Coronavirus prep
Options
Replies
-
MikePfirrman wrote: »You can find KN 95 masks, which the CDC won't approve, though 3M has said they are a very suitable substitute for N95 masks. Most are from China, which I think has a lot to do with it, because many healthcare providers are saying just buy us KN 95 masks, we don't care, get us something. I have an N95 I bought a while back for sanding, but I know an older couple down the street and I was researching options for them. Our one friend, 72, has two compromised older sisters she's very worried about, for good reason.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/kenbensinger/coronavirus-kn95-masks-us-wont-import-china
This makes no sense, as we (taxpayers) are paying five times as much for N95 masks as we might pay for KN95 masks. Just read that someone bought the Detroit Police Dept 100K KN95 masks and donated them. They gladly took them and didn't care that the CDC wouldn't approve them.
In Europe - Spain I think - they bought Chinese masks and found that they had a huge failure rate. Same with the tests. If only 30% work as they should, there are going to be a lot of sick health care providers.3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »moonangel12 wrote: »
Dummy me left both my homemade mask and hat at home yesterday when I finally ventured out to the grocery store for the first time in two weeks - if it weren’t 20 minutes from home, and needing to get in and out ASAP because kids were home alone, I would have gone back for them. (The hat because my germaphobe mind imagines cooties crawling around in my hair much like lice I guess). I sat in the car and seriously pondered what to do... ended up just taking a deep breath and headed in, strategically holding my breath when I passed people. Probably a feeble attempt at protecting myself but better than nothing (thankfully it wasn’t a madhouse).snowflake954 wrote: »@snowflake954 Lol! The mask is going to be the fashion accessory to have in 2020 and beyond.
Can't you just see the fashion models walking the catwalk next year in masks? We'll all be wearing them.
That is precisely what I pictured....."I'm too sexy for this mask.....too sexy for this mask....so sexy it hurts"
- Right Said Fred
I'm in the middle of my second book about the 1918 flu epidemic, and both talk about people starting to wear masks anytime they went out, and the first had photos of some US city (I forget which) in which everyone is wearing masks.
My sister took her dh shopping the other day, they both wore masks(you're not seeing it much here....yet). Somebody yelled across the aisle at her, telling her she's not supposed to be using them, they're for other people.
She's 75 and her dh is 80, has Alzheimer's. Seriously??? And I've offered to stay with him or get food for them countless times. But until Friday, when her dd sent her a couple more masks for extra caregivers to wear, she wouldn't allow me in their home.
If you read the CDC website, they do not recommend wearing masks...they are of little to no value to the general public in coronavirus protection. This is not an airborne virus and masks only really serve as a false sense of security. They are necessary for medical workers as they can obviously not socially distance themselves from their patients and there is more aerosol transfer in a hospital setting.
I assume that when you say it is not an airborne virus you mean that it is not aerosolized and sinks to surfaces very quickly, but without that explanation, I think saying it is not airbone can be misleading, as people are liable to think that means it can't pass through the air, and that everything they've heard about the dangers of someone coughing or sneezing on them or just being within six feet of them is not true.
I also think that the folks in the store yelling at elderly people (clearly at high risk, and thus not the general population) for taking whatever added precaution they can, even if the protective value is small, were jerks. Sure they should stay home if they possibly can, but to assume anyone you see out in the world has a less valid reason than you do for being there is at least at self-centered as one elderly couple using two masks that are supposed to be "for other people." Why not suggest the elderly couple go back to the car and offer to do the shopping and bring it out to them?
I would think people would know the difference. I'm not remotely a health care professional and I know the difference.
The same populace that can't keep simple carbs and complex carbs straight will clearly understand the difference between "airborne" and "aerosolized".
🤨
I have to think people know the difference between a virus floating around in the air and getting directly sneezed or coughed on...I have to think that or I have to lose all faith in humanity...it's one or the other.11 -
I am honestly disgusted with some people in my community. The grocery store parking lots are littered with disposable gloves, people are just stripping them off and dropping them wherever. There's dog poop on the sidewalks, and cars and trucks zooming down residential streets running stop signs and red lights.
