Coronavirus - Health and preparedness aspects - II

[mickeyd]

Why are folks panicking and stocking up on bottled water and toilet paper? Regular flu this season has knocked off over 18,000 of my fellow Americans.

 

[tmm99]

Try hydrogen peroxide, its easy on the hands, cheap, kills viruses. it is runny like water, but a quart is about $3. You could put some in a small (eyeglass type) spray bottle for use when you go out.

Evidently, hydrogen peroxide is only good for 30-45 days (full potency) after the bottle is opened, and it eventually turns into water, so we need to keep that in mind... And keep it in a dark place (inside a purse in a dark-coloured spray bottle and discard in a month?)

I wish I had bought small bottles of hydrogen peroxide, as my big ones will start going bad as soon as I open them...

 

[audreyh1]

Evidently, hydrogen peroxide is only good for 30-45 days (full potency) after the bottle is opened, and it eventually turns into water, so we need to keep that in mind... And keep it in a dark place (inside a purse in a dark-coloured spray bottle and discard in a month?)

I wish I had bought small bottles of hydrogen peroxide, as my big ones will start going bad as soon as I open them...

I noticed all alcohol sold out, but plenty of hydrogen peroxide on the shelf, so you can still stock up.

 

[tmm99]

I noticed all alcohol sold out, but plenty of hydrogen peroxide on the shelf, so you can still stock up.

I bought 4 huge bottles of 91% alcohol isopropyl (4 liters total) when I bought the hydrogen peroxide, so I should be good. After I found out about H2O2 degrading, I don't fully trust its efficacy as much, even when it's opened for the first time.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

The "Daylight Savings [sic] Time Again!" thread got me thinking, this time change always leaves me feeling tired for a week or two at least, and more susceptible to colds....or whatever other bugs are going around! I wonder if this could affect the spread of COVID-19, even a little?

 

[JoeWras]

The "Daylight Savings [sic] Time Again!" thread got me thinking, this time change always leaves me feeling tired for a week or two at least, and more susceptible to colds....or whatever other bugs are going around! I wonder if this could affect the spread of COVID-19, even a little?

Perhaps. Everyone knows how jet lag can kick you. Although an hour is mild.

Being retired, you can potentially mitigate it by using a week long change over of 10 minutes per day to adjust. Change your bed time, wake up and meals 10 minutes per day.

 

[TromboneAl]

The way DW and I figure, with (A) 3500+ books in our home (and probably another 500+ copies of magazines and periodicals), and (B) the need to downsize, if we run out of toilet paper and cannot obtain more, we have a solution... our sanitation company might notice a few more plastic bags of garbage from us. [emoji3]

Aargh. I never should have transitioned to eBooks!

 

[JoeWras]

Licking fingers handling paper

When I confessed here about biting nails, I got some good suggestions.

Maybe you can all help me with another hand-to-mouth issue.

I'm working on taxes and have a lot of paper to deal with. I want to lick my fingers to be able to separate the pages.

Any home brew ways of dealing with this? I don't have the little "rubber condom" thing and don't want to go to a store to buy one. Same with that pad of goo you see sold. That just looks like a germ catcher.

So what do you all do? I'm thinking of having a small glass of water handy.

 

[Gumby]

When I confessed here about biting nails, I got some good suggestions.

Maybe you can all help me with another hand-to-mouth issue.

I'm working on taxes and have a lot of paper to deal with. I want to lick my fingers to be able to separate the pages.

Any home brew ways of dealing with this? I don't have the little "rubber condom" thing and don't want to go to a store to buy one. Same with that pad of goo you see sold. That just looks like a germ catcher.

So what do you all do? I'm thinking of having a small glass of water handy.

A little damp sponge in a cereal bowl. Or cut off a finger from a latex glove.

 

[ivinsfan]

When I confessed here about biting nails, I got some good suggestions.

Maybe you can all help me with another hand-to-mouth issue.

I'm working on taxes and have a lot of paper to deal with. I want to lick my fingers to be able to separate the pages.

