Going to have to be short and sweet this morning, as other duties call. Trust me, would rather be here doing this and other writing than doing what I have to do this morning.
An elementary school student is now the third confirmed case of COVID-19 here in Indiana. The school district where the student lives has wisely (IMO) chosen to implement a system-wide e-learning day today (diagnosis was yesterday) and has announced that the school the student attended will be closed for two weeks. Students there will take part in e-learning and other learning opportunities during that time.
Frankly, I think it would be a good idea for this to go statewide as soon as possible. Right now, we have few confirmed cases and a somewhat reasonable number of what I would call probably exposed. These are people who had more than casual contact with one of the people infected, but not constant contact.
Epidemiology is, in many respects, a game of loads and vectors. You need a certain number of microbes of any type to infect any one person — the load. That number varies based on health, hygiene, and other factors. You need a means of transmitting those microbes, such as sneezing, touch, etc. — the vector.
Washing your hands and strong personal hygiene reduces the number of microbes on you at any time, especially those that could travel via the hands to the mouth, nose, and eyes. Staying ten feet away from anyone sick is a good way of avoiding transmission via cough, sneeze, or just breathing. Being careful what you touch, using the disinfectant wipes at the store on the handles of the grocery cart, and all those other things reduces the amount of microbes that can get to you. You’ve cut the load.
Now we get to vectors. We are still in the early days of this, but we also have an opportunity to break one or more vector chains. If we close all schools, colleges, and universities; and, if along with that we urge people to stay home, cancel public events, and encourage private events to postpone, there is the chance to break vectors relating to physical and airborne transmission. Break enough of the vector chains, and the spread will slow or even stop (temporarily).
This buys time for treatments to be developed, vaccines developed and produced, and will prevent overloading the medical system. It’s a prudent move, though I doubt it will happen. If it doesn’t happen this week or next, the odds are it will be done several weeks too late to be truly effective.
As always:
Use the interactive graphic to keep track of things. Is COVID19 an epidemic? Yes. Is it a Pandemic? Not according to WHO, but most everyone else is saying yes, it is. Is there need for panic? No. Should you be paying attention? Yes. Hell yes. Should you be preparing? Yes, better late than never.
Want to avoid catching COVID19 here in the U.S.? Wash your flippin hands frequently, wash them thoroughly every time you use the bathroom, then follow with hand sanitizer after every washing, use hand sanitizer liberally when you can’t wash on a regular basis. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and stay away from those who don’t. Also, keep your bugger hooks out of/away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Do NOT shake hands with anyone, and avoid touching or being touched by strangers. Or your strange friends.
Avoid travel if at all possible. Right now, there is no way I’m going to a trade show, major convention, etc. If you can telecommute, get that set up now. If you have to travel, use lots of hand sanitizer and go to full flu protocols. If you have to use a public restroom, take full precautions including using paper towels and such to handle faucets, doors,etc. Believe it or not, this was highly recommended before now, and major grocery chains have long told employees to use those practices to avoid getting or spreading colds, flu, etc. Not many actually do it, but…
If you own a business, make sure your employees know the above protocols. Have someone who refuses to wash their hands or otherwise follow the protocols? Talk to them, write them up, and if necessary fire them as they now pose a risk of infection to you and your customers. Extreme? Yes, but while the CDC and others are working to slow it down, odds are it is already here and could hit hard and fast. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
I want to reiterate that there is no need for panic, but there is a strong need to be alert, be informed, and be prepared.
The panic is off and running. Want to avoid getting it? Wash your hands, often and well. Consider sterilizing the things you use often as well, such as your keyboard, cell phone, tooth brush, etc. A single molecule/virus is unlikely to infect you: the key is to reduce the load of any microbe below that load needed for infection.
This virus has not acted normally, and now we have a better understanding of why. A friend kindly provided me with links to three studies that have shed new light on how COVID-19 infects people, and it is both fascinating and interesting. Fascinating from a biomolecular viewpoint and interesting in terms of some of the questions this news raises.
