At a White House news conference on Wednesday, Deborah Birx, the response coordinator of the nation’s coronavirus task force, warned about the concerning reports from France — and Italy, too — about “young people getting seriously ill and very seriously ill in the ICUs.”
gaaa - went to Costco in E Hanover. At first, while driving through the parking lot, it looked like it wasn't too crowded. Until we saw the line of people waiting to get in, snaking around to the back of the store.
We went home. Stopped at McDonald's. Waited a good 15 minutes to get our food at the drive thru. Got home. Opened my Big Mac. no special sauce. no lettuce. no onions. no pickles. no whatever-it-takes-to-make-it-a-Big-Mac. just two patties and 3 pieces of bread.
Don’t know if other NJ counties are publishing data, but this is Ocean County (couldn’t get all towns in photo)
The large Lakewood orthodox community is being blamed. They initially didn't follow the rules, large weddings, large convocations in the temples and refusals to empty the Yeshiva dormitories. They had to send police officers to the Yeshivas.
When some of us criticize the anti-vaccination crowd, we point to the importance of maintaining herd immunity. Now that we are dealing with a newly discovered illness for which there is no vaccine and no opportunity to have gained immunity from past exposure, the concern shifts to making sure everyone around us is as protected as we are. Is everyone around us washing their hands frequently with soap and water? Is everyone around us avoiding touching their face? Is everyone around us being careful when touching surfaces within and outside the home? Is everyone around us practicing social distancing? Is everyone around us avoiding going out of the house except when absolutely necessary? If we are not all practicing these measures, our own health is still at risk.
We could obtain all the protective equipment that comes our way. If everyone around us does not have equal access to the same protective equipment, accumulating the protective equipment for ourselves really won't help us stay healthy through this pandemic.
I'm staying informed to try and stay physically healthy but have discovered that constant and pervasive virus news coverage is not healthy for the soul, -particularly as this is going to be a long haul.
When some of us criticize the anti-vaccination crowd, we point to the importance of maintaining herd immunity. Now that we are dealing with a newly discovered illness for which there is no vaccine and no opportunity to have gained immunity from past exposure, the concern shifts to making sure everyone around us is as protected as we are. Is everyone around us washing their hands frequently with soap and water? Is everyone around us avoiding touching their face? Is everyone around us being careful when touching surfaces within and outside the home? Is everyone around us practicing social distancing? Is everyone around us avoiding going out of the house except when absolutely necessary? If we are not all practicing these measures, our own health is still at risk.
We could obtain all the protective equipment that comes our way. If everyone around us does not have equal access to the same protective equipment, accumulating the protective equipment for ourselves really won't help us stay healthy through this pandemic.
This needs to be viewed as a team effort.
I've been practicing but its difficult. Its hard to not touch ones face, an instinct. Mask and glasses help.
Its hard to do social distancing when government mandates force it at gas stations here in NJ. Its the law that gas be pumped by attendants. The result being the attendant comes up to your window asking what you want and asking for your credit card.
Not touching surfaces is easier except when taking stuff off grocery shelves. Gloves and keeping hand wipes in the car help.
Those who need to go to work can't avoid going out. I don't have to and am trying to keep shopping to once a week. However, some stores set self-defeating too low purchase limits, like two items. Its an issue for families that need more items such three milks, resulting in multiple trips to the store.
We all need masks. Where can they be found? Taiwan,Hong Kong and Shanghai have dealt the best with coronavirus.Everyone wears masks and they stress their importance. When will we learn?
We all need masks. Where can they be found? Taiwan,Hong Kong and Shanghai have dealt the best with coronavirus.Everyone wears masks and they stress their importance. When will we learn?
Given that there is a severe shortage of masks, how about we leave them for the medical professionals until enough new masks can be manufactured to fill their needs? NPR reported yesterday that nurses in Seattle are having to wash out their single use masks so that they can be reused over and over again.
Plus, people in the know say that all those folks with masks and no eye protection are no more protected than people wearing nothing on their face. Masks are effective for keeping sick people from spreading virus, not keeping well people well. If you want to protect your face from coming in contact with the virus, you need something more like this.
We all need masks. Where can they be found? Taiwan,Hong Kong and Shanghai have dealt the best with coronavirus.Everyone wears masks and they stress their importance. When will we learn?
Given that there is a severe shortage of masks, how about we leave them for the medical professionals until enough new masks can be manufactured to fill their needs? NPR reported yesterday that nurses in Seattle are having to wash out their single use masks so that they can be reused over and over again.
