Coronavirus prep
Replies
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slimgirljo15 wrote: »I just want to say.. I hope all of you remain safe and well.
Thank you, immensely! I know Australia's been through agony, with the fires alone & now this. I am very sorry.4 -
DecadeDuchess wrote: »slimgirljo15 wrote: »I just want to say.. I hope all of you remain safe and well.
Thank you, immensely! I know Australia's been through agony, with the fires alone & now this. I am very sorry.
Thank you, yeah.. we've had a tough run. 😔4 -
SummerSkier wrote: »My other idea is for folks to take there temp on a daily basis to see what their normal is. Then at the slightest sign of a fever they would know because honestly sometimes it takes a few hrs/even a day before a fever gets bad enough for you to notice. Esp if you don't get sick or take your temp very often. At least you might catch the fever a little sooner and altho it might not be this, you would normally keep quarantine with a fever anyway.
I had the same thought, but finding a thermometer right now to buy isn't the easiest and I somehow have never acquired one.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »T1DCarnivoreRunner wrote: »T1DCarnivoreRunner wrote: »
The US surgeon general said this on Monday.
I've heard others saying it for quite a bit longer. It's one of those "tomorrow will never come" stories, right? As long as you say "2 weeks" every day for the next several months, it can never be proven wrong.
What they've been saying is that we are following Italy's track, which of course has changed over time. I've seen nothing that disputes that.
Re the Monday statement from the surgeon general:
US surgeon general: US cases are where Italy was 2 weeks ago
by: Associated Press
Posted: Mar 16, 2020 / 09:44 AM CDT / Updated: Mar 16, 2020 / 09:44 AM CDT
WASHINGTON — The U.S. surgeon general said Monday that the number of coronavirus cases in the United States has reached the level that Italy recorded two weeks ago, a sign that infections are expected to rise in America as the government steps up testing and financial markets continue to fall.
“We are at a critical inflection point in this country, people. We are where Italy was two weeks ago in terms of our numbers,” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told Fox News. “When you look at the projections, there’s every chance that we could be Italy.”
Two weeks ago, there were 1,700 cases of coronavirus in Italy and the country had reported 34 deaths. Now, Italy is reporting an estimated 25,000 cases and more than 1,800 people have died. There are about 3,800 cases reported in the United States and so far, more than 65 people have died from coronavirus.
Read more: https://wgntv.com/news/coronavirus/us-surgeon-general-us-cases-are-where-italy-was-2-weeks-ago/
CDC says 7000 cases in US and 97 deaths. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html
However Johns Hopkins says, 7300 and 115 deaths. Ok that’s not the difference I thought I saw the other day... https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html . Anyway I’m probably missing the point about Italy, we’re way past the 1700 unless that’s adjusted per capita.
I would think adjusting per capita would be the right approach. But I don't think you can say precisely how many days behind we are and it likely varies some across the US given how big we are.
Our numbers (in my city and state) are jumping quickly right now in response to increased testing (and we already had a lot more testing than a lot of places). I'm trying to remind myself it's just confirming what we already knew was the case--lots of unconfirmed cases had to be out there.1 -
I read an interesting article this morning with stats on the spread throughout the world. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#italian-media One very scary item was the fact that 8.3% of the healthcare workers in Italy have caught the virus. In one area, 20% of the doctors got it. That should be a real warning for all healthcare workers to be extremely cautious.4
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SummerSkier wrote: »My other idea is for folks to take there temp on a daily basis to see what their normal is. Then at the slightest sign of a fever they would know because honestly sometimes it takes a few hrs/even a day before a fever gets bad enough for you to notice. Esp if you don't get sick or take your temp very often. At least you might catch the fever a little sooner and altho it might not be this, you would normally keep quarantine with a fever anyway.
