thoughtcatalog--2020-03-17--The Most Debated Mystery Of Our Time: The Disappearance Of Maura Murray

The disappearance of Maura Murray is perhaps the most highly speculated case of the 21st century .
It ’ s been called the “ the first crime mystery of the social media age ” due to Facebook ’ s launch 5 days before she went missing .
There are numerous podcasts , websites , and docuseries dedicated to finding the truth .
Nevertheless , the 16th anniversary of Maura ’ s disappearance has passed and it remains an unsolved mystery .
Maura was born May 4 , 1982 in Hanson , Massachuessettes .
After graduating high school , she joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Military Academy in West Point , New York , where she studied chemical engineering .
During her freshman year , Maura received an honor code violation for stealing makeup from a Fort Knox commissary .
She wasn ’ t formally expelled and transferred into the nursing program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst .
In November 2003 , 3 months prior to her disappearance , Maura was caught ordering food with a stolen credit card .
Her arrest record shows that the charge would be dismissed after 3 months of good behavior .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ On February 5 , 2004 , Maura was working an evening shift at her campus security job .
Following a phone conversation with her older sister , Kathleen , she was said to have burst into tears and a supervisor escorted her back to her dorm .
When asked what was wrong , Maura simply responded , “ My sister.
” Kathleen claims the conversation was about her alcohol abuse .
Kathleen had recently been discharged from rehab and admitted to Maura that her fiance had taken her to a liquor store .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s dad , Fred , arrived in town to take her car shopping .
According to her sister , Julie , Maura ’ s car was in very bad shape and she wanted something more reliable .
That night , Maura borrowed Fred ’ s car and attended a party on campus .
At 3:30 AM , as she was driving back to Fred ’ s motel room , she hit a guardrail and caused $ 10,000 worth of damage to the car .
Cops arrived at the scene and drove her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documentation of a sobriety test in the accident report .
Fred rented a car and returned to his home in Connecticut on February 8th .
He spoke to Maura on the phone around 11:30 PM to remind her to get accident forms from the Registry of Motor Vehicles .
The Events of February 9 , 2004 – The Last Night That 21-Year-Old Maura was Seen Just after midnight : Maura searched MapQuest for directions to the Berkshires and Burlington , Vermont .
1:00 PM : Maura emailed her boyfriend to say she hadn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lately .
She promised to call him later .
1:00-1:13 PM : She made a phone call inquiring about a condo rental in Bartlett , New Hampshire .
She was familiar with the condos as her family had vacationed there in the past .
The phone call lasted 3 minutes and no rental plans were made .
Maura then called a fellow nursing student .
1:24 PM : Maura emailed a nursing school supervisor to say that she would be out of town for a week due to a death in the family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no death . )
2:05 PM : Maura called a number that provides pre-recorded information about booking hotels in Stowe , Vermont .
The phone call lasted 5 minutes .
2:18 PM : Maura left her boyfriend a voicemail .
The call lasted 1 minute and she said they would talk later .
Maura then packed her car with clothes , birth control pills , textbooks , and toiletries .
Later searches of her dorm room found that most of Maura ’ s belongings were packed in boxes and her art was removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ printed email in the room between Maura and her boyfriend that indicated relationship problems .
3:30 PM : Maura drove away in her 1996 Saturn sedan .
Classes that day were cancelled due to an impending snowstorm .
3:40 PM : Maura withdrew $ 280 from an ATM and picked up $ 40 worth of alcohol from a nearby liquor store .
Security footage at both the ATM and liquor store determined she was alone at the time .
Around 4:00-5:00 PM : Maura left Amherst .
Her last recorded phone call was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
7:27 PM : Faith Westman , of Woodsville , New Hampshire , called 911 to report an accident outside of her home .
She heard a loud thump and saw a car along the snow bank on Route 112 .
The car was pointing west in the eastbound lane .
Westman ’ s neighbors , Virginia and John Marrotte , also noticed Maura ’ s car out their kitchen window .
It ’ s hazard lights were on and they noticed someone walking around the car .
As the Marrottes were watching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulled up to Maura in the schoolbus that he drove for work .
Atwood got out of his bus and asked if Maura needed him to call the police .
Maura said no , claiming that she had already called AAA .
Knowing that the area didn ’ t have cell service , Atwood doubted her story .
He offered to let her wait at his home until assistance arrived , but Maura insisted she was fine staying at her car .
Atwood returned home and called 911 .
He said he initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of busy phone circuits , but his phone call eventually connected at 7:43 PM .
7:46 PM : Haverhill Police Sergeant Cecil Smith arrived at the scene .
He was dispatched at 7:29 following Westman ’ s 911 call .
The car was locked and there was no sign of Maura .
The airbags had deployed and there was a crack in the driver ’ s side windshield .
Sgt .
Smith saw a box of Franzia behind the driver ’ s seat and an empty beer bottle .
There was red liquid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the car ’ s ceiling , and on the road .
Later searches found a coke bottle filled with a red drink that smelled like alcohol .
The Baileys , Kahlua , and vodka that Maura had purchased earlier at the liquor store were not found in her car .
Her cell phone , wallet , and credit cards have never been located .
Sgt .
Smith went to the Westman ’ s to ask about the incident , then he stopped at Atwood ’ s to ask where the girl had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hadn ’ t seen anyone since he left the vehicle , both Atwood and Sgt .
Smith drove around the area looking for Maura .
10 minutes after Sgt .
Smith ’ s arrival , EMS and a fire truck pulled up to the scene .
8:49 PM : The scene was cleared and Maura ’ s car was towed .
An APB was issued for Maura after 12:00 PM on February 10th and she was first considered missing at 5:17 PM .
The following day , police dogs tracked her scent 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been abandoned before losing the trail .
The FBI was called in 10 days after the disappearance and it became a nationwide search .
The New Hampshire Fish and Game were also brought in 10 days later to conduct ground and air searches using a helicopter equipped with a thermal imaging camera .
Although her family disputes these claims , police repeatedly expressed concern that Maura was suicidal .
Many criticize the police for their lack of urgency during the initial days .
Almost a full day had passed by the time Maura @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a search wasn ’ t immediately commenced .
• Maura ’ s intention was to disappear that day .
She was planning to meet up with someone , and that individual picked her up after the crash .
• She walked away from her car ( possibly to flee the scene because she was scared of getting in trouble ) and succumbed to the elements .
• Maura left that day to kill herself in the mountains .
To elaborate on the first theory , it ’ s worth diving into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigative journalist and the author of True Crime Addict : How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray .
He largely believes that Maura is still alive and planned her own escape , possibly because she was pregnant .
( Maura had searched online for the effects of alcohol on a fetus .
Some of her nursing school friends later said this was research for an assignment . )
Renner reported that a friend of Maura ’ s emailed him and accused Bill , Maura ’ s boyfriend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bill Rausch was indicted by a Grand Jury on felony sex abuse .
It ’ s also rumored that Maura had been in a relationship with Hossein Baghdadi , an assistant track coach at UMass .
Baghdadi has openly spoken about the situation and told detectives that Maura previously hinted to him that she might disappear .
The UMass Outing Club owns a cabin in the White Mountains and some believe that ’ s where she was heading .
There ’ s no reports indicating that Maura and Baghdadi were in communication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappearance .
On his blog , James Renner has not-so-subtly accused Fred of knowing what happened to his daughter , citing his unwillingness to be interviewed by Renner as “ suspicious.
” In a Boston Magazine article , Renner even states , “ There ’ s nothing that would please me more than to depose Fred in court under oath.
” In Fred ’ s defense , 16 years of non-stop searching for your daughter would wear anyone down and there are very few avenues that he hasn ’ t personally investigated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In late 2004 , a man named Larry Moulton came forward with a knife that he thought could be the murder weapon .
It belonged to his brother , Claude , who lived in an A-frame house roughly ¾ mile from the crash site .
By 2006 , Claude no longer lived there and the new owners allowed private investigators to inspect it .
Cadaver dogs made a hit and carpet samples were taken for testing .
Unfortunately , the chain of custody is unclear and the samples were lost .
Moulton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to New Hampshire State Police , but results were never released .
In 2016 , the Missing Maura Murray podcast returned to the A-frame .
They found what appeared to be blood stains in a closet .
Wood chips were turned over to a molecular geneticist who was able to confirm the presence of human blood .
Unfortunately , the samples are too deteriorated to determine with 100 % certainty whether the blood is Maura ’ s .
Another house near the scent dog ’ s trail was searched in 2019 after ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home ’ s basement .
Investigators removed concrete and searched several feet down , but no evidence was found .
The opportunistic killer theory may be statistically less likely , but it can ’ t be ruled out .
One month after Maura went missing , 17-year-old Brianna Maitland disappeared in Vermont .
Some feel it ’ s possible that both women fell prey to a serial killer .
Law enforcement looked into a connection between Maitland and serial killer Israel Keyes , but this was later ruled out by the FBI .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The biggest problem with this theory is how small the window of opportunity was for a murderer to take Maura without being seen .
Even if Butch Atwood only spent a few minutes talking to Maura , she couldn ’ t have been alone for more than 10-15 minutes by the time Sgt .
Smith arrived .
And although the area is heavily wooded , it ’ s not exactly desolate considering at least 3 neighbors could see her from their homes .
Rick Forcier is another name that ’ s frequently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forcier was driving home from his job as a contractor on the night of February 9th when he spotted a woman walking in the woods that fit the description of Maura .
Some find his story suspicious because he didn ’ t report the sighting until months later .
He told police that he didn ’ t realize it was the same night until he went back through his work calendar in late April .
We already know that the Murrays are adamant that Maura wasn ’ t suicidal , but what about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woods and died from the elements ?
Occam ’ s Razor is widely referenced by those who consider this the simplest explanation .
If we subtract all the assumptions about the case , the absolute facts are this : a young woman crashed her car and was last seen outside in the freezing cold .
No matter which theory you believe , it ’ s astounding how many persons of interest have been named .
Particularly for a case that lacks any true suspects .
This unsolved mystery has more twists and turns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that fateful night .
We can only hope that one day the record is set straight .

