Coronavirus prep
Replies
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MikePfirrman wrote: »What does everyone think about the J&J results? If you haven't heard, it's not nearly as effective as Moderna or the Pfizer (both 95%). It's like 67% effective, but keeps 85% from being severe and out of the hospital.
My two cents. I'd take it and wait on Moderna or Pfizer being more widely available. I think they also said the the J&J is only like 50% effective against the S Africa strain.
I had read that they are going to do a trial to see if a second dose of the J&J might boost its effectiveness closer to the level of the other two. Everyone was excited about the J&J vaccine, because they had been saying only one dose was needed. That might not end up being the case.3 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »What does everyone think about the J&J results? If you haven't heard, it's not nearly as effective as Moderna or the Pfizer (both 95%). It's like 67% effective, but keeps 85% from being severe and out of the hospital.
My two cents. I'd take it and wait on Moderna or Pfizer being more widely available. I think they also said the the J&J is only like 50% effective against the S Africa strain.
In the Phase 2 trial, they saw effectiveness continue to rise from the 4 week to the 8 week mark. Phase 3 hasn't been going on for long enough to have enough long term data, so they are only reporting the 4 week numbers. So it's quite possible those numbers will increase as the study continues!
I agree right now I'd rather get one of the mRNA vaccines, but if my choice is get J&J in May or mRNA in September, I'm with you in line for J&J
What's crazy is 67% effectiveness for a vaccine is great, most vaccines in use aren't anywhere near 100% effective. It just goes to show how historic these mRNA vaccines are, 95% is just unheard of.
Yeah, and I guess we'll be masked up for a long time! Though, at this point, I really don't mind.
@missysippy930 -- they are saying sometime in the next week or so, it should be approved. I hope it's easier to produce.
@RetiredAndLovingIt - don't be too discouraged. I saw, I think it was Pfizer, is working with another drug company to start producing a lot more vaccines. I do see the light at the end of the tunnel -- we're all pretty exhausted, like you, at this point.
Oh that's another good point! The mRNA vaccines are more labor intensive to produce, so yep J&J has that as an advantage too.
And ITA, there is def a light at the end if the tunnel. Previous pandemics have taken years to get to the spot we're in now. I think it's just frustrating because when the mRNA vaccine trial results dropped it was like this huge moment of relief like "it's over!". But once you take logistics and the fact that nothing goes perfectly into acct, we have to go back to being patient
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »My large US company announced we are extending WFH for those that can from April 1 to July 6 for the earliest return to office date.
We have been working from home since last March and have had no updates on our status. While there is no way I will be going back in office 5 days a week (they redid our work space as 2 floors instead of 3 so there are less spots for employees), it is possible at some point it will be a couple days of the week... or not at all. They supposedly have a policy that they came up with, but have yet to share it even though word of that came out like 6 months ago.
I am worried about the double mask remarks. As many of you know from the start of this, I had issues with masks early on due to anxiety and PTSD. I was able to finally get myself wearing them without panic attacks and working through the issues that caused said panic attacks. There is no way in heck I think I can handle two masks. So now I am all stressed about doing my grocery shopping (which is the only time I really go anywhere except for medical stuff).
That's a great step for you to wear a mask. Congrats on that. Curbside delivery, like @L1zardQueen said, is a great idea. Would it be too much of a stretch to try to get a KN-95 instead of a cloth mask? With those, you don't need two masks, just one, assuming the quality is good. Personally, I don't find them much worse than a cloth mask. That's what I do wear when I'm shopping at the grocery store (I do all the grocery shopping for my family).5 -
@spiriteagle99 Thanks.. I couldn’t remember which one.0
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FWIW, just for consideration:
Report on NPR station a little while ago (didn't notice whether it was national or state level) says double masking is now a good idea, partly because of the new variants that are more highly contagious. The expert ** they were interviewing suggested a disposable filter-type mask next to the face because of better filtration, cloth mask over that to add layers but especially to keep fit to the face better (fewer, smaller gaps).
