General Coronavirus (COVID-19) chat

[cupid_stunt]

Seeing that purple wave coming from the west, and now heading down from Kent & Surrey too, brings back memories of watching the Alpha variant heading to us from north Kent back in Dec./Jan., seeing the map slowly going purple across Kent, south into East Sussex, and finally hitting us in West Sussex, before it took over the rest of the country, grim.

 

[Badgers]

 

[Badgers]

 

[Badgers]

 

[Badgers]

Following the science...

SAGE scientists tell UK to begin Covid Plan B - including masks and home working

Government scientists have told Boris Johnson he needs to act now with Plan B measures if Britain wants to reverse surging Covid cases as we go into winter.

Advice to the Prime Minister and his Cabinet has been published in minutes of a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) on October 14.

Ministers were warned that “earlier intervention would reduce the need for more stringent, disruptive, and longer-lasting measures”.

 

[Nine Bob Note]

Srsly, telling people they have to wear masks in certain circumstances (kids in school, hairy-arsed adults in supermarkets, cinemas...) costs fuck all, the tories should love it, but the haunted Victorian pencil doesn't think it spreads amongst tories, and that's what counts. It's a shame nanny didn't send him off to a childhood leprosy party for the sake of herd immunity. "Make sure you take part in the pass-the-parcel, little Jacob, I've heard after the initial Drumstick lollies and Monsters-in-my-Pocket, it's stock in Berkshire-Hathaway." The rest of the "I've had enough of covid now, we need to get back to normal" mob might pay attention when their holidays are cancelled by their intended host nations

 

[Badgers]

FUCKING CUNTS

Covid: Dogs bought in lockdown being abandoned

A charity says animals that cannot be sold are disguised as strays so rescue centres take them.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Badgers]

 

[Badgers]

Daily deaths: 72
Daily cases: 39,962
Total cases: 8,773,674
Total deaths: 139,533
Total fully vaccinated: 45,542,207

 

[gentlegreen]

Courtesy of TWIV

How saponin from a tree is key to making the protein-based vaccines work.

The Tree That Could Help Stop the Pandemic

The rare Chilean soapbark tree produces compounds that can boost the body’s reaction to vaccines.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[Badgers]

 

[teuchter]

Where's the best current info/advice on types of face masks and relative efficacy, with a focus on protection for the wearer?

To help me try and recommend something sensible for a 70-something year old who needs to do a long train journey.

 

[Supine]

Where's the best current info/advice on types of face masks and relative efficacy, with a focus on protection for the wearer?

To help me try and recommend something sensible for a 70-something year old who needs to do a long train journey.

Try here



And

 

[Supine]

Try here



And

Eta the answer is ffp2 / n95

 

[teuchter]

Thanks. Yes, had just been looking at that thread but also noting it's a few months old now.

It's basically this, right?

Boots Protective FFP2 NR Face Masks 5s - Boots

Buy Boots Protective FFP2 NR Face Masks 5s and Collect Advantage Card Points when you spend £1.

www.boots.com

(and there's not really a reusable option)

 

[bimble]

Thanks. Yes, had just been looking at that thread but also noting it's a few months old now.

It's basically this, right?

Boots Protective FFP2 NR Face Masks 5s - Boots

Buy Boots Protective FFP2 NR Face Masks 5s and Collect Advantage Card Points when you spend £1.

www.boots.com

(and there's not really a reusable option)

yep. I bought those ones from boots for a long journey too. Found them not the easiest to wear and a bit big for my face.
If your friend can find a seat that's not directly close to anybody else that would obviously be best too.

 

[teuchter]

Yes, it's a bit pot luck on trains though - sometimes you'll be in a pretty empty carriage but even on a journey predicted not to be busy there's always a chance that suddenly it's quite crowded thanks to another service being cancelled or something like that.

Going to get some of those ones for myself too I think, and see what they are like to wear, and whether they might make me feel more relaxed doing stuff like sitting in a cinema, or whether that's cancelled out with them being uncomfortable to have on for an extended period.

 

[Cloo]

It's really varied on trains - no correlation between times and busyness, just pot luck. On Northern line, mask wearing seems to vary between 50-75%. I've been using medical grade disposables for tube, as don't want/need them everywhere.

