PlagueWatch 2020-23 - Coronavirus

[dudog84]

Sounds like he turned 60 overnight ...

Hey! Please! I'm only a few years away. 2020 is depressing enough.

[Bluedog]

Fun fact I just learned - powder rooms came into vogue during the Spanish flu pandemic. It became the polite thing to do to wash one's hands upon entering a home and people started adding powder rooms to provide a convenient location for such washing.

Hmmm so that's why my house from 1915 doesn't have a first floor bath....Needed it to be built five years later! Interesting.

[CameronBlue]

Sounds like he turned 60 overnight ...

Hey, there's no call for that here. Denial ain't no river in Egypt.

[Jeffrey]

Our older daughter is an elementary PE specialist and has said she's taking a 6 month leave of absence if our county follows through with their 1 week in and 2 weeks out proposal for the students with the staff in attendance full-time.

Is she able to do that and keep her job? My wife works for a school district and she would love to do the same.

[budwom]

Fun fact I just learned - powder rooms came into vogue during the Spanish flu pandemic. It became the polite thing to do to wash one's hands upon entering a home and people started adding powder rooms to provide a convenient location for such washing.

I have been in my share of powder rooms, and have yet to see powder in any of them. Ever. Of course we park in driveways, and drive on parkways, so obviously our language skills have broken down completely.

[Jeffrey]

I have been in my share of powder rooms, and have yet to see powder in any of them. Ever.

Did you completely forget the late 70's and early 80's?

[budwom]

Did you completely forget the late 70's and early 80's?

ooh, you're right, I stand corrected...

[Bostondevil]

I have been in my share of powder rooms, and have yet to see powder in any of them. Ever. Of course we park in driveways, and drive on parkways, so obviously our language skills have broken down completely.

You're supposed to bring your own powder, in your compact.

[MChambers]

Sorry to derail the powder room discussion, but here's a very good article on how public health experts are feeling, faced with governmental actions that are at odds with their advice:

Many of them told me that they feel duty-bound and grateful to be helping their country at a time when so many others are ill or unemployed. But they’re also very tired, and dispirited by America’s continued inability to control a virus that many other nations have brought to heel. As the pandemic once again intensifies, so too does their frustration and fatigue.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...t-okay/613879/

[moonpie23]

so, i haven't read all 360 some odd pages of this tread, so sue me if i'm repeating something.

two weeks ago, my son had a corneal transplant (his second) at duke eye center. I was surprised to be denied entrance with him because i was wearing a mask with the little plastic valve that also had a filter inside the layers of the mask...i was instead, given a free, mask that looked like it was the bulk cheapest mask in costco....

when we went back for his post op, we went to the new eye clinic over near the durham mall, and again, was told that my $10 mask was not safe. no one could actually tell me "why", just repeated the policy....(which didn't really bother me, just made me curious)


i have since purchased a few new masks, none with the valve. anyone else run into this?

[Bluedog]

so, i haven't read all 360 some odd pages of this tread, so sue me if i'm repeating something.

two weeks ago, my son had a corneal transplant (his second) at duke eye center. I was surprised to be denied entrance with him because i was wearing a mask with the little plastic valve that also had a filter inside the layers of the mask...i was instead, given a free, mask that looked like it was the bulk cheapest mask in costco...

when we went back for his post op, we went to the new eye clinic over near the durham mall, and again, was told that my $10 mask was not safe. no one could actually tell me "why", just repeated the policy...(which didn't really bother me, just made me curious)


i have since purchased a few new masks, none with the valve. anyone else run into this?

Dunno but here is an article I found via google:
https://www.fastcompany.com/90496717...s-banning-them
What is a mask valve, and why are cities banning them? Valves will keep you more comfortable, but endanger those around you

"When you wear a mask with a valve, a significant portion of your exhalations are entirely unfiltered. A normal cotton mask is far from perfect at capturing virus particles that you might inhale or exhale. (Surgical masks were originally invented to protect patients from coughing and sneezing, not pathogens from the air!) But when you add the valve, you aren’t even filtering your breath with cotton. Your mouth is essentially an open exhaust."

[YmoBeThere]

Dunno but here is an article I found via google:
https://www.fastcompany.com/90496717...s-banning-them
What is a mask valve, and why are cities banning them? Valves will keep you more comfortable, but endanger those around you

"When you wear a mask with a valve, a significant portion of your exhalations are entirely unfiltered. A normal cotton mask is far from perfect at capturing virus particles that you might inhale or exhale. (Surgical masks were originally invented to protect patients from coughing and sneezing, not pathogens from the air!) But when you add the valve, you aren’t even filtering your breath with cotton. Your mouth is essentially an open exhaust."

A potential solution to this would be to wear a surgical mask over the top of the N95 with a valve. This would then filter your exhaust.

[throatybeard]

How're the teachers' unions in Fla? Fairfax, VA, announced partial opening and the teachers got cranky...

-jk

"Got cranky" is an awfully flip description of people who are being asked to risk death by convening with largely asymptomatic carriers who will, in fact, kill some of the teachers and staff.