** I didn't catch the intro; could've been anything from a science journalist regurgitating info to a high-level epidemiologist/doctor. Don't know, sorry. 😐🤷♀️
Other comments: N95 should still be primarily reserved for health care workers & similar. KN95 are fairly available, but lots of substandard/fake ones on the market (said CDC website has a list of reliable brands). Interviewee said she wouldn't worry about double mask for (say) walking the dog, but a good idea for places like grocery stores
Curious about the bolded because I've heard that many times in the last year, but the hospital I worked at only used surgical masks or PPAP hoods. I've even heard anecdotal stories that hospitals didn't allow nurses to bring in their own higher quality masks.
my understanding is that in the mask hierarchy it goes like this:
1. N95 mask - Filters out 95% of particles, most effective.
2. Surgical Mask - filters out about 50% of particles
3. Cloth Masks - filters out like 10% of particles and is basically worthless...
I am slightly generalizing on the percent's in point 2 and 3..but I can probably dig up the article/study that I read it in.0 -
SuzySunshine99 wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »What does everyone think about the J&J results? If you haven't heard, it's not nearly as effective as Moderna or the Pfizer (both 95%). It's like 67% effective, but keeps 85% from being severe and out of the hospital.
My two cents. I'd take it and wait on Moderna or Pfizer being more widely available. I think they also said the the J&J is only like 50% effective against the S Africa strain.
I had read that they are going to do a trial to see if a second dose of the J&J might boost its effectiveness closer to the level of the other two. Everyone was excited about the J&J vaccine, because they had been saying only one dose was needed. That might not end up being the case.
Besides the one-dose thing, I'd heard that another plus of the J&J vaccine is that it doesn't have the extreme cold storage requirement.
Even at the lower efficacy number, with a one-shot regimen, it would seem like the J&J has the potential to be very useful in an overall global sense. It can potentially be delivered effectively to areas with less infrastructure, and used in populations for which it's much more difficult to reliably carry out a 2-shot, time-sensitive regimen.
What I'd heard is that it's *very* effective in reducing the cases that require hospitalization (to zero or near), which, if true, would be a pretty big deal to recipients, especially if the comparison is waiting longer for a 2-shot, difficult-storage, yet more effective alternative to arrive, in particular areas. Realistically, that difference - not needing hospitalization - seems like it could reduce death risk in remote areas or underserved populations.
*IF* all of that is true, I do see the potential for a arguably-rational distribution strategy that still could be seen as two-tiered and unfair. To put it baldly, if the people who are underserved by health care and hard to reach (homeless, maybe economically disadvantaged, nomadic, whatever) get a less effective vaccine in larger proportions, it may be perpetuating systems that overall disadvantage the already disadvantaged, in some views.
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RetiredAndLovingIt wrote: »I thought I saw they weren’t recommending J&J for people 65+. Has anyone else seen this?
A little ways back I was saying gkids in school since Sept, no problems. Well, just found out gson in OK is in quarantine from school exposure.
I think I am usually optimistic, but the vaccine rollout is discouraging. Seems like the chance of getting a shot, now that I am eligible, is the equivalent of winning the lottery.
I hear you. I’m 69, they’re certainly not making it easy to get either of the vaccines. It really is a lottery with limited doses available 🤷🏻♀️5 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »My large US company announced we are extending WFH for those that can from April 1 to July 6 for the earliest return to office date.
We have been working from home since last March and have had no updates on our status. While there is no way I will be going back in office 5 days a week (they redid our work space as 2 floors instead of 3 so there are less spots for employees), it is possible at some point it will be a couple days of the week... or not at all. They supposedly have a policy that they came up with, but have yet to share it even though word of that came out like 6 months ago.
I am worried about the double mask remarks. As many of you know from the start of this, I had issues with masks early on due to anxiety and PTSD. I was able to finally get myself wearing them without panic attacks and working through the issues that caused said panic attacks. There is no way in heck I think I can handle two masks. So now I am all stressed about doing my grocery shopping (which is the only time I really go anywhere except for medical stuff).