This is a very small city, mostly residential and rural. I don't know what to make of this behavior. There's always littering, irresponsible dog owners and speeders of course, but it's almost like it's become acceptable to abandon socially responsible behavior as long as one is following physical distance rules.26 -
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/31/virologists-to-turn-germany-worst-hit-district-into-coronavirus-laboratory
"German scientists have announced what they described as a first-of-its-kind study into how coronavirus spreads and how it can be contained, using the country’s worst-hit district as a real-life laboratory.
The virus has spread more widely among the 250,000 residents of Heinsberg – a district in North Rhine-Westphalia bordering the Netherlands – than anywhere else in Germany, with 1,281 confirmed infections and 34 deaths. More than 550 people have recovered from the illness so far. The advance of the virus in Heinsberg, nicknamed “Germany’s Wuhan” after the Chinese city where the global pandemic emerged, is between two to two and a half weeks ahead of the rest of the country.
Over the coming weeks the district will be used by leading virologists and a team of 40 medical students as a sort of laboratory for studying the virus. The “Covid-19 case cluster study”, launched on Tuesday morning, will follow 1,000 people who have been chosen because they are representative of the German population as a whole...."
(The rest at the link -- looks like likely to be a really informative study.)10 -
I am honestly disgusted with some people in my community. The grocery store parking lots are littered with disposable gloves, people are just stripping them off and dropping them wherever. There's dog poop on the sidewalks, and cars and trucks zooming down residential streets running stop signs and red lights.
This is a very small city, mostly residential and rural. I don't know what to make of this behavior. There's always littering, irresponsible dog owners and speeders of course, but it's almost like it's become acceptable to abandon socially responsible behavior as long as one is following physical distance rules.
I suspect it has something to do with societal norms being a bit topsy turvy right now. People who would normally feel peer pressure to act in socially acceptable ways are showing their true nature when nobody is there to see and/or they observe others behaving the same way.
I read this article a long time ago and dug it back up, because it seems applicable here:
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/anthropology-in-practice/why-dont-people-return-their-shopping-carts/
I'm a cart-returning rule-follower even when no one is around to see. *I* still know that I didn't return that cart (insert other social situation of your choice), and it eats me up inside.12 -
So is there anywhere that you can get any kind of masks? I'd like to get some for my parents to wear when they go to the grocery store (they refuse to let me shop for them, grrrr). I don't have a sewing machine or I'd try to figure out how to do something from scratch.4
-
Potentially changing information on it being “airborne” or not...
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/coronavirus-could-be-airborne-study-suggests2 -
You might try one of these:So is there anywhere that you can get any kind of masks? I'd like to get some for my parents to wear when they go to the grocery store (they refuse to let me shop for them, grrrr). I don't have a sewing machine or I'd try to figure out how to do something from scratch.
https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/how-to-make-face-mask-from-fabric-covid-19-162753601.html1 -
You might try one of these:So is there anywhere that you can get any kind of masks? I'd like to get some for my parents to wear when they go to the grocery store (they refuse to let me shop for them, grrrr). I don't have a sewing machine or I'd try to figure out how to do something from scratch.
https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/how-to-make-face-mask-from-fabric-covid-19-162753601.html
Thanks!1 -
I wonder if something like this would be of any use? I have one I bought for my hair. It's polyester but definitely big enough to double up and add some sort of filter material between the layers. Of course, at some point you can't breathe...
https://www.amazon.com/Unisex-Original-Multifunctional-Headwear-Graphite/dp/B07BJ3D4PD/1 -
I am honestly disgusted with some people in my community. The grocery store parking lots are littered with disposable gloves, people are just stripping them off and dropping them wherever. There's dog poop on the sidewalks, and cars and trucks zooming down residential streets running stop signs and red lights.
This is a very small city, mostly residential and rural. I don't know what to make of this behavior. There's always littering, irresponsible dog owners and speeders of course, but it's almost like it's become acceptable to abandon socially responsible behavior as long as one is following physical distance rules.
