Coronavirus/COVID in the U. S. & Elsewhere

[Greg.D.]

I think the “online” functionality they had in place was never supposed to do more than augment classroom activities. The server power and bandwidth isn’t there so that teachers sit in front of their laptops with an integrated camera and start teaching. Probably would have needed to have invested in and built the platform starting long ago.

 

My sister teaches at a private - think expensive - college and they can’t do more than use the online classroom platform they’ve had all along. Basically asynchronous.

[danb]

A few years ago I was taking some classes at a local tech college. Some of the classes had some online apps that were to supplement our regular classes. I don't particularly like change but was very interested in seeing what the "youth" of America had available to them as far as online learning. I think one of the apps was called chalkboard. It mostly offer the ability to exchange info between student to student, student to group, and student to professor. It wasn't live. I am sure we could post links to the chat but there was no live chat features. I wasn't that impressed with the apps.This was about 3 or 4 years ago. I am sure or at least hope that the apps have progressed and evolved more by now. Some of the guys at work are now having to help their kids at home. One said that he hates google classroom and another said that he had to do relearn how to do fractions. Another one have a son in kindergarten. His son is expected to read, do music, PE and other activities. His older daughter is supposed to do activities and then post a video of the activities. His daughter is about 10 years old. Another coworker says that his daughter just get written instructions about work assignments. So I guess there is a range of what is offered as far as online learning.

[danb]

To change the subject a bit. I was wondering if anyone have bought any/use UV disinfectant lights. Are they any good? Do they work? Are they effective against germs, such as the ones that are associated with Covid-19? I was looking around the net. Found some info but still know only a little about them. I went to Amazon and actually bought a light setup. It had a corn light bulb, a remote, and timer setup. It took me the longest time to figure out what a corn light bulb was. It looks like a "corn on the cob"!! The whole setup costs about $90. There is about a 2 or 3 week wait time for it . Most of the ones I saw on Amazon sound like they were being sold by Chinese companies. Many of them used a UV-C bulb. The bulb emits light at a frequency around 230 nm. From what I can gather, there are a variety of frequency give off by off UV bulbs. UV-B and UV-A. They must be used with caution. The light is not good for our eyes and the light can cause sunburns. I wonder how effective they can be and if they can be used safely. Amazon offered some disinfectant lights ( purple colored) for home and home water systems. The prices of those units were around 120 to 220 dollars.But most of them were sold out. ( That is why I bought the 90 dollars light. I thought they might sell out also...TP syndrome). I would like to get some opinions on these lites. I just had an afterthought. I wonder if I could used the lights to disinfect my CPAP tubes. I just got a CPAP unit about 2 weeks ago. What do you guys think? Danb

 

PS found this article on UV lights safety tips:

 

https://www2.lbl.gov/ehs/safety/nir/assets/docs/uv/Germicidal%20lamp%20safety%20tips.pdf

Edited March 29, 2020 by danb (see edit history)

[Bert]

 

To change the subject a bit. I was wondering if anyone have bought any/use UV disinfectant lights. Are they any good? Do they work? Are they effective against germs, such as the ones that are associated with Covid-19? I was looking around the net. Found some info but still know only a little about them. I went to Amazon and actually bought a light setup. It had a corn light bulb, a remote, and timer setup. It took me the longest time to figure out what a corn light bulb was. It looks like a "corn on the cob"!! The whole setup costs about $90. There is about a 2 or 3 week wait time for it . Most of the ones I saw on Amazon sound like they were being sold by Chinese companies. Many of them used a UV-C bulb. The bulb emits light at a frequency around 230 nm. From what I can gather, there are a variety of frequency give off by off UV bulbs. UV-B and UV-A. They must be used with caution. The light is not good for our eyes and the light can cause sunburns. I wonder how effective they can be and if they can be used safely. Amazon offered some disinfectant lights ( purple colored) for home and home water systems. The prices of those units were around 120 to 220 dollars.But most of them were sold out. ( That is why I bought the 90 dollars light. I thought they might sell out also...TP syndrome). I would like to get some opinions on these lites. I just had an afterthought. I wonder if I could used the lights to disinfect my CPAP tubes. I just got a CPAP unit about 2 weeks ago. What do you guys think? Danb

