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Old 06-16-2020, 04:23 AM   #1
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Travel risks?

Hi all,



Like everyone we are unsure of where we will head for our winter escape from Michigan, given COVID.


This article got my attention this AM.


https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps...=home?ref=home


May need to consider up-sizing for longer boon-docking stays in more remote areas? Love our Escape 19, but fresh and holding tank size dictates limitations.


Cheers,


Bat Dude
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Old 06-16-2020, 04:57 AM   #2
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Batdude, all you can do is reduce your risk of catching it. Many factors are out of your control but there are a few things you can do to help whether you go on a trip or stay at home:

Do not wear gloves, use hand sanitizer. Unless you can dispose of the gloves after each touch you will contaminate everything around you. Many videos of first responders demonstrating this.

Do not stay in enclosed spaces longer than absolutely necessary, especially if they are air-conditioned. It has been shown that enclosed spaces with recirculated air can up your infection chances due to an increased viral load in the air.

If possible, use a grocery store that offers curbside delivery. Order and pay online and have them put the groceries in your trunk.

Buy prepackaged foods including fruits and vegetables. This reduced the chance someone has touched that carrot and contaminated it. Melons and items you peel like bananas are OK as long as you disinfect the outside.

Do not eat raw vegetables even prepackaged ones. Any food you eat that is not peeled or is protected by an outside skin should be heated to kill the virus.

Do not go to indoor church services! I cannot stress that enough. There are currently many spikes around churches that have had indoor services with many opting to not open at all.

Always wear a mask, not for your protection but for everyone else's. If you find yourself surrounded by a large group not wearing masks, leave the area. Be prepared to give up your outing if the people around you are engaged in risky behaviors.

If you have to eat out, do not dine inside. Use outdoor seating. Make sure you are upwind of most people. I know they say 6 feet of separation but the expelled droplets can travel much farther than the recommendation.

Try not to use the shared facilities unless absolutely necessary. Use wipes on any surface you will contact including the seat. If you don't have wipes, use hand sanitizer on toilet paper.

Use your common sense, if you feel uncomfortable in a locale, leave. It's not worth your health and possibly your life.

Finally, pay attention to the news. If there is an outbreak in the area you are staying at consider leaving. If you do leave, be prepared to self-quarantine for 14 days when you arrive at your destination. Get tested, if possible.
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Old 06-18-2020, 10:27 AM   #3
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Stay out of Tulsa.
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Old 06-18-2020, 12:03 PM   #4
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After watching recent news stories , we have written off major portions of the US as possible travel destinations. When the government has to offer me tax incentives to do something stupid, my natural reaction is to run in the opposite direction
If we travel this Summer it will be instate and to remote / sparsely populated locations.

Florida , Georgia , Texas , Mississippi, Alabama and Tulsa are not on our itinerary!!
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Old 06-18-2020, 01:31 PM   #5
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Florida , Georgia , Texas , Mississippi, Alabama and Tulsa are not on our itinerary!!
Don't forget Arizona, their numbers are going up.
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Old 06-18-2020, 05:16 PM   #6
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It is much too soon to anticipate what the Covid 19 infection rates in various areas will be for next winter.


There are a lot of people who are out there in the SW doing boon docking who don't have flush toilets and built in showers. They manage, it just takes figuring out how to boon dock by using water conserving methods.


Three key methods, composting toilet, most baths are sponge baths, using a small size spray pump bottle for dish washing and rinsing dishes instead of a sink with running water.
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Old 06-18-2020, 05:30 PM   #7
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I have to go to Florida next week for work.
Not too happy about it at all.
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Old 06-18-2020, 05:51 PM   #8
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I have to go to Florida next week for work.
Not too happy about it at all.

I don’t know which is worse , the extreme heat & humidity or the chance of catching Covid . Sort of a tossup !!
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Old 06-18-2020, 06:51 PM   #9
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I don’t know which is worse , the extreme heat & humidity or the chance of catching Covid . Sort of a tossup !!
Thanks for not sugar coating it for me!

I am not eager to be there either but I am at least experienced with the climate but never want to be used to the Rona!
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Old 06-18-2020, 07:30 PM   #10
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Thanks for not sugar coating it for me!

I am not eager to be there either but I am at least experienced with the climate but never want to be used to the Rona!
I attended the National Safety Council convention one August in Florida
We were outside in the parking lot where they were demonstrating a new type of fall protection utilizing a boom truck with 65 feet of stick / boom
In a matter of less than a half an hour 3 people collapsed from the heat and required medical attention !
Wiser heads prevailed and they decided to cancel the class before someone died
That was 20 years ago but I can see it like it just happened today .
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Old 06-18-2020, 08:04 PM   #11
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It's hard to get a handle on what puts us at risk. I haven't heard of large numbers of people catching it in grocery stores or Walmart, so I think most of the media is spreading fear more than facts.

From the article:
“Only 11 counties out of over 3100 are seeing a true acceleration in new COVID cases, and less than 2 percent of counties show any significant increase in cases,” said Devin O’Malley, a spokesperson for the task force.
So it's not the entire state of Florida, Arizone, etc, but only certain counties. Try to find a campground in an area that has a low rate.