This paper outlines how the virus shares an ACE2 receptor with SARS. ACE2 expression explains some of the oddity of who it infects and why it has been more deadly in China. Short version is that ACE2 expression is small (to non-existent) in healthy lungs; but, as we grow older it starts to crop up. When you live with heavy air pollution (such as China) and if you are a heavy cigarette smoker, your lungs are damaged, increasing the expression. This paper gets into the smoking aspect.
The real kicker, however, is that COVID-19 has a mutated gene similar to Ebola and SARS that gives it up to 1,000 times the ability of SARS to bind with human cells. There is a lot of detail to be found in this article at the South China Morning Post.
The good news out of all of the above is that ACE2 inhibitors and a number of HIV drugs may work on COVID-19, or at least slow it down. It opens up several fronts on fighting the disease while effective and efficient vaccines are developed. How and why it developed the similar mutation to Ebola and HIV is a very interesting question. Another question is how much damage the virus does to the lungs, and if it is permanent as this article suggests.
Meantime, the fight is on continuing to throttle the rate of infection spread here in the U.S. So far, that strategy is working despite the CDC (hat tip to Insty) and others. The testing issue is major, as is CDC staffers hanging up on doctors who disagree with them and incidents like this that are far more frequent than is being reported (again, hat tip to Insty). The goal is to slow it down so that warmer weather will slow it further. Why?
As I noted in a previous post, unchecked it will overload the system, just as it has done in China and elsewhere. This report from Business Insider notes that hospitals have been warned to prepare for 4.8 million hospitalizations in a worst-case scenario. By the way, if you are looking for reasonably good and accurate coverage, keep the BI coronavirus search going, and also stay up with the South China Morning Post coronavirus coverage. Also, Instapundit runs frequent updates and collections of stories that are a good resource.
Failure to do things properly is partly the blame with what has happened in Washington State and elsewhere. Improper responses have caused dozens of first responders and health care professionals to have to be quarantined, taking them out of the fight for the time being. I say yet again, if you are a first responder or medical professional, go to the highest level of protocol that your agency will allow. You won’t do anyone any good in quarantine.
Slowing the spread prevents overloading the system. If you suspect you have COVID-19 or have been exposed, do like the person in Indianapolis discussed yesterday: call your state health department and work with them so that you can be dealt with in a way that minimizes the chance of spreading the virus to those helping you and to the general public.
The continued kicker is that based on anecdotal evidence, there seem to be a higher number of “superspreaders” who also appear to be spreading while asymptomatic. The latest (again from BI) is in NYC and there are 20 cases linked to him.
Again (and again), the best defense is to wash your hands frequently and well, and to use hand sanitizer when you can’t wash or between washings. Want to do more? Avoid unnecessary travel and avoid large gatherings (esp. since many cases have come from conferences and such, including CPAC). Work form home, telecommute, and use virtual meetings for as much as possible. Do not shake hands. If someone is visibly sick and/or not following good protocols (hand washing, covering mouth and nose when sneezing/coughing, etc.) avoid them by about ten feet if possible. If you are 70 plus and/or have health issues, stay home as much as possible. If you have to go out, follow the above stringently. Been at a crowded event? Wash, bathe, and wash your clothes. You don’t need to kill every germ, just enough to stay below the load level.
Again (and again), COVID-19 is NOT Capt. Tripps. So, stop the panic and freakout. It is worse than the flu to certain populations, surprisingly mild in some ways outside of those populations, and right now the mortality numbers here in the U.S. are well below that of flu, which kills between 12,000-61,000 people in the U.S. each year. And, note that thanks to the early travel restrictions, the U.S. has the lowest per capita infection rate of any country with more than 100 cases by a significant margin. So, again, please stop the panic. You can safely ignore most of the media coverage, especially if it focuses on the political angle. So far, such reporting (and the politics) have almost 180 degrees from reality.
Your response to this, ultimately, is as important — if not more important — than the government response. You have the power to protect yourself. You have the power to avoid spreading it. You have the ability to think, plan, and prepare if a general quarantine is put in place for your area.
