The Covid19 thread

[epg20]

I've read that some nurses have been slathering hand sanitizer or something on the surgical masks to reuse them.I've also read that that some nurses have been using garbage bags as protective equipment. The n95 masks have a little respirator cartridge in them or something I think, like those masks some construction workers use I think (I've seen those in the store before). I don't know how you'd be able to clean the cartridge on the n95 mask or if you can even clean them.

Add: here we go, thanks to Google lol https://www.google.com/amp/s/techcru...for-reuse/amp/

thanks for that, that IS what I was thinking about if you can soak the mask, or at least the filter cartridge, in the bleach or alcohol solution, you should be able to re use them, that would kill the viruses trapped in the filter and prevent infection. denatured alcohol should be able to be poured in to a spray bottle like annoyed said, and used to kill any viruses and germs, it is not based on grains, it is the "BAD" kind of alcohol, that is to say if ingested(swallowed) it will make you go blind and you know DIE, it seems that it IS still available:

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22d...w=1536&bih=726

you can even spray a person wearing the gloves and masks to help decontaminate them.

P.S.

before going out to buy some denatured alcohol check your garages and kitchen cabinets, this is the kind of alcohol that you use in chafing dishes and for thinning varnishes.

[Gatefan1976]

Oh, I've won disagreements with former employers, sometimes in a spectacular fashion. Ever shut a restaurant down cold on a Friday night as a way of quitting?

Nope, but I shut down an international warehouse instead.

Depends what type of fight it is though. Anything involving legal or the govt. which looks at legal, they win.

No, they don't. Mine was legal and I still won without a lawyer. It's called knowing your rights. In broad strokes, you are right, companies will bury you if you give them the chance, what I am saying is don't let them. challenge them hard and fast right off the bat. I demanded half a year salary for their crap and they basically crapped their pants!! I got 2 weeks paid vacation and my job back because I was not at fault.
People need to stand up for themselves.

I learned not to engage in fights I can't win before you were born.

What you learned was how to loose, no wonder you have your attitude.

[epg20]

shouldn't washing them in very hot water be enough to kill it?

it might, BUT, it could also destroy the mask, melt the plastic and the cloth or paper they are made of, not exactly sure what they are made of, if it is paper then yes it would destroy the paper, but if it is cloth, then it could melt the plastic and damage it to the point the filter could become useless or dislodged..

with bleach, it would need to be diluted to prevent extensive damage, BUT, it would eventually destroy the fibers of the cloth rendering it useless, but only after many uses, the alcohol would prevent it from breaking down the paper and would not harm the cloth, so I would go with the alcohol for the longest life, though I guess it MIGHT damage the elastic strap, though I don't know if it would or not.

[Annoyed]

thanks for that, that IS what I was thinking about if you can soak the mask, or at least the filter cartridge, in the bleach or alcohol solution, you should be able to re use them, that would kill the viruses trapped in the filter and prevent infection. denatured alcohol should be able to be poured in to a spray bottle like annoyed said, and used to kill any viruses and germs, it is not based on grains, it is the "BAD" kind of alcohol, that is to say if ingested(swallowed) it will make you go blind and you know DIE, it seems that it IS still available:

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22d...w=1536&bih=726

you can even spray a person wearing the gloves and masks to help decontaminate them.

P.S.

before going out to buy some denatured alcohol check your garages and kitchen cabinets, this is the kind of alcohol that you use in chafing dishes and for thinning varnishes.

Ummm ... isn't paint thinner and such made of mineral spirits, or possibly acetone? I'd double check that.

[Annoyed]

Nope, but I shut down an international warehouse instead.

No, they don't. Mine was legal and I still won without a lawyer. It's called knowing your rights. In broad strokes, you are right, companies will bury you if you give them the chance, what I am saying is don't let them. challenge them hard and fast right off the bat. I demanded half a year salary for their crap and they basically crapped their pants!! I got 2 weeks paid vacation and my job back because I was not at fault.
People need to stand up for themselves.

