The Peace Corps is bringing their people home on commercial airlines. No chance of catching anything on that trip. This couldn’t be any worse than crossing the Atlantic in the Mayflower.
Now that cases are exploding in my country I convinced my girlfriend that she needs to wear an N95 in public, and she agreed reluctantly. Problem is, when she tried the 3M 8511’s that I bought, it turns out that the mask is way bigger than her face. There’s no way to get a tight seal on it. Darn! I knew mistakes would be made but I still wasn’t ready for this. Now N95s cost 10x the usual and you can only source them from untrustworthy sellers.
I don’t know why 3M only has one size for valved N95 if they don’t fit all face sizes. Lesson learned: field-test all your critical preps. (I had tried the N95’s on me but not her).
We also have a 3M small half face mask, and that one fits like a glove, but we’re orders of magnitude of cases away from the point where she can be coersed to wear one in public.
Two other PP members recently posted on information they received re: US military being recalled to their billets by today, 3/16. I put out feelers for information here on this site and informally through friends/family.
Please Note The following information has not been substantiated through written or first-hand report, but passed on from a friend’s friend in the military who was apparently among those receiving the recall notice. The individuals reporting and the information reported seem credible to me:
Either tomorrow or Wednesday, the President is to announce a 14-day national lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus. This lockdown will become effective this coming Friday, 3/20.
I don’t have information regarding movement of “essential personnel” or businesses that may be exempt from the restrictions; nor do I have information re: the role of the military and any possible compliance or enforcement mechanisms.
Any additional information or insights into this from the PP tribe?
Thanks, all. Stay safe!!
Perhaps try a cloth tape or even paper tape like the use for first aid/wounds to keep the seal. It may be uncomfortable to remove but if she doesn’t have to work all day in the mask- that may work.
I’d have her wear the half mask. BTW did you manage to get any of the smaller pancake type filters for those?
My husband got a chuckle from your post!
Love the humor!
Chucklen Granny
Here is what my Iyengar yoga teacher posted about having the coronavirus. She and her husband are in their early to mid-60’s. He works in a ski shop in one of our Colorado ski areas (epicenter of a local cluster).Waterdog - as you are probably aware, and may want to relate to them, is that the second week of illness is when the badger virus strikes. If it's going to. Most cases resolve, but the ones that don't have a bi-phasic progression:
No, it is not only the elderly or people who already have a medical problem who fall victim to the new coronavirus. Emergency doctor Ignace Demeyer warns about this. "We see people with a blank medical history who are very ill." It is also not just about older generations. "We have had very few older people inside so far," says Dr. Demeyer. "We now have people between the ages of 30 and 50 coming in." "They all have the same complaints," says Dr. Demeyer. "They have been sick for a week, stayed home with the flu. The flu attack is over, they think. They feel fine for two days. And then they report with complaints of a dry cough and shortness of breath. When we then have their oxygen saturation (level of oxygen in our blood, ed.), we see that they have very low oxygen saturation for their age. " At that time, a clear alarm goes off to the doctors that it concerns problem patients, but people do not always realize it because they do not feel very ill at the time. "They just walk in, but they are terribly affected by the virus." Emergency doctor Demeyer also shows scans of the lungs of such a corona patient. "The images we took yesterday are nothing short of terrifying." (Source)From what I've gathered so far, somewhere around day 8 of symptom onset is where the trouble begins. Plus or minus many days of course. At any rate, just tell here to keep on the lookout for the shortness of breath and dry cough thing. Having an O2 pulsemeter would be mighty handy as well.
That comports with the information I posted re: military recall and anticipated 14-day national lockdown later this week. Will they have this under control in 14 days?? I doubt it. Once implemented, the lockdown may well be extended. What is the anticipated role of the military and Peace Corps in this lockdown? Are they anticipating civil unrest? Are they helping with logistics, building temporary hospitals, or with patient care?
I can appreciate the need for a lockdown to slow this pandemic, but I’m concerned about how this will actually play out (“soft”/voluntary; or “hard”/enforced). Then there’s that pesky erosion or suspension of civil rights… Such a slippery slope.
It might have been so much easier and less costly (in terms of lives, economy, rights) to have acted to contain this virus in early January when the feds and “health” officials knew about it. Having royally screwed this up, now draconian measures are necessary with the potential for unintended or opportunistic consequences.
This looks like a lose-lose situation to me.
Yeah I wouldn’t hesitate to wear a half face mask, but she’s ready to face almost any risk to avoid looking weird. No, I have the round 2097 P100 filters I think. Good enough.
The Municipality I live in is doing a lot to help the homeless during this Pandemic. Our current homeless shelter is crowded so provisions have been made to open a new shelter where people will be able to sleep 6’ apart. Many churches offer assistance but volunteers are often elderly and the CDC suggests those over 60 would be at a higher risk. Logistics are a challenge. However, There is a lot going on behind the scenes to help those in need.