Think.
Yes, it’s hard and the media is stoking the panic for all it’s worth. All the more reason to stop, think, learn, and do what is right for you and for your fellow citizens.
So, wash those hands, cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing, and don’t go running into an area crowded with already compromised people if you think you have it (i.e. a doc-in-the-box, ER, etc.). Think, then act. Use an online screening process, call your state health department, or similar step and then do what they tell you to do.
Final quick note: bureaucracies are not fast and responsive, particularly when they have mission bloat. That said, for all that some elements of the CDC (and WHO and others) are fucking up by the numbers, there are good people in all them who are having to fight their own administrations (not The Administration) to try to get things done. My hat is off to them, and if there is any way I can help them I’m glad to do it. I have a fond but faint hope that one good to come out of this is that some long-overdue reforms of the CDC and FDA may finally happen. It’s time to have the experts in charge again, not political administrators. Both need to be lean, mean, and flexible — something they are far from being now.
As always:
Use the interactive graphic to keep track of things. Is COVID19 an epidemic? Yes. Is it a Pandemic? Not according to WHO, but most everyone else is saying yes, it is. Is there need for panic? No. Should you be paying attention? Yes. Hell yes. Should you be preparing? Yes, better late than never.
Want to avoid catching COVID19 here in the U.S.? Wash your flippin hands frequently, wash them thoroughly every time you use the bathroom, then follow with hand sanitizer after every washing, use hand sanitizer liberally when you can’t wash on a regular basis. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and stay away from those who don’t. Also, keep your bugger hooks out of/away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Do NOT shake hands with anyone, and avoid touching or being touched by strangers. Or your strange friends.
Avoid travel if at all possible. Right now, there is no way I’m going to a trade show, major convention, etc. If you can telecommute, get that set up now. If you have to travel, use lots of hand sanitizer and go to full flu protocols. If you have to use a public restroom, take full precautions including using paper towels and such to handle faucets, doors,etc. Believe it or not, this was highly recommended before now, and major grocery chains have long told employees to use those practices to avoid getting or spreading colds, flu, etc. Not many actually do it, but…
If you own a business, make sure your employees know the above protocols. Have someone who refuses to wash their hands or otherwise follow the protocols? Talk to them, write them up, and if necessary fire them as they now pose a risk of infection to you and your customers. Extreme? Yes, but while the CDC and others are working to slow it down, odds are it is already here and could hit hard and fast. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
I want to reiterate that there is no need for panic, but there is a strong need to be alert, be informed, and be prepared.
Just read where a scientist is claiming that those who regularly drink hard liquor may be/are immune to COVID-19. That pretty much means that most troops and veterans I know are safe. It may also mean that Vodkapundit is immortal. I would just remind him that “There can be only one!”
We now have our first confirmed case of COVID-19 here in Indiana. It is a case study in how to do things right if you think you have, or have been exposed to, COVID-19.
The basic story is here. Whatever I may think of the person for having gone to an event at this time, they did things right in a way that should become the text book example of what to do if you have/have been exposed to COVID-19.
Note that they contacted the state health department as soon as they suspected. Working with them, they went to a hospital and parked away from everyone else. They contacted the hospital by phone, who had already been contacted by the state. This allowed them to have those responding take all appropriate precautions. They then took the person in via an entrance not normally used by the public, after putting them in clothing/gear to prevent spread. They was taken to an area of negative pressure for testing. Given that the case is mild at this time, they was taken out the same way and put in quarantine at home.
All of this allowed for: protection of the medical team/first responders involved; it allowed easy decontamination of the areas where this person went; it ensured that the chance of spread to anyone — especially other patients — was minimized.
Note that they did not go to a doc-in-the-box; they did not go to the ER directly; and, they minimized exposure to the public. This is how you do it.
