Can we really trust others to self quarantine?

No.

Although, I do think many more people are self quarantining now when they usually wouldn’t. I have always self quarantined myself when possible.

At least now the public is shunning people who appear to be sick, and employers are more likely to ask sick employees to stay home.

I just went to a lecture, and a gentleman I know was outside the room when I got there. I asked him if he was going in, and he said he had just started to feel a tickle, and didn’t want to go in the room and worry anyone, and so he was going home. He literally started to feel a cold coming on just as he arrived at the lecture location. Most likely a regular cold I think.

I definitely feel it is a good thing the government is asking people to self quarantine, I wish they did it in general, especially during flu season.

It is life. Nothing is perfect. Unless you have the resources and will to mandate it asking people to do it themselves is your only option. Maybe 75% will do it. And maybe one of the 75% will be the person that makes your coffee preventing you from getting sick.

But that is unlikely since baristas are poor and don’t get sick days. They have to go to work to pay rent.

Maybe your cube-mate stays home and doesn’t nasty your air. You were just saved by 75% of the people doing the right thing.

I quit smoking in June. Sure, I started vaping instead. Not perfect, just less bad. And I will take any little win I can.

Yes, many people will welcome a chance to self quarantine. Will they make a difference in the spread of the virus, NO

So you think one person staying home might not prevent one other person from getting it?

That can’t be right.

How many times has it been in the news that someone tried to hold off police by spitting at them, and someone with HIV intentionally putting people at risk?
The truth is already out there. Some would, some wouldn’t.

I have been staying home for more than a month now, and I’m still functioning fine, so…

No, never in a democratic society. It’s an impossibly naive aspiration. And to make the matter even less workable is the dismal fact that the numbers of those walking among us undiagnosed is anybody’s guess. No way in hell. Get ready!

I don’t think this is about “trust” as much as being about one’s own behavior.

Look after yourself. Don’t dump the responsibility of your own well being on others who may not have the same choices that you have. Sure, some will behave irresponsibly, but just stay away from them, your behavior is your only responsibility.

The minimum wage employee who needs every hour’s pay and would likely lose their job if they miss work is unlikely to stay home. In so many cases “self quarantine” is a privilege that isn’t available.

It will be interesting if long term self quarantine causes a huge permanent shift regarding working from home and buying habits.

I saw more cars yesterday in the drive-up Walmart lines than ever. You order online and then pick up groceries in a designated space at the Walmart. An employee brings out the groceries and loads them into your car. Once people start doing that maybe they will continue to.

Also, more people will like order online and have items delivered to their door. Amazon is already taking more and more of the retail marketplace.

Lastly—work. So many people would prefer to work from home they might be very happy to do so. It’s much cheaper for the company to not have huge buildings full of employees. When I worked for a company that allowed telecommuting, we had docking stations for when the employee did come to work. They came in for some meetings. Some employees came in once a week. My husband wasn’t a telecommuter, but he stayed home once a week to avoid the long commute. I wish he could do that in every company he works for. When it snowed he stayed home, If his mom came to visit he could work from home. New parents could work more from home. It’s better. People like my husband prefer to go to work, but a lot of people much prefer to work from home.

Work, is the issue. The common citizen, can’t just call in sick. They don’t get paid, and lose respect from their employers.

People working in food and beverage, will be basically forced to work. Which will allow diseases, to spread faster.

In every job I’ve had, I work regardless of heath. Unless I just can’t move.

I remember working in a big box sporting goods store. I was so sick, I’d cough, until I vomited. I worked every day, and just vomited, in the closest garbage can. I was talking to a customer once, when I started coughing uncontrollably. I had to excuse myself, and go vomit in the trash can. It took me a few minutes to pull myself up, and go back to the customer. The customer seemed agitated.
When I was done with him, I went to the restroom. My eyes were bloodshot, and my face had busted capillaries, from the ordeal.
I didn’t get much work done, over a few days. My boss was furious.
I took microbiology, in college. I knew I posed a risk, to society. But. I had to keep the job, and pay my bills…

There really wasn’t an option…

So. I dragged my ass, into work each day I was sick…

It was not the first, or last time, I have done it.

Self quarantine, is a great idea. But. It isn’t realistic.

@jleslie Working from home would only be available for office type jobs. Restaurant workers, store workers, industry workers, the list goes on and on of people that absolutely cannot work at home. I’m not sure just one group of people working from home will do much good. Just my opinion.

@MrGrimm888 A big box retailer didn’t have sick pay? I find that shocking. I believe you, but I find it shocking. Most big box are huge companies with all of the usual benefits. Which big box was it? I could see that an idiot manager might “force” you to come in, because there is work to get done, but I find it off that there is not sick pay insurance offered by the company. Maybe that has changed from when I worked in retail. I think sometimes employees don’t even know sick pay is available.