When at the grocery store everyone is asked if they would like to donate a dollar or a few to help feed locals in need.
What is being done in your community to help those in need? How can we help - from a distance? Ideas.
AKGrannyWGrit
If you are in a risk group, please get an oximeter. Its under about $25 and it can tell what the oxygen level in your blood is. Blood O2 under about 90-92 is a big indicator you are in trouble.
They look to be in stock and available for delivery by the weekend.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=oximeter+finger+with+pulse&crid=3TQASSGJO2AG7&sprefix=oximet%2Caps%2C176&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_6
Yeah I wouldn’t hesitate to wear a half face mask, but she’s ready to face almost any risk to avoid looking weird. No, I have the round 2097 P100 filters I think. Good enough.That's the ones I've been calling "pancake filters" cause they are flat and round lol. I have two people in my group that are small framed, and the N95s are too big. I got them both half masks and filters. Sparky1 actually spoke to the 3M rep and they say those are better than a N95. If you want, make up a small sign that says "I have cancer". If anyone gives your wife the stink eye for her ppe, just have her hold it up. Shame them the frak up quick. Giving them the finger works too. ADDED: Just saw your wife worries about looking weird. LOL, go get a clown wig and wear it the first time out. Everyone will be looking at you not her. It will get her over her shyness.
The NZ government announced the following elements today as part of their response to the pandemic.
Extra spending of $12.1 billion for businesses, beneficiaries, pensioners and the health system.
• $8.7 billion in support for businesses and jobs.
• $2.8 billion for income support.
• $500 million for health.
• Wage subsidy for employers up to 12 weeks and up to $150,000 if they have suffered a 30 per cent decline in revenue compared to last year, $585 a week for full-timers, $350 a week for part-timers, available to all employers and self-employed.
• Leave and self-isolation support for eight weeks for people with Covid-19, caring for people with it or people in self-isolation up to eight weeks at same rates as wage subsidy but not for those who can work from home.
• Self-isolation payments not available to people who leave NZ after March 16 and return.
• Permanent increase of $25 a week in main social welfare benefits after increases from indexation on April 1, likely to affect 350,000 low-income families.
• One-off doubling of winter energy payment to $1400 for couples and $900 for singles, likely to affect 850,000 people.
• Families with children not receiving a main benefit but are in work will no longer have to satisfy the work test of 20 hours a week for sole parents or 30 hours for couples, likely to benefit about 19,000 low-income families.
• $50 million extra for GP and primary care and $20 million for videoconferencing consultations.
• $32 million for extra intensive care capacity and equipment in hospitals.
• $40 million for public health units mainly for contact tracing.
• $100 million set aside to support work deployment.
• Provisional tax threshold will lift from April 1 from $2500 to $5000 allowing an estimated 95,000 businesses to defer tax payments and possible waiving of interest on late payments.
• Reinstatement of depreciation deductions for commercial and industrial buildings at an estimated cost of $2.1 billion to 2024.
Plus it was announced that two recent travelers to NZ who refused to comply with the new rules requiring 14 days self isolation for EVERYONE arriving in NZ now… have been arrested and will be deported immediately.
Well done, PM Jacinda Ardern.
Cheers
Grayman
For those that don’t know, free apps are available on phones and I’ve compared one to the real thing; they seem to be very accurate…
I finally realized why we (citizens from almost all countries) are in this pickle. The vast majority of our ‘elite’ are managers, not leaders. Managers are the guardians of the status quo, they have to operate within a rather complex environment with a precarious power balance. Postponing decisions is one way to ensure that compromises are reached, and unnecessary risks (in terms of loss of power) are avoided. Leaders on the other hand are not so much interested in the status quo, nor are they risk adverse.
So, for example, this WHO clown is a manager. In his case it is even worse because his resume says that he is a scientist and politician. I’m a smart guy, but I can’t wrap my head around it: how can you be a fact lover and fact adverse at the same time?
So, my conclusion is this: the HB19 virus makes it painfully visible that there are too many managers in leadership positions. Next time when I vote, I’ll take a more care in trying to take the leadership qualities into account.
Take care!
Hi Chris great content, as always! I would very much like to have your view on the following:
- How are we able to get herd immunity on an economically sensitive time scale?
1b. Where’s the line, or how can we find the line/balance, between the deaths caused by the honey badger and the life’s ruined/also deaths from the impact on the world social-economic paradigm, as we don’t want to be dying more from the “cure” than from the virus (trolley problem?! )? - How sure are we that we can achieve herd immunity and need not be worried about the cytokine reactions (Spanish flu was deadlier the second time around, SARS vaccine reacted like this as well)
Appreciate the fore warning. At times like these you can’t always wait for peer reviewed info, before acting.