If you maintain physical distancing, don't touch your face, and don't spend an extended period of time in the store, any mask you can manage to wear will be a useful part of your risk reduction. Like we say in diet related threads, don't let perfection be the enemy of progress 14 -
Y'all made me curious
I pulled these effectiveness figures from the CDC for reference:
Flu vaccine is typically 40-60% effective
HPV vaccine 86% in teens, 71% in adults
MMR is 93% for measles, 78% for mumps, and 97% for rubella
DTAP is 80-90% initially then drops slowly over time, is around 70% after four years
Chicken pox vaccine is 82%
Shingrix is 90% and stays above 85% for at least 4 years
Pneumonia vaccine is 60-70%
Fun!13 -
FWIW, just for consideration:
Report on NPR station a little while ago (didn't notice whether it was national or state level) says double masking is now a good idea, partly because of the new variants that are more highly contagious. The expert ** they were interviewing suggested a disposable filter-type mask next to the face because of better filtration, cloth mask over that to add layers but especially to keep fit to the face better (fewer, smaller gaps).
** I didn't catch the intro; could've been anything from a science journalist regurgitating info to a high-level epidemiologist/doctor. Don't know, sorry. 😐🤷♀️
Other comments: N95 should still be primarily reserved for health care workers & similar. KN95 are fairly available, but lots of substandard/fake ones on the market (said CDC website has a list of reliable brands). Interviewee said she wouldn't worry about double mask for (say) walking the dog, but a good idea for places like grocery stores
Curious about the bolded because I've heard that many times in the last year, but the hospital I worked at only used surgical masks or PPAP hoods. I've even heard anecdotal stories that hospitals didn't allow nurses to bring in their own higher quality masks.
my understanding is that in the mask hierarchy it goes like this:
1. N95 mask - Filters out 95% of particles, most effective.
2. Surgical Mask - filters out about 50% of particles
3. Cloth Masks - filters out like 10% of particles and is basically worthless...
I am slightly generalizing on the percent's in point 2 and 3..but I can probably dig up the article/study that I read it in.
It depends on the cloth mask - a properly fitting, three layered cloth mask can have comparable effectiveness to an N95. However, a woven, one layer mask doesn’t do much except stop the larger particles emitted by the wearer from traveling as far.10 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »My large US company announced we are extending WFH for those that can from April 1 to July 6 for the earliest return to office date.
We have been working from home since last March and have had no updates on our status. While there is no way I will be going back in office 5 days a week (they redid our work space as 2 floors instead of 3 so there are less spots for employees), it is possible at some point it will be a couple days of the week... or not at all. They supposedly have a policy that they came up with, but have yet to share it even though word of that came out like 6 months ago.
I am worried about the double mask remarks. As many of you know from the start of this, I had issues with masks early on due to anxiety and PTSD. I was able to finally get myself wearing them without panic attacks and working through the issues that caused said panic attacks. There is no way in heck I think I can handle two masks. So now I am all stressed about doing my grocery shopping (which is the only time I really go anywhere except for medical stuff).
That's a great step for you to wear a mask. Congrats on that. Curbside delivery, like @L1zardQueen said, is a great idea. Would it be too much of a stretch to try to get a KN-95 instead of a cloth mask? With those, you don't need two masks, just one, assuming the quality is good. Personally, I don't find them much worse than a cloth mask. That's what I do wear when I'm shopping at the grocery store (I do all the grocery shopping for my family).
I was going to suggest this. I also feel like an N95 type mask which stands away from the face feels less oppressive than a cloth mask.4 -
So, good and bad news on the home front. Good news: day before yesterday my mother received her second dose of the Moderna vaccine. Apart from a slight headache she had no side effects.
The bad news is apparently TN doesn’t give a flip about me! I was in 1c due to type 2 diabetes. Now they have changed the requirement to “medication dependent diabetes.” So, since I am not obese, and control my diabetes through exercise and diet, now I don’t qualify for the vaccine until the same time as a healthy person. Which isn’t fair since even well controlled diabetes dramatically raises the risk of death!21 -
spiriteagle99 wrote: »RetiredAndLovingIt wrote: »I thought I saw they weren’t recommending J&J for people 65+. Has anyone else seen this?
A little ways back I was saying gkids in school since Sept, no problems. Well, just found out gson in OK is in quarantine from school exposure.
I think I am usually optimistic, but the vaccine rollout is discouraging. Seems like the chance of getting a shot, now that I am eligible, is the equivalent of winning the lottery.
It's the Astra-Zeneca vaccine that they are saying to only give to people under 65. I don't know why.
