Public Health: Tips and information on how to prepare for the epidemic, avoid illness and protect our communities.

captainmorgan said:

Yeah, I lose track of what thread I'm in too but I'm going to make more of a effort to remember to keep the more important ones cleaner of my ramblings.

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If I have a thread with important information, after it ran for a spell, I'd copy the salient information to a new thread that would have all the important stuff at the top of the thread, before commenting and discussion began.

New Study Suggests Digestive Issues Can Be First Sign of COVID-19
A new study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology reports that some people who get the coronavirus will experience digestive symptoms like diarrhea as a first sign of the virus.

COVID-19 is a new-to-humans coronavirus that primarily attacks the lungs and respiratory system. Its primary symptoms include fever, cough, shortness or breath and, if the infection worsens, chest pain, pneumonia and difficulty breathing. As medicals experts around the world race to learn new information, however, the list of the symptoms expands.

The new study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology looked at data from 204 patients with COVID-19 in China’s Hubei province. Researchers found that 48.5% of these patients arrived at the hospital with digestive symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain. The study suggested digestive symptoms may present before the respiratory symptoms of COVID-19. Those with digestive symptoms included in this study also had a more severe course of illness.

This study’s findings add additional evidence to mounting suspicion that COVID-19 causes gastrointestinal symptoms for some people. A case report published in the New England Journal of Medicine on the first known COVID-19 patient in the United States, for example, noted the patient experienced loose stool and abdominal discomfort during their second day of hospitalization. Other research has found evidence the virus is shed in fecal matter, similar to other coronaviruses like SARS and MERS.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/study-suggests-digestive-issues-first-212548290.html

Well I'm heading to the grocery store in the morning to see what's up and get some things hopefully. Today the Whole Foods store near me started letting people 60 and older and at risk people in for a hour before it's open to the public. They already reduced their hours so they can clean and stock better. Last week I went on the day the herd moved through and a good sign was all employees were wearing gloves and some had masks. They seem to be taking this very serious unlike Meijers where on the same day I didn't see a single employee wear gloves or masks.

First death in Michigan today, cases doubled too. Was 55 yesterday now 110, they actually had 30 cases reported between the time the press conference started and ended today, I think we're at the point that it will really take off now.

captainmorgan said:

Well I'm heading to the grocery store in the morning to see what's up and get some things hopefully. Today the Whole Foods store near me started letting people 60 and older and at risk people in for a hour before it's open to the public. They already reduced their hours so they can clean and stock better. Last week I went on the day the herd moved through and a good sign was all employees were wearing gloves and some had masks. They seem to be taking this very serious unlike Meijers where on the same day I didn't see a single employee wear gloves or masks.

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Slather the cart handle with sanitizer, they should have some by the carts. The open early for seniors here too and I'm 65 so I slip under the line, I look younger though, so I'll have my id! No young pupps allowed. Take a coughing spell, it will move ya to the top of the line real quick!

I see 7 red states aren't doing the self isolation thing, "we don't like no big guberment" types.

I bought gloves and one box of masks a month ago and will wear a pair of gloves tomorrow, saving the masks for when it gets real bad or I get sick. I'm also going to drop off a mask and some gloves to my friend with COPD tomorrow too.

captainmorgan said:

First death in Michigan today, cases doubled too. Was 55 yesterday now 110, they actually had 30 cases reported between the time the press conference started and ended today, I think we're at the point that it will really take off now.

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With self isolation it will take awhile to flatten the curve, a few weeks at least, people pass away after a few weeks of illness. There's most likely many undetected cases, probably only 20% are diagnosed and with no testing... Testing is essential in combating this disease, you're flying blind without it, Trump will definitely pay for this one.

captainmorgan said:

I bought gloves and one box of masks a month ago and will wear a pair of gloves tomorrow, saving the masks for when it gets real bad or I get sick.

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Put a spray bottle of chlorine cleaner in the car to wipe down the steering wheel etc. Also keep as much distance as you can from others, the checkout clerks desperately need proper PPE, masks in particular. If these people are protected, then since grocery stores are about the only places people go, it makes sense to protect workers to protect others. It would be a strategic deployment of resources after the medical workers were covered.

This is waaay cool..... But looking at the map, florida is not a happy place........

Can Smart Thermometers Track the Spread of the Coronavirus?
"A company that makes internet-connected thermometers has followed the flu more closely than the C.D.C. can. Now the devices may be turning up cases of Covid-19."

"The thermometer data “acts as an early warning system for illness spreading,” said Inder Singh, the company’s founder. The C.D.C.’s system lags because it relies on weekly reports from hundreds of doctors’ offices and hospital emergency rooms about what symptoms they are seeing in patients."

"Just last Saturday, Kinsa’s data indicated an unusual rise in fevers in South Florida, even though it was not known to be a Covid-19 epicenter. Within days, testing showed that South Florida had indeed become an epicenter."

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/health/coronavirus-fever-
thermometers.html

Go to this link for the map...
https://healthweather.us/

"The map shows two key data points: (1) the illness levels we’re currently observing, and (2) the degree to which those levels are higher than the typical levels we expect to see at this point in the flu season. (Details on how we calculate this are available in our technical approach document.) We believe this latter data point — which we’re calling “atypical illness”, may in some cases be connected to the COVID-19 pandemic."

This was just reported on the Rachel Maddow Show.

I bought one small box of masks, I'm not a hoarder.

My wife popped up into the kitchen yesterday and handed a surgical mask to my sons g/f who works as a receptionist. I asked her where she got it and she said we have a box in the workshop.

I guess we bought them as dust masks ages ago and I forgot they were there. It's like finding a 20 in an old pair of jeans you haven't worn in a while.

Nearly 40% of people needing hospitalization are 20 to 54.


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captainmorgan said:

Nearly 40% of people needing hospitalization are 20 to 54.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/health/coronavirus-young-people.html#click=[URL]https://t.co/09NqXsTB0S

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Wonder how many need to be ventilated. I also wonder if anybody is checking the vitamin D levels of those who present, it might make a good thesis for someone, or a paper. Vitamin D deficiencies are common as dirt this time of year especially.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Quarantine Minilogue – Staying Normal, Guillermo’s Snacks & Trump’s “Chinese Virus”

Help making hand sanatizer with h2o2 @30% any one know how much water to h2o2? thx

And On The Second Day Of Quarantine, Stephen Colbert Discovered Fire

Mortality rate for cases with an outcome is now 10%

zeddd said:

Mortality rate for cases with an outcome is now 10%

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We're gonna be locked down for a month or two until governments get their shit together, organise and respond properly with testing, increased hospital capacity and better treatment protocols that are being developed now. The mortality rate will change with two factors, keeping the hospitalisation rate down and better treatment options. IMHO a public health education program about the importance of vitamin D, in boosting immunity and avoiding the worse out comes is advisable. Vitamin D deficiencies are common as dirt (Google me) this time of year, particularly among the elderly and particularly among dark skinned people whether caucasian indians or africans living in high latitudes. White people is white for a reason zeddd and only one reason, this happens to be it.

If you decide you must use a facemask and none are available, this article compares what materials work best for DIY masks.....

greg nr said:

If you decide you must use a facemask and none are available, this article compares what materials work best for DIY masks.....

Best Materials for Making DIY Face Masks - Smart Air

As a last resort, DIY masks provide more protection than nothing. Researchers tested household materials. These two materials captured the most particles.

smartairfilters.com

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found a store on Ebay last nite (they still had supply) of the Miller half face welding respirator. bought one to add to the one i already have. N95 masks filter 95%, these filter 99.7%. 35 bucks with free shipping. dont' wait if you want one.