Had a feeling there was a possibilty of this coming.
Edit: Hopefully the military is just being called back for safety reasons. i.e. they don’t want them getting infected, and bringing it back, and infecting the whole base. I personally don’t want to see our military in the streets, except in a parade.
I posted this under one of Chris’s other videos, but don’t know how to find it again.
Check out: The Model State Health Powers Act. Especially section VI
James Corbett did a special update to one of his old podcast regarding it. It’s much shorter than the original, and just goes over the state powers allowed during medical Marshall law. I will try to post link here, but it usually sends people to the old one which is over an hour long.
Edit: looks like if you click on the video version of podcast, it will take you to the new updated one. About 20 min long.
https://www.corbettreport.com/medical-martial-law/
3rd Edit:
“On Sunday, federal officials began confronting what they said was a deliberate effort by a foreign entity to make Americans think the government was going to impose a nationwide quarantine. Agencies took coordinated action Sunday evening to assure Americans that the government was not planning to do that.”
https://japantoday.com/category/world/a-somber-trump-urges-americans-to-follow-virus-guidelines
I am trying to neither participate in any blind rage because I am scared, nor downplay the dangers and go about as usual. It’s really like trying to stand straight in a storm. As much as I am tempted to point fingers in different directions, I think it’s more useful to try and explain the underlying reasons, to the best of my knowledge.
I feel Sweden did a slow start - at the same time, much of what has been done in other countries has not been possible under Swedish law, like government ordered school closures. There is no Martial Law. But a lot of work has been done and is being done to change laws and prepare for more drastic measures.
One important reason not to implement draconian measures (closing “everything”) is avoiding a chaotic situation that will cripple the whole society including the health care system.
I am not sure exactly why, but I don’t think we can test everyone. So we are testing mainly those in need of hospital care and health care workers. Others with symtoms are told to stay home and self treat like you would any normal influenza or common cold.
Today it was announced that colleges and universities are switching to online courses, effective tomorrow. Many univerisites have already implemented it to a large degree.
Shools for younger children and daycare centers may come in question later but is something that is not easily implemented under current law. If health care workers, firefighters and police officers have to stay home to take care of healthy children that is going to create another series of problems. Also schools for younger children rarely include travel - different from schools for older children.
And about setting a limit for gatherings: It can be less dangerous for 20 teenagers to gather than for 10 elderly to gather. It can be more dangerous indoors that outdoors. People need to think for themselves. At least for now.
Since Sunday, people above 70 are adviced to avoid all social contacts including shopping. Walks in the open air (avoiding others) or gardening is encouraged. Nursing homes and hospitals banned visitors a week ago.
There are people thinking it’s less dangerous than the flu, there are people that are hoarding toilet paper and pasta, there are people believing in conspiracys, there are those trying to responsibly prepare. There are some that like to blame the government for everything under the sun, pandemic or not. Some are terrified, some doesn’t seem to be bothered at all, some are raging for more action. I believe most are scared but trying not to let it show. But in the midst of it all there is a sense of unity and solidarity and that we’re in this together.
Trying to distingish the signal from the noice. What will happen? I don’t know.
Update: Our state epidemiologist explained today that there is not enough resources (counting PPE mostly, but also the workload of the HCWs) to test every one with common cold symtoms that wouldn’t need any treatment anyway. So focus is to test those that need hospital care and health care workers, trying to make sure that the virus won’t get a foothold in hospitals.
Community spread is now in most regions.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s coronavirus response has become a national guide to the crisis
"The announcement was typical of the no-nonsense, high-fact way in which DeWine has delivered his daily dose of bad news. He frequently cites the advice of public health professionals. He doesn’t mention politics. He shows his concern about the impact of his choices, which he has acknowledged could be devastating for the economy. He sugarcoats nothing.
“In a sense these were tough decisions, but in a sense they were not,” DeWine said in an interview. “This is life and death.”
The governor’s ahead-of-the-curve response has won raves from public health experts and from politicians of both parties, who say DeWine’s reliance on medical advice and his unwillingness to put a sheen on the crisis’s damaging impact stands out — particularly when compared with the response from the Trump White House.
“It’s a study in contrasts,” said Amy Fairchild, dean of public health at Ohio Stat University."
Nice to see someone gets what Chris has been saying all along.
Why Telling People They Don’t Need Masks Backfired
“Given that there is indeed a mask shortage and that medical workers absolutely do need these masks more, what should the authorities have said? The full painful truth. Despite warnings from experts for decades, especially after the near miss of SARS, we still weren’t prepared for this pandemic, and we did not ramp up domestic production when we could, and now there’s a mask shortage — and that’s disastrous because our front line health care workers deserve the best protection. Besides, if they fall ill, we will all be doomed.”