I agree that medical professionals,etc should be the first to receive the masks. But if the public had them to wear fewer people would be sick, therefore fewer people for medics to deal with. Residents in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Shanghai agree to this.
Plus, people in the know say that all those folks with masks and no eye protection are no more protected than people wearing nothing on their face. Masks are effective for keeping sick people from spreading virus, not keeping well people well. If you want to protect your face from coming in contact with the virus, you need something more like this.
You're not doing a service by spreading misinformation. If anything, you're doing a disservice.
Again:
Third, of course masks work — maybe not perfectly and not all to the same degree, but they provide some protection. Their use has always been advised as part of the standard response to being around infected people, especially for people who may be vulnerable. World Health Organization officials wear masks during their news briefings. That was the reason I had bought a few in early January — I had been conducting research in Hong Kong, which has a lot of contact with mainland China, and expected to go back. I had studied and taught about the sociology of pandemics and knew from the SARS experience in 2003 that health officials in many high-risk Asian countries had advised wearing masks.
Fourth, the W.H.O. and the C.D.C. told the public to wear masks if they were sick. However, there is increasing evidence of asymptomatic transmission, especially through younger people who have milder cases and don’t know they are sick but are still infectious. Since the W.H.O. and the C.D.C. do say that masks lessen the chances that infected people will infect others, then everyone should use masks. If the public is told that only the sick people are to wear masks, then those who do wear them will be stigmatized and people may well avoid wearing them if it screams “I’m sick.” Further, it’s very difficult to be tested for Covid-19 in the United States. How are people supposed to know for sure when to mask up?
Fifth, places like Hong Kong and Taiwan that jumped to action early with social distancing and universal mask wearing have the pandemic under much greater control, despite having significant travel from mainland China. Hong Kong health officials credit universal mask wearing as part of the solution and recommend universal mask wearing. In fact, Taiwan responded to the coronavirus by immediately ramping up mask production.
And:
First, many health experts, including the surgeon general of the United States, told the public simultaneously that masks weren’t necessary for protecting the general public and that health care workers needed the dwindling supply. This contradiction confuses an ordinary listener. How do these masks magically protect the wearers only and only if they work in a particular field?
An issue is you do not know who is sick. You could be close to somebody on a bus, train or a gas station attendant not knowing the person is infectious. Neither will the person you're next to during their incubation.
You can make a mask out of a sweatshirt or something. There are, of course, videos on Youtube. They're probably no more or less effective than a regular surgical mask but what the heck, if its 50% effective, go for it.. Th N95s should be for the pros.
My mom did her nurses training in the 1950s. She said at that time they used re-usable cotton cloth masks in the OR etc. the point being not to infect the patient vs the reverse. If the surgeon's mask got wet from breath it would not work anymore so the nurses job was to take it off and tie a new one on.
Her thinking is that while these are clearly less effective than modern ones, they are much better than nothing... they had prior info from earlier unmasked OR practice as a comparison. But again to prevent passing infection on, not to keep the wearer safe.
She thinks everyone should wear a re-usable mask when they must go out, as a precaution and courtesy to others. Am thinking about that.
My mom did her nurses training in the 1950s. She said at that time they used re-usable cotton cloth masks in the OR etc. the point being not to infect the patient vs the reverse. If the surgeon's mask got wet from breath it would not work anymore so the nurses job was to take it off and tie a new one on.
Her thinking is that while these are clearly less effective than modern ones, they are much better than nothing... they had prior info from earlier unmasked OR practice as a comparison. But again to prevent passing infection on, not to keep the wearer safe.
She thinks everyone should wear a re-usable mask when they must go out, as a precaution and courtesy to others. Am thinking about that.
I posted elsewhere you may be able to reuse by heating in an oven after you get back or putting it in a jar of alcohol.
You're not doing a service by spreading misinformation...
“CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a healthcare professional recommends it. A facemask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms.”
In any case, in the real world, masks are not available for even those healthcare workers in the hot zones that are most at risk. To try to hoard masks for yourself that could be used by medical workers who need them would be the height of narcissistic irresponsibility.
In any case, in the real world, masks are not available for even those healthcare workers in the hot zones that are most at risk. To try to obtain masks for yourself that could be used by workers that need them would be the height of narcissistic irresponsibility.
