Coronavirus - Health and preparedness aspects - II

[W2R]

We have our annual physicals on Wednesday and I am a wee bit nervous about going into the clinic perfectly healthy. Am I risking more by getting the physical and exposing myself to potential virus?

This is eastern Washington, which *may* be ok right now but all it would have taken is someone from Seattle visiting here a week or so ago and giving it to the locals.

If you are feeling fine, then (if it was me) I'd call the doctor's office and reschedule the appointment for, say, June. What harm would there be in that? I don't think that would be so bad. By June we ought to have a better idea of what is going on.

 

[sengsational]

The virus lasts a week or more on shiny surfaces; best not count on time or temperature. The quickest to inactivate would be hot and dry (low humidity).

 

[ivinsfan]

That's a good idea, and we've done that.

But consider this:

1. You drive into the garage.
2. You put you hand on the handle to open the car door.
3. You put your hand on the car door to close it
4. You put your hand on the doorknob of the door to the house.
5. You put your hand on the doorknob of the door to the bathroom.
6. You put your hand on the faucet control.

IOW, you have five surfaces that could hold the virus, plus the surfaces of the things you brought into the house.

I guess you could go back and spray/disinfect those surfaces.

A major bonus for cold weather.. apply hand sanitizer, put on gloves, keep on gloves until back in your garage....enter house in my house I wash at the kitchen immediately upon entering and have a lever faucet I use my forearm...

note if you go out and east you must remove gloves. however I look at menu with gloves on and after ordering use a wipe on my glass, silverware and hands...I don't care if people think I'm nuts

 

[Gumby]

That's a good idea, and we've done that.

But consider this:

1. You drive into the garage.
2. You put you hand on the handle to open the car door.
3. You put your hand on the car door to close it
4. You put your hand on the doorknob of the door to the house.
5. You put your hand on the doorknob of the door to the bathroom.
6. You put your hand on the faucet control.

IOW, you have five surfaces that could hold the virus, plus the surfaces of the things you brought into the house.

I guess you could go back and spray/disinfect those surfaces.

We're just not that paranoid. Hand washing is advised by the CDC, I believe, because we all touch our faces so much. So we'll do that, and it's easy enough.

 

[ivinsfan]

The virus lasts a week or more on shiny surfaces; best not count on time or temperature. The quickest to inactivate would be hot and dry (low humidity).

Where are you seeing that and I don't think cold or stomach flu bugs or even regular flu lives that long...anyway if I don't kill it I'll make it feel really bad...

 

[Rianne]

We're just not that paranoid. Hand washing is advised by the CDC, I believe, because we all touch our faces so much. So we'll do that, and it's easy enough.

+1 And if someone coughs/sneezes near you, stop breathing and get at least 6 feet away in the opposite direction. I do this during flu season anyway.


Something to consider, major hospital networks like Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins have international patients at the highest levels. Our medical network is large and being in the Univ. of Illinois hometown (where the engineering school is) the Chinese student population is huge. May have more international students than U.S. students. Yeah, I'm concerned.

 

[garyt]

Why not use one of the new curbside pick up services all the groceries are now offering?

Seems to me that would be even worse. They're still going to use a cart to get your groceries. You don't know how many people will have handled them. I'd rather do it all myself and manage the risk as best I can.
I guess the one positive , and maybe that outweighs the other parts, is you wouldn't have to enter the store .

 

[Kwirk]

note if you go out and east you must remove gloves. however I look at menu with gloves on and after ordering use a wipe on my glass, silverware and hands...I don't care if people think I'm nuts

Are you limiting your orders to hot foods?

 

[W2R]

We are continuing to eat lunch out every day, without gloves, masks, hand sanitizer, or any unusual precautions like that (for now). The restaurant has been crowded but we have not seen anybody else who is taking any precautions like that at all, either. I usually order soup or salad.

At some point we will probably stop eating out for a while and just eat at home.

 

[garyt]

Where are you seeing that and I don't think cold or stomach flu bugs or even regular flu lives that long...anyway if I don't kill it I'll make it feel really bad...

