masks required

[highdesertranger]

"Hey, where is my thank button?"

it went the way of the Dodo.

highdesertranger

 

[maki2]

The thank button is taking a break. It went up north into the mountains out of range of cell towers. No telling when it will show up again.

 

[B and C]

I know they are doing a lot more testing here in Texas. We got a home visit to get tested. We'll see if we add to the statistics of cases. We haven't died yet!

 

[Qxxx]

The news has been saying how Houston is a hotspot and the hospitals are at critical capacity right now.

 

[B and C]

The numbers are creeping up here in Harris county where Houston is located. Only county cases are being reported, not city or zip codes which would be better.

Population 4.7 million
cases 30729
deaths 376

Still seems a real low rate although it is climbing.

 

[bullfrog]

I have several in-laws that live in and around Houston that judging from their behavior there is no pandemic. Pool parties and wine tastings with no social distancing or masks. They are all between 50 and 66 years old, white and fairly well off. They know of no one in their circle of friends that has tested positive or been seriously ill. I guess I’m glad they are doing well but wish they would encourage others help reduce the spread with better examples of behavior. With the number of people in the Houston hospitals and positive cases this disease must be really hitting the poor and minorities with existing health problems hard.

 

[Qxxx]

On average, your chances of dying from covid in the US are 1 in 2500 (1 in 500 if you're over 60), and chances of getting it are 1 in 120, so the vast majority of americans are totally lackadaisical. In my neighborhood, I've seen only 4 or 5 people wearing a mask in the past 3 months, and 2 of them are the managers of the apt comp!ex here. But the point was it's not good when the hospitals in your area are at a critical point. The doctors and nurses are not happy.

 

[bullfrog]

I guess this really makes it apparent how poorly we have managed the public health system and in general insuring we make health care available for all, all the time.

 

[Qxxx]

To anyone with even a grain of objectivity, it's obvious this country has done everything wrong. The european countries like SP, IT, FR, and the UK were in terrible shape a couple of months ago but have now quenched the epidemic.

 

[crofter]

Went over that link. It  talks about dealing with covid in specific and nowhere does it talk about scrubs. It does talk about gowns aprons and coats and that they need to be removed and set for laundering or disposed of.

I am speaking and have only been speaking about scrubs on a daily use. Given the various substances that can be introduced into a medical setting from the public or vice versa I think health care uniforms need to stay ONLY in a healthcare facility.

Some people think it is fine to not wash their hands before eating. And I have certainly seen plenty of dudes walk out of a toilet without washing their hands.. and some people think it is fine to  wear their medical uniform wherever..

I  misunderstood your comment. I thought  you meant in bygone times when you said "in those days" . I didn't realize you meant 4 months ago....

Longer than six years ago. Not 4 months. I have not donned scrubs during this pandemic. 

Did you know that on this planet most infectious agents are too small to be viewed with the naked eye? Take a microscope to the next line you are standing in, you will be shocked by what you find. Better yet, look at yourself with the microscope. Brace yourself, you are not alone in your skin.
-crofter

 

[VanFan]

Dallas County:



Population:  2.636 million

DOCUMENTED cases:  21,882  (544 new ones today.  Results delayed as long as one week.  Testing here was very limited in March; still not widely available.)  Positivity rate on in-hospital tests is around 25%.

Deaths:  380 (20 yesterday; 7 today, including a 20 year old with no underlying health conditions, which BTW, more people have than do not.)  Death rate is trending down as hospital admissions are increasingly among the 18-39 demographic, where stays are shorter and survival rates higher.  That also frees up more "beds," but bed availability does not equate to health care provider availability.


We can and must do better, IMO.

 

[crofter]

Leave your shoes outside the door. Here is an article discussing how infective your clothing could be. Fabrics not so much, but shoes, yes.
-crofter

Description: link to article.
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/shoes-clothes-and-covid-19

 

[crofter]

Here is another article, this time from NHS in UK, on the infectiveness of fabrics. Does not list shoes, but says shared towels and shared sheets could have germs. Watch out for those hotels that do not change the sheets.
-crofter

Description: link to article.
https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/infections/can-clothes-and-towels-spread-germs/

 

[crofter]

And CDC advises washing the face mask in bleach after every use.
-crofter

Description: link to article at CDC site.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-to-wash-cloth-face-coverings.html

 

[Qxxx]

I've thought about bleach before, and decided ... no.

From my considerations, CDC guidelines are totally dumb much of the time, especially considering how much they flip-flop. The containers all say something like "bleach irritates mucous membranes, the skin and the airways".
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK214356/

I am expecting people to come on here and say "oh, it's ok if you rinse it", or the bleach will evaporate, or some such, but to hell with that. It's "my" skin and lungs. YMMV.

 

[desert_sailing]

I love bleach. It is one of the most comforting smells to me. There has been more than one "morning after" that I was glad my bathroom smelled of bleach.

I always keep a partial sink of water and bleach and frequently sanitize surfaces in my house throughout the day. I plan to have a spray bottle in the van with water and bleach. The food industry uses  water and bleach to sanitize dishes with out an additional rinse and I do as well. It is ofc very harsh for some folks especially on the skin. I am just used to the burn .

You will know it is me on the road.. I will be the one whose van smells like a dentists office and no electrical.

 

[Stargazer]

Years ago, while in nursing school, we were told about a study that was done in a hospital about surface contaminations. Researchers went through a hospital and swabbed numerous surfaces, then cultured them. Toilets, sinks, beds, floors, etc. Guess which surface grew out the most and nàstiest bacteria and viruses?

The elevator call buttons.

 

[Qxxx]

Also, door knobs.

 

[crofter]

.....ell with that. It's "my" skin and lungs. YMMV.

I am currently using the heat of my dashboard to sanitize the face masks. Plus 130 degrees measured there daily during the heat. 

Previously I washed it, until it eventually fell apart. 
-crofter

 

[crofter]

Also, door knobs.

Cell phone screen. Any germ tests on those?
-crofter