The disappearance of Maura Murray is perhaps the most highly speculated case of the 21st century. It’s been called the “the first crime mystery of the social media age” due to Facebook’s launch 5 days before she went missing. There are numerous podcasts, websites, and docuseries dedicated to finding the truth. Nevertheless, the 16th anniversary of Maura’s disappearance has passed and it remains an unsolved mystery.
Maura Murray’s Background
Maura was born May 4, 1982 in Hanson, Massachuessettes. After graduating high school, she joined her older sister at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, where she studied chemical engineering. During her freshman year, Maura received an honor code violation for stealing makeup from a Fort Knox commissary. She wasn’t formally expelled and transferred into the nursing program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
In November 2003, 3 months prior to her disappearance, Maura was caught ordering food with a stolen credit card. Her arrest record shows that the charge would be dismissed after 3 months of good behavior.
The Days Leading up to Her Disappearance
On February 5, 2004, Maura was working an evening shift at her campus security job. Following a phone conversation with her older sister, Kathleen, she was said to have burst into tears and a supervisor escorted her back to her dorm. When asked what was wrong, Maura simply responded, “My sister.” Kathleen claims the conversation was about her alcohol abuse. Kathleen had recently been discharged from rehab and admitted to Maura that her fiance had taken her to a liquor store.
On Saturday, February 7th, Maura’s dad, Fred, arrived in town to take her car shopping. According to her sister, Julie, Maura’s car was in very bad shape and she wanted something more reliable. That night, Maura borrowed Fred’s car and attended a party on campus. At 3:30 AM, as she was driving back to Fred’s motel room, she hit a guardrail and caused $10,000 worth of damage to the car. Cops arrived at the scene and drove her to the motel. There is no documentation of a sobriety test in the accident report. Fred rented a car and returned to his home in Connecticut on February 8th. He spoke to Maura on the phone around 11:30 PM to remind her to get accident forms from the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
The Events of February 9, 2004 – The Last Night That 21-Year-Old Maura was Seen
Just after midnight: Maura searched MapQuest for directions to the Berkshires and Burlington, Vermont.
1:00 PM: Maura emailed her boyfriend to say she hadn’t felt like talking to anyone lately. She promised to call him later.
1:00-1:13 PM: She made a phone call inquiring about a condo rental in Bartlett, New Hampshire. She was familiar with the condos as her family had vacationed there in the past. The phone call lasted 3 minutes and no rental plans were made. Maura then called a fellow nursing student.
1:24 PM: Maura emailed a nursing school supervisor to say that she would be out of town for a week due to a death in the family. (Her family insists there was no death.)
2:05 PM: Maura called a number that provides pre-recorded information about booking hotels in Stowe, Vermont. The phone call lasted 5 minutes.
2:18 PM: Maura left her boyfriend a voicemail. The call lasted 1 minute and she said they would talk later.
Maura then packed her car with clothes, birth control pills, textbooks, and toiletries. Later searches of her dorm room found that most of Maura’s belongings were packed in boxes and her art was removed from the walls. Police found a printed email in the room between Maura and her boyfriend that indicated relationship problems.
3:30 PM: Maura drove away in her 1996 Saturn sedan. Classes that day were cancelled due to an impending snowstorm.
3:40 PM: Maura withdrew $280 from an ATM and picked up $40 worth of alcohol from a nearby liquor store. Security footage at both the ATM and liquor store determined she was alone at the time.
Around 4:00-5:00 PM: Maura left Amherst. Her last recorded phone call was at 4:37 PM to check her voicemail.
7:27 PM: Faith Westman, of Woodsville, New Hampshire, called 911 to report an accident outside of her home. She heard a loud thump and saw a car along the snow bank on Route 112. The car was pointing west in the eastbound lane. Westman’s neighbors, Virginia and John Marrotte, also noticed Maura’s car out their kitchen window. It’s hazard lights were on and they noticed someone walking around the car. As the Marrottes were watching, another neighbor, Butch Atwood, pulled up to Maura in the schoolbus that he drove for work. Atwood got out of his bus and asked if Maura needed him to call the police. Maura said no, claiming that she had already called AAA. Knowing that the area didn’t have cell service, Atwood doubted her story. He offered to let her wait at his home until assistance arrived, but Maura insisted she was fine staying at her car. Atwood returned home and called 911. He said he initially had trouble getting through to dispatch because of busy phone circuits, but his phone call eventually connected at 7:43 PM.
7:46 PM: Haverhill Police Sergeant Cecil Smith arrived at the scene. He was dispatched at 7:29 following Westman’s 911 call. The car was locked and there was no sign of Maura. The airbags had deployed and there was a crack in the driver’s side windshield. Sgt. Smith saw a box of Franzia behind the driver’s seat and an empty beer bottle. There was red liquid on the driver’s side door, the car’s ceiling, and on the road. Later searches found a coke bottle filled with a red drink that smelled like alcohol. The Baileys, Kahlua, and vodka that Maura had purchased earlier at the liquor store were not found in her car. Her cell phone, wallet, and credit cards have never been located. Sgt. Smith went to the Westman’s to ask about the incident, then he stopped at Atwood’s to ask where the girl had gone. After telling the officer he hadn’t seen anyone since he left the vehicle, both Atwood and Sgt. Smith drove around the area looking for Maura. 10 minutes after Sgt. Smith’s arrival, EMS and a fire truck pulled up to the scene.
8:49 PM: The scene was cleared and Maura’s car was towed.
An APB was issued for Maura after 12:00 PM on February 10th and she was first considered missing at 5:17 PM. The following day, police dogs tracked her scent 100 yards east of where her vehicle had been abandoned before losing the trail. The FBI was called in 10 days after the disappearance and it became a nationwide search. The New Hampshire Fish and Game were also brought in 10 days later to conduct ground and air searches using a helicopter equipped with a thermal imaging camera. Although her family disputes these claims, police repeatedly expressed concern that Maura was suicidal. Many criticize the police for their lack of urgency during the initial days. Almost a full day had passed by the time Maura was announced missing, and even then, a search wasn’t immediately commenced.
The Theories
• Maura’s intention was to disappear that day. She was planning to meet up with someone, and that individual picked her up after the crash.
• She was abducted.
• She walked away from her car (possibly to flee the scene because she was scared of getting in trouble) and succumbed to the elements.
• Maura left that day to kill herself in the mountains.
To elaborate on the first theory, it’s worth diving into the claims of James Renner. Renner is an investigative journalist and the author of True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray. He largely believes that Maura is still alive and planned her own escape, possibly because she was pregnant. (Maura had searched online for the effects of alcohol on a fetus. Some of her nursing school friends later said this was research for an assignment.) Renner reported that a friend of Maura’s emailed him and accused Bill, Maura’s boyfriend, of being abusive. Just last year, Bill Rausch was indicted by a Grand Jury on felony sex abuse.
It’s also rumored that Maura had been in a relationship with Hossein Baghdadi, an assistant track coach at UMass. Baghdadi has openly spoken about the situation and told detectives that Maura previously hinted to him that she might disappear. The UMass Outing Club owns a cabin in the White Mountains and some believe that’s where she was heading. There’s no reports indicating that Maura and Baghdadi were in communication in the weeks leading up to her disappearance.
On his blog, James Renner has not-so-subtly accused Fred of knowing what happened to his daughter, citing his unwillingness to be interviewed by Renner as “suspicious.” In a Boston Magazine article, Renner even states, “There’s nothing that would please me more than to depose Fred in court under oath.” In Fred’s defense, 16 years of non-stop searching for your daughter would wear anyone down and there are very few avenues that he hasn’t personally investigated.
Fred wholeheartedly believes that Maura was abducted. In late 2004, a man named Larry Moulton came forward with a knife that he thought could be the murder weapon. It belonged to his brother, Claude, who lived in an A-frame house roughly ¾ mile from the crash site. By 2006, Claude no longer lived there and the new owners allowed private investigators to inspect it. Cadaver dogs made a hit and carpet samples were taken for testing. Unfortunately, the chain of custody is unclear and the samples were lost. Moulton’s knife had been turned over to New Hampshire State Police, but results were never released.
In 2016, the Missing Maura Murray podcast returned to the A-frame. They found what appeared to be blood stains in a closet. Wood chips were turned over to a molecular geneticist who was able to confirm the presence of human blood. Unfortunately, the samples are too deteriorated to determine with 100% certainty whether the blood is Maura’s.
Another house near the scent dog’s trail was searched in 2019 after ground penetrating radar showed a disturbance in the home’s basement. Investigators removed concrete and searched several feet down, but no evidence was found.
The opportunistic killer theory may be statistically less likely, but it can’t be ruled out. One month after Maura went missing, 17-year-old Brianna Maitland disappeared in Vermont. Some feel it’s possible that both women fell prey to a serial killer. Law enforcement looked into a connection between Maitland and serial killer Israel Keyes, but this was later ruled out by the FBI. Many online sleuths still point to Keyes.
The biggest problem with this theory is how small the window of opportunity was for a murderer to take Maura without being seen. Even if Butch Atwood only spent a few minutes talking to Maura, she couldn’t have been alone for more than 10-15 minutes by the time Sgt. Smith arrived. And although the area is heavily wooded, it’s not exactly desolate considering at least 3 neighbors could see her from their homes.
Rick Forcier is another name that’s frequently brought up when discussing Maura Murray. Forcier was driving home from his job as a contractor on the night of February 9th when he spotted a woman walking in the woods that fit the description of Maura. Some find his story suspicious because he didn’t report the sighting until months later. He told police that he didn’t realize it was the same night until he went back through his work calendar in late April.
We already know that the Murrays are adamant that Maura wasn’t suicidal, but what about the theory that she wandered into the woods and died from the elements? Occam’s Razor is widely referenced by those who consider this the simplest explanation. If we subtract all the assumptions about the case, the absolute facts are this: a young woman crashed her car and was last seen outside in the freezing cold.
No matter which theory you believe, it’s astounding how many persons of interest have been named. Particularly for a case that lacks any true suspects. This unsolved mystery has more twists and turns than the route Maura set out on that fateful night. We can only hope that one day the record is set straight.


