Coronavirus - Health and preparedness aspects - II

[gwraigty]

In this discussion, a lot of focus has been on what to buy, where, how much, which is important. But today, I've been thinking of other issues with preparedness, just in case of illness. Like, don't be the only one in the house who knows how to...operate the new washing machine we bought last year. Extrapolate from there, according to your household situation.

 

[gwraigty]

An update to my post #273: Today, DH forwarded an email to me from his employer. Attached were 2 PDF letters that went out to all employees today. Basically, they're mandating a 14 day self-quarantine for any employee and visitor who returns from a risk area, or who lives with people who return from a risk area. Currently only locations outside the US are on the list, but it will be updated as needed. Travel for work purposes has also been restricted. They've instituted screening protocols at every location, but didn't define what those are. Currently, there have been no confirmed cases in Ohio, with one person reported as being under observation, awaiting test results.

 

[harllee]

I stocked up on the Cold-Eeze mentioned in an earlier post. A local supermarket still had a large supply and they were even on sale. They helped the last time I had a sore throat so I suspect in general getting enough zinc in my diet might help and won't hurt. Recent research also shows that gargling with warm salt water 3 times a day may decrease respiratory infections by 40%. I did that the last time DH was ill and didn't get sick myself. Salt water gargles, zinc lozenges, yogurt and avoiding sugar are some of our home remedies that seem to either help us when we have cold or flu symptoms.

What are your favorite home remedies or immune system boosters?

This article has some tips on how to attack viruses with herbs, spices and food -
https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/herbal-remedies/natural-flu-remedies.htm

Avoidance in one factor, but if we do get the virus perhaps we can all up our odds of being in the mild case category.

DH has a compromised immune system. In addition to the things listed in the quote above his doctor recommended a saline rinse using a nettie pot to rinse out the nose /sinuses. We actually use a squeeze bottle called Nell Med with saline solution and boiled or distilled water. We use it every time we come back into the house after being out. It does seem to help and I like the clean way my nose feels after using it.

 

[Alan]

In this discussion, a lot of focus has been on what to buy, where, how much, which is important. But today, I've been thinking of other issues with preparedness, just in case of illness. Like, don't be the only one in the house who knows how to...operate the new washing machine we bought last year. Extrapolate from there, according to your household situation.

Funny you should mention that. I was supposed to be in Edinburgh helping my wife look after her sister after her open heart surgery. However, I woke up on Saturday with a sore throat and a cough so I drove DW up then drove back next morning. (SIL was still in hospital, back home yesterday). I have now been home long enough that I needed to do a wash load of clothes and the brand new washing machine has all sorts of knobs and whistles. DW uses an app on her phone to set the program and when to finish as we time the washer to run during the cheapest hours.

I had to contact her today to get trained on its use

 

[braumeister]

the brand new washing machine has all sorts of knobs and whistles. DW uses an app on her phone to set the program and when to finish as we time the washer to run during the cheapest hours.

I had to contact her today to get trained on its use

I know what you mean. The last time DW went out of town for a few days she left me a note with instructions on how to run the dishwasher.

1. Use the button on the far right.
2. Hold it in for a few seconds until it beeps.
3. Don't touch anything else.

I appreciated her thoughtfulness.

 

[JoeWras]

Wipes seem to be the panic item here. We had our first case confirmed yesterday, imported from Washington. I went to Walmart this morning. Rice and beans were hit, but still available. Plenty of TP and everything else. For example, plenty of bottles of bleach. Traffic in the store at 9:30 am was very light.

But forget about disinfecting wipes. Empty shelves.

Went to Lowes later in the day for wood screws (no run on those!) and saw a guy with a cart of 8 to 10 tubes of wipes. Thanks for helping out your neighbors, hoarding buddy! I walked by the worker stocking these and asked what's up? He said they can't keep them in stock, and they'll all be gone in a few hours. He suggested I take one if I need 'em. We rarely use them, but I took one since we're out. I didn't take 10.

 

[sengsational]

I think you can drive yourself nuts worrying about things like this.