I actually saw an interview from a couple that was on one of the cruise ships. The ship gave all the passengers thermometers when the quarantine began. This couple said they were taking their temperatures all the time as a joke--announcing that they were "still normal" in a going stir crazy kind of way. Well, the man developed a low grade fever that went higher and higher during the day. He got quarantined early, was sick about a week and recovered fully. He said it would have been another couple of days before he'd have felt bad enough to report symptoms and would have likely transmitted the virus to his wife, who never became ill.
So it's not such a far-fetched idea.10 -
One of the new protocol’s at my husband’s plant is supposed to be taking all employee’s temps before entry - except, they can’t get their hands on any scanner type thermometers! I don’t think any of the companies on site can. We have one at home, and he asked about taking it, but I told him there was a good chance it wouldn’t make it back... and when you have 4 children all sick at the same time (like just a couple weeks ago), it makes life so much easier to have a quick and relatively germ free way to check them all at the same time. If I didn’t think someone would swipe it, I wouldn’t mind at all...
ETA: frequent temp taking is a good idea. The kids think it’s fun to do and then compare so it wouldn’t take any convincing.3 -
I was wondering if the thermometer had to touch the skin but it doesn't. That's good to know.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/business/coronavirus-temperature-sensor-guns.html0 -
So those do work?!? I sent hubby a pic of something like that at Lowe’s and jokingly asked if he wanted one for work (before things got too crazy). I think it’s the same as what you linked to anyway.Diatonic12 wrote: »I was wondering if the thermometer had to touch the skin but it doesn't. That's good to know.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/business/coronavirus-temperature-sensor-guns.html
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I knew it was only a matter of time before SA closed dine in for restaurants and bars: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2020/03/18/watch-live-san-antonio-mayor-to-provide-coronavirus-update-at-5-pm/. Part of the declaration is the closure of entertainment venues. I must say that I'm surprised at just how rapid public response had been.
The mayor is also recommending that people stay indoors as much as possible and keep off the streets after 10 PM.0 -
Re thermometer I do take my temp on a semi regular basis. As a woman realize your temp will often change right around your period. Mine usually goes up .1
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NorthCascades wrote: »SummerSkier wrote: »OK - so I have an idea. Instead of relying on health officials to do all the legwork. How about we all keep a daily diary of the places we have been and the people we have been in contact with. That way if we do come down with the virus, we already have everything concisely in one place to notify others quickly to try to contain the spread. I know if someone from work called me and said, hey I just got tested positive and am sick, I would take a LOT stronger measures as far as my movements and letting others around me know.
Google already knows all of this about us. Even if you have an iPhone, Google Maps collects location data in the background - that's why they make it for iPhone.
If anybody asks them too, they can query their data to find out who's been in the same place at the same time with you. As long as you both have your phones, which covers most people. I hope they're doing that.
Yep, I've looked at my Google Timeline location history and I know how meticulously it tracks.4 -
moonangel12 wrote: »
So those do work?!? I sent hubby a pic of something like that at Lowe’s and jokingly asked if he wanted one for work (before things got too crazy). I think it’s the same as what you linked to anyway.Diatonic12 wrote: »I was wondering if the thermometer had to touch the skin but it doesn't. That's good to know.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/business/coronavirus-temperature-sensor-guns.html
I would use a normal under the tongue thermometer to take your temperature. I do have one of those laser sensor guns that I use for cooking to test whether a skillet is hot enough for reverse searing sous vide cooked meat. I see photographs in the press they are using those laser thermometers to screen people in airports. I would have thought that practice was a little dangerous in case of eye damage if someone wasn't careful where they were aiming. So close your eyes if you are in an airport queue and see someone approaching with a laser thermometer.
I have been taking my temperature daily because I was exposed to a person who found out she might have been exposed. A colleague of my friend has tested positive since we last met, and she doesn't know if she shared a an elevator with him recently.8 -
This is such a useful thread, where people with real knowledge are helping others make sense of the information we are all getting (and so much of which is useless/fake). And I really appreciate the tone of people who are simply sharing their experience and concerns. Everyone has been so respectful (at least since I started reading, about a week ago now).