I suspect it has something to do with societal norms being a bit topsy turvy right now. People who would normally feel peer pressure to act in socially acceptable ways are showing their true nature when nobody is there to see and/or they observe others behaving the same way.
I read this article a long time ago and dug it back up, because it seems applicable here:
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/anthropology-in-practice/why-dont-people-return-their-shopping-carts/
I'm a cart-returning rule-follower even when no one is around to see. *I* still know that I didn't return that cart (insert other social situation of your choice), and it eats me up inside.
Thanks for the link - I'm going to sit down and enjoy the read this afternoon 😊
I'm a rule-follower too, and tend to think in terms of how my behavior might adversely affect other people. I think I'm taking some of this community disrespect personally and I really need to let that go. I have enough stress in life right now 🙄12 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »
I assume that when you say it is not an airborne virus you mean that it is not aerosolized and sinks to surfaces very quickly, but without that explanation, I think saying it is not airborne can be misleading, ...
I would think people would know the difference. I'm not remotely a health care professional and I know the difference.
I have an MA in English, and I work adjacent to public safety. Before this pandemic, I was not aware of this distinction between airborne and aerosolized in the context of contagions.
M-W's definition of airborne is
1. done or being in the air : being off the ground: such as
a: carried through the air (as by an aircraft)
b: supported especially by aerodynamic forces or propelled through the air by force
(a plane becoming airborne)
c: transported or carried by the air
(airborne allergens)
Given that, I would simply have assumed aerosolized to be a synonym of airborne. Or, possibly, aerosolization is the process by which something becomes airborne.
I queried a few of my smart friends; they didn't know the difference either.
So I'm going to side with lynn_glenmont and say that this is confusing for many, if not most.
20 -
https://thegatewaypundit.com/2020/03/sweden-decides-to-let-coronavirus-play-out-in-country-without-destroying-its-economy-or-future/
Now we have Sweden as our research control. Every study needs a control to yield more meaningful data.5 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »https://thegatewaypundit.com/2020/03/sweden-decides-to-let-coronavirus-play-out-in-country-without-destroying-its-economy-or-future/
Now we have Sweden as our research control. Every study needs a control to yield more meaningful data.
I would like to know if the Swedish people view this with such detached fascination.7 -
Today Connecticut is up to 3,127 (16 days ago we had only 41 known) confirmed cases of coronavirus, and this is still just the beginning. We have been seeing a greater number of New Yorkers heading to their beach homes. You see New York plates everywhere, and I don't think people are grasping that they could be carrying this with them here(or to any other states they are fleeing to). I don't believe everyone is following the two-week isolation request... and there doesnt seem to be any way to enforce it.
New York had been receiving a majority of resources as they have over half of the country's cases. This isn't great news for us here...
"Gov. Ned Lamont had more bad news about inadequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators critical for helping dangerously ill coronavirus patients: “The national strategic stockpile is empty,” Lamont said, meaning Connecticut won’t be receiving any more federal equipment."
" Asked what he would say to Connecticut residents frightened by the pandemic’s growth, Lamont said, “I’m a little scared as well.” He said Connecticut is “now the 4th most COVID-infected state in the country per capita” behind New York, New Jersey and Louisiana. "
https://ctmirror.org/2020/03/31/coronavirus-outbreak-hits-state-mental-health-facilities-as-mobile-hospitals-go-up-across-connecticut/
We were one of the later states to develop cases, and are catching up to the others. They expect our state to reach peak between april 11-14th with case numbers expected to double every 3-5days(I think this may be even faster).
There are cases developing in our states prisons and mental hospitals. One of the associates in my store has had a diagnosed case as of Friday, but has been self quarantining since the 11th, the health department believes that it is unlikely that it was spread at the store level due to the amount of time the employee was out. It's definitely overwhelming...
Stay safe everyone!
9 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »https://thegatewaypundit.com/2020/03/sweden-decides-to-let-coronavirus-play-out-in-country-without-destroying-its-economy-or-future/
Now we have Sweden as our research control. Every study needs a control to yield more meaningful data.