[devildeac]

Is she able to do that and keep her job? My wife works for a school district and she would love to do the same.

Will talk with her tonight to confirm but the primary source is my wife who has talked with her so I have little reason to doubt either (at my own peril if I do).

[Jeffrey]

Will talk with her tonight to confirm but the primary source is my wife who has talked with her so I have little reason to doubt either (at my own peril if I do).

Thanks for asking management, I’m really hoping educators are given the option.

I doubted my wife once, but still don’t remember what happened afterwards.

[devildeac]

Thanks for asking management, I’m really hoping educators are given the option.

I doubted my wife once, but still don’t remember what happened afterwards.

Fortunately, you survived.

[budwom]

Can't wait to hear the ongoing perspective of Bobo Brazil now that he's contracted The Covid:https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/07/ameri...ntl/index.html

[Bostondevil]

Sorry to derail the powder room discussion, but here's a very good article on how public health experts are feeling, faced with governmental actions that are at odds with their advice:

Many of them told me that they feel duty-bound and grateful to be helping their country at a time when so many others are ill or unemployed. But they’re also very tired, and dispirited by America’s continued inability to control a virus that many other nations have brought to heel. As the pandemic once again intensifies, so too does their frustration and fatigue.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...t-okay/613879/

Tell me about it. Of course, I was suffering from frustration and fatigue long before the pandemic hit.

[Bostondevil]

The schools thing is especially difficult. I read an essay and I can't find the link right now, but the general argument was that figuring out how to open schools as safely as possible ought to be our first priority. Keep restaurants and bars closed so that schools can open. I agreed with the author. Make opening schools a top priority. No amount of support will reach some of our most vulnerable school aged children and another semester/year of ineffective distance learning will put them so far behind they will never catch up. Figure out what to do to make things as safe as possible. Provide teachers with medical grade PPEs. Keep classes as small as possible. Get creative with learning spaces. Much as I hate to say this, maybe suspend in person music classes for now. (Or switch music programs to music appreciate in lieu of having students sing or blow into instruments. Or have an orchestra made up of only violins and drums. ) That's elementary schools. High schools are trickier but they could be done. It requires planning and thought and effort and making education the number one priority, but, it is possible, difficult but possible. I view teachers as essential employees, consequently, I think we should begin paying them more, something like hazard pay (I think there should be hazard pay for all professions deemed essential, but I digress.)

[Bluedog]

The schools thing is especially difficult. I read an essay and I can't find the link right now, but the general argument was that figuring out how to open schools as safely as possible ought to be our first priority. Keep restaurants and bars closed so that schools can open. I agreed with the author. Make opening schools a top priority. No amount of support will reach some of our most vulnerable school aged children and another semester/year of ineffective distance learning will put them so far behind they will never catch up. Figure out what to do to make things as safe as possible. Provide teachers with medical grade PPEs. Keep classes as small as possible. Get creative with learning spaces. Much as I hate to say this, maybe suspend in person music classes for now. (Or switch music programs to music appreciate in lieu of having students sing or blow into instruments. Or have an orchestra made up of only violins and drums. ) That's elementary schools. High schools are trickier but they could be done. It requires planning and thought and effort and making education the number one priority, but, it is possible, difficult but possible. I view teachers as essential employees, consequently, I think we should begin paying them more, something like hazard pay (I think there should be hazard pay for all professions deemed essential, but I digress.)

Oddly, similar cohorts of individuals have had vastly different economic outcomes depending on where they chose to be employed. That is, a retail store and grocery store worker may hire from the same pool of candidates. Throughout this, the grocery store worker has worked with increased risks (and largely the SAME pay as I understand it) where retail store worker may have gotten increased pay (due to unemployment - of course that is ending at the end of the month). Very different outcomes based on industry. Teacher pay is very fixed as it's all negotiated and varies greatly state-to-state. In my area, the average public high schoool teacher makes six figures (and I live in a community where the per capita income is $40k, so it's not rich). The avg elementary teacher makes about $80k. Pensions are also about a 20% benefit, so many public high school teachers pull close to $150k/year by me. But I agree they'd be taking greater risk in these situations so perhaps base salary is irrelevant.

To the rest of your post, I agree wholeheartedly. If we're going to be taking risks somewhere it should be to educate our children. The social and economic impact of NOT doing so is HUGE. That doesn't mean schools shouldn't take precautions though. I believe we can minimize risk, but you can't completely remove risk. However, the rewards of opening schools is very large so that should be part of the decision making process. And frankly, if you DON'T open schools, parents are still going to find SOMEWHERE to take their kids (especially if they're both working) so COVID spread risk to society might actually be increased given it will be a patchwork. Studies show having the same group of individuals together reduces risk/spread. Having parents have their children go to 3 different places throughout the day with three different groups is worse than going to school. You can't assume that everybody will keep their kids home with them at all times, so that should also be taken into account (i.e. what are the alternatives, and how do those compare to school).