thoughtcatalog--2020-03-17--50 Fun Facts To Distract You From Our World Falling Apart

1 .
Play-Doh was originally designed to remove soot from wallpaper .
The only reason it became a toy was because vinyl wallpaper became a thing , making his product obsolete .
The creator needed to save the company and accidentally found that kids loved the stuff .
After making it safe to play with , it was then marketed for kids .
2 .
When smoking went out of fashion and was demonized by anti-smoking adds , Disney had a major issue on their hands in the fact that there was never a photo of Walt Disney without a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a heavy smoker ) , so they resolved it by airbrushing all the cigarettes out of every picture of Walt Disney so the question arose of why was Walt pointing with two fingers and they disguised it as “ Walt would point with two fingers because it isn ’ t rude to point with two fingers as opposed to pointing with one ” and on top of that they made their staff point with two fingers because they ’ re all trained to present themselves as Walt would .
3 .
Grey Goose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so that it would have to be top shelf liquor and wouldn ’ t fit on lower shelves .
4 .
The reason why it is the ‘ top 40 ’ is that jukeboxes could fit 40 records , and the owners would use the top 40 list as a way to know which records to buy ( as the more popular ones would get played more , and thus get more money ) .
5 .
Before bears hibernate , they eat a bunch of twigs and grass to plug up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have to wake up in the middle of the winter to shit .
Then when they do wake up in the spring , they have these really rough massive shits .
6 .
Tim Burton ’ s inspiration for The Nightmare Before Christmas was seeing retail stores setting up their Christmas displays before Halloween had finished .
7 .
The reason why you flip the first cigarette in the packet upside down and leave it until you ’ ve finished the packet is because it ’ s “ lucky.
” But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s lucky , the custom came during WW2 , and if you lived long enough to smoke the cigarette , YOU were lucky .
8 .
Ever seen a pet bird trying to pull their owner ’ s jewelry ( earrings , bracelets , metal things mainly ) out/away from them ?
It can be annoying and painful but it ’ s actually a sign of affection – they think the owner has things stuck in their feathers and are trying to preen/groom them !
9 .
Vikings thought if they smithed weapons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the animal would make the weapon stronger .
The weapons were in fact stronger because the carbon on the bones was mixed with the iron making a primitive version of steel .
10 .
Erasers stop working because the whiteboard gets porous with age .
So instead of replacing erasers , use ethyl alcohol to re-dissolve the pigment and then wipe it away .
11 .
DumDum ’ s mystery flavor lollipop is made when they change from producing one flavor to the next .
Instead of throwing the contaminated mixture away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flavor .
That ’ s also why they ’ ll usually always taste a little different each time 12 .
The myth that eating carrots helps you see better was actually started by the British in World War II to cover the fact that they had installed radar systems in their aircraft .
The British needed a way to explain why their pilots were seemingly spotting enemy aircraft in the dark without exposing that they had developed radar small enough to install in aircraft .
Thus they started saying they were feeding their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of carrots .
A surprising number of people still believe this myth today .
13 .
A woman once jumped off the 86th floor of the Empire State Building but the wind pushed her back and she fell on a ledge on the 85th floor .
She survived .
14 .
The S in Harry S Truman ’ s name doesn ’ t stand for anything .
His middle name was just the letter S. 15 .
A flock of crows is known as a murder .
16 .
The reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short because it ’ s easier for them to wear them .
Easier to draw , animate , and do color differentials .
17 .
Cleopatra lived closer the invention of the iPhone than she did to the building of the Pyramids of Giza .
18 .
If aliens that were 65 million light years away looked at our planet through a very powerful telescope they would see dinosaurs .
THEORETICALLY .
19 .
A second is called a second because it is the 2nd division of the hour by 60 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The interrobang is punctuation used when you are both surprised and confused .
It is a combination of the question mark and exclamation point .
Most people use both exclamation points and question marks side by side , but the interrobang is the grammatically correct symbol .
What the heck‽ 21 .
If ancient Egyptians got divorced they would throw a massive party and invite everyone they knew to celebrate how close they all were to each other .
22 .
A palindrome is a word that can be read the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car .
The fear of palindromes is called aibohphobia , which itself is a palindrome 23 .
Albatrosses can sleep when they fly .
24 .
Theres an island littered with landmines that is only inhabited by penguins .
Nobody has ever poached a penguin on this island and the penguins are too lightweight to trigger the landmines so they just walk all over them .
25 .
Giraffes are the only animals born with horns .
Other animals grow horns when they are older .
26 .
The cross sum of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
27 .
Dragonflies have the highest successful kill rate of any creature on earth .
28 .
When dogs are acting in movies , and they have to be tough/scary/scared etc , a lot of the time their tails have to be CGId in because their REAL tails are wagging .
They ’ re SO HAPPY to be doing a GOOD JOB and getting BIG TREATS that their tails wag , even when they ’ re supposed to be tucked in from fear or still etc .
So when you see a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big emotion like fear or anger , their tail is more than likely fake .
29 .
Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth were born in the same year 30 .
A snail can hibernate for 3 years at once .
31 .
When Europe first found coffee during the crusades it was brought to the Pope because people were worried if they drank a “ heathen drink ” they would go to hell .
The Pope tried it and was like , “ Yo .
This is fucking lit , ” and baptized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has coffee and why Italy has such a strong culture built around it .
Because the pope thought the bean juice that made him go fast was great and dunked a bag of it in holy water .
33 .
A blue whale ’ s fart bubble is large enough to encase an entire horse .
34 .
Babies are born without kneecaps .
It ’ s just cartilage that turns into bone when they ’ re around 4 years old .
35 .
The reason “ Kansas ” and “ Arkansas ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” has Native American roots , where “ Arkansas ” has French roots .
36 .
The Macarena is about a woman cheating on her boyfriend in a threesome with his two best friends while he ’ s away in the army .
37 .
Cockroaches are notoriously clean critters .
When you spray them with bug spray , they will freak out and try to groom themselves like a cat .
They ingest the poison which ultimately ends up killing them .
38 .
Almost exactly 90 years ago , Pluto was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since its discovery , it has not completed a single orbit around the sun .
In fact , it ’ s only gone about 1/3rd of the way around in all that time .
39 .
Alaska ’ s state website includes a video regarding moose safety .
It ’ s made for middle schoolers , by middle schoolers .
40 .
There ’ s an area of land between Egypt and Sudan that could technically be regarded as belonging to either country but both claim belongs to the other .
41 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looks almost like the male ’ s .
Researchers thought hyenas were hermaphrodites for quite a long time before realizing otherwise .
The female hyena ’ s ‘ penis ’ is actually an elongated clitoris .
It ’ s referred to as a pseudo-penis .
Female hyenas pee , mate , and give birth through it .
Also… even though the female hyena ’ s penis isn ’ t an actual penis , it ’ s longer than the male ’ s .
42 .
A giraffe has the same number of bones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lego produces more tires than any manufacturer in the world .
44 .
The chainsaw was invented as a tool to assist in giving birth .
45 .
Clown fish will change sex if their partners die to mate with their children to survive .
46 .
Cheetahs can sprint for about 17 seconds straight .
After that they have to stop because they generate so much heat from the exertion that if they continued running they would literally cook their own brains .
47 .
Rabbits grind their teeth in happiness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re content .
48 .
It would take 1,200,000 mosquitoes , each sucking once , to completely drain the average human of blood .
49 .
William Henry Harrison gave the longest US presidential inauguration speech but served the shortest term of one month before dying in office .
50 .
Wyoming only has two escalators .