I didn't pay much attention to news about the virus until Italy shutdown and Harvard announced it was going online. One of the most helpful things I did then was to read the WHO report after their team visit to China in February; it really encapsulated all the necessary information on what was working and what wasn't. Unfortunately, I also knew we were not doing the intense testing, tracing contacts, and quarantining of every person testing positive in the early days. So I knew we were probably in for a s*itshow. Still hoping that doesn't materialize--hope can't hurt (as long as it doesn't make one careless).
Thanks to everyone sharing their personal experiences, concerns, and questions.11 -
etherealanwar wrote: »My company is still requiring us all to come into the office even though 90% of us can do the same job from home. It is very frustrating.
Maybe let them know New York just went to mandatory 50% workplace reduction and they should plan on getting ready for working from home?
https://www.wamc.org/post/cuomo-orders-mandatory-50-workplace-reduction
...Governor Cuomo on Wednesday said all businesses will now be required to have 50% of their employees working from home, except for essential services.
“Today we are announcing a mandatory state wide requirement that no business can have more than 50% of their workforce report to work outside of the home,” Cuomo said.
Essential services such as food delivery, pharmacies, health care, shipping and supplies are exempted, says Cuomo.3 -
moonangel12 wrote: »
So those do work?!? I sent hubby a pic of something like that at Lowe’s and jokingly asked if he wanted one for work (before things got too crazy). I think it’s the same as what you linked to anyway.Diatonic12 wrote: »I was wondering if the thermometer had to touch the skin but it doesn't. That's good to know.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/business/coronavirus-temperature-sensor-guns.html
My experience with one of the laser forehead thermometers was about what the article says - they don’t work reliably enough to be more useful than guessing. In particular, for some reason ours worked mostly accurately on my husband but consistently read low on me. But then sometimes it would give random readings on my husband that were way off.
We checked ours against a mercury thermometer (obtained from my vet, since they aren’t sold any longer!) and a digital thermometer, and found that the digital thermometers are not accurate either unless you keep them in much longer than the time it claims to read in. The digital thermometer beeps after 15 seconds, and the instructions say not to keep it in longer. Which I guess is so you never notice that if you do keep it in, it continues to climb, for about the next five minutes, or about as long as it takes a mercury thermometer to read accurately! If you read the digital thermometer at the time of the beep it’s between two and five degrees low! So I did some research and found that multiple studies have found that digital thermometers are notorious for reading too low, and one study in particular found that when checked in a hospital setting against a central sensor, they missed medically significant fever some huge percentage of the time. But... hospitals still use them!
Anyway, probably more than you wanted to know. But no the laser thermometers don’t work well. They will say you have a temp of 90 degrees F, which is unlikely unless you are dying in a snowbank.6 -
My husband is using these to make protective gear - if any of you have comments or think it should be improved, please indicate:
Long sleeve cheap disposable poncho with hood.
clear thin plastic sheet (art shops should stock it).
air purifier HEPA filter (use double layer, 90 degrees rotated from one another if corrugated)
DUCK TAPE
double sided tape and foam strip - place above filter so expelled air goes down to not fog the clear plastic sheet.
Tie poncho around waist so you don’t get air from below - only the hepa filter.
Use trash bags as a low skirt, or cut one to make sleeves/leggings by taping up the open side.
Or is he going overboard? We wore that to the pharmacy today and our neighbor thought we were crazy.7 -
I'm in the San Francisco bay area (Contra Costa County) and we now have a mandatory shelter in place. Our local Safeways just announced they will open for seniors only Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 - 9:00.
My husband is planning to go pick up a few things, even though I keep telling him we're fine. I am having a hard time getting across that we need to isolate for a full 2 weeks to make sure we are virus free. We have the supplies. No, we cant just pop down to the store because steak sounds good for dinner.