Too late. Happened many years ago.

To handle the mail, why not just open it, discard the envelope, and wash your hands afterwards?

True. That works except for the magazines. Yes, I still have a few subscriptions of paper magazines because it's much easier to fall asleep on the couch while attempting to read than in front of a screen.

But, as always, the wisdom here gave me a few things to think about: burning the mail in the microwave and also making a UV box. Hmm...the latter might be fun to build...

 

[NW-Bound]

We went for another grocery run today. No, not stocking on anything as we always already have more than we need, except for bananas. You can't stock up on bananas.

And yesterday, seeing that a local store has 5 lbs of yellow onion for $1 today, I asked my wife to check our existing onions, and noting that they were getting old, decided to cut and brown them all and refrigerate for my daily onion soup. Then, I could get fresh onion today to restock the pantry.

Still having no disinfectant wipes, so I did the same trick yesterday of wiping down the shop cart handle with a sheet of kitchen towel I brought, along with the small bottle of bleach.

PS. Not wanting the entire house to smell of onion, I browned it in the patio outside, where I had a cooktop. I kept an eye on the skillet, and the other eye on the laptop to watch the market and my stocks. The temperature was in the mid 70s yesterday and today too, with a slight breeze. Spring will be here soon. Life is so good, even with the virus and all.

 

[JoeWras]

PS. Not wanting the entire house to smell of onion, I browned it in the patio outside, where I had a cooktop. I kept an eye on the skillet, and the other eye on the laptop to watch the market and my stocks. The temperature was in the mid 70s yesterday and today too, with a slight breeze. Spring will be here soon. Life is so good, even with the virus and all.

You know, hopefully weather will warm everywhere and we can all get out and enjoy some sunshine, get a little vitamin D and just chill.

I remember driving by the old TB sanitarium in Chicago (closed by the time I was a kid). My mom said you'd see that they always had the windows open for fresh air. I always wondered how that went over in the winter

Fresh air sounds really good to me right now.

 

[REWahoo]

It appears panic buying of toilet paper is an international phenomenon.

From the Australian BBC:

Perhaps the worst doomsday scenario is this: being stuck on the toilet and finding you're down to the last square.

At least that appears to be the nightmare prospect scaring many Australians right now, who have become the latest group to respond to coronavirus fears by buying toilet paper en masse.

This is despite authorities stressing there is no shortage - given most of the nation's rolls are made locally.

However in Sydney, the nation's largest city, supermarket shelves have been cleared in minutes, forcing one chain to enforce a four-pack buying limit.

Police were even called to a dispute on Wednesday, with reports saying a knife was pulled out in an argument over toilet roll between panic buying shoppers.

 

[GenXguy]

Everyone in the neighborhood touches their own mailbox. The mail carrier touches everyone's mailbox. The mail carrier touches my mail.

Stupid question: if I put the mail in the microwave, will that deactivate the virus? I'm thinking "no" because it isn't a polar molecule (like water), so won't get agitated / broken. But, from what I understand, the virus is usually in droplets (or droplets smeared on my cable bill), so the water in the droplet might get hot enough to bust the crown. I doubt the microwave is a solution, but it would be nice to find the academic paper that proves me wrong. Didn't search for it, though.

I mentioned "mail" earlier, since that would be something I would have to deal with almost daily, even if I could stay hunkered down at home. I don't believe the microwave would be reliable for this, but maybe a regular oven or toaster oven would work with the right temperature and time since the virus doesn't live as long in the heat. I would prefer not opening any mail until it's been decontaminated inside and out. It seems like that will be easier to deal with than all of the grocery decontamination mentioned earlier, since any groceries purchased should be considered contaminated with SARS-Cov-2. Simply wearing gloves while shopping as was mentioned in a previously posted circulating email won't address the problem.

