Coronavirus prep

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  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Gale's comment seems to be written in code to me.

    I have an '08 Prius, which I was told to drive more frequently before this all started (I drove it about once or twice a week before, more like once a month since). It's fine although I drove it a couple times this and last week (after not driving since Easter).

    I grew up for some years in Anchorage, AK, and plugging in your car was not a big thing (snow tires were), although it was commonly below -4 F (which is the same as -18 C). It was a thing in Fairbanks, where much colder temps were common. -4 F happens in Chicago and I am not aware of people plugging in here. But it's unusual and short term. Jan '19 was the polar vortex which was -23 F in Chicago (that's -30 C) (and of course that does not include wind chill), but I did not drive that day. Ubers and Lyfts were, though, as I tried to go to the airport (the flights all got cancelled due to weather),
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Gale's comment seems to be written in code to me.

    I have an '08 Prius, which I was told to drive more frequently before this all started (I drove it about once or twice a week before, more like once a month since). It's fine although I drove it a couple times this and last week (after not driving since Easter).

    I grew up for some years in Anchorage, AK, and plugging in your car was not a big thing (snow tires were), although it was commonly below -4 F (which is the same as -18 C). It was a thing in Fairbanks, where much colder temps were common. -4 F happens in Chicago and I am not aware of people plugging in here. But it's unusual and short term. Jan '19 was the polar vortex which was -23 F in Chicago (that's -30 C) (and of course that does not include wind chill), but I did not drive that day. Ubers and Lyfts were, though, as I tried to go to the airport (the flights all got cancelled due to weather),

    I was in Minneapolis a couple years ago during a polar vortex and my car ('16 Prius) started fine in... I don't recall exactly... maybe between -30F and -40F. Having said that, my mpg was just the worst (in the teens during that time) because the gas engine had to run constantly. Normally, the idea of hybrids is for the gas engine to shut off and use the hybrid battery when possible. But the gas engine was needed to keep everything warm enough, I suppose. If I had a diesel, I'm sure I would have had problems. I'm not an expert, but have heard that a lot of trucks still use something to keep their fuel tanks warm enough so the diesel doesn't gel in the winter when sitting.
  • jo_nz
    jo_nz Posts: 548 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    OK, so here's a completely off-topic personal whine, but with a COVID-relevant twist.

    Some (bleep) took out my mailbox overnight, flattened the heavy galvanized-pipe post into the ground so hard that I couldn't pull it out by hand, ripped up the wet ditch, lost a side mirror and some red/black vehicular scraps along the way, and bottomed out to damage the end of a culvert that goes under my driveway on the way out. 🙄

    So, I called in a police report. Here's the COVID-relevant part, loosely related to police procedures in the time of COVID, at least in my (quiet, suburban) area:

    The dispatcher apologized for having to ask, but did ask several questions about whether I had symptoms, anyone else in the household was sick, etc. (No, plus I said I'd wear face covering when the officer arrived, which I did.) Officer did not wear a mask. (IMO, she didn't need to waste one, given my answers, the fact that we were outdoors, and I had one on. We were mostly >6' apart; the closest we got was when she handed me a business card at arm's length. (I had on work gloves, because I was cleaning up glass & debris.))

    I have been interested to see a lot of businesses asking those kinds of questions as part of their now-standard procedure - I've been questioned before someone came to do fibre installation, while ordering items for collection, when booking a haircut, and when booking for flu vaccinations & doctor appointments. And we are hearing a big emphasis on staying home if you are at all sick in any way.

    But :# how annoying about the mailbox!! Hopefully with the debris left behind the culprit can be found.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    edited May 2020
    Most older (pre 2015) Prius traction batteries are used the NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride Battery) technology but I do not know the protocol voltage % they need to be stored at. Some high end Prius starting in 2015 got lithium ion batteries and long term storage for lithium Ion is at around 40% to 50% state of charge. The regular 12 volt batteries on EV's need to be recharged from time to time just like any ICE vehicle not being used. Taking a car out for an hour drive once a month would be helpful in most cases.

    We charge the Nissan Leaf at home and currently it is charging because I will go pick up the wife in 45 minutes. It is full electric with no gas engine so other than for the tractors we are not pumping fuel much these days. Tonight I was out trying to recover the battery on the wife's car because they fail if they set around discharged in times like these. The shut down of the country is driving the sales of new starting batteries for sure.

    Most EV's are sold in China today but are becoming more common. After getting away from gas engines for daily driving the smell from tail pipes and gas pumps gets to me and I do not have COPD.

    Areas with higher levels of air pollution reported had higher COVID-19 death rates so I think outside of the USA EV's are going to become quite common over the next 5-10 years. It seems the air we breath and the foods we eat are getting more attention due to the number of COVID-19 deaths in some regions. The USA just relaxed future emission standards for vehicles due to cost of reducing vehicle pollution.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    https://courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2020/05/24/second-amendment-supporters-protest-covid-19-restrictions-capitol/5250571002/?fbclid=IwAR00aLKiTj2ld5Vb_UWlzSjN1nFqlrqDj_P72Jb4QgtsRb54-XOpwErZW8A

    While this is far from the MS River end of the state where I live it still shows the stress level over being told what to do by the governor is not going over well.