Wear a mask as it provides some protection, even when others aren't wearing a mask. Wash hands after any potential contamination. I also take several supplements recommended by Eastern VA Medical School. My goal is to try to minimize exposure, as the disease seems to be dose dependent.

You could also use tactics used by people who boondock in arid areas where it is hard to get water. There are several videos on youtube about saving water while boondocking.
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Old 06-18-2020, 08:38 PM   #12
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On Wednesday, Florida had its 15th straight day of more than 1,000 new cases. Tuesday set a new single-day record for new infections, with 2,783, a number almost matched on Wednesday. Florida has joined a handful of states where the growth in cases is rapidly increasing, unlike rural states with relatively small baselines, such as Oklahoma.

Don't worry, be happy.
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Old 06-19-2020, 06:03 AM   #13
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On Wednesday, Florida had its 15th straight day of more than 1,000 new cases. Tuesday set a new single-day record for new infections, with 2,783, a number almost matched on Wednesday. Florida has joined a handful of states where the growth in cases is rapidly increasing, unlike rural states with relatively small baselines, such as Oklahoma.

Don't worry, be happy.
16 Florida counties each have less than 100 cases.
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Old 06-19-2020, 06:57 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by Huck View Post
It's hard to get a handle on what puts us at risk. I haven't heard of large numbers of people catching it in grocery stores or Walmart, so I think most of the media is spreading fear more than facts.

From the article:
“Only 11 counties out of over 3100 are seeing a true acceleration in new COVID cases, and less than 2 percent of counties show any significant increase in cases,” said Devin O’Malley, a spokesperson for the task force.
So it's not the entire state of Florida, Arizone, etc, but only certain counties. Try to find a campground in an area that has a low rate.

.
Same is true here in NC. News outlets are bombarding the message that Corona is out of control in NC. And certain areas are having huge increase in cases. Meanwhile, the county I live in currently has six cases. And land mass wise, its a large county. No deaths.

All it takes is for Corona to get into a nursing home and the stats change dramatically.

You really have to look way past the headlines and seek out specific areas to avoid. States may be high or low, but it is the area you are going to be in that matters the most.

If you just read this headline, you would not realize that the corona issue in NC varies tremendously by location: "the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in North Carolina spiked by 1,333 cases Thursday, increasing the state's total number of known cases to more than 48,000".
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Old 06-19-2020, 07:03 AM   #15
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16 Florida counties each have less than 100 cases.
The county we live in has two (2) reported cases and one death attributed to covid 19 . One could argue that the mortality rate for the disease is 50%
The statistic you and I quoted may well be perfectly accurate but both are perfectly meaningless IMHO
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Old 06-19-2020, 07:08 AM   #16
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The county we live in has two (2) reported cases and one death attributed to covid 19 . One could argue that the mortality rate for the disease is 50%
The statistic you and I quoted may well be perfectly accurate but both are perfectly meaningless IMHO
I'm just suggesting that if the OP wants to find a warm place to head this winter, there are plenty of places that have a very low level of Covid-19, even in states like Florida and Arizona.
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Old 06-19-2020, 07:10 AM   #17
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The key here is to make sure you pay attention to what is going on in the specific area you are in. Yes you may be in an area that had few cases to start with, but with a 14 day period before symptoms show you need to be vigilant since the virus knows no boundaries. All it takes is for one asymptomatic person to come into the area, attend a mass event like church and you are off and running. Be vigilant no matter where you go since there is a lot about this virus and how it spreads that we do not know. Be careful and follow all of the recommendations: wear a mask, use hand sanitizer, avoid crowds, keep your distance, avoid enclosed spaces with recirculating air, etc.
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Old 06-19-2020, 07:25 AM   #18
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I'm just suggesting that if the OP wants to find a warm place to head this winter, there are plenty of places that have a very low level of Covid-19, even in states like Florida and Arizona.
When we wish to find some warmth during the Winter we head to Iowa
Iowa is often 50 deg warmer than NW Wisconsin in the Winter , it’s close and it’s much easier to practice social distancing
During the winter we often get stretches of below zero weather and spend most of our time at home around the wood stove
When we went to Florida in the Winter we encountered stretches of 90 deg temps with 90% humidity and spent our days inside our 16 ft Scamp with the A/C on full force
We finally decided just to eliminate the 1800 mile drive to Florida cause in either case we were trapped indoors !!
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Old 06-19-2020, 07:48 AM   #19
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Hey, I'm just a disgruntled sensationalist who’s merely trying to make money off his book.

The California Department of Public Health released updated guidance Thursday that requires Californians to wear a face covering in most indoor settings, as well as outdoors when social distancing isn't possible. Any workers who engage with the public will be required to wear a mask.

They're all just crazy over there.
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Old 06-19-2020, 07:59 AM   #20
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Here is the best summation I have seen so far. Personally, we're planning on doing more boondocking. We are on the edge of higher risk; it won't stop us from camping, we're just more careful about the resupply process. It makes sense that the interstate highways would serve as conduits. Apparently last year there were 4 billion airline passenger trips, so something that pops up in one place is spread around the world in short order.

Best summary yet - it boils down to Time x Exposure. A simple equation to remember.

https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the...hem-avoid-them
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