For reading my computer screen in the evening, I use a program called f.lux that shifts the color to more of an amber tone in the evening, and sometimes I even wear some blueblocker goggles over my reading glasses, which will work with the PC screen also, and with any other lighting and screens in my home. Since most things I watch on my TV are from my HTPC, I have the same software installed on the HTPC. It seems to help - I feel like I've been getting more tired earlier in the evening since using the software.

Some ideas on grocery decontamination which match up with some of my own thoughts on the matter:
https://www.early-retirement.org/fo...redness-aspects-ii-102346-15.html#post2379508

 

[Philliefan33]

Wipes seem to be the panic item here. We had our first case confirmed yesterday, imported from Washington. I went to Walmart this morning. Rice and beans were hit, but still available. Plenty of TP and everything else. For example, plenty of bottles of bleach. Traffic in the store at 9:30 am was very light.

But forget about disinfecting wipes. Empty shelves.

Went to Lowes later in the day for wood screws (no run on those!) and saw a guy with a cart of 8 to 10 tubes of wipes. Thanks for helping out your neighbors, hoarding buddy! I walked by the worker stocking these and asked what's up? He said they can't keep them in stock, and they'll all be gone in a few hours. He suggested I take one if I need 'em. We rarely use them, but I took one since we're out. I didn't take 10.

SIL works at a Chlorox plant. He and DD are currently on a ski vacation, and DD says that SIL is getting all sorts of emails about increasing production to meet demand. His response so far has been “not my problem until I return from vacation”

 

[W2R]

Yes, I still have a few subscriptions of paper magazines because it's much easier to fall asleep on the couch while attempting to read than in front of a screen.

I just awakened from another blissful nap on my new recliner (in front of my laptop screen, which is on a swivel table right in front of me). What a joy it has been for me. When I nap on it, I go to sleep so deeply that I barely know where I am when I awaken.

Just a thought.... Might not work for everybody though.

 

[gwraigty]

Funny you should mention that. I was supposed to be in Edinburgh helping my wife look after her sister after her open heart surgery. However, I woke up on Saturday with a sore throat and a cough so I drove DW up then drove back next morning. (SIL was still in hospital, back home yesterday). I have now been home long enough that I needed to do a wash load of clothes and the brand new washing machine has all sorts of knobs and whistles. DW uses an app on her phone to set the program and when to finish as we time the washer to run during the cheapest hours.

I had to contact her today to get trained on its use

Your washing machine sounds way more sophisticated than ours. Why doesn't it collect the dirty clothes and sort them, too?

I hope your condition remains mild.

 

[ls99]

Stopped at Wallymart on the way home from skaiting about 1 PM to pick up dishwasher tablets. Seemed like hardly any customers in the store. One or two customers at any checkout line. Usually 4 to 5 per line.

Guess no panic in SW PA as yet.

 

[gwraigty]

Went to Lowes later in the day for wood screws (no run on those!) and saw a guy with a cart of 8 to 10 tubes of wipes. Thanks for helping out your neighbors, hoarding buddy! I walked by the worker stocking these and asked what's up? He said they can't keep them in stock, and they'll all be gone in a few hours. He suggested I take one if I need 'em. We rarely use them, but I took one since we're out. I didn't take 10.

That's frustrating! I've been trying to buy responsibly. I've been going shopping about twice a week for the last few weeks stocking up. For example, I've bought one package of the largest package in toilet paper each week from Walmart. (I think their Great Value Premium in the blue is among the softest, if anyone cares. Watch, now I'm going to create a run on it.) I bought 2 family packages of $1.99 80/20 ground beef at Meijer a couple of weeks ago. (They have it on sale fairly often, so I usually only buy one package.) Yesterday it was on sale again, but I only bought one package, which gave me 3 more lbs. One woman already had 6 of the family packages in her cart and she was reaching for more. Sheesh! You get the picture.

But the oddest thing I saw was the woman with a totally empty cart in the cookie aisle. Oreo cookies were on sale for 2/$5 and she was loading up her cart with them. Really?

 

[Another Reader]

I just did an inventory.

65 rolls of Charmin, from the last Costco sweep a few months ago.

18 rolls of Bounty paper towels, also from Costco.