Today is day one of isolation. I sincerely hope we'll still be talking to each other by day seven 🙄15 -
So, what I’m praying for at this moment (on top of the other stuff): tomorrow and Friday the storm front which is supposed to dump a bunch of snow on some of the rest of y’all on this thread is supposed to hit us with thunder, rain, possibly tornados. My neighborhood almost always loses power during big storms, and it typically takes the power company hours to get it back on. There were photos in the local paper of empty meat cases at all the local stores. I just hope that the power doesn’t go out for an extended period of time right after everybody has bought all the food, and ruin everybody’s perishables.11
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My husband is using these to make protective gear - if any of you have comments or think it should be improved, please indicate:
Long sleeve cheap disposable poncho with hood.
clear thin plastic sheet (art shops should stock it).
air purifier HEPA filter (use double layer, 90 degrees rotated from one another if corrugated)
DUCK TAPE
double sided tape and foam strip - place above filter so expelled air goes down to not fog the clear plastic sheet.
Tie poncho around waist so you don’t get air from below - only the hepa filter.
Use trash bags as a low skirt, or cut one to make sleeves/leggings by taping up the open side.
Or is he going overboard? We wore that to the pharmacy today and our neighbor thought we were crazy.
In my opinion, anything that gives you peace of mind is completely appropriate. 😊6 -
My husband is using these to make protective gear - if any of you have comments or think it should be improved, please indicate:
Long sleeve cheap disposable poncho with hood.
clear thin plastic sheet (art shops should stock it).
air purifier HEPA filter (use double layer, 90 degrees rotated from one another if corrugated)
DUCK TAPE
double sided tape and foam strip - place above filter so expelled air goes down to not fog the clear plastic sheet.
Tie poncho around waist so you don’t get air from below - only the hepa filter.
Use trash bags as a low skirt, or cut one to make sleeves/leggings by taping up the open side.
Or is he going overboard? We wore that to the pharmacy today and our neighbor thought we were crazy.
If y’all are high risk, the only thing crazy about it is that you shouldn’t be going to the pharmacy at all, but finding someone else to do it for you.6 -
rheddmobile wrote: »
My husband is using these to make protective gear - if any of you have comments or think it should be improved, please indicate:
Long sleeve cheap disposable poncho with hood.
clear thin plastic sheet (art shops should stock it).
air purifier HEPA filter (use double layer, 90 degrees rotated from one another if corrugated)
DUCK TAPE
double sided tape and foam strip - place above filter so expelled air goes down to not fog the clear plastic sheet.
Tie poncho around waist so you don’t get air from below - only the hepa filter.
Use trash bags as a low skirt, or cut one to make sleeves/leggings by taping up the open side.
Or is he going overboard? We wore that to the pharmacy today and our neighbor thought we were crazy.
If y’all are high risk, the only thing crazy about it is that you shouldn’t be going to the pharmacy at all, but finding someone else to do it for you.
We're in our early 50's and in good health - although he did have some sort of bug that he caught in the last week of January with an on-again-off-again temperature, sore throat, no expectoration, and strong fatigue and tightness of breath (not severe but it was there). For all we know, he could have had the virus! but there's no way we will get tested. My doctor told us that we were more likely to catch the virus from going to a testing center. He does work with people who travel, but he hasn't traveled himself so the doctor said no.7 -
Here in south central WI, community transmission is now a "thing" and confirmed cases are starting to rise precipitously as more people are tested. There are spontaneously organized neighborhood self-help orgs arising and people are stepping up to help others as needed. I believe that this ordeal is going to be more of a marathon than a sprint - mandatory shelter has not yet been instituted but I imagine that within a week or two, it will be. I went to the pharmacy today to pick up 90 days of meds and was encouraged by how little traffic there was - and worried at the folks who have been living on the edge already who have now been furloughed from local diners, etc. I know many of them are supporting families. There are going to be lots of opportunities ahead to be generous and creative. Big hugs to everyone in MFP community and their families.7
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snowflake954 wrote: »snowflake954 wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »pitbullpuppy wrote: »My office has started dispensing latex gloves for the commute. We are asked not to wear them in the office. Most people are working from home already.