Here are some fun facts from Ask Reddit to get your mind off everything.
1. Play-Doh was originally designed to remove soot from wallpaper. The only reason it became a toy was because vinyl wallpaper became a thing, making his product obsolete. The creator needed to save the company and accidentally found that kids loved the stuff. After making it safe to play with, it was then marketed for kids.
2. When smoking went out of fashion and was demonized by anti-smoking adds, Disney had a major issue on their hands in the fact that there was never a photo of Walt Disney without a cigarette in his fingers (he was a heavy smoker), so they resolved it by airbrushing all the cigarettes out of every picture of Walt Disney so the question arose of why was Walt pointing with two fingers and they disguised it as “Walt would point with two fingers because it isn’t rude to point with two fingers as opposed to pointing with one” and on top of that they made their staff point with two fingers because they’re all trained to present themselves as Walt would.
3. Grey Goose was intentionally made with exceptionally tall bottles, so that it would have to be top shelf liquor and wouldn’t fit on lower shelves.
4. The reason why it is the ‘top 40’ is that jukeboxes could fit 40 records, and the owners would use the top 40 list as a way to know which records to buy (as the more popular ones would get played more, and thus get more money).
5. Before bears hibernate, they eat a bunch of twigs and grass to plug up their butts so that they don’t have to wake up in the middle of the winter to shit. Then when they do wake up in the spring, they have these really rough massive shits.
6. Tim Burton’s inspiration for The Nightmare Before Christmas was seeing retail stores setting up their Christmas displays before Halloween had finished.
7. The reason why you flip the first cigarette in the packet upside down and leave it until you’ve finished the packet is because it’s “lucky.”
But it’s not the cigarette that’s lucky, the custom came during WW2, and if you lived long enough to smoke the cigarette, YOU were lucky.
8. Ever seen a pet bird trying to pull their owner’s jewelry (earrings, bracelets, metal things mainly) out/away from them? It can be annoying and painful but it’s actually a sign of affection – they think the owner has things stuck in their feathers and are trying to preen/groom them!
9. Vikings thought if they smithed weapons with animal bones in it the spirit of the animal would make the weapon stronger. The weapons were in fact stronger because the carbon on the bones was mixed with the iron making a primitive version of steel.
10. Erasers stop working because the whiteboard gets porous with age. So instead of replacing erasers, use ethyl alcohol to re-dissolve the pigment and then wipe it away.
11. DumDum’s mystery flavor lollipop is made when they change from producing one flavor to the next. Instead of throwing the contaminated mixture away, they labeled it as the Mystery Flavor. That’s also why they’ll usually always taste a little different each time
12. The myth that eating carrots helps you see better was actually started by the British in World War II to cover the fact that they had installed radar systems in their aircraft. The British needed a way to explain why their pilots were seemingly spotting enemy aircraft in the dark without exposing that they had developed radar small enough to install in aircraft. Thus they started saying they were feeding their night pilots a special diet that included a lot of carrots. A surprising number of people still believe this myth today.
13. A woman once jumped off the 86th floor of the Empire State Building but the wind pushed her back and she fell on a ledge on the 85th floor. She survived.
14. The S in Harry S Truman’s name doesn’t stand for anything. His middle name was just the letter S.
15. A flock of crows is known as a murder.
16. The reason old animated characters wore gloves is in short because it’s easier for them to wear them. Easier to draw, animate, and do color differentials.
17. Cleopatra lived closer the invention of the iPhone than she did to the building of the Pyramids of Giza.
18. If aliens that were 65 million light years away looked at our planet through a very powerful telescope they would see dinosaurs. THEORETICALLY.
19. A second is called a second because it is the 2nd division of the hour by 60, the 1st division being a minute.
20. The interrobang is punctuation used when you are both surprised and confused. It is a combination of the question mark and exclamation point. Most people use both exclamation points and question marks side by side, but the interrobang is the grammatically correct symbol. What the heck‽
21. If ancient Egyptians got divorced they would throw a massive party and invite everyone they knew to celebrate how close they all were to each other.
22. A palindrome is a word that can be read the same both ways, like level or race car. The fear of palindromes is called aibohphobia, which itself is a palindrome
23. Albatrosses can sleep when they fly.
24. Theres an island littered with landmines that is only inhabited by penguins. Nobody has ever poached a penguin on this island and the penguins are too lightweight to trigger the landmines so they just walk all over them.
25. Giraffes are the only animals born with horns. Other animals grow horns when they are older.
26. The cross sum of the numbers of a roulette wheel is 666.
27. Dragonflies have the highest successful kill rate of any creature on earth.
28. When dogs are acting in movies, and they have to be tough/scary/scared etc, a lot of the time their tails have to be CGId in because their REAL tails are wagging. They’re SO HAPPY to be doing a GOOD JOB and getting BIG TREATS that their tails wag, even when they’re supposed to be tucked in from fear or still etc. So when you see a real doggo in a movie doing a big emotion like fear or anger, their tail is more than likely fake.
29. Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth were born in the same year
30. A snail can hibernate for 3 years at once.
31. When Europe first found coffee during the crusades it was brought to the Pope because people were worried if they drank a “heathen drink” they would go to hell. The Pope tried it and was like, “Yo. This is fucking lit,” and baptized it.
That’s why Europe has coffee and why Italy has such a strong culture built around it. Because the pope thought the bean juice that made him go fast was great and dunked a bag of it in holy water.
32. Dogs never get insomnia.
33. A blue whale’s fart bubble is large enough to encase an entire horse.
34. Babies are born without kneecaps. It’s just cartilage that turns into bone when they’re around 4 years old.
35. The reason “Kansas” and “Arkansas” are pronounced differently is because “Kansas” has Native American roots, where “Arkansas” has French roots.
36. The Macarena is about a woman cheating on her boyfriend in a threesome with his two best friends while he’s away in the army.
37. Cockroaches are notoriously clean critters. When you spray them with bug spray, they will freak out and try to groom themselves like a cat. They ingest the poison which ultimately ends up killing them.
38. Almost exactly 90 years ago, Pluto was discovered (Feb 18, 1930). Since its discovery, it has not completed a single orbit around the sun. In fact, it’s only gone about 1/3rd of the way around in all that time.
39. Alaska’s state website includes a video regarding moose safety. It’s made for middle schoolers, by middle schoolers.
40. There’s an area of land between Egypt and Sudan that could technically be regarded as belonging to either country but both claim belongs to the other.
41. The genitalia on a female hyena looks almost like the male’s. Researchers thought hyenas were hermaphrodites for quite a long time before realizing otherwise.
The female hyena’s ‘penis’ is actually an elongated clitoris. It’s referred to as a pseudo-penis. Female hyenas pee, mate, and give birth through it.
Also… even though the female hyena’s penis isn’t an actual penis, it’s longer than the male’s.
42. A giraffe has the same number of bones in their neck as humans.
43. Lego produces more tires than any manufacturer in the world.
44. The chainsaw was invented as a tool to assist in giving birth.
45. Clown fish will change sex if their partners die to mate with their children to survive.
46. Cheetahs can sprint for about 17 seconds straight. After that they have to stop because they generate so much heat from the exertion that if they continued running they would literally cook their own brains.
47. Rabbits grind their teeth in happiness similar to how cats purr when they’re content.
48. It would take 1,200,000 mosquitoes, each sucking once, to completely drain the average human of blood.
49. William Henry Harrison gave the longest US presidential inauguration speech but served the shortest term of one month before dying in office.
50. Wyoming only has two escalators.


