Top/Doors Off Corona Question

[The Fixer]

Personally, I don't think you can catch the virus from riding with the top off or windows open. Turbulent air and the windscreen should "disperse" any particulates in the air. Practice social distancing, don't drive behind other cars... and drive on the right (avoid the driver-side window).

With that said, I just read an article where they studied a sneeze with cameras and sensors that detected particulates in the air. The larger 1mm sized spew readily fell to the ground, but the smaller .1mm stuff lingered in the air for a few seconds longer. So yes, avoid rooms with little to no air circulation.

I went to the ABC store to pick up some Everclear (75% alcohol, just in case), and the store-owner looked deathly sick behind his mask. Grabbed two bottles, held them so he could scan, used Android Pay and left scared s**tless. Needless to say doused myself with sanitizer in the sanctuary of my Jeep.

I have a 4 year old daughter, and elderly parents. Without my income, my wife and family would suffer. So, this is pretty real to me. Wear a mask, wash your hands... stay home and catchup on JLWF. Stay safe!

I guess it depends on your geographical location. If you're where I am (in the NYC metro area) you're gonna think twice about it right now - maybe it's paranoia, maybe it's over-cautious, whatever. This tiny little corner of NJ with just 4 counties (Bergen, Hudson, Essex, and Passaic) has a population of almost 3 million people. That's more than many states that are MUCH larger in geography, so the rate of transmission is higher when you have a density issue like we do.

I freak out now just having to go to the grocery store; people are morons and not following the distancing guidelines. I don't care what that "journalism" video posted back a bit said - on the ground, it's VERY real here. My wife's good friend is a nurse. The other night she was floated to the COVID floor. In her 12 hour shift, she had to do death pronouncements on 7 patients. That's not including the other nurses on the shift, or daily for that matter. Even on a cardiac floor you're not pronouncing 7 deaths in a shift. She saw a lot of younger patients too. Remember the statistics we read about are someone's family member or friend. I lost a co-worker last week; he was only 30 years old and in good shape with no underlying issues before the virus. This isn't some hoax, regardless of what people might want to believe.

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[mgroeger]

I guess it depends on your geographical location. If you're where I am (in the NYC metro area) you're gonna think twice about it right now - maybe it's paranoia, maybe it's over-cautious, whatever. This tiny little corner of NJ with just 4 counties (Bergen, Hudson, Essex, and Passaic) has a population of almost 3 million people. That's more than many states that are MUCH larger in geography, so the rate of transmission is higher when you have a density issue like we do.

I freak out now just having to go to the grocery store; people are morons and not following the distancing guidelines. I don't care what that "journalism" video posted back a bit said - on the ground, it's VERY real here. My wife's good friend is a nurse. The other night she was floated to the COVID floor. In her 12 hour shift, she had to do death pronouncements on 7 patients. That's not including the other nurses on the shift, or daily for that matter. Even on a cardiac floor you're not pronouncing 7 deaths in a shift. She saw a lot of younger patients too. Remember the statistics we read about are someone's family member or friend. I lost a co-worker last week; he was only 30 years old and in good shape with no underlying issues before the virus. This isn't some hoax, regardless of what people might want to believe.

Dang, thanks for sharing that and sorry to hear of your co-worker. It's good to hear news from people who are actually in the thick of it. I am very grateful that where I live is quiet right now.

 

[Notorious]

Some of the responses to the OP’s concerned question are terrible and also very funny.

Truth is, there’s nothing pretty about this virus. Most will get it, many will recover and unfortunately those many will carry it and inadvertently transmit it to someone else who may or may not become very ill and then of those who do become ill, some will pass from it.

There’s nothing pretty, reassuring or even comforting in me saying this. It’s unfortunate but it’s life.

Best thing to do **for the moment** is continue to socially distance, exercise good hygiene and most importantly, be human and show kindness to those who you care about who may or may not be sick.

Life is not guaranteed, no one knows how much time they have left on earth. Take it one day at time, be the best person you can to the people around you, let those you care about know how much you care and don’t take a second for granted.

When life resumes back to normal, continue to practice good hygiene but don’t let this virus stop you from doing all the good things in the day that you would normally do. Including taking your Jeep’s top off.

Stay well everyone. And if you’re sick, feel better soon.

 

[entropy]

Math checks out. Assuming that every one of those 50k gets sick and requires hospitalization on the same day; which is realistic in my scientific opinion.

It actually DOES happen very fast if no shelter in place measures, virus spreads extremely fast. So yeah maybe not exactly on the same day, but it does happen in less than a week. We saw this happen in Italy as well as Spain. So yeah, math does check out. It is an example. Even if you spread that over a week or two, it is still pretty bad. Even if you cut those 50k to 25k, still catastrophic. What I paint is a bad scenario, and it is very very likely. We are talking about 10% of the population, so it is very realistic. The scientifically worst case scenario is even worst than my example.

And that is exactly why we have these shelter in place measures, exactly because of your comment. Because if everyone gets sick around the same time, it is catastrophic. People are still gonna get sick, it is just gonna take much longer.

 

[Fire Burns]

From https://Datausa.io/coronavirus and as of 7 Apr 20:

In the US, you currently have a 0.00382% chance of dying from COVID-19.

