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Excellent article dispelling myths about the novel coronavirus

GreatNews2night

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This article is truly excellent; it should help in terms of correcting the misinformation some people are posting:

13 Coronavirus myths busted by science | Live Science

The one thing it doesn't address, is how many people are expected to catch the coronavirus in the United States. It does suggest that it is more than the flu since it is more contagious and there is no vaccine. But I've seen numbers varying from 20% to 40% to a catastrophic 70% of the US population, which appears far-fetched.

The current flu has infected about 28 million people in the United States, this season. Knowing that the coronavirus is twice as infectious as the flu, we might see numbers in the 50 million people. Or not, maybe it will fizzle in the summer. But it could be back in the fall.
 
The infectious disease specialist at our local and somewhat prestigious university predicted that approximately half of the population would get it. I actually have a moderate amount of faith that the government - aside from Trump - will handle this fairly well and the number will be closer to 20-30% of the population.

But what really bothers me is that on one hand there's a pandemic being underplayed for political gain, and on the other hand my family acts like we're all going to die. Is it too much to ask to prepare for the worst and hope for the best? It's not like we can control the situation other than writing to our local representative requesting state resources are appropriately allocated to preventing the worst case scenario. Thanks for the article, although I take issue with #1. The face masks I have had for years are flush to my face, they're simple little rectangular things. I don't know how that changes things.
 
This article is truly excellent; it should help in terms of correcting the misinformation some people are posting:

13 Coronavirus myths busted by science | Live Science

The one thing it doesn't address, is how many people are expected to catch the coronavirus in the United States. It does suggest that it is more than the flu since it is more contagious and there is no vaccine. But I've seen numbers varying from 20% to 40% to a catastrophic 70% of the US population, which appears far-fetched.

The current flu has infected about 28 million people in the United States, this season. Knowing that the coronavirus is twice as infectious as the flu, we might see numbers in the 50 million people. Or not, maybe it will fizzle in the summer. But it could be back in the fall.

China has 1.6 Billion people and has infected as far as we know about 118,000 people. And it's slowing.. LiveScience isn't a great spot for real science news, they are journalists, and we all know journalists aren't particularly good at interpreting the science into news.


Tim-
 
China has 1.6 Billion people and has infected as far as we know about 118,000 people. And it's slowing.. LiveScience isn't a great spot for real science news, they are journalists, and we all know journalists aren't particularly good at interpreting the science into news.


Tim-

And what's your point? China put cities bigger than NYC under a more or less universal quarantine. I read they enforced it with drones, that could then lecture you to get off the street and back to your apartment. Those drastic efforts appeared to limit the spread.

At any rate, who should we be trusting. Any links? Nothing in that article I saw contradicted the experts I've seen write on the subject.
 
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China has 1.6 Billion people and has infected as far as we know about 118,000 people. And it's slowing.. LiveScience isn't a great spot for real science news, they are journalists, and we all know journalists aren't particularly good at interpreting the science into news.


Tim-

It's slowing in China because of an authoritarian regime doing a lockdown. Over here, no lockdown, so, might spread more.

Journalists or not, the information matches the scientific sources I've been consulting. Instead of posting several scientific journal articles, I posted this good summary.

Masks: we found an article saying that regular surgical face masks still protect some 45% if poorly fit (you are less likely to touch your nose and mouth if you wear one) and more than 90% if fit, the N95 much higher, 65% if poorly fit and 99.2% if well fit.

I think the push to say they don't help is biased, it is to avoid people buying them too much and health care workers not having them. It's paradoxical when they say "they don't help" and "we need them available to health care workers."

I finally found online a pack of 10 N95 masks, 3M, good quality, will be delivered today. I'll have to shave my beard and try to make it fit.
 
It's slowing in China because of an authoritarian regime doing a lockdown. Over here, no lockdown, so, might spread more.

Journalists or not, the information matches the scientific sources I've been consulting. Instead of posting several scientific journal articles, I posted this good summary.

Masks: we found an article saying that regular surgical face masks still protect some 45% if poorly fit (you are less likely to touch your nose and mouth if you wear one) and more than 90% if fit, the N95 much higher, 65% if poorly fit and 99.2% if well fit.

I think the push to say they don't help is biased, it is to avoid people buying them too much and health care workers not having them. It's paradoxical when they say "they don't help" and "we need them available to health care workers."