Any home brew ways of dealing with this? I don't have the little "rubber condom" thing and don't want to go to a store to buy one. Same with that pad of goo you see sold. That just looks like a germ catcher.

So what do you all do? I'm thinking of having a small glass of water handy.

Just don't do it it's not necessary. Are you talking about papers in your home or other people's...or put all the papers in your freezer for a day or two. Put them in a covered pan in your oven and bake them at 250 for a couple hours.

 

[TromboneAl]

When I confessed here about biting nails, I got some good suggestions.

Maybe you can all help me with another hand-to-mouth issue.

I'm working on taxes and have a lot of paper to deal with. I want to lick my fingers to be able to separate the pages.

Any home brew ways of dealing with this? I don't have the little "rubber condom" thing and don't want to go to a store to buy one. Same with that pad of goo you see sold. That just looks like a germ catcher.

So what do you all do? I'm thinking of having a small glass of [-]water[/-] whisky handy.

Hard to describe, but:

1. Hold the sheaf of paper with two hands, and knock it on the table while blowing on it from the side. This will line up the pages.
2. Hold the right side tightly and the left side less tightly.
3. Bend the sheaf of papers forward on the left side.
4. This will offset each sheet from the one behind it. That is, it will stick out a bit.
5. Now, it will be easy to separate them without licking your finger.

 

[Chuckanut]

I figure my main method of dealing with the current mess will be to prepare for St. Patrick's Day. I am hoping that the almost certain lack of excess drinking in the bars will drive down the price of a six-pack of Guinness.

We may be entering what may be the thick-of-it at this time. On several occasions I found myself self-limiting by choosing not to do things like to to the grocery store, avoiding eating out, and delaying the theater by at least a few more weeks. A good friend has cancelled a flight to my town because he doesn't want to bring the virus back to his frail aging parents who live in what is for now an unaffected state. I consider all of this a good sign. An aware population that is voluntarily doing the right things is a potent weapon against any threat.

I do feel bad for the small business that will suffer. I imagine some of the not so well managed ones may not survive.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

When I confessed here about biting nails, I got some good suggestions.

Maybe you can all help me with another hand-to-mouth issue.

I'm working on taxes and have a lot of paper to deal with. I want to lick my fingers to be able to separate the pages.

Any home brew ways of dealing with this? I don't have the little "rubber condom" thing and don't want to go to a store to buy one. Same with that pad of goo you see sold. That just looks like a germ catcher.

So what do you all do? I'm thinking of having a small glass of water handy.

Another alternative I use for produce bags, should work for papers, too: breathe on your thumb and index fingers the way you would to fog up glass, like you were going to say "Hah" (silently). It only lasts a second or two, but if you move quickly it gives you a touch of moisture, but so little that it will evaporate from the paper (or plastic) almost immediately.

This won't keep your germs off of the object, but if that's not a concern, it will keep both the object's and your fingers' germs out of your mouth!

 

[Kwirk]

Just don't do it it's not necessary. Are you talking about papers in your home or other people's...or put all the papers in your freezer for a day or two. Put them in a covered pan in your oven and bake them at 250 for a couple hours.

Baking appears to inactivate viruses but freezing might actually preserve them.

 

[sheehs1]

Pnuemonia Shots

Yesterday morning, because pneumonia can be a later consequence of this corona virus, it dawned on me that I might not be up to date with the Pnuemonia vaccines. An immediate call to my pharmacy confirmed I was not up to date. I previously had the Prevnar vaccine in 2013 but needed the PPSV23. Hoofed it to my pharmcy and got the vaccine. Just a reminder for all of us to review our vaccine status.

 

[USGrant1962]

When I confessed here about biting nails, I got some good suggestions.

Maybe you can all help me with another hand-to-mouth issue.

I'm working on taxes and have a lot of paper to deal with. I want to lick my fingers to be able to separate the pages.

Any home brew ways of dealing with this? I don't have the little "rubber condom" thing and don't want to go to a store to buy one. Same with that pad of goo you see sold. That just looks like a germ catcher.

So what do you all do? I'm thinking of having a small glass of water handy.

