with Amex earlier to confirm it would apply to my Gold card and they said it would. I got that card Feb. 1.

I am going to have to chat to see what the extended date will be on DH's BBP. He got it late January.

 

[hlhlaw07]

That’s all we’ll and good, but i have a hard time believing monetary incentive is not a major factor.

It may be shocking, but some people (I would maybe even venture to guess a lot of people) are not motivated by money.

 

[orangecuse]

We have a local nursing home with 92 cases and 16 deaths Ugh

We just received word my husband’s grandmother is positive and probably passing soon. She got it from a rehab center she was in.

 

[wendow]

We just received word my husband’s grandmother is positive and probably passing soon. She got it from a rehab center she was in.

I’m so sorry

 

[palhockeymomof2]

We just received word my husband’s grandmother is positive and probably passing soon. She got it from a rehab center she was in.

I’m so sorry...sending

 

[smmco]

It may be shocking, but some people (I would maybe even venture to guess a lot of people) are not motivated by money.

No but nurses have bills too. We don’t work for free.

 

[smmco]

https://www.insidesources.com/unexpected-consequence-of-covid-19-crisis-empty-emergency-rooms/Thought some of you that don’t believe me might like this.

 

[havaneselover]

We just received word my husband’s grandmother is positive and probably passing soon. She got it from a rehab center she was in.

Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry.

 

[afan]

https://www.insidesources.com/unexpected-consequence-of-covid-19-crisis-empty-emergency-rooms/Thought some of you that don’t believe me might like this.

It's not that people don't believe you, there are people in this thread/on these boards that have been laid off etc because of this. It also makes sense. They're telling people not to go to the ER unless it's an emergency becauae we all know a lot of the people that go don't have tru emergencies but don't have a dr etc. People may also be going to urgent care, tele med or the dr.

And I'm not teying to start yet another argument but just because people are getting reduced hours and laid off and ERs are empty in parts of the country doesn't mean that it's that way all over. We don't all need to experience it first hand to underatand it's both terrible in places and not an issue (yet) elsewhere. I don't need to personally have flown to space to know we've put people on the moon...

 

[wendow]

If this was already posted, I’m sorry. Chase has launched their new student version of the Freedom card. For those who have adult children, who haven’t previously went for a discover card, this could be a good place to start. I don’t care for the benefits as much as the discover student but it would get your kiddo “in with chase” sooner and therefore, closer to getting more premium cards.
Have no idea if freedom support links work for this card...?

https://creditcards.chase.com/cash-back-credit-cards/freedom/student

 

[GZanta77]

I will need to cancel my daughter's early June flight to London on Virgin America (booked in February). Her flight was 17,500 points + $275 in taxes/fees. Is the consensus to simply sit tight in hopes that they will cancel the flight and issue a refund?

I assume this was 17500 Virgin miles, and on that basis - award flight bookings with Virgin Atlantic can usually be canceled for a redeposit fee of $50. Virgin is being a bit sneaky by leaving many flights in the schedule and then canceling at the last minute - presumably to minimise the demand for refunds.

So there is no harm in leaving it for a while to see what happens - your worst case if you want to cancel before Virgin should be $50 loss taken out of your refund of taxes.

 

[needsomesun]

Officially laid off this week (nurse here, hours were cut last week), so I'm trying to navigate the unemployment thing, we'll see how that goes. I don't think DH is too sad, he works from home, kids are home, and he wasn't excited for me to go out to work during this. So I won't be hopping a bus to NYC to help out, and feel no guilt for it. Our state seems to be doing ok, people are taking the social distancing seriously, for the most part.
My mom is driving me a little crazy. She's super bored and calling a lot. We're running out of things to talk about. Nope, nothing new in the past 3 hrs, since I talked to you last...