thoughtcatalog--2020-03-17--11+ Best Games To Play During Coronavirus Quarantine

Here are some fun games to play from board games to fun card games while you ’ re social distancing , or just bored .
In the midst of the coronavirus , you will probably find yourself at home a lot more than usual .
While there are endless things to do on the Internet , nothing beats a nice game with those around you .
We ’ ve examined tons of great games and have found the top ones that will surely lead to an epic game night .
So round up your roommates and closest ( healthy ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invigorating , and game-filled evening !
Codenames is a word game with a simple premise .
Essentially , two rival spymasters know the secret identities of the agents on the table .
Their teammates know the agents only by their codenames .
The teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first .
Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the table .
Their teammates then try to guess words of their color while avoiding those words that belong to the opposing team .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ card .
The game works very well with 4 players if you prefer to guess without help .
You can include players if you prefer lively a discussion !
Coup simulates a dystopian universe .
Just imagine you are head of a family in an Italian city-state , a city run by a weak and corrupt court .
You need to manipulate , bluff and bribe your way to power .
Your object is to destroy the influence of all the other families , forcing them into exile .
Only one will survive… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last player with influence in the game , with influence being represented by face-down character cards in your playing area .
This is a handy way to play the classic property-trading Monopoly board game !
Be the first to collect 3 full property sets of different colors .
You ’ ll pick up cards when it ’ s your turn and play Action cards to charge players rent , steal their cards , or demand money .
Players make up definitions to obscure words .
The real definition is mixed in with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the funny definitions are read aloud .
You try to spot the truth within a web of deceit .
Even if you guess incorrectly you advance , as long as you ’ re able to bluff an opponent into thinking your made-up definition is the right one !
In this game you play a card from your hand , and place a chip on a corresponding space on the game board .
When you have five in a row , it ’ s a sequence .
Learn to block your opponents or remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Jacks – they ’ re wild !
Just when you thought Blockbuster was extinct… Introducing a new fun family game for anyone that has ever seen a movie .
This is a game for adults and teenagers alike , but for best results , you ’ ll want to split up into two mixed teams .
In round one , each team will choose one of their members to go head-to-head in a quick-fire buzzer battle .
Whoever wins the quick-fire buzzer battle will get to choose 3 movie cards from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll get 30 seconds to get their team to shout out the movies by using three tricky techniques – acting out the film , making up a quote and describing them with just one word .
Then the other team will do the same with their cards .
Whoever collects all the genres first wins !
Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure where players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities through North America .
An indispensable classic.Your adventurous settlers seek to tame the remote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by revealing Catan ’ s many harbors and regions : pastures , fields , mountains , hills , forests , and desert .
The random mix of the game creates a different board virtually every time .
Race around guessing which player wrote which answer while writing your own creative responses to hilarious and highly loaded questions .
This game has simple rules and no right or wrong answers .
People have been getting twisted and tangled playing Twister since the 1960 ’ s !
You ’ ll fall over with laughter as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” !
A person is eliminated when they fall or when their elbow or knee touches the mat .
This game you don ’ t even have to buy !
The Fishbowl Game is a fun-filled memory game that combines Charades , Password and Taboo .
It is also an easy game to learn and can be played with large groups , which makes it perfect for get-togethers .
Cards Against Humanity is a party game for horrible people .
Each round , one player asks a question from a black card , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white card .
Players move around the board answering questions from 6 categories including Geography , Entertainment , History , Art and Literature , Science and Nature , and Sports and Leisure .
When players land on a category headquarters space , they ’ ll earn the corresponding colored wedge if they answer the question correctly .
The first player to collect 6 different colored wedges and answer a final question correctly wins !
Build a Unicorn Army .
Betray your friends .
Unicorns are your friends now .
Unstable Unicorns is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two favorite things : destruction and unicorns .
The goal of Unstable Unicorns is to be the first person to collect seven Unicorns in your play area , also known as your Stable .
Drunk , Stoned , or Stupid includes 250 cards to decide who in the group is most likely to… “ # 1 Wake up with half a burrito in bed ” , “ # 27 Have 20-minute conversation with Siri ” and “ # 147 Shame people for going to bed.
” Once a card is drawn , everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the person who is most likely to… In this game you get to see what your friends really think of you .

Here are some fun games to play from board games to fun card games while you’re social distancing, or just bored.
In the midst of the coronavirus, you will probably find yourself at home a lot more than usual. While there are endless things to do on the Internet, nothing beats a nice game with those around you. We’ve examined tons of great games and have found the top ones that will surely lead to an epic game night. So round up your roommates and closest (healthy) friends and have yourself a competitive, invigorating, and game-filled evening!
Codenames is a word game with a simple premise. Essentially, two rival spymasters know the secret identities of the agents on the table. Their teammates know the agents only by their codenames. The teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the table. Their teammates then try to guess words of their color while avoiding those words that belong to the opposing team. And everyone wants to avoid the assassin card. The game works very well with 4 players if you prefer to guess without help. You can include players if you prefer lively a discussion!
Coup simulates a dystopian universe. Just imagine you are head of a family in an Italian city-state, a city run by a weak and corrupt court. You need to manipulate, bluff and bribe your way to power. Your object is to destroy the influence of all the other families, forcing them into exile. Only one will survive… In Coup, you want to be the last player with influence in the game, with influence being represented by face-down character cards in your playing area.
This is a handy way to play the classic property-trading Monopoly board game! Be the first to collect 3 full property sets of different colors. You’ll pick up cards when it’s your turn and play Action cards to charge players rent, steal their cards, or demand money.
Players make up definitions to obscure words. The real definition is mixed in with the phonies and the laughter begins as the funny definitions are read aloud. You try to spot the truth within a web of deceit. Even if you guess incorrectly you advance, as long as you’re able to bluff an opponent into thinking your made-up definition is the right one!
In this game you play a card from your hand, and place a chip on a corresponding space on the game board. When you have five in a row, it’s a sequence. Learn to block your opponents or remove their chips, and watch out for the Jacks – they’re wild!
Just when you thought Blockbuster was extinct… Introducing a new fun family game for anyone that has ever seen a movie. This is a game for adults and teenagers alike, but for best results, you’ll want to split up into two mixed teams. In round one, each team will choose one of their members to go head-to-head in a quick-fire buzzer battle. Whoever wins the quick-fire buzzer battle will get to choose 3 movie cards from the pile. When ready, they’ll get 30 seconds to get their team to shout out the movies by using three tricky techniques – acting out the film, making up a quote and describing them with just one word. Then the other team will do the same with their cards. Whoever collects all the genres first wins!
Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure where players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities through North America.
An indispensable classic.Your adventurous settlers seek to tame the remote, but rich isle of Catan. Start by revealing Catan’s many harbors and regions: pastures, fields, mountains, hills, forests, and desert. The random mix of the game creates a different board virtually every time.
Race around guessing which player wrote which answer while writing your own creative responses to hilarious and highly loaded questions. This game has simple rules and no right or wrong answers.
People have been getting twisted and tangled playing Twister since the 1960’s! You’ll fall over with laughter as you get “tied up in knots”! A person is eliminated when they fall or when their elbow or knee touches the mat.
This game you don’t even have to buy! The Fishbowl Game is a fun-filled memory game that combines Charades, Password and Taboo. It is also an easy game to learn and can be played with large groups, which makes it perfect for get-togethers.
Cards Against Humanity is a party game for horrible people. Each round, one player asks a question from a black card, and everyone else answers with their funniest white card.
Players move around the board answering questions from 6 categories including Geography, Entertainment, History, Art and Literature, Science and Nature, and Sports and Leisure. When players land on a category headquarters space, they’ll earn the corresponding colored wedge if they answer the question correctly. The first player to collect 6 different colored wedges and answer a final question correctly wins!
Build a Unicorn Army. Betray your friends. Unicorns are your friends now.
Unstable Unicorns is a strategic card game about everyone’s two favorite things: destruction and unicorns. The goal of Unstable Unicorns is to be the first person to collect seven Unicorns in your play area, also known as your Stable.
Drunk, Stoned, or Stupid includes 250 cards to decide who in the group is most likely to… “#1 Wake up with half a burrito in bed”, “#27 Have 20-minute conversation with Siri” and “#147 Shame people for going to bed.” Once a card is drawn, everyone counts to 3 and then points to the person who is most likely to… In this game you get to see what your friends really think of you.
This game presents numerous opportunities to strategize. You will strategize organizing your cards into the discard piles, avoiding setting up the next players for good plays, knowing when to play from which option and especially the timing of playing a valuable “Skip-Bo” wild card.
Azul is a tile-placement game in which players compete for the highest score by claiming tiles and arranging them on their board to score points.
Have other ideas for games to play at home during coronavirus quarantine? Email us at hello@thoughtcatalog.com.