I've also read that the virus can last 9 days on cool steel surfaces.

 

[ivinsfan]

Are you limiting your orders to hot foods?

Well we deliberately haven't eaten out in around 4 weeks but yes I very seldom order cold food at a restaurant. I have the same rule at an airport it needs to be baked or deep fried. Friend got deathly sick from eat tuna salad at an airport location out of the country.

 

[ivinsfan]

I've also read that the virus can last 9 days on cool steel surfaces.

Thank goodness I didn't buy those stainless steel countertops...

 

[Midpack]

We’re avoiding very large crowds, and taking cleanliness precautions, but life is still pretty normal. The only thing we’re avoiding so far is movie theaters, still going to restaurants and shopping. We have dust masks, not using them yet.

This will pass, though where/how it peaks is still unknown obviously. It is comforting to know 98% of people infected will overcome it easily, the 2% at risk disproportionately older folks in poor health. The more all governments and health professionals do to isolate outbreaks the better obviously. Seems key. So far less serious than flu, SARS, MERS, Ebola, etc. - but the coronavirus outcome is far from known yet.

 

[Kwirk]

I'm keeping a large box of gloves in the car. I put on gloves before leaving the car when going to public places. I put purchases in the trunk and remove gloves (sterile technique, turning them inside out) before reentering the car. I have wipes in the trunk to clean the release button and door handle.

Cleaning the items purchased is a bit more difficult and I haven't yet worked out a fully satisfactory technique.

 

[Moemg]

The one thing about this virus that scares me is it kills older people with underlying conditions since I am a member of that group .

 

[Kwirk]

It is comforting to know 98% of people infected will overcome it easily, the 2% at risk disproportionately older folks in poor health.

I think "easily" may prove a bit optimistic. Less than 2% may die but significantly more may need hospital treatment.

 

[sengsational]

Where are you seeing that and I don't think cold or stomach flu bugs or even regular flu lives that long...anyway if I don't kill it I'll make it feel really bad...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195670120300463

Varies by surface, but 5 days looks pretty common for HCoV.

 

[donheff]

We’re on vacation in Key West so crowds are unavoidable. At this point I don’t see the risk meriting the extreme steps some have described. If CV had an Ebola like mortality sure. I am focusing on retraining myself to keep my fingers off my face.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I think "easily" may prove a bit optimistic. Less than 2% may die but significantly more may need hospital treatment.

That is why China built extra hospitals. But we aren't doing that here in the U.S. so I don't see how our death rate won't eventually be much higher than China.

"In China, we know that in addition to the people who died, 5% needed to be in ICU and 14% needed a hospital bed.”"
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ealth-system-in-event-of-coronavirus-pandemic

 

[Fermion]

Yes, in general the USA is being quite blase about the the virus.

I imagine things will get real in a few weeks when there are no hospital beds or ventilators available for new patients.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Is there a link to the primary source? A tweet is certainly not the way that WHO makes official pronouncements.

OK boomer.

 

[ivinsfan]

Yes, in general the USA is being quite blase about the the virus.

I imagine things will get real in a few weeks when there are no hospital beds or ventilators available for new patients.

Blasé do your really think that..gosh I saw people rushing the Costco in NYC and stripping the selves after ONE case had been verified.

A lot of fear but I don't think many people are blasé. Maybe it's different in your area.

 

[W2R]

Blasé do your really think that..gosh I saw people rushing the Costco in NYC and stripping the selves after ONE case had been verified.

A lot of fear but I don't think many people are blasé. Maybe it's different in your area.

Maybe that's just a NYC thing. I don't see anything like that happening in New Orleans.

Of course, we don't have that first case in the local area, yet.

 

[donheff]

My niece is an ER doc in Denver. She says patients and visitors are stealing masks and gloves leaving them under stocked.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We are still going to our local places but we don’t have any cases. It seems like some are going to extreme measures. I don’t want to stay home until I have to.