[IR + Misc.] Covid-19 Discussion and Birna's C-19 Photo-Collage

[Andy Perrin]

Interesting article on using UV-C to sterilize masks.

https://www.nytimes....pgtype=Homepage

 

They use this UV-C light system, which looks absolutely terrifying:

https://www.clordisys.com/pdfs/misc/Torch%20Data%20Sheet.pdf

[Stefano]

Standing near one of those things for a couple of seconds is probably enough to harm you. Terrifying, but effective. They just destroy DNA, almost nothing can survive for a long time under UVC light (although some spore-generating bacteria are quite tough):

[dabateman]

Interesting article on using UV-C to sterilize masks.

https://www.nytimes....pgtype=Homepage

 

They use this UV-C light system, which looks absolutely terrifying:

https://www.clordisys.com/pdfs/misc/Torch%20Data%20Sheet.pdf

 

That pdf is interesting. The breaking point is between 5 and 10 feet. The numbers jump in a way I wouldn't expect.

Clostridioides difficile, C.diff in the table is a spore foring bacteria. It causes horrible diarrhea in many people resulting in death.

 

I wonder how Bacillus pumilus, would test with their lamp. The old biological indicator of choice for radiation sterilization.

[Andrea B.]

Just saying hello and hoping everyone is OK. Or as OK as one can be at this time.

 

If you have an iPad and want some puzzles to provide a little distraction, I recommend Blockoban from the App Store. The free version has a huge amount of content.

Also this one: 100 Logic Games - Time Killers

Again there is a free version of this app with a huge amount of content. You have to suffer the occasional ad as is typical with these things. I particularly like the Tatami puzzles in this app. The ABC and Disconnect Four puzzles are also favorites.

 

If you don't have an iPad, this website offers some interesting online logic puzzles: https://www.brainbashers.com/puzzles.asp

[Stefano]

Update: In Lombardy, where I live, everything has been shut down except for supermarkets that sell food, pharmacies and all the services which can not be closed. Only 3 people at a time can enter a supermarket, sometimes you have to wait an hour and a half to enter. You should go "shopping" once every 10 days. We have ~500 deaths every day only in Lombardy, and around 640 in the entire country. Crematoriums can't keep up, in the city of Bergamo churches are being used to temporarly store coffins. I can only keep calm, stay at home, do my homework (and send it to my teachers by photographing the copybook and sending the images on Classroom), and follows the rules. At least I have plenty of time.

[nfoto]

The US is climbing rapidly on the "top case" list and perhaps within a few more weeks will surpass Italy and China and have the top position all by itself. My heart bleeds for Italy, Spain and all other countries so badly impacted by this disease.

 

On a per capita basis, Iceland seems to be unfortunate to have the leading position at present, but only by confirmed cases not deaths. The worst affected European countries all have much higher mortality rates. Iran is also badly hit as is China.

[Stefano]

How is Norway doing?

[nfoto]

Actually, not bad. As usual the government procrastinated with efficient counter-measures for a few days more than they should have, but then very quickly ramped up their act.

 

At present the incident rate is about 1/2 of Italy (per capita) and mortality is very low less than 1/500 of your country. Within a week or two I'd expect the figures to rise very significantly until they level off (hopefully). We are approaching Easter and Norwegians so long for the last snow they flock to the mountains in vast numbers during that week. That can cause a major problem with such a contagious disease as C-19. Currently a temporary law makes it illegal to use one's winter cottage in the mountains, but that law is under heavy attack at present.

 

An Emergency Law has been established that gives the Government almost free reins to issue regulations, regulate the stream of money to threatened sectors of society and to secure employee's wages, use the police and military forces to do extensive control and monitoring of borders, airports and harbours, reallocate resources for hospital staff, order hotels to open up for temporary use as hospitals, issue curfews if required, and the list goes on and on. We haven't had similar laws since WW 2.

[Cadmium]

Maybe this is WWC

[nfoto]

During the next week, it'll be clearer how efficient these measures are. The vice-like grip on society at large can be twisted a few more turns before the populace cannot stand it any more. We have a bit of slack there, still, with > 90% supporting the Government approach.

 

What is worrying at present is that hospital staff (nurses, doctors) account for approx. 10% of the new cases and the percentage is increasing. Helping and nursing the sick patients is a two-edged blade. From the individual point of view, there is some comfort to be had that all treatment is free of charge no matter how long you might be hospitalised. Nobody dare to talk about privatisation of health care these days and they do appreciate the welfare system which is the foundation of our nation.

[Stefano]

Finally a good piece of news: maybe I am speaking too soon, but it seems that the new deaths are going down. We had 300+ instead of 500-600. I really hope that the numbers will keep going down.

[nfoto]

Give this a few more days and any downwards trend will become more pronounced and clear -- hopefully. The disease acts like an invasive automation machine and the development apparently is very predictable given all the data that now exist. We would, for example, expect US to be in the unfavourable and unwanted top position in about 1 week ahead.

[Andy Perrin]

Brilliant product idea or invitation to skin cancer?

https://www.mobileklean.com/

[dabateman]

Brilliant product idea or invitation to skin cancer?

https://www.mobileklean.com/

 

Products like thos do more harm than good. Quickly passing this thing over something and then believing its safe is bad.

Whats the needed contact time?

How effective is the bulb?

Has it expired?

Did your baby, that your holding in your arms while you tested that powerful UV light decide to stare up and look at it?