    One issue is tracking software. Sure government monitoring of our movement like they can do in China is something new in the USA.

    It seems many do not understand to keep one case from turning into 10 or 1000 cases we must track the path of infection and get COVID-19 positive cases out of the public ASAP.

    The bars, restaurants, churches, ball parks, KY lakes, etc are on line again so we will see what how well the virus spreads after this holiday weekend in 90F degree heat and high humidity.

    I feel like the rapid spread in Brazil is not a good sign for the heat and humidity stopping it.

    And the only continent on earth that doesn’t have any cases, is Antarctica. So the weather theory isn’t much of a factor, at least so far. What seems to be helping to slow it down, is social distancing. Until a vaccine is ready, that’s probably our best bet for trying to contain it.

    What scares me more is that this IS slowed right now. Perhaps that's what explains Georgia's reopening not spreading it more. And this is what the experts predicted all along. Bad in the Spring, slowing in the Summer and just awful in the Fall.

    Yeah, I suspect this too.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    edited May 2020
    lemurcat2 wrote: »

    Nice piece, and although I'm reasonably sure it was not your intended point (as I have a strong sense you are part of the anti mask contingent, please correct me if I'm wrong), here's a good takeaway quoted from the piece:

    "While it’s true that cloth masks are far from a perfect shield against tiny virus particles, but the best available data suggests that they’re much better than nothing when it comes to keeping infected people exhaling virus-laden droplets of spit and mucus all over the people around them. And since it’s possible to spread COVID-19 long before you realize you’re infected, wearing a mask is usually the responsible thing to do, just as it was in 1918."

    Feel free to think what ever best meets your needs when it comes to me. :)

    "Watch legendary Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, talk about why she thinks animals are not to blame for the current pandemic in this Coronavirus special series."

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=hStJvTv_Sh0&feature=youtu.be

    Dr. Goodall has a wisdom about life that is very rare.
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    I intended, recognise and impliment, as one, its what we do here. I take it as one in the same, this why its unusual for us to have outbreaks of these "things" related to our food industry. When these "rogue outbreaks" do happen our local public health department swings into action, tracing contacts and defining the comon denominators etc.

    Say a food outlet of some kind, is found wanting, it is closed and told to clean up their act where appropriate, worst offenders closed permanently, the worst offenders will be prosecuted. We do not have Environmental Health Officers for nothing ours have authority. Standards are set for water quality used when washing salad and the like, as well as being adhered to to ensure no contamination on prepaked foods. Manure is not permitted near growing plants after the seeds are planted. Even the animals in the food chain are clean before slaughter, the entrails are removed neatly, should anything become contaminated it is totally removed from the food chain. (That was true 60 years ago and moreso if possible now.)

    I'm happy in my regime which is thankfully different to yours. We do not and never have taken food hygene lightly probably more harshly because we do not have "regular" outbreaks, so we are effective.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    Zoonotic illnesses have been around forever, and will continue to be.

    They travel through all animal species - there is no way to be 100% completely free of zoonotic inter-species transmission. It's a natural thing, even vegans are susceptible to feces contamination, insect transmission, airborne illnesses.

    We are all connected.

    Great book about this called Spillover by David Quammen.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    Athijade wrote: »
    Zoonotic illnesses have been around forever, and will continue to be.

    They travel through all animal species - there is no way to be 100% completely free of zoonotic inter-species transmission. It's a natural thing, even vegans are susceptible to feces contamination, insect transmission, airborne illnesses.

    We are all connected.

    Great book about this called Spillover by David Quammen.

    Thanks! I'd like to read it.

  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    Athijade wrote: »
    Zoonotic illnesses have been around forever, and will continue to be.

    They travel through all animal species - there is no way to be 100% completely free of zoonotic inter-species transmission. It's a natural thing, even vegans are susceptible to feces contamination, insect transmission, airborne illnesses.

    We are all connected.

    Great book about this called Spillover by David Quammen.

    Thanks! I'd like to read it.

    There's actually this really good documentary called Spillover. I use it in my microbiology class. It is a NOVA documentary; you can Google it.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    https://www.wyomingnews.com/coronavirus/cheyenne-frontier-days-canceled-for-first-time-in-its-history/article_33c7d969-4698-5396-a5a6-2143342307a7.html

    CHEYENNE – The COVID-19 pandemic did what the Great Depression and World War II could not – cancel Cheyenne Frontier Days.

    The organization announced Wednesday that the 124th “Daddy of ’em All” will not take place this July. The 10-day event, which bills itself as the “World’s Largest Outdoor Rodeo and Western Celebration,” was scheduled to start with slack events July 13.

    It had been held every year since 1897.



    'Not a mask in sight': thousands flock to Yellowstone as park reopens
    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/19/yellowstone-coronavirus-reopening-grand-teton-covid-19