Because there were not many older people (above 65) enrolled in the trial so enough data to actually confirm safety and efficacy in that patient population.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/28/europe/germany-astrazeneca-vaccine-coronavirus-grm-intl/index.html3 -
Just a quick clarification for anybody that is interested.
J and J vaccine uses an adenovirus as a vector to delivery immunological agents to the body, while Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA to do the job. mRNA is very unstable and it needs to be kept at a very cold temp. It seems that Moderna uses a “synthetic” mRNA and a lipid cover that allows more stability of the mRNA molecule so it doesn’t need to be kept as such cold temps as Pfizer.
Moderna spokesperson Colleen Hussey explained to NPR in an email that its vaccine doesn't need to be kept so cold because of its particular "lipid nanoparticle properties and structure," and because the company has learned from experience — it's developed ten mRNA vaccine candidates already. "Now we don't need [ultra-cold conditions] as the quality of product has improved and [it] doesn't need to be highly frozen to avoid mRNA degradation," Hussey explained.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/11/17/935563377/why-does-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-need-to-be-kept-colder-than-antarctica
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newslondon/what-is-the-difference-between-the-covid-vaccines-pfizer-oxford-moderna-novavax-explained-as-johnson-and-johnson-announce-single-shot-jab/ar-BB1bz8dM
Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine, how it works and why it matters
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/29/health/johnson-covid-19-vaccine-how-it-works/index.html11 -
kshama2001 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Antiopelle wrote: »In Belgium any type of cloth mask is now prohibited in most hospitals and the disposable blue masks are generally encouraged. Apparently hospital staff encountered too many patients and visitors wearing cloth masks that were clearly not hygienic anymore, becoming a source of bacterial infection in themselves.
Cloth masks should be washed every day with soap at a temp of at least 60°c. The reasoning behind is that this is a hurdle most people do not take and disposables will be replaced more often as they are more convenient. Normally the max time to use the disposables is 4 hours, but I do believe that many people wear them more than that, usually until one of the elastics break.
Thanks for this! For those of us who use F, 60°C = 140°F.
(snip useful infographic and some good comments, for reply length)
I'm almost never in public though - just at supermarkets, where there is 100% face covering wearing compliance (but a lesser amount of wearing CORRECTLY), and I go at times of day where I'm not within 6 feet of people for more than a few seconds.
This is probably weird, but as I mentioned I've been doing bandit-style cotton scarf over disposable blue mask. I've actually *boiled* the cotton scarves on the stove - they hold up well.
(Maybe this sounds freaky compulsive, so I'll add for context that my hot water heater only goes to 120F, and my clothes-dryer died awhile back mid-pandemic and I don't want deliverers/installers in my house until I can at least air the place out (it's 24F, -4C here at 3:47PM today), so I'm air drying stuff I wash for the time being.) Boiling elastic (and maybe synthetic fiber fabric) would be a bad idea, but it can work on all-cotton.
I KNEW I'd be getting the temp of my water at some point and you've just confirmed it
Huh? In my case, it's on a digital readout right on the front of the (tankless) heater. IMU, they set it at 120F for people without a dishwasher, higher (with a different electronic controller, I think) if there is a dishwasher.
We don't have a readout. A tech said it was set at the max, which is 130 degrees in my state, but when I measure it from the sink with a digital thermometer, I get 136.3 -
FWIW, just for consideration:
Report on NPR station a little while ago (didn't notice whether it was national or state level) says double masking is now a good idea, partly because of the new variants that are more highly contagious. The expert ** they were interviewing suggested a disposable filter-type mask next to the face because of better filtration, cloth mask over that to add layers but especially to keep fit to the face better (fewer, smaller gaps).
** I didn't catch the intro; could've been anything from a science journalist regurgitating info to a high-level epidemiologist/doctor. Don't know, sorry. 😐🤷♀️
Other comments: N95 should still be primarily reserved for health care workers & similar. KN95 are fairly available, but lots of substandard/fake ones on the market (said CDC website has a list of reliable brands). Interviewee said she wouldn't worry about double mask for (say) walking the dog, but a good idea for places like grocery stores
I've heard the same, from multiple sources. That for stuff like grocery shopping where you're indoors with strangers, to double mask or get a pro grade mask. In addition to KN95, I saw a suggestion of a KF94 (I think?). No idea what the difference is, but something I made a mental note to look into.