10% of Swedes are obese. I think 35% of Americans are (I looked it up, might be outdated, but I saw 30%). I don't think it wise what they are doing, but they are a country that, as a whole, is much healthier than we in the US are.5 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »https://thegatewaypundit.com/2020/03/sweden-decides-to-let-coronavirus-play-out-in-country-without-destroying-its-economy-or-future/
Now we have Sweden as our research control. Every study needs a control to yield more meaningful data.
10% of Swedes are obese. I think 35% of Americans are. I don't think it wise what they are doing, but they are a country that, as a whole, is much healthier than we in the US are.
A true research control would have to be similar in other ways to the experimental group. If the USA or some other country were to do that, the results won't necessarily be like Sweden's. It's just not that simple.6 -
When the next generation review 2020 I am sure they will decide many unwise actions were taken in all nations. Good point about the obesity difference.6
-
MikePfirrman wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »https://thegatewaypundit.com/2020/03/sweden-decides-to-let-coronavirus-play-out-in-country-without-destroying-its-economy-or-future/
Now we have Sweden as our research control. Every study needs a control to yield more meaningful data.
10% of Swedes are obese. I think 35% of Americans are. I don't think it wise what they are doing, but they are a country that, as a whole, is much healthier than we in the US are.
A true research control would have to be similar in other ways to the experimental group. If the USA or some other country were to do that, the results won't necessarily be like Sweden's. It's just not that simple.
More to the point, the article doesn’t say that Swedes aren’t social distancing. It just says that they are doing it voluntarily, without having to be ordered to do so by the government.7 -
snowflake954 wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »Found the full Washington Post story on the CDC considering changing guidance on masks for the general public
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/cdc-considering-recommending-general-public-wear-face-coverings-in-public/2020/03/30/6a3e495c-7280-11ea-87da-77a8136c1a6d_story.html
Read this--thanks for the link. I'm wearing a mask when I go out, and most people in Italy are. The discussion about the mask not protecting you from others, but wearing one will protect people you are in contact with if you are infected, is a no-brainer for me. If everyone wore one then you'd be protecting the rest of the populace. You can be infected and not know it for 2-3 weeks. That's why this virus is so hard to stop.
My mask is homemade. I sterilize it after every use and have a filtering material that I pin in the inner pocket. I throw the filter away after every use.
Another question, I've been told if we just let the mask sit for 3 days after we've used it, it's okay to use it again? I don't go outside the house very often so 3 days between usage is very doable.
My niece is having someone she knows make masks, with a pocket for the filter. If you have to throw the filter out after every use, where do you get more? Probably a dumb question.
And there again, if you just let it sit for 3 days, can you simply reuse it?
Thanks Snowflake. You've been on my mind. Wishing you and your family the very best.
Furnace filters can be used in the inside pockets. you can get it in H. Depot or hardware store.7 -
rheddmobile wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »https://thegatewaypundit.com/2020/03/sweden-decides-to-let-coronavirus-play-out-in-country-without-destroying-its-economy-or-future/
Now we have Sweden as our research control. Every study needs a control to yield more meaningful data.
10% of Swedes are obese. I think 35% of Americans are. I don't think it wise what they are doing, but they are a country that, as a whole, is much healthier than we in the US are.
A true research control would have to be similar in other ways to the experimental group. If the USA or some other country were to do that, the results won't necessarily be like Sweden's. It's just not that simple.
More to the point, the article doesn’t say that Swedes aren’t social distancing. It just says that they are doing it voluntarily, without having to be ordered to do so by the government.
I just read an article about Sweden earlier today. It has more details: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/30/catastrophe-sweden-coronavirus-stoicism-lockdown-europe4 -
So is there anywhere that you can get any kind of masks? I'd like to get some for my parents to wear when they go to the grocery store (they refuse to let me shop for them, grrrr). I don't have a sewing machine or I'd try to figure out how to do something from scratch.