Doing my normal bi-weekly shopping yesterday, I saw panic. People were wearing masks, which is in many respects idiotic. The one person I saw doing it right was from our SE Asian population and they were wearing a mask because they clearly were ill. I steered well clear of them. The others, well, not so much and not so well. Good luck finding disinfectants, hand sanitizer, etc. If you waited until now to begin preparing, well, sucks to be you. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
Again, wearing a mask if you are sick is a good idea. If not, you are mostly asking to be sick as few know how to put them on, how to wear them, and — most importantly — how to take them off without increasing your risk of infection. Masks, gloves, and other precautions require you to treat them as hazmat, not just throw them in the trash.
Again (and again) the best way to protect yourself here in the U.S. is to stay away from anyone obviously ill, and to wash your hands well and frequently, particularly after using the bathroom. In between washings, use hand sanitizer on a regular basis. Keep your booger hooks away from your face as much as possible. Don’t shake hands. For me, I like the idea of using the Vulcan salute instead.
Given that most people, especially those falling for politico-media fear mongering, have less sense than God gave a cherrystone clam, I would avoid crowds and as much as possible and avoid medical triage areas such as doc-in-the-boxes and ERs. Most people are not, unless educated by posts such as this one and actual medical statements, are going to flock to such places en masse which will increase the rate of exposure and the rate of infection.
If you think you have been exposed, or that you have COVID-19, do like this person. Call your state or local health agency and work with them so as to minimize the chance of exposing anyone, especially medical or other first responders.
Per my previous posts, if you are a first responder of any type, go to the highest level of precaution your department will allow — especially if responding to a report of someone ill. We can’t afford to have a dozen or more first responders quarantined for each incident as happened in Washington state (see previous posts).
With luck, planning, and people taking sensible precautions, the spread of COVID-19 can continue to be slowed until the weather gets better. There is a reason winter is worse for the flu, and the longer we can put off major spread the better. Also, keep in mind that the majority of cases are going to be mild, in keeping with a flu epidemic (which we have every year). There are a number of reasons it will not be as nasty and deadly here as in China (again, see previous posts). Panic will not help, and in fact will hurt. If you are older (60+) and have underlying health conditions, go to full, stringent, flu precautions as you are the most likely to have real problems with COVID-19. Right now, based on data from here in the U.S., 70+ with underlying health conditions is where we have the highest mortality.
It will be at least another 4- to 6-weeks before we have good data on COVID-19 here in the U.S. Data from China, Iran, etc., is both highly suspect (hint, the Chinese government and other governments have and are lying) and not directly applicable. Don’t panic.
Best thing you can do, other than washing your hands frequently, is to prepare for a possible quarantine. Make sure you have food, medicines, and other supplies to stay at home without leaving for at lest two weeks. This includes financial preparations where possible. Stock up prudently, in that what you buy should be what you normally would eat, drink, need. That way, if not needed, you simply fold it into your normal operations and move on while saving some money on food and such on the far end.
This is NOT Capt. Tripps, and while it will be a pain in the end, it is not something over which to panic. Unless you are in that specific demographic for it to be bad or fatal, you will get by. The major impact will be economic, though I suspect/hope it will change how we do business on several levels. We’ve slowly been trending towards remote work, and I expect that to become more the norm. I won’t object if handshaking becomes a thing of the past. For those smart and fast, there are some potentially fantastic business opportunities as we rightly move away from single-point failures in the supply chain.
Again, and again, and again: it is not a cause for panic. Be smart, be informed, and take media/politico reports with a tun of salt. Instead of a tun, maybe even a ton or two of salt.
As always:
Use the interactive graphic to keep track of things. Is COVID19 an epidemic? Yes. Is it a Pandemic? Not according to WHO, but most everyone else is saying yes, it is. Is there need for panic? No. Should you be paying attention? Yes. Hell yes. Should you be preparing? Yes, better late than never.
Want to avoid catching COVID19 here in the U.S.? Wash your flippin hands frequently, wash them thoroughly every time you use the bathroom, then follow with hand sanitizer after every washing, use hand sanitizer liberally when you can’t wash on a regular basis. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and stay away from those who don’t. Also, keep your bugger hooks out of/away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Do NOT shake hands with anyone, and avoid touching or being touched by strangers. Or your strange friends.