 

PS found this article on UV lights safety tips:

 

https://www2.lbl.gov/ehs/safety/nir/assets/docs/uv/Germicidal%20lamp%20safety%20tips.pdf

 

 

I did the same thing. I found one that I was going to buy. I had been following it for days and none had sold. Then I go to buy it and it's no longer available. It's the one with ten trays on Amazon. There are several versions of it and Amazon has some in stock. I don't have confidence in the UVC LED sterilizers.

 

UVC lights do work, but it takes several minutes. They are dangerous and that is why I haven't bought an unshielded one. I'm afraid my six-year-old would get hold of it. In the meantime, I found information on Far UV from steriray.com. It sterilizes in seconds and is supposed to be a 1000 times more effective and is not hazardous to the skin or eyes. The catch? It's not available. There are supposed to be available in a couple of months. They will be taking pre-orders in a week or so. Right now, they are handmade. The inventor just says they will be very expensive because they are handmade. It seems legit. I'm on the list for a wand. If I can afford it, I will buy one. They do or will make one for HVAC systems and rooms.

 

I imagine that your light will work for your CPAP machine provided that LEDs do work and all angles are covered. I thought about buying the light you bought and putting a box lined with aluminum foil over the top of it. I have to wear a mask per my wife. Eventually, we will run out and I will need a way to sterilize the masks. I have seen a study that shows that it works. It allows 1.25% more penetration and it weakens the elastic bands. Sounds plausible to use UVC.

[Greg.D.]

They work and (to add to the above post) need a direct line of sight to affect the target microorganism/virus. So, the tubes are about 1 inch in diameter? Don't think it would work there. I would be thinking bleach, not knowing the fine details.

 

Your bulb might be LED? Bert says he is suspicious about some aspect of them.

 

I think you could use your lamp to sterilize your Amazon packages and groceries.

 

Don't look at it.

[Martin B]

Anyone go out shopping recently? I made a run to Costco as well as our local supermarket today. I called both places beforehand and was told they were having a slow day.

 

Both stores were well-stocked and pretty empty. There were 5 open cash registers at Costco, and when I went to pay, all 5 were open. Similar situation at the supermarket - the supermarket even had Lysol wipes in stock. We're now back up to 2+ weeks of food.

[danb]

I went to steriray.com and tried to get a price of a unit but they required information such as email, name and address, etc and that was several of their products. They looks expensive. That site did have have some interesting info. The bulb that I bought was an Led bulb. The plan was to use the time and remote control feature of the unit.and run it for about 20 minutes or so during the day. No one is at home doing the day. As far as the CPAP sterilization deal I was thinking about putting it into a large storage bin. One of those 20 gallon storage bins that they sell at home depot. I also was planning of buying some UV googles. I am not sure if I am getting out of control with the disinfection lighting but for 100-125 bucks I can give it a try. Thank you for all your comments.

 

I went shopping yesterday. My grocery store had empty shelves and was out of several items that I wanted. Also the number of people who died with the Covid-19 in the US doubled today ( in less than 3 days). The total number is now over 2300 people. We seem to be trying to play catch up. Wish we could get a head of this situation. We knew about this problem in January and it is almost April.

[Allon]

Well our fearless leader extended the social distance and go out rule to the end of April. And he said if we end up with even 100,000 deaths we will have done a good job.

Any volunteers for the 100,000?

[amberjack1234]

Not me for sure. I'm old but I still have some living to do if I am allowed.

[Randy W]

The situation in India looks horrible.