The only place I go where there's even a chance of having strangers close to me is grocery/toiletry shopping, and I go at odd times and I'll just not get an item on my list if an aisle isn't mostly clear, but if I can up my mask game I'm starting to think it might be worth it.
A couple of the recommendations I saw saw surgical mask underneath, cloth one on top. Can’t hurt!3 -
FWIW, just for consideration:
Report on NPR station a little while ago (didn't notice whether it was national or state level) says double masking is now a good idea, partly because of the new variants that are more highly contagious. The expert ** they were interviewing suggested a disposable filter-type mask next to the face because of better filtration, cloth mask over that to add layers but especially to keep fit to the face better (fewer, smaller gaps).
** I didn't catch the intro; could've been anything from a science journalist regurgitating info to a high-level epidemiologist/doctor. Don't know, sorry. 😐🤷♀️
Other comments: N95 should still be primarily reserved for health care workers & similar. KN95 are fairly available, but lots of substandard/fake ones on the market (said CDC website has a list of reliable brands). Interviewee said she wouldn't worry about double mask for (say) walking the dog, but a good idea for places like grocery stores
Curious about the bolded because I've heard that many times in the last year, but the hospital I worked at only used surgical masks or PPAP hoods. I've even heard anecdotal stories that hospitals didn't allow nurses to bring in their own higher quality masks.
Also, N95s should be fit-tested per user for maximum effectiveness. Wearing them is effective regardless, but they are the gold standard when they are adjusted to the user by someone qualified to do so. For people who need them at my work, the office responsible for all our safety regulations and training does the fitting.
I don’t wear one. Would personally rather save them for the folxs cleaning our vacated isolation spaces. I’m at risk for exposure, but not like they are.4 -
corinasue1143 wrote: »I’ve seen people who work outside—construction, garbage collection, etc.— wearing gators. Looks smart to me. Warmth + a
Little protection, even though they are outside and usually distanced from others. Don’t know what’s underneath.
Disneyland (well, Downtown Disney when it reopened for a bit) wouldn’t allow them (gators, bandanas, any masks didn’t fully cover the more and mouth with no openings). People were apparently getting very creative and had masks with mesh or lace inserts. Which really aren’t that effective. Initially a big controversy here.3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »NM Governor just announced yesterday that public schools can resume in person learning on a hybrid schedule starting Feb 8. It will be up to individual districts as to whether or not they will. I'm in the largest school district in the state, so it'll be interesting to see what they do...hoping the kids will be able to go back though...a couple days out of the week is better than nothing.
Not necessarily for the teachers and their families. Even if teachers are vaccinated (most aren’t right now) the best information says they can still take it home to their families. As can the kids.
Some districts (Oklahoma) say the kids don’t have to wear masks indoors if they’re sitting six feet apart.
I am so scared for my teacher friends and their families.11 -
Here is a reason you can be glad to not live in China ATM. They are apparently rolling out anal swabs as a more accurate way of testing for COVID. Curious if it is self swab, or some poor medical personnel are having to carry out those tests.
I honestly haven’t paid much attention to it, but there are ways of testing how widespread the virus is by sampling the sewer system. I think that and this new test might be related.
I self-administer my nasal swab tests under someone’s supervision. They know from a marking on the swab if it’s in far enough. (Not going to ask about the other kind of swab! 😬)4 -
SuzySunshine99 wrote: »SuzySunshine99 wrote: »My husband just bought some of the KN95 masks. I know they vary as far as quality, and have no idea if these are better or worse than my multi-layer cloth masks.
He's trying to convince me that I should be wearing these to work instead of the cloth masks, especially with the new strains of the virus.
I don't work with the "public", but I have to sit in a closed room with 9 of my co-workers, separated by plexiglass (which I'm not convinced helps at all).
Not sure which ones I'll end up wearing.
I bought some a bit ago but didn't like them, as I felt my breath way more which was weird (they have this compartment). Oddly enough I was talking to a friend today about them, and he said basically what Mike did -- that they are better for fogging but tug on the ears. When I go to work, which I am tomorrow, I usually do masks in public spaces but not in my private office, so based on this discussion I'm leaning toward the KN95+cloth mask in public and then no mask otherwise.