Far, far, far greater chance of dying from a vehicle accident than death from COVID-19, and yet far more preventable (simply don't drive).

 

[Young04]

From https://Datausa.io/coronavirus and as of 7 Apr 20:

In the US, you currently have a 0.00382% chance of dying from COVID-19.

Far, far, far greater chance of dying from a vehicle accident than death from COVID-19, and yet far more preventable (simply don't drive).

I think that's actually incorrect. If you run the math out, you actually have a better chance of dying from COVID, it seems (someone feel free to correct my math).

So...we have had COVID-19 in the US for about 3 months. Multiply .00382 by 4 to get the annual rate of death (or chance of dying from COVID in one year). This equals .01528 percent, or about 1 in 6500. The chances of dying in a motor vehicle accident in any given year is about 1 in 8000. https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-mortality-risk. Actually, that stat is skewed by motorcycles. If you never drive a motorcycle, your chance of dying driving a car is 1 in about 44,000. So, if I did the math correctly, you are roughly 6.5 times more likely to die from COVID than you are from driving a car.

This also assumes that the rate of death does not worsen (it likely will). Again, this is very rough math and doesn't take various other factors into consideration. But to say that there is a "far, far, far greater" likelihood of dying in a car accident seems to be wrong.

Of course, we're not taking the measures we are taking to protect the healthy 40 years olds!

 

[Young04]

I think that's actually incorrect. If you run the math out, you actually have a better chance of dying from COVID, it seems (someone feel free to correct my math).

So...we have had COVID-19 in the US for about 3 months. Multiply .00382 by 4 to get the annual rate of death (or chance of dying from COVID in one year). This equals .01528 percent, or about 1 in 6500. The chances of dying in a motor vehicle accident in any given year is about 1 in 8000. https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-mortality-risk. Actually, that stat is skewed by motorcycles. If you never drive a motorcycle, your chance of dying driving a car is 1 in about 44,000. So, if I did the math correctly, you are roughly 6.5 times more likely to die from COVID than you are from driving a car.

This also assumes that the rate of death does not worsen (it likely will). Again, this is very rough math and doesn't take various other factors into consideration. But to say that there is a "far, far, far greater" likelihood of dying in a car accident seems to be wrong.

Of course, we're not taking the measures we are taking to protect the healthy 40 years olds!

Yeah...so another way to look at this - about 38K people died from motor vehicle accidents in 2019. So far, about 14K have died from COVID-19, in 3 months. Annualize that and you're well above the motor vehicle deaths figure. So people should stop citing car accidents as a reason to flout COVID-19. There are, of course, other fundamental reasons why the comparison is completely inapt.

 

[Toycrusher]

Yeah...so another way to look at this - about 38K people died from motor vehicle accidents in 2019. So far, about 14K have died from COVID-19, in 3 months. Annualize that and you're well above the motor vehicle deaths figure. So people should stop citing car accidents as a reason to flout COVID-19. There are, of course, other fundamental reasons why the comparison is completely inapt.

Just throwing stuff out there...

If the average motorist was 80 and had pre-existing conditions, what would the statistics look like?

You can choose not to drive for safety reasons. You can't decide to stop living to avoid getting sick and dying

 

[rayvonp]

My top and doors came of this week, to nice to pass on it

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

I think her story might help drive why this has me concerned and I don't think anyone should be shaming those who are taking precautions (reasonable or not) as long as they don't impact you directly.

Hear, effing hear!

I’m terribly sorry to hear about your coworker. By the end of this we’ll all know someone who suffered a similar fate and, no, they won’t all have been 80 years old. (As if losing a grandparent or parent is somehow no big deal.)

Pandemic deniers are right there with flat-earthers and anti-vaxxers.

Stay safe. If you feel safer with the top buttoned up, then you do that. Eff the tough keyboard warriors who never drive their Jeeps to a mall.

 

[dsgrey]

I sat on the porch yesterday afternoon and watched well over 100 vehicles pass by. Over 50% had their windows down and/or roofs open. So matter which side of the fence you're on regarding top up/down...it's not a Jeep Thing.

 

[Spearmin]

Hear, effing hear!

I’m terribly sorry to hear about your coworker. By the end of this we’ll all know someone who suffered a similar fate and, no, they won’t all have been 80 years old. (Aa if losing a grandparent or parent is somehow no big deal.)

Pandemic deniers are right there with flat-earthers and anti-vaxxers.

Stay safe. If you feel safer with the top buttoned up than you do that and eff the tough keyboard warriors who never drive their Jeeps to a mall.

Beautiful Post.

 

[entropy]

You all the reason why it is so unlikely for us to die from COVID-19, or to even get the virus, is because of all the measures that have been taken to avoid this. All of the shelter in place measures have really affected COVID-19 in a positive way (for us, negative for the virus lol).

I believe in freedom as much as most of you in this forum, and I hate that we are being ordered what to do. But honestly people, we live in a civilized society and sometimes we have to give a little freedom momentarily for the benefit of all. You all crying and complaining about "stopping to live" for 1 month are just being extremely bratty. Just stay home and keep your distance for a few weeks so that the impact, both in terms of health and economy is reduced.

It is a small sacrifice for the greater good. Shit happens, this is not going to last forever. Take your doors and top off and go enjoy the roads which have no traffic.

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