 

from Al Jazeera English on Facebook

 

https://www.facebook.com/7382473689/posts/10158703975543690/

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/7382473689/posts/10158703975543690/

[Randy W]

from the Business Insider

 

There is hope: All the reasons to be optimistic about the end of the coronavirus crisis

 

• The coronavirus crisis is coming to an end in China.
• Even Italy appears to have stunted the momentum of the disease.
• Here are all the reasons to be optimistic.

[Randy W]

from Al Jazeera English, on Facebook. India

 

This is similar to how they handle traffic offenses. I remember sitting in a car (as a passenger), with 4 security guards stationed around it, ready to bash out our lights with one false move. My English driver had repeatedly run a security checkpoint when leaving the HBJ Pipeline plant near Guna.

 

https://www.facebook.com/7382473689/posts/10158686869678690/

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/7382473689/posts/10158686869678690/

[Allon]

Not in the US. Our fearless leader has said we we will be "doing good" to keep the peak at 100,000 in the next month. We have not hit the curve yet.

[Greg.D.]

Hysterical headline of the day?

 

New estimates show 25% to 50% of coronavirus carriers don't even have symptoms and can infect others blindly

 

(CNN) More data showing people without symptoms are fueling the spread of coronavirus have top officials rethinking whether the general public should be wearing masks. New data out of Iceland shows 50% of those who tested positive said they were asymptomatic. In the US, an estimated 25% of coronavirus carriers have no symptoms, said the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "One of the (pieces of) information that we have pretty much confirmed now is that a significant number of individuals that are infected actually remain asymptomatic. That may be as many as 25%," CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told NPR.

So, what makes somebody infectious? You need more than some amount of viral load, you need to be expelling the inoculum in an amount, form and location such that another person can become infected by it. So, we know coronavirus can can be peed and pooped out and, thus, the gold standard fecal-oral transmission route may come into play. We don't know anything about contraction of Covid-19 by this method. We do know from SARS 1 that transmission via the plumbing of apartment buildings in Hong Kong occurred.

 

So, prior to this blockbuster announcement by the head of the CDC (famous for having said something stupid that gave China a weak excuse to say the Wuhan virus is from the US), we have long known that people can be infected but also asymptomatic. This is nothing extraordinary: you can have an infection but not be sick. Happens all the time.

But, we have long said that, regarding coronavirus-19, to get sick you probably need somebody to cough or sneeze (or something other violent expulsion of crud) nearby, or previously into their hand, etc. Had to come from the lungs in "droplet" form - which is the virus maybe associated with protective moisture, sputum, from the infected lung.

Oh, and we said kids can be infected but almost never symptomatic. But, really, a cough from an adult gasping for air through heavily infected lungs is quantitatively different from normal respiration in your presence by someone with minor proliferation of virus in their airspace. The ability to infect another is correlated with symptoms - esp pulmonary distress - and viral load.

 

Now, there are people like myself who are so used to coughing, blocked sinus, etc that we may not self-report as having signs or symptoms of an infection - sure, they can communicate coronavirus to you and later, in hindsight, realize they were having symptoms at the time.

Infecting people blindly? Nice headline.

CDC: sadly, as has been the case this year, too little, too late

[eseum]

Costco is enacting new rules to limit crowding in its stores. Starting Friday, April 3, "Costco will allow no more than two people to enter the warehouse with each membership card," the company said in a statement. Doesn't seem like much of an effort, but then I don't go to Costco, so maybe it is a bigger deal than I think.

 

Gas prices at some of the stations here in Las Vegas have gone down. The lowest price I've seen so far is $2.35 a gallon, which is what you would expect with the price of oil and lowered usage. However, I've seen three stations actually raise their prices by more than ten cents. Don't know if their trying to discourage business or what.

 

There has been a steady increase of people going for walks at the park where my wife and I go. There were ten besides us this morning. So my wife is now wanting to get up earlier and go when there will likely be fewer people. That's fine with me.