Avoid travel if at all possible. Right now, there is no way I’m going to a trade show, major convention, etc. If you can telecommute, get that set up now. If you have to travel, use lots of hand sanitizer and go to full flu protocols. If you have to use a public restroom, take full precautions including using paper towels and such to handle faucets, doors,etc. Believe it or not, this was highly recommended before now, and major grocery chains have long told employees to use those practices to avoid getting or spreading colds, flu, etc. Not many actually do it, but…
If you own a business, make sure your employees know the above protocols. Have someone who refuses to wash their hands or otherwise follow the protocols? Talk to them, write them up, and if necessary fire them as they now pose a risk of infection to you and your customers. Extreme? Yes, but while the CDC and others are working to slow it down, odds are it is already here and could hit hard and fast. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
I want to reiterate that there is no need for panic, but there is a strong need to be alert, be informed, and be prepared.
Short and sweet this morning, as am having to go in to work waaaay early. Way to early IMO, but…
Stop with the panic. There is no need to panic here in the U.S. Yes, there are cases and it is here. Are we ‘wereallgoingtodiebecauseorangemanbad’ as the media and far too many politicians are saying? NO. Is our economy going to tank because of this? No. In fact, if anything, we have quite the opportunity to come out stronger and better. It will get interesting, and some sectors are going to be hit harder than others (travel/tourism for example). But, again, thanks to the economy and incentives, and with some judicious additional incentives, we could see a boom that could put all past booms to shame.
As always:
Use the interactive graphic to keep track of things. Is COVID19 an epidemic? Yes. Is it a Pandemic? Not according to WHO, but most everyone else is saying yes, it is. Is there need for panic? No. Should you be paying attention? Yes. Hell yes. Should you be preparing? Yes, better late than never.
Want to avoid catching COVID19 here in the U.S.? Wash your flippin hands frequently, wash them thoroughly every time you use the bathroom, then follow with hand sanitizer after every washing, use hand sanitizer liberally when you can’t wash on a regular basis. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and stay away from those who don’t. Also, keep your bugger hooks out of/away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Do NOT shake hands with anyone, and avoid touching or being touched by strangers. Or your strange friends.
Avoid travel if at all possible. Right now, there is no way I’m going to a trade show, major convention, etc. If you can telecommute, get that set up now. If you have to travel, use lots of hand sanitizer and go to full flu protocols. If you have to use a public restroom, take full precautions including using paper towels and such to handle faucets, doors,etc. Believe it or not, this was highly recommended before now, and major grocery chains have long told employees to use those practices to avoid getting or spreading colds, flu, etc. Not many actually do it, but…
If you own a business, make sure your employees know the above protocols. Have someone who refuses to wash their hands or otherwise follow the protocols? Talk to them, write them up, and if necessary fire them as they now pose a risk of infection to you and your customers. Extreme? Yes, but while the CDC and others are working to slow it down, odds are it is already here and could hit hard and fast. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
I want to reiterate that there is no need for panic, but there is a strong need to be alert, be informed, and be prepared.
While truly solid data won’t be available for 4-6 weeks yet, there is enough anecdotal out of the U.S. alone to note some interesting things. The people where it turns deadly all appear to be older, and have multiple underlying health conditions. A number of patients are reporting only very mild symptoms. Yet more reasons not to give in to panic, especially that driven by the media and other politicians. It is serious, but not a cause for panic.
As for practicing what I preach, I did have to go to a doctor yesterday. A couple of weeks ago, I did something that set my allergies off (though the work will help them in the long run). This led to a minor sinus infection, and it looks as though we have caught the nasty part of the infection fairly early. I had wanted to do it all by phone/telemed, but my doc insisted I had to have a person see me.
