Covid-19

[John Cook]

Green berets?  So, that would be either AG Corps, Int Corps, WRAC or RM.

[toxicpixie]

Condolences to both, and all affected

And maximum agreement on Sunray's comments on PPE and "apologies" for people objecting to it not being available as well

[Techno]

It was either her.....or her identical twin sister.

It was definitely her.
Apparently, her husband caught it first, in his job as a bus/coach driver.....He got better...She didn't.
As well as that, the young lass working in the garage has got it now.  .....I think it was over a fortnight ago, I bought petrol there.

Bloody hell that's getting close to home

It really IS too close to home now.

On a slightly lighter note, I tried to find out if a different one of the agricultural outlets that are in our area,had (by any chance) got any face/dust masks......No chance.....So I've ordered some of those huge, spotty handkerchiefs, that I'll use as a mask the next time I'm doing the shopping.

I'm going to look like a Mexican outlaw the next time I'm out.

Cheers - Phil

[toxicpixie]

Allegedly the masks work better for stopping the USER transmitting the virus than for preventing you catching it.

Much like the panic buying of loo roll, it doesn't matter much if you're replete with masks, you actually want the opposite and EVERYONE ELSE to have them

[Ithoriel]

It was definitely her.
Apparently, her husband caught it first, in his job as a bus/coach driver.....He got better...She didn't.
As well as that, the young lass working in the garage has got it now.  .....I think it was over a fortnight ago, I bought petrol there.

It really IS too close to home now.

On a slightly lighter note, I tried to find out if a different one of the agricultural outlets that are in our area,had (by any chance) got any face/dust masks......No chance.....So I've ordered some of those huge, spotty handkerchiefs, that I'll use as a mask the next time I'm doing the shopping.

I'm going to look like a Mexican outlaw the next time I'm out.

Cheers - Phil

Condolences to all those affected by the loss of friends or family and my best wishes to those concerned about self and others suffering from the effects of the virus.

As to masks, I have some medical masks should they become necessary but am also awaiting the arrival of these .... I was thinking more biker but Mexican outlaw works too

[Techno]

Allegedly the masks work better for stopping the USER transmitting the virus than for preventing you catching it.

That's always been my own thought, Nathan......They protect folk from YOU, (if you're wearing one) better than you from other folk, if the roles are reversed.
I think they ARE better than bog all, but I did a bit of 'googling' when they first came to prominence....and my take on it was......The real Big Daddy of viruses is around the same size as the smallest smoke particle......And you'd hardly expect to go into a smoke filled room, with one of those on, and expect it to filter out all the smoke particles, so you could breath 'fresh air'

(Well, I certainly wouldn't ! I may be daft.....but not that daft.)

As to masks, I have some medical masks should they become necessary but am also awaiting the arrival of these .... I was thinking more biker but Mexican outlaw works too

I like your thinking, Mike ! ....Interesting you should say about waiting....I had a quick look on Amazon, this morning....Quite a few folk appear to have ordered some.....But are getting a wee bit tetchy about the delays......"Where are my masks !....etc"

Cheers - Phil

[Steve J]

They had a good report on the radio last night, where they confirmed the mask is to stop you transmitting the virus. Apparently when the droplets leave your mouth they almost instantaneously  'dry up' and then become too small for a mask to stop them. So even a simple cloth around the mouth will stop nearly all of the droplets escaping, so well worth doing.

[fred.]

one of the biggest problems with the use of PPE by the wider population, is that they have no idea how to use it, or what it is protecting them from.

A lot of the problems with general use of masks is that the wearer touches the mask, and their face a lot more with the mask on. Thereby increasing the chance of transfer. The mask can also remain damp (from moisture in the breath) which is a better environment for the virus to live on. Which is why masks are not recommended for the population in general. I saw a chap last week wearing a mask for a hospital visit, then get in his car, and pull the mask halfway down his face, so the top edge of the mask was now across his mouth and just below his nose - exposing the contaminated surface of the mask exactly where you don't want it to be.

Similarly with gloves - they can give a surface that the virus can live on better than skin. Protecting the skin of your hands isn't particularly useful - which is the most common reason people wear gloves. But then people forget that the outer surface of the gloves are contaminated so do things with their gloved hands. If you wear gloves, do stuff, then use your phone or touch your face, then you are wasting your time. You need to remove the gloves before you use the phone - but you need to remove the gloves without contaminating your hands. Then you need to put gloves back on (not really the same gloves). Hand gel is probably much more useful in this kind of scenario. But you still need to think about what you are doing, and gel your hands before using your phone. None of this is instinctive - and requires people to think and think about the contamination scenarios.