What you learned was how to loose, no wonder you have your attitude.

I don't know how Australia's legal system works, but around here, although it was not intended or designed to be like this, "he who has the most money for lawyers wins" is the rule of thumb. Not surprising, since lawyers write the laws and set up the system.

[epg20]

Ummm ... isn't paint thinner and such made of mineral spirits, or possibly acetone? I'd double check that.

as I understand it, it CAN be made of that and thinned with mineral spirits if it is an oil based paint.

yes turpentine is an oily based substance, I thought it was a more volatile substance like de natured alcohol.

https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-de...ohol-p2-603999

[Annoyed]

as I understand it, it CAN be made of that and thinned with mineral spirits if it is an oil based paint.

yes turpentine is an oily based substance, I thought it was a more volatile substance like de natured alcohol.

https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-de...ohol-p2-603999

Another thought regarding denatured alcohol. I wonder how many Alkies poison themselves drinking that stuff? Granted, if some numb-nut is dumb enough to drink that, it's natural selection in action. But why put the temptation in front of them?

I just use 91% isopropyl alcohol for disinfecting whatever. It doesn't seem to affect the rubber bands for the facemask. Fortunately, Iso. Alc. is something I use often, and had a good supply on-hand before the hoarders struck.

[Annoyed]

Nope, but I shut down an international warehouse instead.

Good for you. That's the only way to get some folks attention. Hurt 'em in the wallet.

[jelgate]

I don't know how Australia's legal system works, but around here, although it was not intended or designed to be like this, "he who has the most money for lawyers wins" is the rule of thumb. Not surprising, since lawyers write the laws and set up the system.

an oversimplified stereotype

[SGalisa]

My shopping experiences below... some prep and decontamination procedures noted... it was surreal enough that I felt like I was living in some weird sci-fi movie.

So, how does one sanitize produce that are not pre-bagged? Or even if pre-bagged, what about the fresh food? How do we protect from that, as well? Suggestion... eat what at home foods already exist. WAIT in buying new stuff? Vinegar is a good veggie cleaner, but might not remove this virus..??

if you wash your fruits and veggies with warm water, and if you FEEL IT NECESSAIRY you can add some soap, to the water, just fill the sink add a teaspoon of soap to the water then dunk it in the water a couple of times and rinse it with warm water, it will do fine, even against this. here is a little info that may have ben missed, the researchers at the CDC level 4 bio labs, that is the Ebola and smallpox and anthrax, ect they use those pressurized full body suits, that you see in movies, when they are done doing research, they rinse off the suits in a shower that uses simple Lysol to kill the germs on the suits, so you don't need to worry, just good old soap and water is all you need to make sure your fruits and veggies are clean.

Thank you epg20 for the soap and water advice. Not sure if I can handle soap directly on fresh lettuce. I've done that in the past and food still tasted soapy and didn't sit well in my stomach after eating it. How much "light" amount is enough to kill this virus? Also, if we are on water restrictions, there is only so much fresh water we are permitted to use, which adds extra stress into an already stressful situation.

I spent more than 3 hours yesterday, just to shop for a few items, prep myself and the cart before entering the stores, and then cleaning every single package / item I brought home. Had to designate an incoming contamination zone in the room to set the bags down, since they were on the store's bagging belts. Then, needed to clear a spot on the table to sterilize everything piece, by piece. I even did that with the burger meat package that was wrapped.

Today, I had the wonderful *not fun* of picking up mail at the post office, while it was raining outside... had to remove my leather glove (soaped it down back home anyway, just in case), put on the reusable latex glove just to open the door, then get my mail piece by piece into the bag I had to bring everything home. Then, do the whole process of sterilizing the envelopes AND the bag, once I got home. Oh, and to be nice to the people going into the PO ---- so that they could enter the building without touching the door, I grabbed the door with my arm on the way out. Washed everything that came in contact with it when I got home.