What is their logic in not having employees wear gloves in the office? I'm asking sincerely, I'm not sure how to word it without sounding confrontational.
It's airborne and we don't have enough gloves and masks for our first responders, do they don't want people panic buying them. The general public can wash their hands and not touch their faces. We NEED the docs, nurses, people that do X-Rays, hospital workers and first responders to have these for now. I see us in a couple of months having them for the general public (older and immuno compromised first).
What is your evidence for it being airborne? I have seen nothing to suggest this.
Yes, it is airborne for a minimum of 4 to 5 ft. That's why--masks. On a bus in China a man without a mask, who had the virus, sat in one of the back rows. People in the front of the bus were contaminated. The bus was not crowded. People wearing masks on the bus did not get the virus. The Chinese did extensive testing on this.
That isn't airborne. It seems pedantic, but there's a difference between aerosol and airborne.
Oh--thanks. I'm not at all sciencey and don't know the terms. Thanks for the correction. Just as long as people realize why we need "social distancing".
I hope I didn't come off like a jerk. I very much appreciate your updates. And I think it is great how we are all learning.5 -
rheddmobile wrote: »
My husband is using these to make protective gear - if any of you have comments or think it should be improved, please indicate:
Long sleeve cheap disposable poncho with hood.
clear thin plastic sheet (art shops should stock it).
air purifier HEPA filter (use double layer, 90 degrees rotated from one another if corrugated)
DUCK TAPE
double sided tape and foam strip - place above filter so expelled air goes down to not fog the clear plastic sheet.
Tie poncho around waist so you don’t get air from below - only the hepa filter.
Use trash bags as a low skirt, or cut one to make sleeves/leggings by taping up the open side.
Or is he going overboard? We wore that to the pharmacy today and our neighbor thought we were crazy.
If y’all are high risk, the only thing crazy about it is that you shouldn’t be going to the pharmacy at all, but finding someone else to do it for you.
And the pharmacy would not deliver. We did maximum PPE and decontamination.2 -
rheddmobile wrote: »So, what I’m praying for at this moment (on top of the other stuff): tomorrow and Friday the storm front which is supposed to dump a bunch of snow on some of the rest of y’all on this thread is supposed to hit us with thunder, rain, possibly tornados. My neighborhood almost always loses power during big storms, and it typically takes the power company hours to get it back on. There were photos in the local paper of empty meat cases at all the local stores. I just hope that the power doesn’t go out for an extended period of time right after everybody has bought all the food, and ruin everybody’s perishables.
Geez I really hope that doesn't happen! I'll keep my fingers crossed!1 -
Diatonic12 wrote: »I was wondering if the thermometer had to touch the skin but it doesn't. That's good to know.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/business/coronavirus-temperature-sensor-guns.html
I have a Vicks thermometer and my husband just ordered new batteries on line. None available at the pharmacies. We use "PROBES DISPOSABLE PROTECTORS" to avoid contamination.
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Upthread someone asked about the lower death rates in Germany, so I browsed around for a minute. I didn't find anything, but I did find some comments about airborne and objects that match my own views. I know, I know, confirmation bias. But still, I thought I'd share. This is from the Federal Ministry of Health in Germany.
"According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, no proven case has been reported to date of a person being infected by consuming contaminated foodstuffs or through contact with objects contaminated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Nor have there been any reports of other coronaviruses causing infection through foodstuffs or contact with dry surfaces. However, virus transmission by way of smear infection is considered possible from surfaces contaminated shortly before contact. Owing to the relatively poor stability demonstrated by coronaviruses in the environment, it is likely that the window of contamination only exists for a short period."
"...high risk that you have become infected: If within the last two weeks you have had close contact with a person who has contracted COVID-19. Close contact means either that you spoke with the sick person for at least 15 minutes or you were coughed or sneezed on at a time when this person was infectious."
