Western Kansas Covid Situation?

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

YDS has a potential job opportunity in Western Kansas.

Anyone here with any experience, advice, local knowledge about the Covid situation there?  Are people masking up there or is the prevailing view that the virus is a hoax?

[tcu2003]

Where in Western Kansas? I’m going out on a limb and going to say they’re probably not masking up. I live in the NE corner and we currently have a mask mandate, but most counties and/or towns do not. I was in my hometown this weekend (SE Kansas) and we were definitely in the minority as mask wearers. It was somewhat appalling but not surprising. 😕

[TheOtherMe]

That neck of the woods is pretty conservative.  My guess is few people are wearing masks.  

It can be very isolated out there.

[giramomma]

Is your YDS the outdoorsy one?

[Deleted]

Well, when the Trump COVID hoax is over and he emerges "cured of the plague that's not worse than the flu" I can foresee all of his cult not wearing masks anymore at all.

Why should they when their dear leader is fine...

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Oct 5, 2020 8:04:28 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Is your YDS the outdoorsy one?

They both are outdoors guys but this one has graduated from college so actively working in the field.

[irishpad]

Because that area is so sparsely populated, even if they don't do good protocol, he has the option of protecting himself by keeping good distance.   If he takes the job, hope he can adjust to life in "fly over" country!   Lived in this territory all my life, but would imagine it is so different than the East Coast populated areas.   

[giramomma]

Oct 6, 2020 18:05:48 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Oct 5, 2020 8:04:28 GMT -5 giramomma said:

Is your YDS the outdoorsy one?

They both are outdoors guys but this one has graduated from college so actively working in the field.

Based on my husband's experience (he was a wildlife ecology undergrad) I would absolutely have your son take the job.

Unless you are talking like Portland, Boston, or NYC, I think most places now have people that are sick of covid, wearing masks, etc.

If you know the county your son might be working in.. this website is pretty useful, and fairly accurate. coronavirus.1point3acres.com/

Also, I would try to monitor local news. Things like public health officers resigning because covid is politicized  or reports that counties have given up on taking the lead in contract tracing might give you some useful data.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Ugh.  He got the job.  Part of me is thrilled, part of me is “he’ll be 30 hours away driving in the middle of a pandemic”.  

It’s only a temporary job. Just through the end of the year.  Is it helicopterish to tell him the risk outweighs the rewards?  

I’m also wondering how there can’t be qualified candidates between here and western Kansas, kwim?

[thyme4change]

Oct 6, 2020 19:23:32 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Ugh.  He got the job.  Part of me is thrilled, part of me is “he’ll be 30 hours away driving in the middle of a pandemic”.  

It’s only a temporary job. Just through the end of the year.  Is it helicopterish to tell him the risk outweighs the rewards?  

I’m also wondering how there can’t be qualified candidates between here and western Kansas, kwim?

Does he have any risk factors? Would he wear a mask even if there is societal pressure not to? Is he in a place that has decent medical care?

As an adult, he can make his own decision, but as a Mom, you should lay out all the things he should consider and see if he has thoughts on any of them.

[giramomma]

What's his job situation like, in general?

While I think it's OK to ask if there were any other candidates, it's also fair then to ask why your DS isn't applying/getting jobs in "safer" areas.

My husband didn't go do all those sorts of job, like what your DS is looking at taking. That, and the fact that I think he interviews pretty crappily, is why my husband was virtually unemployable in his field in our early 20s. Frankly, his career never recovered, even with going to grad school. My 16 son makes more, on an hourly basis, working as a bagger at our grocery store on Sundays that my husband makes at his job.

I think you have to be careful about risk. At some point, you can't insulate yourself from other people, and their stupidity with the pandemic, unless you counsel your family to never leave the house.  We are mindful, but not to the point where we are not leaving our house at all. My son has been masked up, socially distant when seeing friends outside in parks. DS has narrowly missed exposure, for sure once, maybe now twice in the past week. Not because he/we are being irresponsible, but because other people are. And I live in a hippy dippy area where you even see 2 year olds masked up and  public health makes mandates about masking up that are far more stringent than the state.

[gs11rmb]

Oct 6, 2020 19:23:32 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Ugh.  He got the job.  Part of me is thrilled, part of me is “he’ll be 30 hours away driving in the middle of a pandemic”.  

It’s only a temporary job. Just through the end of the year.  Is it helicopterish to tell him the risk outweighs the rewards?  

I’m also wondering how there can’t be qualified candidates between here and western Kansas, kwim?

Yes.  Tell him congratulations and send him some extra masks.  He will always be your baby and you will always worry for him but he is now an adult and needs to make his own decisions.

Also, if his field is wildlife ecology (I got that from giramomma's post) then the fact he was able to secure even a temporary position in his field at this time is remarkable.  Unless he has some serious underlying health conditions that make him particularly vulnerable to COVID then he would be foolish to pass on this opportunity.

[TheOtherMe]

He can also check on the population and # of cases in that part of the state.

A friend lives in the mountains in Colorado.  That county hasn't had a positive case since May and that was spread by tourists.

[tcu2003]

Oct 6, 2020 19:23:32 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Ugh.  He got the job.  Part of me is thrilled, part of me is “he’ll be 30 hours away driving in the middle of a pandemic”.  

It’s only a temporary job. Just through the end of the year.  Is it helicopterish to tell him the risk outweighs the rewards?  

I’m also wondering how there can’t be qualified candidates between here and western Kansas, kwim?

grg, several of my close friends live in parts of western Kansas, so if you feel comfortable PMing me the county, I May know someone there and if so, can ask and relay what the locals I know are seeing.