thoughtcatalog--2020-03-17--18 People With Coronavirus Describe Their Symptoms + Experiences With The Virus

“ My uncle ( 70ish ) got diagnosed with it a couple days ago in Washington state .
He ’ s been quarantined but the nurses didnt know proper protocol at the time and allowed my Auntie to visit .
Now she has self quarantined herself at her home .
My Uncle is stable .
They took sputum cultures , meaning they check for bacterial infections .
It takes 24 hours to get a result .
If its viral pneumonia , this is a good sign apparently .
If your kidney function and cardiac function responds well , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong enough to fight off the infection .
If you do not , you will experience a multi system failure following .
He is was still hard of breathing so they intubated him .
Got ta give credit to the doctors , nurses , and med staff .
They are certainly stepping up and doing the best they can in such a disorganized system .
Good heroes !
” — farmon7 “ I am a nurse at Level 1 trauma center hospital in Detroit .
I swear COVID has been around for weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surgical team that have been hit hard with respiratory and fevers .
We may have misidentified this as the flu .
There has been a lack of communication , policy , and testing .
My hospital doesn ’ t have a plan .
My wife is an accountant and they have a plan to work from home .
Again , my hospital does not .
This means we are continuing to operate as usual until we physically can not .
Edit : My hospital rolled out a policy .
We are not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Once our first confirmed case is in-house , all elective/non emergent surgeries are cancelled .
We expect to have our first case by tonight .
We expect to our ICUs to get hit hard sometime next week.
” — BigODetroit “ What ’ s weird about these symptoms , and seems to hold true for almost everybody , is I went days without knowing I have the virus…Then , all of a sudden , just clicking my fingers , I jump from normal temperature to 103.
” — Carl Goldman “ Im 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the higher risk category but I can explain my symptoms I guess .
I ’ ve been sick for fifteen days and only have stayed in my house for the last five due to not having lots available here in southern spain .
It started as a cold with mucus and that was the main reason why I hadn ’ t taken it seriously but after a few days it got more severe .
My symptoms by day four where a soar throat , wheezing , coughing , chills , no appetite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( this was new to me ) and in the last few days it ’ s turned into a painful dry cough .
Both my parents have the same symptoms.
” — mermaidhairdontcare “ My daughter lives in a nation ( like a co-ed frat ) at Lund University in Sweden .
A close friend of hers that lives in her corridor is Sweden ’ s patient 0 .
He returned from Italy about a week ago .
Since he entered the country via Copenhagen the health dept didn ’ t catch him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine and had only encountered 2 people in the hall before going to his room .
He tested positive and the other 2 are quarantined for 14 days .
They took him to the hospital .
Two days later he spiked a 105° fever and he has a bad cough and chest tightness .
He ’ s been achy , had chills , headaches , vomiting and diarrhea .
He goes through day long stretches where he feels like he ’ s gotten better and then it comes back .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shape .
They are doing breathing treatments on him .
Statistically he should be fine .
He ’ s said it ’ s like he ’ s going to die , then he ’ s fine and the circle begins again.
” — tgibook “ Step daughter bought it home from school , made us all sick .
3 days of fever chills , felt like blowing and coughing razor blades .
Stayed hydrated .
Probably a week and a half into it now with only a cough and blocked snotty nose.. the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Can definitely see how the elderly or infirm could be pushed over the edge with it tbh.
” — SLR1337 “ My father ’ s colleague/friend has been diagnosed with the coronavirus .
He was in northern Italy during the outbreak , then returned to his home country , where he was stopped at the airport .
RN he is under house arrest with at least 6 policemen in front of his door .
He ’ s about to be transferred to the hospital.
” — AlbanThePro “ Friend of mine got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad cold / mild flu .
She only got tested after being contacted as someone that ’ d been in contact w another confirmed case .
In between contracting it and testing positive , she worked several shifts in a bank , went to the gym , went to the theatre… ” — SomeHSomeE Main symptoms were a dry cough , chest pain , fever , extreme fatigue , and eventually congestion and shortness of breath .
It ’ s Day 10 since I first showed symptoms , and everything has improved except @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse , I can barely take a breath without immediately coughing .
And it ’ s deep painful coughs .
I feel so much better when it comes to every other symptom , so I ’ m hoping for this cough to clear up soon .
I can ’ t do the test to see if I ’ m negative until all symptoms are gone , and I ’ m going a little stir crazy confined to my small bedroom ( albeit worth it to keep others safe ) .
” — replove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not that bad .
I basically have a sore throat , swollen lymph nodes , a bit of a runny nose , a weird flu-like headache , nausea on and off , & not to mention I can not trust my farts as of this morning if you catch my drift .
I also sweat like a beast in my sleep right now & wake up drenched a few times throughout the night.
” — rjszoke “ My uncle contracted it .
It ’ s much more serious then people believe .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uncle flat out unable to breathe .
He ’ s been dependent on a ventilator for 4 days now .
He ’ s not going to die and will recover… but it would be different if he didnt have access to a ventilator .
What scares me is what will happen when it spreads .
I work in a hospital .
The resources to put everyone on a ventilator just do not exist.
” — Myhandsunclean “ I ’ m reasonably confident I contracted it on my trip to Asia at the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases but wasn ’ t reporting or restricting travel .
Everyone in my travel group , starting with my mother in law , got extremely ill either during or after our trip .
Standard CV symptoms , but no one had any idea what it actually was .
I never , ever get sick , but I came down with one of the worst dry coughs I ’ ve ever had , could barely move for about a week once we got back in the US .
My wife had it worse than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight home and the last day there .
I ’ m mid 30s , reasonably fit , and have an obscenely healthy diet overall .
It was rough for me .
I didn ’ t leave the house and ate Postmates-delivered Popeye ’ s Chicken Sandwiches every day the whole time.
” — UnknownQTY “ The test is pretty elaborate .
They stick a swab deep into each nostril and also deep down the throat .
Five seconds each .
Not a fun process.
” — Carl Goldman “ I ’ m a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for me the worst parts are really bad flu mixed with a little shortness of breath and sore throat .
I ’ ve quarantined myself , mostly to protect people in my city who can ’ t fight it off.
” — _ExecutorTassadar_ “ My best friend is one of only 200 25 patients here in Germany so far to fully recover from the virus .
He ’ s 19 though so he only experienced a day of mild symptoms , and after two weeks of quarantine everything ’ s back to @ @ @ @