Want to avoid COVID-19? Take care of yourself. Have a medical issue? Take care of it in the most efficient way possible to get well as fast as possible, without tying up resources truly needed elsewhere. Meantime, wash your hands frequently and well. Here’s a video that shows the basics as well as some of the associated I’ve talked about.
This ties into one of the reasons I don’t recommend masks at this time: few wear them properly or know how to take them off without making things worse. Here’s a link to some good info, and here’s a video.
Remember, you have to treat all masks, gloves, etc. as hazmat. Are you prepared to do that?
As always:
Use the interactive graphic to keep track of things. Is COVID19 an epidemic? Yes. Is it a Pandemic? Not according to WHO, but most everyone else is saying yes, it is. Is there need for panic? No. Should you be paying attention? Yes. Hell yes. Should you be preparing? Yes, better late than never.
Want to avoid catching COVID19 here in the U.S.? Wash your flippin hands frequently, wash them thoroughly every time you use the bathroom, then follow with hand sanitizer after every washing, use hand sanitizer liberally when you can’t wash on a regular basis. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and stay away from those who don’t. Also, keep your bugger hooks out of/away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Do NOT shake hands with anyone, and avoid touching or being touched by strangers. Or your strange friends.
Avoid travel if at all possible. Right now, there is no way I’m going to a trade show, major convention, etc. If you can telecommute, get that set up now. If you have to travel, use lots of hand sanitizer and go to full flu protocols. If you have to use a public restroom, take full precautions including using paper towels and such to handle faucets, doors,etc. Believe it or not, this was highly recommended before now, and major grocery chains have long told employees to use those practices to avoid getting or spreading colds, flu, etc. Not many actually do it, but…
If you own a business, make sure your employees know the above protocols. Have someone who refuses to wash their hands or otherwise follow the protocols? Talk to them, write them up, and if necessary fire them as they now pose a risk of infection to you and your customers. Extreme? Yes, but while the CDC and others are working to slow it down, odds are it is already here and could hit hard and fast. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
I want to reiterate that there is no need for panic, but there is a strong need to be alert, be informed, and be prepared.
Short and sweet today. Given all the hysteria and panic: just stop it. Yes, worse than the flu. No, not Capt. Tripps. No, it’s not the ‘ohmygodwereallgoingtodie(becauseoftrump)’ you hear in the media. Go to flu protocols, and wash your hands. Frequently.
One of the more interesting things to come out of this is the exposure of a number of clandestine networks. If there are indeed any competent intel/counterintel types out there, you should be having a field day. Beyond the exposure of Chinese networks, there is significant exposure of various Iranian networks. That it has hit so many in their government is telling, and it will be very interesting who the Iranians infect at home and abroad.
Use the interactive graphic to keep track of things. Is COVID19 an epidemic? Yes. Is it a Pandemic? Not according to WHO, but most everyone else is saying yes, it is. Is there need for panic? No. Should you be paying attention? Yes. Hell yes. Should you be preparing? Yes, better late than never.
Want to avoid catching COVID19 here in the U.S.? Wash your flippin hands frequently, wash them thoroughly every time you use the bathroom, then follow with hand sanitizer after every washing, use hand sanitizer liberally when you can’t wash on a regular basis. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and stay away from those who don’t. Also, keep your bugger hooks out of/away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Do NOT shake hands with anyone, and avoid touching or being touched by strangers. Or your strange friends.
Avoid travel if at all possible. Right now, there is no way I’m going to a trade show, major convention, etc. If you can telecommute, get that set up now. If you have to travel, use lots of hand sanitizer and go to full flu protocols. If you have to use a public restroom, take full precautions including using paper towels and such to handle faucets, doors,etc. Believe it or not, this was highly recommended before now, and major grocery chains have long told employees to use those practices to avoid getting or spreading colds, flu, etc. Not many actually do it, but…
If you own a business, make sure your employees know the above protocols. Have someone who refuses to wash their hands or otherwise follow the protocols? Talk to them, write them up, and if necessary fire them as they now pose a risk of infection to you and your customers. Extreme? Yes, but while the CDC and others are working to slow it down, odds are it is already here and could hit hard and fast. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
I want to reiterate that there is no need for panic, but there is a strong need to be alert, be informed, and be prepared.