Contact your local quilt guild or even JoAnn fabrics and see if they have names of people sewing masks. No, they are not as effective but better than nothing.4 -
I had to pick up a Rx tonight. I saw a senior woman about 80-85 yrs with a plastic rain hat and a little homemade mask in the grocery store. She was struggling to find what she needed. Our shelves are still bare. No dairy, eggs, meat and very little produce. There's not a single potato to be had. No cleaning or paper products. It's only been a few weeks but I wish our ship would come in. I've been fixing rice with all kinds of canned vegetables and broths. I have food but I'm being conservative with what's left. I am concerned about the stockers and clerks without any protective gear. Much love to everyone.
13 -
So, I did my first grocery outing in 3 weeks, mid-afternoon, at a local employee-owned full grocery a bit on the health-food-y slant, like a more down-to-earth WF selection of groceries, without the fancy deli/buffet/bar and high-end stuff. It was surprisingly busy (they've been suffering since an actual WF arrived nearby, sadly). The traffic in store included what appeared to be extra staff people on duty, just assigned to circulate through the store sanitizing handles on freezers, the lift-handles on bulk bins, carts, and that sort of thing. Some staff were wearing masks/gloves, some not.
Customers were being quite conscientious about giving each other room, maybe half with masks, and a few more than that with gloves. I was pretty well suited up, in long sleeves, hoody (it was 39F outside), nitrile gloves (couldn't donate the open box locally anyway, might as well wear), and a cotton bandana over lower face. Various people smiled at me, and I found myself (literally) saying "I'm smiling back at you, but you can't tell!" several times. (One nice young woman said "I can tell, from your eyes.".
).
Then, I did my first full-bore home grocery sanitization. Man, that was enough to encourage me to self-isolate even longer before shopping, next time. Some non-perishables are still in the car, "aging". 
But, I think I'm set for a while. About the only thing I haven't figured out is milk, of which I want ample amounts in my coffee. I can get a little over a week's worth at a time, so that'll probably be some quick store runs going forward. I'm pretty well supplied with other stuff, including food I've frozen myself and some big frozen veggie bags from Costco that last quite a while, for one person, even a big veg-eater like me.
For context, our mid-sized metro area (in mid-Michigan) has around 140 known cases so far. I don't know that we've had deaths yet locally, but there are many more cases down in greater Detroit, and certainly deaths there.
Just for general info, and maybe comparison with other communities, this is what our local hospital system is accepting donations of (new and unopened) from individuals/community:
* Disposable face masks
* N95 masks, including 3D printed
* Eye protection including face shields and safety goggles
* Disposable gowns
* Disposable non-latex gloves
* Surgical caps
* Disposable foot covers
* Bleach
* Bleach or anti-microbial sanitizing wipes
* Hand sanitizer
* PAPRs (Power air purifying respirators) and PAPR hoods
* Nasal flock swabs (FLOQ swabs)
* Ventilator parts from Hamilton G5, Servo I and S, Trilogy, LTV 1200, HT 50, 7200 Puritan Bennett, including ventilator heaters, probes, wires, and disposable adapters
* Fisher & Payal MR850 wires and heaters
* Hand-sewn reusable masks
They have a drop-off location, and I went there today. It's at a school building, school currently closed of course, adjacent to the hospital. (I had an unopened box of nitrile gloves, too - I use them for crafting, and had bought a big 2-pack at Costco months ago, just for convenience' sake, but a couple years supply for me - they need them much more than I do!). After I parked and got out of the car, a young man came out to the parking lot (in mask and gloves), asked what I had (I assume to verify it was something they accept), then took it from me at arm's length. Pretty distant, no worse than grocery checkout. (Oh, and: He asked if I wanted a tax receipt.).
A local school system robotics team is making plastic face shields, using their 3D printers, and accepting donations of elastic (certain widths), letter-size or larger transparencies or similar clear plastic sheets, and blue painters tape. They just have a tight-lidded plastic bin outside the school administration during limited hours, where you open the bin and drop your item in.
I love seeing all this collaboration and energy! 13 -
Ann - you might not be willing to, but non-dairy stuff lasts a lot longer in the fridge (like two months). More stuff in it, but it's not bad if you use it in coffee.
Sounds like an animal shelter, not what a hospital should have to ask for. Crazy times.4 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »Ann - you might not be willing to, but non-dairy stuff lasts a lot longer in the fridge (like two months). More stuff in it, but it's not bad if you use it in coffee.