***
“My uncle (70ish) got diagnosed with it a couple days ago in Washington state. He’s been quarantined but the nurses didnt know proper protocol at the time and allowed my Auntie to visit. Now she has self quarantined herself at her home.
My Uncle is stable. They took sputum cultures, meaning they check for bacterial infections. It takes 24 hours to get a result. If its viral pneumonia, this is a good sign apparently.
If your kidney function and cardiac function responds well, this is also a good sign that you are strong enough to fight off the infection. If you do not, you will experience a multi system failure following. He is was still hard of breathing so they intubated him.
Gotta give credit to the doctors, nurses, and med staff. They are certainly stepping up and doing the best they can in such a disorganized system. Good heroes!” — farmon7
***
“I am a nurse at Level 1 trauma center hospital in Detroit. I swear COVID has been around for weeks. There are several members of my surgical team that have been hit hard with respiratory and fevers. We may have misidentified this as the flu. There has been a lack of communication, policy, and testing. My hospital doesn’t have a plan. My wife is an accountant and they have a plan to work from home. Again, my hospital does not. This means we are continuing to operate as usual until we physically cannot.
Edit: My hospital rolled out a policy. We are not to meet in groups over 20 people. Once our first confirmed case is in-house, all elective/non emergent surgeries are cancelled. We expect to have our first case by tonight. We expect to our ICUs to get hit hard sometime next week.” — BigODetroit
***
“What’s weird about these symptoms, and seems to hold true for almost everybody, is I went days without knowing I have the virus…Then, all of a sudden, just clicking my fingers, I jump from normal temperature to 103.” — Carl Goldman
***
Now that I am recovering from Covid-19, I want to share my symptoms, and my experience, in case it is of help to anyone else. I've felt pretty rotten the last few days, but am finally improving. I am only talking about my own experiences – as a patient, not a doctor. (1/n) — Chris Gough (@GoughCJ) March 16, 2020
Symptoms. D1: The day of fevers and exhaustion. Shivers and sweats were the story of the day. That and being utterly exhausted, with whole-body ache. Random temp: 38.5. One flight of stairs then stop for a rest. No appetite at all. (3/n) — Chris Gough (@GoughCJ) March 16, 2020
The cough started in the afternoon. Not a bad cough, and not productive. But just there every now and again to remind me that my lungs were also not happy. I found out my brother (who I spent the proceeding week with) is unwell with similar symptoms. (4/n) — Chris Gough (@GoughCJ) March 16, 2020
D2: No energy. Horizontal is the position to be in. Sweats/shivers ongoing, but not as bad as yesterday. Cough more noticeable but not a big issue. Intermittent headache started. Whole body still aches, and feeling weak. Zero appetite. Felt a bit brighter in the eve. (5/n) — Chris Gough (@GoughCJ) March 16, 2020
D3: Feeling worse. Headache and fatigue worse. Cough less frequent. Appetite improving but far from normal. Another day of frequent naps & predominantly horizontal state. Had to help with childcare in the evening – either baby has doubled in weight or I'm half as strong (6/n) — Chris Gough (@GoughCJ) March 16, 2020
D4: Ongoing fatigue and reduced appetite. Cough very infrequent now. Headaches still present, but improving. Whole body still aches. Functionally pretty useless. Would quite like to feel better. My brother is improving. His girlfriend now has symptoms. (7/n) — Chris Gough (@GoughCJ) March 16, 2020
D5: Still pretty tired. No headaches any more. Appetite up to 1/2 or 2/3 of normal. Still no desire to leave the bed/sofa, let alone the house, which is fortunate since I still have 2 days of self-isolation to go. (8/n) — Chris Gough (@GoughCJ) March 16, 2020
D6: Feeling a little better. Or, thought I was, but then fell asleep on the sofa for an hour. So fatigue ongoing, and lacking energy. Still no desire to leave the house. Hoping tomorrow will bring much more energy 🤞 (9/n) — Chris Gough (@GoughCJ) March 16, 2020
That is as far as I have made it (so far). If you meet the criteria (temp [>37.8] or a new cough), please follow the advice and self-isolate. Protect your patients.
Protect your colleagues.
Protect your friends and family.
Protect yourself. (10/10). — Chris Gough (@GoughCJ) March 16, 2020
***
“Im 28 and so I’m obviously not in the higher risk category but I can explain my symptoms I guess. I’ve been sick for fifteen days and only have stayed in my house for the last five due to not having lots available here in southern spain. It started as a cold with mucus and that was the main reason why I hadn’t taken it seriously but after a few days it got more severe. My symptoms by day four where a soar throat, wheezing, coughing, chills, no appetite, swollen lymph nodes, sour muscles (this was new to me) and in the last few days it’s turned into a painful dry cough.
Both my parents have the same symptoms.” — mermaidhairdontcare
***
“My daughter lives in a nation (like a co-ed frat) at Lund University in Sweden. A close friend of hers that lives in her corridor is Sweden’s patient 0. He returned from Italy about a week ago. Since he entered the country via Copenhagen the health dept didn’t catch him until the next morning. He felt fine and had only encountered 2 people in the hall before going to his room. He tested positive and the other 2 are quarantined for 14 days.
They took him to the hospital. Two days later he spiked a 105° fever and he has a bad cough and chest tightness. He’s been achy, had chills, headaches, vomiting and diarrhea. He goes through day long stretches where he feels like he’s gotten better and then it comes back. He’s 21, was in great health and shape. They are doing breathing treatments on him. Statistically he should be fine. He’s said it’s like he’s going to die, then he’s fine and the circle begins again.” — tgibook
***
“Step daughter bought it home from school, made us all sick.
3 days of fever chills, felt like blowing and coughing razor blades. Stayed hydrated. Probably a week and a half into it now with only a cough and blocked snotty nose.. the phlegm is a yummy thick sticky green.
Can definitely see how the elderly or infirm could be pushed over the edge with it tbh.” — SLR1337
***
“My father’s colleague/friend has been diagnosed with the coronavirus. He was in northern Italy during the outbreak, then returned to his home country, where he was stopped at the airport. RN he is under house arrest with at least 6 policemen in front of his door. He’ s about to be transferred to the hospital.” — AlbanThePro
***
“Friend of mine got it. She described it as a bad cold / mild flu. She only got tested after being contacted as someone that’d been in contact w another confirmed case.
In between contracting it and testing positive, she worked several shifts in a bank, went to the gym, went to the theatre…” — SomeHSomeE
***
“Female, 20s
Tested and confirmed positive.
Main symptoms were a dry cough, chest pain, fever, extreme fatigue, and eventually congestion and shortness of breath.
It’s Day 10 since I first showed symptoms, and everything has improved except the cough. The cough has gotten worse, I can barely take a breath without immediately coughing. And it’s deep painful coughs. I feel so much better when it comes to every other symptom, so I’m hoping for this cough to clear up soon. I can’t do the test to see if I’m negative until all symptoms are gone, and I’m going a little stir crazy confined to my small bedroom (albeit worth it to keep others safe).” — replove
***
“Being 24, it’s not that bad. I basically have a sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, a bit of a runny nose, a weird flu-like headache, nausea on and off, & not to mention I cannot trust my farts as of this morning if you catch my drift. I also sweat like a beast in my sleep right now & wake up drenched a few times throughout the night.” — rjszoke
***
“My uncle contracted it. It’s much more serious then people believe. It made my otherwise healthy 48 year old uncle flat out unable to breathe. He’s been dependent on a ventilator for 4 days now. He’s not going to die and will recover… but it would be different if he didnt have access to a ventilator.
What scares me is what will happen when it spreads. I work in a hospital. The resources to put everyone on a ventilator just do not exist.” — Myhandsunclean
***
I woke up Saturday morning feeling like crap and, by mid-day, I had a fever. So, given my recent travels to France and Taiwan, I decided to get a COVID19 test. Here's what happened: — Nomadic Matt (@nomadicmatt) March 16, 2020
First, it was incredibly hard to find information about getting tested. The Austin Health Department website had zero information on testing. I found some news articles that said Austin has it but couldn't confirm. I called 311 & they said they'd call me back. I'm still waiting. — Nomadic Matt (@nomadicmatt) March 16, 2020
Second, I did manage to learn that as of Friday a private hospital, BSW Health, does provide testing. It's $40. I filled out the online form and they said I met the qualifications. So, yesterday morning, I drove to the drive thru testing. — Nomadic Matt (@nomadicmatt) March 16, 2020
It took an hour but they finally shoved a huge swap up my nose, told me to stay at home, and that I'd get the results within 48 hrs. The results came back this morning. I tested positive for Coronavirus and am now quarantined. The health department will call me soon I guess. — Nomadic Matt (@nomadicmatt) March 16, 2020
The doc says given that a lot of my aches are gone and my fever is down (thanks Tylonel!) I have a mild case but, until further notice, I'm inside. The results go to the state lab for confirmation and to also test for the flu. — Nomadic Matt (@nomadicmatt) March 16, 2020
In this process, I learned: 1. There's no easy place to go for information.
2. Local health departments have no clue.
3. It's crazy you have to wait 24-48hrs for results.
4. More people have it than you think. If you feel sick, take your temp. If you have one, get tested. — Nomadic Matt (@nomadicmatt) March 16, 2020
The big concern now is to make sure my breathing is ok. The doctor says it's mild since my fever has gone down but to monitor my breathing. If I develop shortness of breath or a fever again, I'm supposed to call 911. I'll keep you updated! — Nomadic Matt (@nomadicmatt) March 16, 2020
Update: Austin's 311 called me back. BSW Health in Austin is currently the ONLY place you can get tested. And it's $40 bucks. That is a travesty. We are so screwed in containing this. — Nomadic Matt (@nomadicmatt) March 16, 2020
***
“I’m reasonably confident I contracted it on my trip to Asia at the end of last year, when China had cases but wasn’t reporting or restricting travel.
Everyone in my travel group, starting with my mother in law, got extremely ill either during or after our trip. Standard CV symptoms, but no one had any idea what it actually was.
I never, ever get sick, but I came down with one of the worst dry coughs I’ve ever had, could barely move for about a week once we got back in the US. My wife had it worse than I did and was sick the entire flight home and the last day there.
I’m mid 30s, reasonably fit, and have an obscenely healthy diet overall. It was rough for me.
I didn’t leave the house and ate Postmates-delivered Popeye’s Chicken Sandwiches every day the whole time.” — UnknownQTY
***
“The test is pretty elaborate. They stick a swab deep into each nostril and also deep down the throat. Five seconds each. Not a fun process.” — Carl Goldman
***
“I’m a very healthy person, (normally), for me the worst parts are really bad flu mixed with a little shortness of breath and sore throat. I’ve quarantined myself, mostly to protect people in my city who can’t fight it off.” — _ExecutorTassadar_
***
“My best friend is one of only 200 25 patients here in Germany so far to fully recover from the virus. He’s 19 though so he only experienced a day of mild symptoms, and after two weeks of quarantine everything’s back to normal.” — JEDiGamer007


thoughtcatalog--2020-03-17--Texting Can Strengthen Your Relationship And Help It Grow