 

I would rather people carry a spray bottle of 70% IPA and spray everything they see.

New product idea right there. Let's wait for the ads.

[Cadmium]

They have many versions of that on eBay and elsewhere, even some that show you specifications, but hard to find any warnings,

but if they use 254nm UVB, like some of them say they do, then ouch!

Here is an example, see any warning? I might have missed it, does say it shuts off if the light is pointed up, but...

362945947471

[Andrea B.]

I thought this was a useful chart. It seems that the Covid-19 symptoms are distinctive as compared to a cold. And slightly different from the common flu symptoms. Interesting.

 

Please note the footnote - info is still evolving about corona virus symptoms.

 

I got this from a link on the Worldometer site. They are careful to provide sources for the data. Good!! There is a lot of misinformation floating around on the web.

 

 

[Andy Perrin]

I've seen several things saying loss of sense of taste/smell happens in many cases also.

 

This uses some form of AI to check symptoms and demographic information against the known statistics and give an idea of what to expect:

https://c19check.com

[Stefano]

 

 

Products like thos do more harm than good. Quickly passing this thing over something and then believing its safe is bad.

Whats the needed contact time?

How effective is the bulb?

Has it expired?

Did your baby, that your holding in your arms while you tested that powerful UV light decide to stare up and look at it?

 

I would rather people carry a spray bottle of 70% IPA and spray everything they see.

New product idea right there. Let's wait for the ads.

Usually you need several minutes of exposure to kill almost all bacteria. Passing it for 3 seconds, as you said, will not be effective (unless you have a really high irradiation). What makes me worry is that if you don’t kill everything, some surviving bacteria (or virus) may have mutated, and may have become UVC-resistant (just like what happens if you don’t take antibiotics for the entire treatment duration). Inducing mutations in pathogens (or skin cells) isn’t really a wise thing to do. If this device is used correctly it may be actually helpful, but you would need probably at least 2 minutes of exposure (at 10-15 cm) and, of course, you would need to wear eye and skin protection (is this mentioned anywhere?)

[nfoto]

Stefano, any signs of a continuing trend of lower mortalities? Over here, we are on the accelerating limb of the curve for the time being.

[Stefano]

It seems that we are still slowly going down.

[Cadmium]

Hopefully, It will all be over before weu know it, but wear a mask in the mean time, it's your best protection and it can't hurt.

You can get NIOSH P100 face masks/filters on eBay, I think they are the best.

[bvf]

The British public has to a large extent been lackadaisical about taking this seriously, leading to the government announcing new restrictions on social activity last night.

 

Perhaps the head-in-the-sand attitude is because numbers are still relatively low in the UK, and because there had been dithering in official policy. But I saw the following on LinkedIn yesterday, chillingly showing that the UK is on exactly the same trajectory as Italy - but with a lag of 14 days.

 

The full introductory text is:

I am not one to scaremonger. I am a ‘facts’ guy. Nor am I easily ‘scared’. But I just want to ask you, no, beg you, to do all you can to get friends, relatives and anyone you know to socially distance and isolate where possible. Everywhere I look, people are unconcerned, going about their everyday lives. Today I was the ‘front door’ clinician at a major London hospital. People arrived at A&E with certainty that their cough or fever is not COVID-19. Even though their symptoms were the same as those publicised for the new coronavirus. They wanted to steal gloves or masks. They shouted and and abused staff. I was threatened with a beating when I refused to comply with demands. And they are surprised, disappointed and even angry when you tell them it probably is THE virus and they must self-isolate with their family for 2 weeks. It’s very obvious that they won’t in some cases. The message is still not getting through. I don’t know why people aren’t listening. And I don’t know what more we can do. Please look at this picture. Today is the 21st of March. Today’s death toll is 233. Step for step with Italy. Exactly. It’s not COVID-19 that is starting to scare me. It’s people. Please, please share to help everyone understand and act.

 

[nfoto]

The Universal Law of Exponential Growth applies to the UK as well. Not surprising .... but perhaps to the lay people, including politicians, being accustomed to linear relationships.

[dabateman]

Hopefully, It will all be over before weu know it, but wear a mask in the mean time, it's your best protection and it can't hurt.

You can get NIOSH P100 face masks/filters on eBay, I think they are the best.

 

Here is something someone sent me, I thought it looked interesting. I have no idea if this is even real or not, it could be a fake letter head or whatever, so keep that in mind.

The part about temperature (#2) for example, 80F? Our bodies are warmer than that... so that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Anyway, for what it's worth.

 

 

The normal human body temperature is 37C, which is 98.6F.

Alot of it sounds reasonable. However, from what I have been reading it seems there are at least 2 main variants of this virus. One that first causes digestive issues, with loss of appetite, diarrhoea.

The other causes dry coughing, shortness of breath.

If you are sick, contact your doctor. Wear a mask to reduce the spread.

 

There is an insane amount of miss information out on this. So please be careful.

Just read a weather report claiming that the increase in summer UV should help to reduce this virus as its sensitive to UV. Really. Think about that, as the UVC this thing is sensitive to isn't outside.

 

https://www.accuweather.com/en/health-wellness/uv-radiation-from-the-sun-increases-by-a-factor-of-10-by-summer-and-could-be-key-in-slowing-covid-19/703393/amp

 

[Stefano]

Interesting and scary at the same time.