2 bottles of isopropyl alcohol, one half full.

Hydrogen peroxide - too old to use. Dumping those.

17 unused N-95 masks from the 2018 fires up north.

Think we are good.

 

[Another Reader]

That's frustrating! I've been trying to buy responsibly. I've been going shopping about twice a week for the last few weeks stocking up. For example, I've bought one package of the largest package in toilet paper each week from Walmart. (I think their Great Value Premium in the blue is among the softest, if anyone cares. Watch, now I'm going to create a run on it.) I bought 2 family packages of $1.99 80/20 ground beef at Meijer a couple of weeks ago. (They have it on sale fairly often, so I usually only buy one package.) Yesterday it was on sale again, but I only bought one package, which gave me 3 more lbs. One woman already had 6 of the family packages in her cart and she was reaching for more. Sheesh! You get the picture.

But the oddest thing I saw was the woman with a totally empty cart in the cookie aisle. Oreo cookies were on sale for 2/$5 and she was loading up her cart with them. Really?

And that's not even a great deal. $1.99 around here...

I will pass on the ground beef. It's ground zero for food contamination. Who knows who sneezed on it in the packing process?

Supposedly Angel Soft TP is on sale at Safeway this week. This morning a customer was asking when more would come in, as the store had none on the shelf. The cashier laughed and said it mysteriously disappears when it goes on sale and reappears when the sale is over. So not all shortages are due to panic buying.

 

[MRG]

But the oddest thing I saw was the woman with a totally empty cart in the cookie aisle. Oreo cookies were on sale for 2/$5 and she was loading up her cart with them. Really?

Despite the expiration date Oreos don't go bad. What better way to keep groups calm and happy than Oreos?

 

[Dtail]

I just awakened from another blissful nap on my new recliner (in front of my laptop screen, which is on a swivel table right in front of me). What a joy it has been for me. When I nap on it, I go to sleep so deeply that I barely know where I am when I awaken.

Just a thought.... Might not work for everybody though.

I know it is the Health thread, but the market goes way up today and you slept through it.
Please take more naps.

 

[cbo111]

It appears panic buying of toilet paper is an international phenomenon.

From the Australian BBC:

Looks like my decision to buy a couple Clear Rear Bidet's is going to pay off when all the TP runs out. They were easy to install, cost about $40 each, and really work. The only downside is the water is not heated because they are not electric. But they do work as advertised.

 

[Sunset]

I mentioned "mail" earlier, since that would be something I would have to deal with almost daily, even if I could stay hunkered down at home. I don't believe the microwave would be reliable for this, but maybe a regular oven or toaster oven would work with the right temperature and time since the virus doesn't live as long in the heat. I would prefer not opening any mail until it's been decontaminated inside and out......

That is a great idea, a quick check says a temp of 165 F will work, but one could probably use 200F to be safe (paper burns at 451F).

This would end up being a new HOT MAIL

 

[NW-Bound]

I have not found a study on high temperature effects on the COVID-19, but a study on the SARS virus shows SARS can be killed with a temperature as low as 56C or 133F.

What is notable though is that the SARS virus can stay viable for quite a long time in the normal home condition.

In the present study, we have demonstrated that SARS CoV can survive at least two weeks after drying at temperature and humidity conditions found in an air-conditioned environment. The virus is stable for 3 weeks at room temperature in a liquid environment but it is easily killed by heat at 56°C for 15 minutes...

See: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/av/2011/734690/.

 

[6miths]

Despite the expiration date Oreos don't go bad. What better way to keep groups calm and happy than Oreos?

Totally. Only thing better is combine them with the stuff that makes you crave them and that grows like a weed!

 

[explanade]

I have not found a study on high temperature effects on the COVID-19, but a study on the SARS virus shows SARS can be killed with a temperature as low as 56C or 133F.

What is notable though is that the SARS virus can stay viable for quite a long time in the normal home condition.




See: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/av/2011/734690/.

That's pretty hot.

So we have to use the oven to disinfect?