You might feel silly for getting so worked up about someone ignoring your texts or taking too long to answer you or posting on social media without giving you a response .
You might feel like it shouldn ’ t matter all that much to you since it ’ s only texting .
However , in the modern world , texting is a great way to get to know each other better .
It ’ s a great way to determine whether you ’ re compatible , whether you want the same things out of life , whether you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a relationship last or whether you ’ re better off going your separate ways .
While seeing each other in person is great , there ’ s always a chance you ’ ll fill the time with kisses and make-out sessions without actually learning anything new about each other .
But when you ’ re talking to them over text , you can see whether your personalities align .
You can test whether your sense of humor works on them .
You can see if the conversations flow easily or if it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for longer than a few minutes .
When you ’ re texting them , you ’ re given the chance to develop a relationship that goes deeper than the superficial level .
You ’ re able to really get to know them .
Even though some people might act different in person , you can tell a lot by the way someone treats you over text .
You can see whether they treat you like an afterthought or like a priority .
You can see whether they remember the little things you say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you circle back to an old conversation .
You can see whether they ’ re putting effort into keeping a conversation with you going or whether they allow every single topic to die .
You can see whether they genuinely seem to care about your opinions and what you have to say or whether they would rather have the conversation revolve around them .
You can see whether they make you feel better about yourself or whether they make you feel worse about yourself .
You can see whether they are easy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them is like pulling teeth .
You can see whether you ’ re able to be yourself around them or whether you have to watch what you say .
You can see whether you get butterflies whenever their name appears on your phone or whether you would rather avoid them for as long as possible .
You can see whether pursuing them is a good idea or a horrible one .
While you don ’ t want to be stuck talking to someone you ’ re interested in over text forever without spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s not a bad idea to get to know them a bit over the phone first .
Texting might need seem like the most important thing in the world , but it ’ s a big part of communication in the modern world — and communication is key to any healthy relationship .
If you can ’ t talk to them , you can ’ t sustain a relationship with them .

You might feel silly for getting so worked up about someone ignoring your texts or taking too long to answer you or posting on social media without giving you a response. You might feel like it shouldn’t matter all that much to you since it’s only texting.
However, in the modern world, texting is a great way to get to know each other better. It’s a great way to determine whether you’re compatible, whether you want the same things out of life, whether you’re going to be able to make a relationship last or whether you’re better off going your separate ways.
While seeing each other in person is great, there’s always a chance you’ll fill the time with kisses and make-out sessions without actually learning anything new about each other. But when you’re talking to them over text, you can see whether your personalities align. You can test whether your sense of humor works on them. You can see if the conversations flow easily or if it’s a chore to hold their attention for longer than a few minutes.
When you’re texting them, you’re given the chance to develop a relationship that goes deeper than the superficial level. You’re able to really get to know them.
Even though some people might act different in person, you can tell a lot by the way someone treats you over text. You can see whether they treat you like an afterthought or like a priority. You can see whether they remember the little things you say or whether they need constant refreshers whenever you circle back to an old conversation.
You can see whether they’re putting effort into keeping a conversation with you going or whether they allow every single topic to die. You can see whether they genuinely seem to care about your opinions and what you have to say or whether they would rather have the conversation revolve around them.
You can see whether they make you feel better about yourself or whether they make you feel worse about yourself. You can see whether they are easy to open up to or whether talking to them is like pulling teeth.
You can see whether you’re able to be yourself around them or whether you have to watch what you say. You can see whether you get butterflies whenever their name appears on your phone or whether you would rather avoid them for as long as possible. You can see whether pursuing them is a good idea or a horrible one.
While you don’t want to be stuck talking to someone you’re interested in over text forever without spending any time with them in person, it’s not a bad idea to get to know them a bit over the phone first. Texting might need seem like the most important thing in the world, but it’s a big part of communication in the modern world — and communication is key to any healthy relationship. If you can’t talk to them, you can’t sustain a relationship with them.


thoughtcatalog--2020-03-17--You’re Allowed To Be Scared About What The Future Holds

You ’ re allowed to be scared about taking risks .
It doesn ’ t make you a coward .
It doesn ’ t make you weak .
It makes you human .
You have to stop thinking of your doubts as a sign you aren ’ t supposed to make a move you ’ ve been considering .
You have to stop assuming that , if this was the right choice , you wouldn ’ t have any hesitation whatsoever .
No one , not even the people who wear the bravest faces , are one-hundred percent confident in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have doubts , too .
They have fears , too .
You ’ re not alone in this feeling .
You ’ re just like everyone else on the planet .
You ’ re allowed to be scared about leaving old situations behind .
Even if you ’ ve been desperate for an escape , it ’ s still normal to hesitate before walking away from everything you ’ ve known .
It ’ s normal to wonder whether you ’ re better off remaining in the same place .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treading downhill instead of uphill .
But life is unpredictable .
There ’ s no way to know for sure whether you ’ re making the right move .
There ’ s no way to guess what ’ s going to happen to you .
You can only make your decisions based on what you know — and how you feel .
You ’ re allowed to be scared about your world changing .
It ’ s scary to alter your routine , even in the smallest ways .
Even if you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to embark upon is going to benefit you , even if you know it ’ s the right choice for your own individual journey , it ’ s still going to be hard to convince your feet to move .
It ’ s going to be hard to accept this change in your heart .
It ’ s so much easier to stay in place .
It ’ s easier to continue on the way you ’ ve been the last several weeks , months , years .
But you have to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to learn to accept change , because whether you like it or not , your world isn ’ t going to remain the same forever .
You ’ re allowed to be scared about embarking on new journeys .
You have no idea what to expect .
You have no idea what ’ s going to happen to you .
And that ’ s terrifying .
But you have to stop worrying about what might happen to you in the future and focus on your present .
Ask yourself what you want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the best choice for you today .
You don ’ t want to pretend your actions don ’ t have any consequences — but you don ’ t want to spend too much time living in fear of those consequences , either .
You need to push away your fears .
You need to follow your dreams , even if it scares you .
Especially if it scares you .
You ’ re allowed to be scared about what the future holds .
You ’ re allowed to question whether you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re allowed to take a second before you take a leap .
All of your feelings — your confusion and paranoia and restlessness — are valid .
It ’ s okay to be scared .
But it ’ s not okay to hold yourself back .

You’re allowed to be scared about taking risks. It doesn’t make you a coward. It doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human. You have to stop thinking of your doubts as a sign you aren’t supposed to make a move you’ve been considering. You have to stop assuming that, if this was the right choice, you wouldn’t have any hesitation whatsoever. No one, not even the people who wear the bravest faces, are one-hundred percent confident in what they’re doing. They have doubts, too. They have fears, too. You’re not alone in this feeling. You’re just like everyone else on the planet.
You’re allowed to be scared about leaving old situations behind. Even if you’ve been desperate for an escape, it’s still normal to hesitate before walking away from everything you’ve known. It’s normal to wonder whether you’re better off remaining in the same place. It’s normal to worry you’re actually treading downhill instead of uphill. But life is unpredictable. There’s no way to know for sure whether you’re making the right move. There’s no way to guess what’s going to happen to you. You can only make your decisions based on what you know — and how you feel.
You’re allowed to be scared about your world changing. It’s scary to alter your routine, even in the smallest ways. Even if you know that the change you’re about to embark upon is going to benefit you, even if you know it’s the right choice for your own individual journey, it’s still going to be hard to convince your feet to move. It’s going to be hard to accept this change in your heart. It’s so much easier to stay in place. It’s easier to continue on the way you’ve been the last several weeks, months, years. But you have to do the best thing for yourself. You have to learn to accept change, because whether you like it or not, your world isn’t going to remain the same forever.
You’re allowed to be scared about embarking on new journeys. You have no idea what to expect. You have no idea what’s going to happen to you. And that’s terrifying. But you have to stop worrying about what might happen to you in the future and focus on your present. Ask yourself what you want right now. Ask yourself what would be the best choice for you today. You don’t want to pretend your actions don’t have any consequences — but you don’t want to spend too much time living in fear of those consequences, either. You need to push away your fears. You need to follow your dreams, even if it scares you. Especially if it scares you.
You’re allowed to be scared about what the future holds. You’re allowed to question whether you’re making the right decisions. You’re allowed to take a second before you take a leap. All of your feelings — your confusion and paranoia and restlessness — are valid. It’s okay to be scared. But it’s not okay to hold yourself back.