Yes, it is still spreading. Yes, the President is considering further travel restrictions. No, there is still no reason to panic. Lots of reasons to pay attention and make rational and reasonable preparations, but no need to panic.
First, read this article in the NEJM about our response to the outbreak. A good bit of solid info, from one of the prime leaders in the fight, though one might wish for just a bit more meat on the response part. Then read this post and this post from some people who’s opinion is shaped by their expertise, and keep that in mind when listening to/reading politicians in government and the media (yes, I agree with Instapundit that the vast majority of “journalists”/media are Democratic operatives with bylines/chyrons). Alas, Dr. Carson hits it on the head. Politics and political gain (and personal) are far more important than the health and safety of the Citizens of the Republic, or the Republic itself.
The CDC continues to cover itself in glory. One reason things got so bad so fast in China (and Iran, and similar countries) is that bureaucracies in highly socialist countries are not adaptive. For that matter, bureaucracies anywhere have a track record on adaptability that make the wooly mammoth and the dodo seem like jet racers.
In America, the problem is not going to be the number of deaths. Here’s where the real crunch lies for all. And, here’s a post that makes good points (already pointed out in several previous posts) on why things are likely to be different here in terms of severity, mortality, etc. Never mind cleaner air, differences in smoking rates, etc.
Also, two interesting things to be thinking about. First, has Sen. Chris Murphy carried COVID-19 into the Senate (and all those closed sessions with members of his party)? A bit alarmist, but an interesting question. Sadly, this next has been building for a few weeks now — China has been testing the idea of blaming the U.S. for the virus. PJ Media and Claudia Rosett are on top of it. I will note that if Xi and others think this will fly internally or externally (except with idiots and those paid to promote it), they really have underestimated how much their control has slipped.
More to come, I’m sure.
As always:
Use the interactive graphic to keep track of things. Is COVID19 an epidemic? Yes. Is it a Pandemic? Not according to WHO, but most everyone else is saying yes, it is. Is there need for panic? No. Should you be paying attention? Yes. Hell yes. Should you be preparing? Yes, better late than never.
Want to avoid catching COVID19 here in the U.S.? Wash your flippin hands frequently, wash them thoroughly every time you use the bathroom, then follow with hand sanitizer after every washing, use hand sanitizer liberally when you can’t wash on a regular basis. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and stay away from those who don’t. Also, keep your bugger hooks out of/away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Do NOT shake hands with anyone, and avoid touching or being touched by strangers. Or your strange friends.
Avoid travel if at all possible. Right now, there is no way I’m going to a trade show, major convention, etc. If you can telecommute, get that set up now. If you have to travel, use lots of hand sanitizer and go to full flu protocols. If you have to use a public restroom, take full precautions including using paper towels and such to handle faucets, doors,etc. Believe it or not, this was highly recommended before now, and major grocery chains have long told employees to use those practices to avoid getting or spreading colds, flu, etc. Not many actually do it, but…
If you own a business, make sure your employees know the above protocols. Have someone who refuses to wash their hands or otherwise follow the protocols? Talk to them, write them up, and if necessary fire them as they now pose a risk of infection to you and your customers. Extreme? Yes, but while the CDC and others are working to slow it down, odds are it is already here and could hit hard and fast. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
I want to reiterate that there is no need for panic, but there is a strong need to be alert, be informed, and be prepared.
It’s a fair question. What am I doing? Am I following the guidelines I’m giving you?
Short answer is yes, I am following those guidelines for the most part. Some minor tweeks for my particular circumstances, but yes.