Plus if you do end up getting sick enough to need to go to the hospital, you'll be in serious trouble if the hospital is understaffed due to the medical staff not having enough PPE to keep from getting sick. Medical workers who are exposed to these patients EVERY DAY are being told to re-use disposable one use N-95 masks because of prepper asshats who hoarded them all
Plus if you do end up getting sick enough to need to go to the hospital, you'll be in serious trouble if the hospital is understaffed due to the medical staff not having enough PPE to keep from getting sick. Medical workers who are exposed to these patients EVERY DAY are being told to re-use disposable one use N-95 masks because of prepper asshats who hoarded them all
The preppers almost certainly laid in their stocks years ago. Its the bassknats who didn't prepare and panic bought that cleared out the commercial supplies. Any masks that are produced going forward should require a prescription for purchase.
“CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a healthcare professional recommends it. A facemask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms.”
Besides, why are you worrying? You have 12 bottles of hand sanitizer.
It was 20. But sadly 17, having used one and given two away.
You can make hand sanitizer. Combine Aloe Vera, a little dish soap and alcohol. Liquor stores sell 190 proof Everclear.
Every bit help. The thing is to minimize risk to you. Hand washing helps some, masks help some, glasses help some. What really helps a lot is the most difficult, not going out and avoiding contact with others not in your family.
Isolating your family with food and other necessity deliveries may be best. Won;t that be exciting.
I'm 100% in the camp of "full-shutdown-is-the-right-call," but I am very disappointed (but not surprised) at that the actions to address the accompanying economic catastrophe have been mis-targeted and insufficient. I read one article, for instance, about how there are more ventilators available, but hospitals are reluctant to purchase because they're very expensive and then they'll be stuck making large capital purchases for something they likely won't need once this surge passes -- why should hospitals have to worry about this? Why aren't the feds providing grants or even outright purchasing and distributing?
Or with all non-essential businesses being ordered shut down -- while this is 100% the right call, why is so little being done to provide a federally-funded financial backstop to keep these businesses solvent and paying their employees? Why no pressure being put on creditors to suspend payments owed by shuttered business? How is mandatory paid sick leave still a controversial issue?
These are largely rhetorical questions. But it's deeply angering to see the slowness of the response to the medical emergency, and a similar lack of urgency and focus for the economic emergency.
What seems to be missing in the discussion of face masks is that a face mask has to be custom fit to the face in order to be effective. Just having a face mask won't necessarily help you.
We all need masks. Where can they be found? Taiwan,Hong Kong and Shanghai have dealt the best with coronavirus.Everyone wears masks and they stress their importance. When will we learn?
Given that there is a severe shortage of masks, how about we leave them for the medical professionals until enough new masks can be manufactured to fill their needs? NPR reported yesterday that nurses in Seattle are having to wash out their single use masks so that they can be reused over and over again.
Plus, people in the know say that all those folks with masks and no eye protection are no more protected than people wearing nothing on their face. Masks are effective for keeping sick people from spreading virus, not keeping well people well. If you want to protect your face from coming in contact with the virus, you need something more like this.
This probably isn't known, but many of the N95 masks that are out there are not suitable for this event. Many of these masks have a one-way valve for the exhale that do not have a filtering function. These masks are designed to protect the wearer from airborne particles in their vicinity. The masks trap the unwanted particles on the inhale, but have a clear path through the mask on the exhale.
In other words, the masks may protect a healthy person from infected air all around them, but serve no purpose for the infected person hoping to protect others around them.
What seems to be missing in the discussion of face masks is that a face mask has to be custom fit to the face in order to be effective. Just having a face mask won't necessarily help you.
Tried to go to Home Depot. They only allow 50 customers to be in the store at any given time. The Springfield Avenue Home Depot has 50 aisles. That is 1 customer per aisle!!!!!
Maybe this has something to do with protecting their workers and not their isles?
What seems to be missing in the discussion of face masks is that a face mask has to be custom fit to the face in order to be effective. Just having a face mask won't necessarily help you.
It's not exactly rocket science
My wife is an infectious disease microbiologist. Her PhD was spent developing a better vaccine for plague (Y. pestis) and required her to do experiments on mice in biosafety level 3 lab space, which required her to wear an n95. The process to fit an n95 required her to use a special machine that would test the performance of the mask while she talked and while just breathing. She had to go through 2 different brands before they found the brand and size that fit her.
If you don't get a fit done like that, the mask will not perform to spec.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/03/19/younger-adults-are-large-percentage-coronavirus-hospitalizations-united-states-according-new-cdc-data/