A friend in the military recounted when they conducted a multi-day NBC drill - using a UV visible contaminant to assess their clean protocols. He said that even through they had an 'air lock' and changing areas on entry to the clean zone, that after a day or so the whole clean zone was contaminated. And this was with people who had been trained on what to do.

This is why the advice is to wash your hands and not touch your face. It's simple so people can do it, and it is effective for the levels of exposure the general population is exposed to. Obviously if you are a medical professional or a carer then the exposure situation is very different and different levels of PPE are appropriate.

[Norm]

A mask worn in public may probably also become a visual reminder for people to be socially responsible once things relax a little. It sends out a message of 'respect my space'. The flip side is it may give a false sense of security.

[Ithoriel]

For me, wearing gloves is to remind me not to touch my face rather than as protection. Thin vinyl gloves underneath and fingerless leather ones on top. Enough to keep me  aware of my hands and where they shouldn't go

[FierceKitty]

A mask worn in public may probably also become a visual reminder for people to be socially responsible once things relax a little. It sends out a message of 'respect my space'. The flip side is it may give a false sense of security.

Here at least it's certainly been a distraction. In the pre-lockdown days I say great numbers of people wearing useless masks walking right past the spray sanitisers which were at the entrances to most places of assembly.

[Techno]

That's about the only thing at our local Tesco's that I think they've 'got slightly wrong'.....Maybe ?

You have to go and fetch a trolley...and then push it to where the sanitisers are.....Which somehow doesn't seem right. ....I would have thought it would be better to have the sanitisers bang next door to the trolleys, at the beginning.

Fair enough....I put on a pair of disposable gloves as soon as I get out of the car....so touching the handle of the trolley doesn't bother me.
Go to the spray sanitisers...spray the trolley's handle....wipe that, and the gloves, with the supplied paper towels..bin towel...join queue.

Go in, 'do' the shop... return to car..put bags in car....return trolley...Bin gloves....get in car....Use personal hand sanitiser, left in the car...wipe hands dry with fresh piece of tissue....Then and only then do I put another piece of gum in my mouth.

Have I missed anything ?

Cheers - Phil

[fred.]

If gloves work as a reminder not to touch your face, then great. I've found the general paranoia about everything works quite well for me! Also found that putting my hands in my pockets worked quite well (this was back in the early days when we were still in work).

Sounds a sensible approach Phil. Other things to remember:

Once you have gloves on don't touch your face
Don't use your phone when you have gloves on
How are you paying - best to have that readily accessible and separate from your wallet, as you will need to touch this with gloved hands

I tend to have a hand sanitiser in my pocket, so I can 'clean' my hands if I do need to use my phone etc

[Raider4]

After a quiet weekend, traffic seems to have picked up over the last couple of days. Lots of people driving around with their windows open.

I have a soft-top car, and this is the perfect weather for it, but when I have to go out it's roof up, windows closed.

You have to go and fetch a trolley...and then push it to where the sanitisers are.....Which somehow doesn't seem right. :-....I would have thought it would be better to have the sanitisers bang next door to the trolleys, at the beginning.

Because if you leave the stuff outside the store, people being people, it will all disappear in about 7 seconds flat

[Techno]

How are you paying - best to have that readily accessible and separate from your wallet, as you will need to touch this with gloved hands

AHA !!  I think that's the only thing I'm missing, Forbes.....I touch the wallet/cards with a potentially dirty glove...Good thought !

After a quiet weekend, traffic seems to have picked up over the last couple of days. Lots of people driving around with their windows open.
because if you leave the stuff outside the store, people being people, it will all disappear in about 7 seconds flat

Odd you should say that, Martyn...Just been outside to check on the 'field' animals.....And I saw the first 'early morning' cars that I've seen for days and days. (Don't count tractors..they're allowed to be out and about.)

The trolleys ?.........No nothing in them.....I mean the empty ones, outside the store, before you go in......Then, having put 'the shop' in the car.....(and locked it  )....returning the empty trolley 'from whence it came'.

Cheers - Phil