Many people have mentioned the ear-tugging issue with the KN95s. I tried one of mine on, and actually have the opposite problem. I have a small head, and they are too loose on me. My cloth ones have adjustable ear loops, so they fit much better.
I might try doubling them up...maybe the KN95 will fit me better over the cloth mask. Or else I'll have to try to rig something to tighten the ear loops on the 95s.
Regular masks fall off me, I need the adjustable ear loops. I found a vendor on Etsy where you could order different sizes by measuring your face and using the corresponding size chart.
Found out I have a face on the small side of a 7-12 year old child. 😂😂😂3 -
yes, come to think of it, I have often supervised people doing self vaginal swabs (not for Covid, of course) - I explain how to do it, they do it to themself behind a privacy curtain while I talk them through it.
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RetiredAndLovingIt wrote: »...I think I am usually optimistic, but the vaccine rollout is discouraging. Seems like the chance of getting a shot, now that I am eligible, is the equivalent of winning the lottery.
It's frustrating. My husband has had two separate appointments cancelled the night before the shot within a 2 week period. It was hard enough to get one to begin with, then to get it cancelled...twice. Ugh. They call and say sorry, we didn't get the doses we were promised. At least it was a human being that called and they let him know before he took off work for nothing. I've heard of people standing in line when they are informed that they won't be getting one after all. That's horrible.
The last cancellation was a couple of weeks ago. He hasn't been able to get an appointment since. He told me not to bother trying anymore. (But I'm still checking the site every day anyway. One of these times maybe we'll get one.)10 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »My large US company announced we are extending WFH for those that can from April 1 to July 6 for the earliest return to office date.
We have been working from home since last March and have had no updates on our status. While there is no way I will be going back in office 5 days a week (they redid our work space as 2 floors instead of 3 so there are less spots for employees), it is possible at some point it will be a couple days of the week... or not at all. They supposedly have a policy that they came up with, but have yet to share it even though word of that came out like 6 months ago.
I am worried about the double mask remarks. As many of you know from the start of this, I had issues with masks early on due to anxiety and PTSD. I was able to finally get myself wearing them without panic attacks and working through the issues that caused said panic attacks. There is no way in heck I think I can handle two masks. So now I am all stressed about doing my grocery shopping (which is the only time I really go anywhere except for medical stuff).
I saw these and thought of you. These look super comfy and have a disposable insert. Made by Honeywell. I might get one of these. You can tell the ear loops are longer and wouldn't tug on your ears as bad as the KN-95s I currently have.
https://www.honeywellstore.com/store/products/honeywell-dual-layer-face-cover-dark-gray-rws-50111.htm3 -
Chef_Barbell wrote: »CDC recommends schools reopen for in person learning.
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/26/960885936/cdc-makes-case-for-school-reopening
Thought about this a bit more and I'm not a conspiracy thinking person but the idea that in person schools don't spread Covid may be a bit of wishful thinking than all out science. Talk to anyone in education, they will tell you they had colds, etc all during the school year for the first several years from being around all the little germ carriers until they built immunity. Don't see why Covid would work any differently.
Of course now you have the kids wearing masks, etc. Any pictures you see the kids are separated properly wearing masks, wonder if that's the normal situation? In normal times educators have to tell kids to keep their fingers out of their noses, wash their hands etc. And these are normally functioning kids, never mind the behaviorally challenged and/or special needs kids.8 -
I honestly haven’t paid much attention to it, but there are ways of testing how widespread the virus is by sampling the sewer system. I think that and this new test might be related.
My city just started doing the sewer testing because the virus does appear in fecal material. I guess they do daily tests anyway so this just involves a matter of collecting one additional sample. Apparently Ottawa has been doing Covid sewer testing for a while to monitor prevalence.
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/covid-19-levels-in-ottawa-wastewater-rising-but-still-below-october-peak-1.52527154 -
L1zardQueen wrote: »
Just a thought, can you do curbside pick up?