Oh, and don't forget those traffic-stop WALK signal buttons. If (generic) you touched it, wash whatever you used to touch it.

If this is the new *normal*, it rots... necessary *evil* but still rots. But better than the worst case end-of-the-world nothing available or open for business scenario.

[SGalisa]

Oh, FYI... STILL NO Toilet Paper yet. This is week #4 of TP wiped-out ---- any where (i.e., not that I know of). That and cleaning sanitizers and cloth wipes also no where to be seen. Bleach also vanished again.

"Social distancing" is amazingly being respected.. and people are being very courteous and friendly... no bumper-shoving shopping carts behind or crashing into you, yet.

Latest news today (March 28, 2020) is that NY (NYC mostly), NJ, and parts of CT may be on a *forced* continued Quarantine for at least another 2 weeks (or more...). Not sure if that includes NO (food/other) delivery trucks not being able to enter across state lines. Unfortunately, if people who are carriers of this bug are roaming around outside and in public stores, etc. (unless they have absolutely no one to shop for them), anything they touch or breathe on will become contaminated.

It's not sustainable to close down that long. But here is the latest bad news...
Two new potential COVID-19 cases on opposite sides of the same state just popped up. Neither of these are connected to each other... so if they have the bug, it came from someone or something else.
. . .

So, even if the 2 to 3 weeks of staying in place works for NON-essential workers and businesses, (some of) the ESSENTIAL businesses are potential hot beds for spreading the bug even longer. Not a good situation.

As noted prior, it ONLY takes ONE person to start the whole shut-down issue all over again. Where and how the virus is spreading depends on both sides of the public NOT touching or breathing on items put on shelves and/or passing on to customers (money/credit cards). Additionally, customers in those *essential* business places NEED to sanitize (all) items purchased and all other monetary items handled, plus wash their hands...

It won't just be an economic crisis (and it won't just be the big shots on wall street affected) if you have a several month long lockdown, there will also be mental health crisis.

Mental health, suicides, domestic abuse... all of that and more.

Just noting on the short term shut-down *crisis* results here... and most of NY, NJ, CT, and maybe a handful of other states just completed the 1st week of "mandatory" quarantine (for those who are sick or have been exposed and believing they may be possible carriers).

When I went out shopping yesterday, some people were in full face mask, gloves, respecting "distance" with other people, etc. When I saw that, I could only picture someone I worked with wearing a full hazmat suit, *just because* she is THAT paranoid (as in EXTREMELY paranoid). She was already having freaking out sessions (shaking and almost in tears) just from being in the same room with other people she didn't know might have been carriers of this bug. The rest of us realized her reasons for being paranoid were understandable, because her live-in partner just had major surgery, and needed to stay in as close to a *protected* environment (from any illness or infection), as possible. So, yes, this is how situations get more complicated.

If she returns to work (currently laid-off), she will probably huddle in her office with tape on the floor from everyone trying to speak with her (show her work they are having a problem with). I personally was using the phone to my next door cubicle worker, just so we weren't shouting over the wall. But other people seemed to forget they had a phone on their desk and a computer to pass info to via email or "tell me where this file is" etc. stuff like that. Then, she'd get annoyed by yakking with some other coworkers down the hall, but when someone had to walk between them to walk to the bathroom, she'd freak out.

So, yes, I could easily see how lifting the quarantine might still cause *mental* problems for people, should TPTB give approval to go back to life as previously "normal". Plus, between the persona I just mentioned and maybe a few other paranoid souls, it was their frantic fears that forced our office to close to most of its workers... Anyone able to work remotely, could still do so (to handle cancellations and rescheduling, etc).

[epg20]

Another thought regarding denatured alcohol. I wonder how many Alkies poison themselves drinking that stuff? Granted, if some numb-nut is dumb enough to drink that, it's natural selection in action. But why put the temptation in front of them?

I just use 91% isopropyl alcohol for disinfecting whatever. It doesn't seem to affect the rubber bands for the facemask. Fortunately, Iso. Alc. is something I use often, and had a good supply on-hand before the hoarders struck.

people ARE hoarding the isopropyl alcohol and the bleach, and all the other things, BUT most people don't think about the hardware stores, there is no food or any thing else there to protect them selves so people ignore it , the denatured alcohol is completely ignored, that is why I am suggesting it.

[epg20]

Thank you epg20 for the soap and water advice. Not sure if I can handle soap directly on fresh lettuce. I've done that in the past and food still tasted soapy and didn't sit well in my stomach after eating it. How much "light" amount is enough to kill this virus? Also, if we are on water restrictions, there is only so much fresh water we are permitted to use, which adds extra stress into an already stressful situation.

if you peel the leaves off the lettuce first then swish it around in the soapy water THEN rinse it off you wil remove MOST if not ALL of the soap, it will be just fine, just do it one piece at a time, will take longer, but will remove the soap.

as for the light, i don't know , i would think, that if you leave things out in the sun for a few hours4-6, it MIGHT do, but i don't know.

water is one of the easiest things to clean, you can just google how to do that. I remember a show on the either the discovery channel or the learning show that creted a "reality"show that they pretended that a global pandemic killed most of the people and a group of strangers were forced together so they could survive, one of the things they had to do was create a way to clean water, they used layers of sand and charcoal,REAL charcoal, like from burnt wood, not bricketts, then they ran water through it and then boiled it to kill off any pathagens, so there is that.

I spent more than 3 hours yesterday, just to shop for a few items, prep myself and the cart before entering the stores, and then cleaning every single package / item I brought home. Had to designate an incoming contamination zone in the room to set the bags down, since they were on the store's bagging belts. Then, needed to clear a spot on the table to sterilize everything piece, by piece. I even did that with the burger meat package that was wrapped.

sounds like you got this, the only thing i can suggest is that if it is wrapped in plastic, then all you really need to do is run it under warm water, germs it will just slide off. and as for you being able to get some meat, I HATE YOU ;-D

Today, I had the wonderful *not fun* of picking up mail at the post office, while it was raining outside... had to remove my leather glove (soaped it down back home anyway, just in case), put on the reusable latex glove just to open the door, then get my mail piece by piece into the bag I had to bring everything home. Then, do the whole process of sterilizing the envelopes AND the bag, once I got home. Oh, and to be nice to the people going into the PO ---- so that they could enter the building without touching the door, I grabbed the door with my arm on the way out. Washed everything that came in contact with it when I got home.

when it comes to gloves, i would suggest changing gloves, to cotton gloves, that way there is no real worry about it being contaminated , like i said, covid doesn't do well on organic things, it absorbs the moisture and the sunlight and time , without any thing for the virus to eat, like the rest of us, it dies eventually. but that is something i am uncertian about.

Oh, and don't forget those traffic-stop WALK signal buttons. If (generic) you touched it, wash whatever you used to touch it.

If this is the new *normal*, it rots... necessary *evil* but still rots. But better than the worst case end-of-the-world nothing available or open for business scenario.

yeah, especially with all those FRELLING hoarders out there , they should get a SERIOUS case of diaheria, so much so that they USE UP all those paper products they bought.

[VampyreWraith]

water is one of the easiest things to clean, you can just google how to do that. I remember a show on the either the discovery channel or the learning show that creted a "reality"show that they pretended that a global pandemic killed most of the people and a group of strangers were forced together so they could survive, one of the things they had to do was create a way to clean water, they used layers of sand and charcoal,REAL charcoal, like from burnt wood, not bricketts, then they ran water through it and then boiled it to kill off any pathagens, so there is that.

This just reminded me of my 7th grade science fair project, when I made a water filter.

[epg20]

This just reminded me of my 7th grade science fair project, when I made a water filter.

i made a solar power station.