"Relatives can also help by ensuring that living rooms and bedrooms are well aired and pay close attention to regular hand-washing. Contact surfaces, such as tables or door handles, should be cleaned regularly with household cleaners."
https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/en/press/2020/coronavirus.html
I have a few masks here at home, leftover from last year when my daughter was undergoing chemo. I put one on today when I had to run an errand and it alleviated my anxiety of people standing too close to me, even if it's just a brief period of time. I wear woollen gloves, and wash my hands when I get home of course.3 -
rheddmobile wrote: »So, what I’m praying for at this moment (on top of the other stuff): tomorrow and Friday the storm front which is supposed to dump a bunch of snow on some of the rest of y’all on this thread is supposed to hit us with thunder, rain, possibly tornados. My neighborhood almost always loses power during big storms, and it typically takes the power company hours to get it back on. There were photos in the local paper of empty meat cases at all the local stores. I just hope that the power doesn’t go out for an extended period of time right after everybody has bought all the food, and ruin everybody’s perishables.
I was trying to avoid, purchasing perishables since the previous April, there were 2 tornado warnings within my area but even nonperishable foods like spaghetti & sauce'll become perishable, once I cook them. However it's all that I was able to afford, considering that I was buying for 2 extra weeks for a potential virus quarantine instead of just a few days for a plausible tornado.7 -
kshama2001 wrote: »T1DCarnivoreRunner wrote: »T1DCarnivoreRunner wrote: »
The US surgeon general said this on Monday.
I've heard others saying it for quite a bit longer. It's one of those "tomorrow will never come" stories, right? As long as you say "2 weeks" every day for the next several months, it can never be proven wrong.
What they've been saying is that we are following Italy's track, which of course has changed over time. I've seen nothing that disputes that.
Re the Monday statement from the surgeon general:
US surgeon general: US cases are where Italy was 2 weeks ago
by: Associated Press
Posted: Mar 16, 2020 / 09:44 AM CDT / Updated: Mar 16, 2020 / 09:44 AM CDT
WASHINGTON — The U.S. surgeon general said Monday that the number of coronavirus cases in the United States has reached the level that Italy recorded two weeks ago, a sign that infections are expected to rise in America as the government steps up testing and financial markets continue to fall.
“We are at a critical inflection point in this country, people. We are where Italy was two weeks ago in terms of our numbers,” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told Fox News. “When you look at the projections, there’s every chance that we could be Italy.”
Two weeks ago, there were 1,700 cases of coronavirus in Italy and the country had reported 34 deaths. Now, Italy is reporting an estimated 25,000 cases and more than 1,800 people have died. There are about 3,800 cases reported in the United States and so far, more than 65 people have died from coronavirus.
Read more: https://wgntv.com/news/coronavirus/us-surgeon-general-us-cases-are-where-italy-was-2-weeks-ago/
CDC says 7000 cases in US and 97 deaths. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html
However Johns Hopkins says, 7300 and 115 deaths. Ok that’s not the difference I thought I saw the other day... https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html . Anyway I’m probably missing the point about Italy, we’re way past the 1700 unless that’s adjusted per capita.
I would think adjusting per capita would be the right approach. But I don't think you can say precisely how many days behind we are and it likely varies some across the US given how big we are.
Our numbers (in my city and state) are jumping quickly right now in response to increased testing (and we already had a lot more testing than a lot of places). I'm trying to remind myself it's just confirming what we already knew was the case--lots of unconfirmed cases had to be out there.
Saw a guesstimate that for every one positive there are 50 unconfirmed due to testing limitations. So, I give up. Guess y’all can have my tp. 🤪 dh is concerned about looting. Said liquor stores are closed. I mean.. maybe? Can’t that be bought else where? Or made? Or traded? Not everyone is a mad alcoholic, right? And what do I care if they loot the liquor store? Is he asking me out on a date? 🤔
I was tempted to speed through town today. That cop really gonna pull me over if I play the choking, wheezing I travel for work card? Heck the Walmart kid wouldn’t even let me sign for my pick up order. What’s the cop gonna do when I put my license in my mouth before I sign that citation? Haha! I may be cooped up a bit.9
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