Early on I gave grocery delivery a chance and did not have good experiences. Out of 3 tries, there was something wrong with all 3. I have a soy allergy and other food restrictions due to medical issues. I spend a lot of time checking ingredient lists. So I am nervous about trying it again, but I might depending on how things happen.8 -
If you maintain physical distancing, don't touch your face, and don't spend an extended period of time in the store, any mask you can manage to wear will be a useful part of your risk reduction. Like we say in diet related threads, don't let perfection be the enemy of progress
I do all of these things for sure. Actually said something to someone today who was just up my behind in the produce department. It's not like I was camping out in front of stuff either. I was grabbing what I needed, but they had to move in right behind me. So frustrating.
And I want to thank everyone for their suggestions and kind words. I may try a surgical mask with my other masks and see how I do. I can't afford the KN95 masks at the moment. Luckily the masks I do use are double thickness and fit tight against my face, either due to the material or due to a wire that allows me to adjust it. Will just have to see what happens.
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »CDC recommends schools reopen for in person learning.
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/26/960885936/cdc-makes-case-for-school-reopening
Thought about this a bit more and I'm not a conspiracy thinking person but the idea that in person schools don't spread Covid may be a bit of wishful thinking than all out science. Talk to anyone in education, they will tell you they had colds, etc all during the school year for the first several years from being around all the little germ carriers until they built immunity. Don't see why Covid would work any differently.
Of course now you have the kids wearing masks, etc. Any pictures you see the kids are separated properly wearing masks, wonder if that's the normal situation? In normal times educators have to tell kids to keep their fingers out of their noses, wash their hands etc. And these are normally functioning kids, never mind the behaviorally challenged and/or special needs kids.
Agree.
The caveat is here:In another study, of 17 schools in rural Wisconsin, mask-wearing helped keep the COVID-19 incidence lower in schools than in the larger community.
While the researchers call the findings "reassuring," they make clear that much of the success schools have had in preventing transmission is the result of their embrace of safety precautions.
"All recommended mitigation measures in schools must continue: requiring universal face mask use, increasing physical distance ... increasing room air ventilation, and expanding screening testing to rapidly identify and isolate asymptomatic infected individuals," the report says.
The CDC authors do single out a few school-based functions that can drive infections, namely indoor sports practices and events. They cite a pair of high school wrestling tournaments in Florida where 38 of the 54 participants who were tested, tested positive, some of whom brought the virus back to their families and friend circles. The report also serves as a reminder that schools do not operate in a vacuum. To keep COVID-19 out of classrooms, communities should be prepared to fight it elsewhere, including by restricting indoor dining.
That's a lot of restrictions and "if". Their recommendation stands "if" all these conditions are met. I know for fact that "all recommended mitigation measures" are not being enacted in all schools where I live. We need to get to a place where they are. And indoor dining is not restricted and won't be. This is TN. We have been having high school sports. And Gov Lee just rescinded the executive order to limit sports attendance. I imagine the TSSAA will follow suit shortly.
Everything looks fabulous and perfect on paper in a report.
My best friend is a special ed teacher. 18-20 students are crammed in one classroom. There is not proper distancing. A few students need personal help that can't be done 6 feet away. All the kids have to constantly be kept on about the masks. This is in middle school. I don't even want to think about what elementary kids are like in any class.
Those poor teachers. 9 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »CDC recommends schools reopen for in person learning.
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/26/960885936/cdc-makes-case-for-school-reopening
Thought about this a bit more and I'm not a conspiracy thinking person but the idea that in person schools don't spread Covid may be a bit of wishful thinking than all out science. Talk to anyone in education, they will tell you they had colds, etc all during the school year for the first several years from being around all the little germ carriers until they built immunity. Don't see why Covid would work any differently.
Of course now you have the kids wearing masks, etc. Any pictures you see the kids are separated properly wearing masks, wonder if that's the normal situation? In normal times educators have to tell kids to keep their fingers out of their noses, wash their hands etc. And these are normally functioning kids, never mind the behaviorally challenged and/or special needs kids.
https://news.yahoo.com/clinical-trials-raise-fears-coronavirus-040855671.html
Too bad this virus is watching our moves and is out playing us in this game of Cat and Mouse it appears. Yes a few of us will die but nothing like when white men showed up in North and South America 500 years ago.1
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