@chyna Yes, of course there are jobs that need “coverage” like restaurants, retail, hospitality, and medical, they can’t simply work from home. But, even owners and managers of office workers traditionally have a thing about everyone coming into work, when often that is not really necessary. This attitude has been shifting more in the last 20 years, but there are still plenty of offices that are obsessed with it making it hard for parents to have flexibility for their children, and employees to engage in a favorite hobby for work life balance, and all sorts of things that if they had a more flexible schedule, and could save time commuting, it would be beneficial for society in general. There still has to be some rules for when work gets done, but it can be much more flexible than many companies allow. My experience in retail, and I worked in it for many years, is some managers, like me, tell their staff to stay home when sick, and I get myself out on the selling floor and do their job if I have to. If the employee can switch with another staff member that is fine too, my staff would help each other out so no one loses a day. I have behaved like coronavirus is out there for as long as I can remember, I don’t want to get sick, and I don’t want others to get sick.

Hospitals have the hardest time, because they will need more staff if a lot of people get sick, but staff is likely to get sick too. I read that the experts think that possibly people can catch this strain of coronavirus more than once, and that would be really too bad. If it was only once like most viruses then any hospital worker who has had it would be immune and be able to care for patients without worry.

Now, some medical clinics have online appointments. Last time I was in the VA they were advertising something along those lines. I have been hoping for that for years. I wish I could do an appointment with my endocrinologist online and be covered by insurance.

Also, regarding retail and restaurants, if people aren’t shopping the employees will be asked not to report to work anyway, but some stores are extremely busy right now, like grocery stores.

I’m thinking of jobs that can’t work from home, other than restaurant workers. Cops, firemen, ambulance drivers, correction officers. ....

I hope to be quarantined at home. I could use the down time to be honest.

There aren’t many other options other than to self-quarantine if you are at risk or are putting others at risk. There are not the facilities for mass quarantine.

There is a bill before the house that would grant 7 paid sick days and other provisions for workers not now covered if they have suspicions of Covid-19.

And yes, there are many who can’t work from home as @chyna says.

I have heard on NPR that 4,000 people in Mew York State are quarantining at home.

I have a friend who came back early from Italy and his partner has confined him to the house for two weeks.

@janbb That’s interesting about the sick pay bill. I asked a Q about the government subsidizing businesses that have lost revenue, and the issue of government helping with lost pay for workers who get sick was raised.

I don’t know how I feel about all of it, which is why I asked the question.

Some people will abuse it if the money is available. Of course, some people really need the money to get by. I’ve seen it after hurricanes, people get their free generators when they were not really in a desperate situation.

I would self-quarantine if I can afford keeping my quarantine place without working.

No. Remember Amber Vinson? She was the nurse who flew on an airplane after treating an Ebola patient. She was showing symptoms of the disease before she boarded the plane, but she did it anyway (because “no one told her not to”). If we can’t even trust a medical professional not to shut herself off in a flying metal tube with recirculating air and 100 other people, we certainly can’t trust the general public to self-quarantine.

P.S. Vinson did have Ebola, and the CDC had to track down everyone she might have come into contact with along the way.

Some, yes. But not all. There will always be others who think their actions will not and can not affect others.

Most people can not afford to do that.
Many will not even be allowed to do that by their employer.

No.

The gentleman that I was reading about had just returned home from China. He was immediately tested & asked to self-quarantine until the results came back. It is taking the CDC 24–48 hours for turn around time. He just needed to stay home for 1 maybe 2 days. He didn’t break the quarantine to go to work. He broke it because a friend was having a party he felt he couldn’t miss. So, he goes to the party, tells no one that he’s just returned from China, had a good time & didn’t give a crap that he might have possibly infected 200 people. He could just as easily decided to visit your home & not warn you that he might be a carrier. Even IF you asked him straight out, he would have lied & NOT warned you that he could be bringing the virus into your home.

I agree that it is my responsibility to take care of me; however, IF I ask you before allowing you to enter my home IF you’ve possibly been infected, I expect an honest answer & I expect you to keep your sick ass at your own home!!!

No. Protect yourself. We ate out yesterday and after that we are eating home food. I take me own coffee to work and will abstain from all events for a few weeks. Luckily I have my own office so I’ve kept my door shut most of the week until I’m allowed to work from home.

Like @Are You, I could use it, too.

Well. I can’t trust my friends, to self quarantine. Apparently, they are all hanging out in a bar. I’m not going. I love St. Patrick’s Day. But… I will be celebrating, alone :(

I haven’t celebrated St Patty’s Day since I moved back from DC. It was a major holiday in DC where most business gave you a paid holiday. Here in GA, nobody seems to know when it even is…haven’t really missed it!!!

We can trust a portion of them to. ;-)