Been thinking more about gov pinning hopes on 'peaking' before winter and suspecting that even if it does happen, out 'post-peak' winter will be no better (probably still worse) than places with government with any sense, only we'd have had 1000s of people unnecessarily dying in autumn as well. Also it does sound like if it does drop next month, everyone will spunk the opportunity for a better winter because 'Save Christmas'

 

[Supine]

Thanks. Yes, had just been looking at that thread but also noting it's a few months old now.

It's basically this, right?

Boots Protective FFP2 NR Face Masks 5s - Boots

Buy Boots Protective FFP2 NR Face Masks 5s and Collect Advantage Card Points when you spend £1.

www.boots.com

(and there's not really a reusable option)

You wont normally see them say multi use for liability reasons etc

They look ok but at £2 each you can shop around to get cheaper. Mine work out at 90p each and last for ages (months) when rotated as a pack of ten.

 

[teuchter]

The study linked to earlier gives some sort of relative efficacies for different types of mask; if I've understood it properly, a cloth mask might be something around 50%, one of those basic medical ones maybe 60% and a "N95 respirator" 99%. So are those FFP2 ones that eg you can buy at Boots basically equivalent to what they call an "N95 respirator"?

(My image of what a "respirator" is, is based on things I've used for doing building work which are relatively complex things with valves and a rubber seal around the face and so on, not a fabric-type mask)

Also, that study is looking at the effect on what the wearer breathes out rather than what they breathe in. I can see that you could assume to some extent that the effect would be similar in reverse but are there any equivalent studies looking specifically at protection for the wearer?

 

[gentlegreen]

The limitation has to be with the fit.
I bought a box of cheap FFP2s that I rotate and hang outside in sunlight as a gesture towards sterilising...

They have a noseclip and collapse and expand reassuringly if I breathe heavily, but today still misted up my glasses - so mods are required - I have facial hair in any case...
I just tried some window sealing strip on one and it made the fit worse as it overpowered the metal clip ...

My exposure is minimal so I would probably have to use a better mask if I mixed with people more ..

 

[Supine]

The study linked to earlier gives some sort of relative efficacies for different types of mask; if I've understood it properly, a cloth mask might be something around 50%, one of those basic medical ones maybe 60% and a "N95 respirator" 99%. So are those FFP2 ones that eg you can buy at Boots basically equivalent to what they call an "N95 respirator"?

(My image of what a "respirator" is, is based on things I've used for doing building work which are relatively complex things with valves and a rubber seal around the face and so on, not a fabric-type mask)

Also, that study is looking at the effect on what the wearer breathes out rather than what they breathe in. I can see that you could assume to some extent that the effect would be similar in reverse but are there any equivalent studies looking specifically at protection for the wearer?

N95 / k95 / ffp2 are all roughly equivalent standards. Within a percentage point or so in different areas.

They are respirators because there is enough of a seal, and the material is breathable enough, that almost all gas goes through the material and not around the side. That is where the good performance comes in.

 

[Boudicca]

The limitation has to be with the fit.
I bought a box of cheap FFP2s that I rotate and hang outside in sunlight as a gesture towards sterilising...

They have a noseclip and collapse and expand reassuringly if I breathe heavily, but today still misted up my glasses - so mods are required - I have facial hair in any case...
I just tried some window sealing strip on one and it made the fit worse as it overpowered the metal clip ...

My exposure is minimal so I would probably have to use a better mask if I mixed with people more ..

I've seen hospital staff use surgical tape across the nose which could work?

 

[Badgers]

 

[Pickman's model]

View attachment 294279

but, i note, no lives

 

[Sue]

but, i note, no lives

Lives pah .

 

[Buddy Bradley]

Went into the office today for the first time since early March 2020. The actual office part was fine, fairly empty, lots of space and ventilation, but the journey to and from work by train, plus having to go out to buy some lunch, stressed me out so much that I won't be going again in a hurry.

 

[Pickman's model]

Loons outside angel tube

 

[Sue]

Loons outside angel tube

Oh, it's not affecting the buses is it? Was planning on getting a 38 that way soonish.

 

[Pickman's model]

Oh, it's not affecting the buses is it? Was planning on getting a 38 that way soonish.

Oh no my bus sailed past and all I caught was a few words of something sounding anti-vax tho it might have been Xian nonsense