Coronavirus (San Diego, Columbia: condo, subsidized, marketplace)

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by tikkasf

Sometimes you just need to take a break from it all. Stop watching or listening to the news, stay off the internet.....just have some music playing or watch a documentary or movie. Find some spring cleaning or reorganization project to do around your home. Make it the whole afternoon.

... and take a walk in the fresh air ... away from other people if possible ... without wearing an unnecessary mask.

[Fisherman99]

Originally Posted by pacific2

Okaaay, so common sense rules.

More Americans Should Probably Wear Masks for Protection
Experts have started to question whether masks may offer at least some protection to healthy individuals and essential workers
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/h...gtype=Homepage

Where can you get masks now and how do you make homemade masks? I got some el cheapo's at dollar tree 3 months ago when this stuff was hitting China almost as a joke...using them now if I go in a store, etc since I help out my elderly mother and like the sense of control a mask gives you...whether they work or not. Every time I see China or South Korea (which had early testing, masks, and early social distancing/isolation) on the news, EVERYBODY has a mask on as well. Seems like they can only help if everybody had them in public.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Justabystander

... watching the medical staff on the front lines without proper gear and respirators do their jobs, watching the different ways of handling this from different jurisdictions- Texas and Florida clueless; SF, Chicago and NYC among others handling this like it is life or death, and wondering when it will all end because of the clueless ones...

I'm not much of television watcher, but I agree that's very unnerving, even if we're only reading about it. And as many walks as we might take, finding out the status of this virus spread--especially in the areas in which we live--is always at the back of our minds.

[lostsoul359]

Originally Posted by Fisherman99

Where can you get masks now and how do you make homemade masks? I got some el cheapo's at dollar tree 3 months ago when this stuff was hitting China almost as a joke...using them now if I go in a store, etc since I help out my elderly mother and like the sense of control a mask gives you...whether they work or not. Every time I see China or South Korea (which had early testing, masks, and early social distancing/isolation) on the news, EVERYBODY has a mask on as well. Seems like they can only help if everybody had them in public.

Get creative. I went out to shop this morning and wore a thick clean paint rag like a bandana and disposable gloves in the stores. The stores were empty so not sure it the mask was needed.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by Fisherman99

Where can you get masks now and how do you make homemade masks? I got some el cheapo's at dollar tree 3 months ago when this stuff was hitting China almost as a joke...using them now if I go in a store, etc since I help out my elderly mother and like the sense of control a mask gives you...whether they work or not. Every time I see China or South Korea (which had early testing, masks, and early social distancing/isolation) on the news, EVERYBODY has a mask on as well. Seems like they can only help if everybody had them in public.

As just about everyone knows by now, non-N95 masks don't offer much protection, but the NY Times article says that some experts think that even this small layer of added protection, in addition to taking other precautions like hand-washing, is better than none.

Hopefully, we don't approach anything like NY's situation; and given that we don't have the same population density, it seems highly unlikely that things will become as grave here.

Regarding masks, China is said to have plenty of the N-95's, of course. Also, they are sometimes for sell at unreasonable prices on Amazon. You can find overpriced surgical and reusable masks there, as well.

A cheaper alternative might be to purchase a handheld sewing machine and make your own. YouTube is full of instructional videos for making DIY masks.

My hunch is that if wearing a mask in crowded public areas ever becomes normalized during this crisis, and some hope it will, price gougers will begin to hoard handheld sewing machines.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by Finper

I just watched a video of a Dr in New York explaining transmission. This disease is a hand exposure then person touching their face. It’s not airborne except for long confined exposure to a sick person. He said masks are a good thing to keep people from touching their face. There’s no need to wear a airtight mask and it’s perfectly fine to go for a walk with other people outside.

I'll go with what the CDC says until they are proven wrong.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...d-spreads.html

COVID-19 is a new disease and we are still learning how it spreads, the severity of illness it causes, and to what extent it may spread in the United States.

Person-to-person spread
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.
Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

Of course, they also say that the virus can be contracted by touching one's face.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

So, yesterday I was out and about on errands (I am up in rural Washington now). I saw one guy walking on a completely deserted trail, miles from any town / neighborhood / social activity - wearing a mask.

Shortly after, I saw another guy driving in his own ‘effing car on another deserted country road - wearing a mask.

This is not healthy. This is nuts.

Yep.

[Fisherman99]

Originally Posted by lostsoul359

Get creative. I went out to shop this morning and wore a thick clean paint rag like a bandana and disposable gloves in the stores. The stores were empty so not sure it the mask was needed.

I wore a cheap dollar tree mask (crappy) when briefly in pharmacy at closing with nobody else there a while back...that's all I have now. Did see a video on how to make masks out of old shirts...yes, the paint rag/bandana is better than nothing. Asia had to deal with SARS in the past...everybody wears masks in public there and you are fined if you don't. Seems they can only help...and even if they don't...you still have a sense of control when in public.

[lostsoul359]

Originally Posted by Fisherman99

I wore a cheap dollar tree mask (crappy) when briefly in pharmacy at closing with nobody else there a while back...that's all I have now. Did see a video on how to make masks out of old shirts...yes, the paint rag/bandana is better than nothing. Asia had to deal with SARS in the past...everybody wears masks in public there and you are fined if you don't. Seems they can only help...and even if they don't...you still have a sense of control when in public.

Yes KISS

Keep It Simple Stupid is the new survival rule.

[CA4Now]

SACRAMENTO — The number of coronavirus patients in California’s intensive care unit beds doubled overnight, rising from 200 on Friday to 410 on Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said.

The number of hospitalized patients testing positive for the coronavirus that causes the respiratory disease known as COVID-19 rose by 38.6% — from 746 on Friday to 1,034 on Saturday, Newsom said.

“We’re blessed that we’re just at 410, devastating for the individuals there and their family members and loved ones,” Newsom said at a press conference in Sunnyvale on Saturday. “But by comparison and contrast to other parts of this country, that number seems relatively modest.”

California has reported more than 115 deaths and more than 5,500 cases of coronavirus around the state as of Saturday.

https://www.latimes.com/california/s...uble-overnight