First up, I travel for work on a daily basis. Some is in state, other involves out-of-state travel. No, I’m not wearing a mask or suit. Sadly, telecommuting is not an option. Also, no work no pay, so…
What I am doing is what I recommend. I wash my hands as often as I can, particularly if I’ve had to handle things touched by others, used the bathroom (every time! everyone should), or had contact with others. I’ve stopped shaking hands, citing the flu season. I also have two travel-sized bottles of hand sanitizer that I use frequently since they can be refilled from larger containers, and use it frequently. I avoid getting near anyone that appears sick. I am washing my coat, vest, other winter gear at least once a week and may step up to twice a week. I have rinsed my toothbrush in alcohol for years, and am cleaning as I can.
You never will get things perfectly sterile. It’s not about killing every last flu/other bug: it’s about killing enough of them that enough of them to make you sick make it into your system. Some get in, but not enough. It’s breaking the chain of the infection by keeping the numbers low.
I’m doing what I can on the financial front. On the food and water front, I have increased my normal reserves of water, coffee, and food. I believe strongly in survival with style, so am working to cook and freeze as many tasty complete meals as circumstances allow. I’m stocking in some not-quite-as-tasty things (canned meats/meals) as well, since freezer space is limited. Upping the coffee, spice, and booze reserves as I can as well. I also need to do more on the tobacco front, but food (obviously) comes first (followed by coffee).
Yes, I may buy a half-face respirator again soon. Not so much for this, but because the one I bought about 15 years ago for wood/metal/not-nice-materials projects is no longer supported. As in you can’t get new cartridges anywhere. Annoying, but it did have a good run. Grumble. There are a few projects I might like to do if I have to be home that would need one.
Yes, I do have a few R95 (and a well put up pack of N95) masks around. Again, projects and yard work. the R95 is a good one to keep around for projects, yard work, allergies, and potential emergency use. I do recommend them over the N95. If I absolutely need them, I do have them but don’t anticipate using them at this time.
That’s the short and sweet of it for now. We will see if it is enough.
Not a lot of time this morning, will see what I can do this afternoon or for tomorrow. Yes, more cases and one more death here. As before, if this is not contained it will be because of the bureaucracy, case in point is this lab at the CDC. Also, the CDC still won’t allow the use of a proven and more efficient test because that system has not been through the full FDA approval process, which can take years. Both the CDC and the FDA have needed serious overhaul for a couple of decades now, mayhaps that will happen now.
If you are a first responder, particularly one on the West Coast but anywhere, go to as high a level of protocols as your department will allow. Why? Here’s why (and one wonders about the Washington State public health organization’s competence).
For the rest of us, the best defense is to wash your hands and go to strict flu protocol.
As always:
Use the interactive graphic to keep track of things. Is COVID19 an epidemic? Yes. Is it a Pandemic? Not according to WHO, but most everyone else is saying yes, it is. Is there need for panic? No. Should you be paying attention? Yes. Hell yes. Should you be preparing? Yes, better late than never.
Want to avoid catching COVID19 here in the U.S.? Wash your flippin hands frequently, wash them thoroughly every time you use the bathroom, then follow with hand sanitizer after every washing, use hand sanitizer liberally when you can’t wash on a regular basis. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and stay away from those who don’t. Also, keep your bugger hooks out of/away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Do NOT shake hands with anyone, and avoid touching or being touched by strangers. Or your strange friends.
Avoid travel if at all possible. Right now, there is no way I’m going to a trade show, major convention, etc. If you can telecommute, get that set up now. If you have to travel, use lots of hand sanitizer and go to full flu protocols. If you have to use a public restroom, take full precautions including using paper towels and such to handle faucets, doors,etc. Believe it or not, this was highly recommended before now, and major grocery chains have long told employees to use those practices to avoid getting or spreading colds, flu, etc. Not many actually do it, but…
If you own a business, make sure your employees know the above protocols. Have someone who refuses to wash their hands or otherwise follow the protocols? Talk to them, write them up, and if necessary fire them as they now pose a risk of infection to you and your customers. Extreme? Yes, but while the CDC and others are working to slow it down, odds are it is already here and could hit hard and fast. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
I want to reiterate that there is no need for panic, but there is a strong need to be alert, be informed, and be prepared.
