Well, here in New Zealand, we’ve beaten the virus … for now. Active cases zero and no new confirmed cases for 17 days. All restrictions have been lifted apart from the border restrictions. Apart from a few exceptions that are granted from time to time, only New Zealand citizens and residents are allowed into the country and all arrivals have to be quarantined for a minimum 14 days, with (starting this week) at least two tests during the quarantine period.
So, now we apparently live virus free until we open our borders, though that’s likely to be a phased approach (probably by allowing citizens of virus free countries to travel here), at some undefined time in the future.
We got lucky, though some leadership and community buy in were also significant factors.
What now?
If a study comes out saying it was made in a lab, in a nano second the swarm descends.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2020/06/07/norway-scientist-claims-report-proves-coronavirus-was-lab-made/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie%2F&fbclid=IwAR3WA7JNKHHOgxDqeVs1gSeXjnLmnaCtQK4wRwxiBDAjB1RBonFlJv13w-8#3ed7366e121d
Yagasjai – For mail, cardboard boxes and non-perishable food contained in paper or cardboard, we are leaving them in the ‘red zone’ in the front hall for at least 24 hours before opening them or putting them away. Items in glass /plastic / metal are cleaned with a .3 % bleach solution before being put away. For steel or other metal objects (such as door knobs) we are cleaning these with a 70% ethyl alcohol solution, which we also use as hand sanitizer. We are doing the same as you in terms of soaking fresh fruits and vegetables in a bleach solution, and then letting them air dry. For masks, we are still following Chris’ initial advice and putting them in a clear plastic bag with a note showing the date used, and we add 10 days to show the date it can be reused (it’s easier to simply add 10 to the current date). I think the reason for the 9 days was that it was unknown how long the Sars-Cov2 virus lasts on fabric and mixed materials. So far I haven’t seen any studies showing the length of time the virus remains viable on these surfaces so we are still using the maximum, ‘9 day’ rule for anything we’re not sure of. I also haven’t seen any studies showing how long the virus remains on food.
The CDC information doesn’t change any precautions we’re taking regarding surfaces. For us, there are still new virus cases every week in our area, so it doesn’t seem safe to relax anything we’re doing yet, and we’ll keep an eye on the case numbers as shops and restaurants have recently opened again and governments are encouraging tourist travel to resume for the summer. It may be different in your area. But the other thing to consider is that even if cases have come down to zero in your area, you may not know what the situation is at the origin of your food, Amazon boxes, mail, the delivery people etc. My thought is that for the time being, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Another study that claims to show that Hydroxychloriquine does not work. Turns out when data analysed properly, if given early it does work. This (in French) from France Soir debunks the conclusions of the study that said it didn’t work. http://www.francesoir.fr/societe-sante/le-diable-est-vraiment-dans-le-detail-apres-lancet-nous-remettons-en-cause-le-new. Are we seeing a pattern of fraud and deception here?
Rupisnark (sorry this is the name I wish to use… its getting too dangerous to speak the truth using real name).
Keep up the great work Chris.
All the details of how you handle different things is very helpful! I love the adding 10 days because it’s simpler than adding 9. This sentence made me LOL: “The CDC information doesn’t change any precautions we’re taking.” I am also watching the local cases here, and am concerned about the next wave in relation to protests. I agree, that being pro-active and possibly overly-cautious is preferable, and at the same time am trying to balance things like, particularly mail, which sometimes I don’t pick up for a week at a time (I go out as little as possible still). And then if it sits another 9 days, that’s over 2 weeks before we get to things. I live with an 80 year old who is not comfortable doing bills online, so the mail has been a source of tension that I’m looking to reduce if at all possible.
What an awful, awful, self-inflicted black eye by The Lancet.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/10/surgisphere-sapan-desai-lancet-study-hydroxychloroquine-mass-audit-scientific-papers
Posting here vis à vis your latest blog on You Tube (but not yet on the site).
I am not a talented searcher like you Chris, but please put in your perspective that Oliver Véran, our health minister, took less than 24 hours to place an interdiction on all HCQ studies. I typed in a Google search to see if - in light of the news - to see if he had a change of heart.
Apparently 7 days ago he asked for the data from the study:
https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/societe/sante/hydroxychloroquine-olivier-veran-a-ecrit-a-the-lancet-au-sujet-de-l-etude-controversee_2127377.html
As time goes by the smell of this dossier and the ire of a growing number of people will kick these “puppets” into alinement with the facts.
And to let people know, French doctors are now organizing to attack ministers of the French government for gross negligence; for meddling “abuse of power” in the relation patient doctor - not taking into account two articles of French law allowing the delivery of health care in conformity according to information at hand and conscientious to the needs of the patient - that doctors should have the liberty to prescribe according to their best judgment of the needs of the patient.
https://www.egora.fr/actus-pro/conditions-d-exercice/59569-plus-de-40-medecins-attaquent-veran-buzyn-philippe-et-salomon