Sounds like an animal shelter, not what a hospital should have to ask for. Crazy times.
Thanks, Mike. I'm willing, but not wanting to. The skim milk in my coffee is an important contributor to my protein goal (I drink 2 cups of coffee, each with 3/4C hot skim milk!) at almost 5% of total, as well as my enjoyment, and I don't enjoy protein powder at all, so I don't want to go that route instead. In normal life, I'd buy more cartons of milk at a time (they keep a couple of months, usually, unopened, too . . . but I'm trying to stick to 2 at a time to be a non-hoarder).
Basically, I'm trapped in a conspiracy between my hedonism (like my milk!), and my community spirit (don't buy 4 or more cartons like I would in normal times (I hate to shop, always)!). 5 -
Thanks to all who recommended ideas for dealing with my salad shortage I was planning to go shopping "tomorrow" at 6 am with the other "old people" (I'm 61, for goodness sake), but since I have been awake for at least an hour and don't feel ready to go back to sleep yet, I suspect I won't be waking up early for what is now "today." My alarm is set to allow me time to make coffee b/f my home workday begins, so I do have a failsafe in place. Maybe Thursday.
The study projecting peak dates had WI at May 22nd-ish, and now has us at April 26; more data, different projections. I'm eager to see if our state and national efforts are making a difference. It seems--from folks posting here--that we all see a lot of "non-compliance" still, and I wonder if the model takes that into account; I guess we will find out. Especially since people have been traveling for Spring Break over the past 2 weeks, and the impact of their movements might not show up in data for another 7-14 days, depending on when they got home.
4 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »
I assume that when you say it is not an airborne virus you mean that it is not aerosolized and sinks to surfaces very quickly, but without that explanation, I think saying it is not airborne can be misleading, ...
I would think people would know the difference. I'm not remotely a health care professional and I know the difference.
I have an MA in English, and I work adjacent to public safety. Before this pandemic, I was not aware of this distinction between airborne and aerosolized in the context of contagions.
M-W's definition of airborne is
1. done or being in the air : being off the ground: such as
a: carried through the air (as by an aircraft)
b: supported especially by aerodynamic forces or propelled through the air by force
(a plane becoming airborne)
c: transported or carried by the air
(airborne allergens)
Given that, I would simply have assumed aerosolized to be a synonym of airborne. Or, possibly, aerosolization is the process by which something becomes airborne.
I queried a few of my smart friends; they didn't know the difference either.
So I'm going to side with lynn_glenmont and say that this is confusing for many, if not most.
Thank you! I thought I was the only stupid one! I'm glad to know that the difference isn't obvious.10 -
I'll give news from Italy.
Like Ann, I also went grocery shopping. I got there at 8:15--they open at 8:30. The line was only a fourth of a block long. New signs up on the grocery store windows. Only one person can do shopping (no couples, or taking kids along), everyone has to stay 5 ft apart in the store, and it is required to wear a mask to enter. The store was stocked as usual and several things useful for disinfecting were even on sale.
They say we've hit peak--Yay! However, still a lot of deaths everyday. We're over 100,000 cases and 12,000 deaths.
I e-mailed my family and called my mother (91, in Minnesota). My younger sister says my brothers are visiting and are too close to her. I told them this: (which I haven't shared earlier because there's a lot of anxiety already) if you are admitted to the hospital with COV19, you will not be allowed visiters. People that die from this in the hospitals, die without the comfort of family and friends. I told my siblings that I didn't want them to see our mother die that way. So recommended staying 6 ft away from her and wearing masks.35 -
Last post ^ is sad6
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 396.8K Introduce Yourself
- 44.2K Getting Started
- 260.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 176.3K Food and Nutrition
- 47.6K Recipes
- 232.8K Fitness and Exercise
- 450 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.7K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.3K Motivation and Support
- 8.3K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.5K Chit-Chat
- 2.6K Fun and Games
- 4.5K MyFitnessPal Information
- 16 News and Announcements
- 18 MyFitnessPal Academy
- 1.4K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 3.1K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions