COVID-19 Outbreak (Update: More than 2.9M cases and 132,313 deaths in US) (45 Viewers)

[0rion]

I agree it’s sad. I think this just drives home the point of everyone staying home more. There is not enough evidence to say it’s safe to be in a room full of people. Hand sanitizer, masks, whatever. Just stay at home for awhile. It’s not that much to ask unless you have a financial Or gathering obligation to provide for your family.

That's what's frustrating for me. The CDC and WHO are not erring on the side of caution. So they use the droplet theory for mask requirements during surgeries when it's being proven this thing will hang in the air. I'd have them ask themselves if we had unlimited PPE would they change their requirements? My money is yes.

 

[DaveXA]

Correct. They're traveling as saliva/sweat, not as a dry, airborne virus in a classical sense.

I'd imagine what happened with the choir involved a combination of natural spit-talking along with folks touching surfaces and natural sweat particles being left behind. Just because they sanitized their hands doesn't mean it didn't get into their system some other type of way.

Understood, but, I think, effectively, if the droplets are small enough, it can linger in the air long enough to land somewhere else. At the very least, I do think it's semi-airborne. I'm not convinced that 6 feet is a foolproof distance in a room with the right conditions for spread.

 

[Saint_Ward]

Quick comment on Florida. Their checkpoints are ridiculous. You have law enforcement officers checking passengers and vehicles without protection, or at best bandanas for masks and they're constantly talking to passengers from less than 6 feet away.

This is a terrible idea and I think it's effect will be rather limited because there are already enough sick people in the state to deal with. Beaches still open and no statewide stay at home order that I'm aware of at this point.

I don't get Florida's mitigation strategy at all.

It is very county specific. Most of the major beaches have been closed for 1-2 weeks.

 

[superchuck500]

 

[DaveXA]

It is very county specific. Most of the major beaches have been closed for 1-2 weeks.

Understood, but I don't find that very reassuring. I think allowing each country discretion regarding beaches is a bad idea because people will all simply go the next country over. It really needs to be a statewide directive. I'd rather it be national, but federal powers do have limits and this really tests that.

DeSantis needs to do a statewide order and close all of the beaches, otherwise there will be continued spreading until they take a unified approach. Jmho.

 

[DaveXA]

Yeah, I always felt like while the masks won't stop the virus 100%, they are effective enough that it's worth wearing.

It seems to me they tried to tell people we didn't need mask so that there wouldn't be a run on them such that first responders wouldn't have access to them.

 

[0rion]

That doesn't really mention the eyes which is a concern I have for my wife. I worry about her getting it through her eyes.

 

[Super44]

It is very county specific. Most of the major beaches have been closed for 1-2 weeks.

So pray tell, how are there enough officers to set up checkpoints at every single entry point, into Florida? There are tons of back roads. And what would stop people from Louisiana driving into Georgia first, then entering Florida via a Georgia/Florida backroad? Would we expect an encounter from officer Buford T. Justice? Please!

 

[Super44]

Heard somewhere on the radio yesterday, medical professionals are resorting to scuba mask etc., to help as a means of PPE? Is this factual? Anyone else hear this?

 

[Goatman Saint]

Correct. They're traveling as saliva/sweat, not as a dry, airborne virus in a classical sense.

I'd imagine what happened with the choir involved a combination of natural spit-talking along with folks touching surfaces and natural sweat particles being left behind. Just because they sanitized their hands doesn't mean it didn't get into their system some other type of way.

I was in a choir for a few years. First, they said they were socially distancing, which I really doubt. Choirs are tight knit groups, and consist of friends. I’m not really seeing that happening here. Second, they said no one was sick or coughing. Yet another thing I call wrong. It’s allergy season there. There is no way that you dont have people coughing to clear out throats, just doesn’t happen, even when everyone is healthy. They said they had food. Ok there ya go there, hand to mouth transmission. That’s not even mentioning the actual act of singing forcing more stuff out of people’s respiratory system. Yeah speaking may not be moving much, but singing does.

 

[buzd]

Heard somewhere on the radio yesterday, medical professionals are resorting to scuba mask etc., to help as a means of PPE? Is this factual? Anyone else hear this?

I saw an article about that.

 

[St. Geezy]

I was in a choir for a few years. First, they said they were socially distancing, which I really doubt. Choirs are tight knit groups, and consist of friends. I’m not really seeing that happening here. Second, they said no one was sick or coughing. Yet another thing I call wrong. It’s allergy season there. There is no way that you dont have people coughing to clear out throats, just doesn’t happen, even when everyone is healthy. They said they had food. Ok there ya go there, hand to mouth transmission. That’s not even mentioning the actual act of singing forcing more stuff out of people’s respiratory system. Yeah speaking may not be moving much, but singing does.

Agree, any person practicing singing is constantly clearing their throat/coughing. Not a single person in a full choir coughing during a singing session is darn near impossible. Furthermore, the more you sing or even just talk for long stretches, the more prone you become to saliva accidentally flying out of your mouth, especially when making the F, S, or T sounds, which requires you to secrete air forcefully. I frequently have to give presentations, and one of the first things I make sure I always have is drinking water nearby, because as your mouth gets dry, not only does it become harder to talk and your throat starts to hurt, but pockets of saliva also start to build around the dryness and come out of your mouth.

There was microscopic saliva specks all over that place; it is unavoidable in that setting.

 

[Goatman Saint]

The thing about masks. Masks, unless they are an N95 or better, and fitted correctly, do good only for particles of a certain size. However, anyone who plays around with engine air leaks, what’s the easiest path for air to get in. Is it going through the mask or the sides? You wear a surgical cheap mask, it in no way seals. So air, traveling the path of least resistance will come in through any non filtered part first. Thereby taking and making said mask worthless really. Also, no mask will stop viral particles. All you can do is hope the fluid holding them will get soaked up by the mask. My friend is making masks out of fabric and is using a vacuum cleaner bag for the middle. Great stuff. That may probably work. Except I put one on and it doesn’t seal worth anything, and the filtering potential of the mask was rendered worthless because all the inhalation/exhalation was coming around the holes by the nose.

 

[superchuck500]

That doesn't really mention the eyes which is a concern I have for my wife. I worry about her getting it through her eyes.

I read a paper a few weeks ago doubting that exposure through the eyes is a concern, I can't find it right now. But basically some viruses have pathology in the eye (like they can cause pink eye or some other eye problem) but getting the virus into your general system through the eye is "plausible but unlikely."

Here's a similar article (what I had read was an actual medical paper):

Coronavirus: How eyes may play a role in its spread

Health officials advise not touching your eyes with unwashed hands. Learn more.

www.allaboutvision.com

 

[SaintRob]

That doesn't really mention the eyes which is a concern I have for my wife. I worry about her getting it through her eyes.

This is something I've wondered about but have not really seen addressed. Isn't it possible for those coughed, sneezed, or aerosolized droplets to simply land on the eyeball itself? It's moist and seems like the perfect landing spot without needing to be inhaled or transferred by hand.