I finally found online a pack of 10 N95 masks, 3M, good quality, will be delivered today. I'll have to shave my beard and try to make it fit.

The advice I've seen is that as a general prophylactic, they don't work well, mostly because the vast majority won't wear them correctly or for long periods because they're uncomfortable and restrict breathing if fitted correctly, and we all have a bad tendency to touch our face with or without the mask. So they ARE recommended if dealing with a sick person, or if you are sick to block your own germs, but not for general public use by healthy people, say at the grocery store. There, being diligent about hand washing and all the rest is more effective than the mask.

And if your mask actually blocks the virus, the outside of it is now covered in infectious virus, so those wearing it have to not touch the outside, or if they do, wash hands immediately, then again after taking it off, and storing it so the outside doesn't spread the disease, then after putting it back on. So it's really difficult to get right unless treated as one use disposables.
 
The advice I've seen is that as a general prophylactic, they don't work well, mostly because the vast majority won't wear them correctly or for long periods because they're uncomfortable and restrict breathing if fitted correctly, and we all have a bad tendency to touch our face with or without the mask. So they ARE recommended if dealing with a sick person, or if you are sick to block your own germs, but not for general public use by healthy people, say at the grocery store. There, being diligent about hand washing and all the rest is more effective than the mask.

And if your mask actually blocks the virus, the outside of it is now covered in infectious virus, so those wearing it have to not touch the outside, or if they do, wash hands immediately, then again after taking it off, and storing it so the outside doesn't spread the disease, then after putting it back on. So it's really difficult to get right unless treated as one use disposables.

All very true.

I was reading an article in foreign language so I won't quote it, but it is admirable how Italians are behaving. I guess there was initial panic but now everybody is following instructions and cooperating. The stay home, work from home if possible, take elevators one person at a time, go to grocery stores with one person per aisle and loudspeakers keep repeating instructions to avoid being less than 2 meters from others, the report is that people are being compassionate and taking care of each other and of the more vulnerable ones.

Civilization is a beautiful thing. There are many good things in Europe. I'm a dual citizen of one of the European Union countries and the United States, and I do love Europe. It doesn't mean I want to quit the United States and live there (I did live there for several years in the past) but I do love how much more civilized it seems at times.
 
All very true.

I was reading an article in foreign language so I won't quote it, but it is admirable how Italians are behaving. I guess there was initial panic but now everybody is following instructions and cooperating. The stay home, work from home if possible, take elevators one person at a time, go to grocery stores with one person per aisle and loudspeakers keep repeating instructions to avoid being less than 2 meters from others, the report is that people are being compassionate and taking care of each other and of the more vulnerable ones.

Civilization is a beautiful thing. There are many good things in Europe. I'm a dual citizen of one of the European Union countries and the United States, and I do love Europe. It doesn't mean I want to quit the United States and live there (I did live there for several years in the past) but I do love how much more civilized it seems at times.

Yeah it's probably true. The US is really still a wild west cowboy nation at heart. It lacks some of the refinement, culture, and civilization that you tend to feel in many parts of Europe. That has its pluses and minuses.
 
I finally found online a pack of 10 N95 masks, 3M, good quality, will be delivered today. I'll have to shave my beard and try to make it fit.

Where did you find them?

I'm here trying to make my own using HEPA filters and sewing cloth together.
 
China has 1.6 Billion people and has infected as far as we know about 118,000 people. And it's slowing.. LiveScience isn't a great spot for real science news, they are journalists, and we all know journalists aren't particularly good at interpreting the science into news.


Tim-

The problem is that we can not do what China has done as far as forcing people to stay home. Also we do not know if China is giving us good info.
 
China has 1.6 Billion people and has infected as far as we know about 118,000 people. And it's slowing.. LiveScience isn't a great spot for real science news, they are journalists, and we all know journalists aren't particularly good at interpreting the science into news.


Tim-

Depends on your time frame. A lot of people don't have cancer who will eventually get it. Same sort of thing.
 
Online store called lifeandhome.com

I found no 3M N95 masks. Some heavy duty paint respirators with p100 and some N95 replacement cartridges.

What's the exact name of the product?
 
I found no 3M N95 masks. Some heavy duty paint respirators with p100 and some N95 replacement cartridges.

What's the exact name of the product?

Maybe it's sold out.

3M 8511 N95 Particulate Respirator Dust Mask with Cool Flow Valve, 10-Pack
 
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