Sortquik Fingertip Moistener. When I worked in a publications warehouse in college we called it "stickeylickey".

 

[JoeWras]

Sortquik Fingertip Moistener. When I worked in a publications warehouse in college we called it "stickeylickey".

Yeah, but. Not so sure about their unnamed anti-microbial agent.

Part of the reason this is a problem for me is because I bite those nails. Nails can help separate pages too. Just Gotta Stop Biting.

 

[REWahoo]

Yesterday morning, because pneumonia can be a later consequence of this corona virus, it dawned on me that I might not be up to date with the Pnuemonia vaccines. An immediate call to my pharmacy confirmed I was not up to date. I previously had the Prevnar vaccine in 2013 but needed the PPSV23. Hoofed it to my pharmcy and got the vaccine. Just a reminder for all of us to review our vaccine status.

Always good to be up to date on your vaccinations. However, I understand the pneumonia associated with Covid-19 is viral in nature and the two vaccines you mention are to prevent bacterial pneumonia. As such, I don't think the vaccines will be of any benefit against Covid-19.

 

[Sunset]

.....

Maybe you can all help me with another hand-to-mouth issue.

I'm working on taxes and have a lot of paper to deal with. I want to lick my fingers to be able to separate the pages.

..

The sponge in a bowl method mentioned earlier is something I've seen at the bank. basically a damp sponge in a bowl is all that is needed.

However, if these papers are from a bank/brokerage then most of them were printed and enveloped by machines, not touched by people.
So for the most part there is no risk.

 

[sheehs1]

Always good to be up to date on your vaccinations. However, I understand the pneumonia associated with Covid-19 is viral in nature and the two vaccines you mention are to prevent bacterial pneumonia. As such, I don't think the vaccines will be of any benefit against Covid-19.

Not sure if the Pneumonia associated with this virus is viral or if it is bacterial since it is a secondary consequence. Either way, at least I am up to date now.

 

[TromboneAl]

Apologies if this has been posted already but it's an interesting tracker from Johns Hopkins https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdash...iEzqK5Iv-4k#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

View attachment 34033

That's a wonderful site with a great interface, but today, for the first time, it's reporting "No Data" for many of the stats. Maybe it's a temporary glitch, but I expect that at some point, it will only be able display estimated numbers.

Yesterday:

Today:

 

[JoeWras]

However, if these papers are from a bank/brokerage then most of them were printed and enveloped by machines, not touched by people.
So for the most part there is no risk.

No, no, that's not my worry! Sorry if I wasn't clear. The papers are weeks and months old. They are safe.

I just can't separate them. My habit is to stick my finger in my mouth (which may have a germ from somewhere else) to wet it so I can separate the paper. The problem isn't the paper, the problem is my dirty, grubby fingers. COVID, Flu, fecal particles, WHATEVER. I don't want my fingers in my mouth.

Sorry for the confusion and confabulations.

 

[USGrant1962]

That's a wonderful site with a great interface, but today, for the first time, it's reporting "No Data" for many of the stats. Maybe it's a temporary glitch, but I expect that at some point, it will only be able display estimated numbers.

Yesterday:

Today:

It did something like that a week or ten days ago when they were doing an upgrade.

 

[MRG]

Just a friendly reminder. Whomever implements this right now is going to do well.

https://images.app.goo.gl/AVtNyunN3kvYzpVA7

Larson Far Side

 

[Sunset]

No, no, that's not my worry! Sorry if I wasn't clear. The papers are weeks and months old. They are safe.

I just can't separate them. My habit is to stick my finger in my mouth (which may have a germ from somewhere else) to wet it so I can separate the paper. The problem isn't the paper, the problem is my dirty, grubby fingers. COVID, Flu, fecal particles, WHATEVER. I don't want my fingers in my mouth.

Sorry for the confusion and confabulations.

Oh, how about washing your hands before doing taxes, in case you do use your finger.

There is also a type of fingernail polish probably called nobite that tastes awful to try to train a person. You could liberally paint that over your nails (it is clear).