“If 80% of Americans Wore Masks, COVID-19 Infections Would Plummet.” Good, hard science. If you’re not wearing a mask, I don’t want to be within 20 feet of you. Stay the fuck away.
Category Archives: Health & Medicine
RAYGUN makes clever face masks
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“If you don’t solve the biology, the economy won’t recover”
This is the best thing I’ve read so far on knowing and avoiding the risks of COVID-19. The author is Erin S. Bromage, Ph.D., an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Dr. Bromage graduated from the School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences James Cook University, Australia where his research focused on the epidemiology of, and immunity to, infectious disease in animals.
Dr. Bromage’s research focuses on the evolution of the immune system, the immunological mechanisms responsible for protection from infectious disease, and the design and use of vaccines to control infectious disease in animals. He also focuses on designing diagnostic tools to detect biological and chemical threats in the environment in real-time.
This short article was packed with useful information. One of my favorites:
“We know most people get infected in their own home. A household member contracts the virus in the community and brings it into the house where sustained contact between household members leads to infection.”
You can download (PDF) the full article here.
If someone can see you, mask up.
Katie Notopoulos, writing BuzzFeed’s How To Plague advice column:
“A good way to gauge the amount of distance where it’s OK to dangle your mask around your neck or off one ear is to imagine your mouth is your asshole. If you were completely alone, it would be fine to let your nude tushy hang out, but you’d want to pull on your pants as soon as you saw anyone coming, even from 100 feet away. Basically, if someone can see you, mask up.”
Custom mask by Tonya Lear.
Why you should wear a facemask
- If we all run around naked and someone pees on you, you get wet right away.
- If you are wearing pants, some pee will get through, but not as much. So you are better protected.
- But if the guy who pees also is wearing pants, the pee stays with him and you do not get wet.
Yuval Noah Harari: COVID-19’s Impact on Humankind
I’ve read all three of Yuval Noah Harari’s books and found them… interesting, to say the least. I’ve been eager to hear his take on COVID-19 and was a little surprised to get it from an interview by James Corden, who I think of as a late-late-night comedian. But his questions were brief and to the point and he allowed his guest to answer the questions without interrupting.
“ambulatory sacks of virus”
“Anyone else getting a bit … relaxed about all this? I say this as someone who washes his hands after reading about COVID-19, because all hypochondriacs know you can get something just by perusing a list of symptoms. But have we become, let’s say, slightly less alarmed? You keep your distance from the other ambulatory sacks of virus, previously known as “people,” and you don’t feel all that anxious.”
“Of course, that’s the last thing we should be. We should be determined to hunker as long as it takes.”
The same thing at the same time
“There’s never been a time in modern human history when every person is seriously worried about the same thing at the same time. And there’s never before been a ubiquitous threat that can be so instantly broadcast to a world of 7.8 billion people.”
— David Ropeik, consultant on risk management and former instructor in risk communication at the Harvard School of Public Health
We are all connected
MU Health Care using Zoom for “virtual care”
A couple of weeks ago Barb called the clinic where our GP practices (part of the MU Health Center) to report a persistent cough. None of the other symptoms but she wanted to play it safe. The nurse she spoke with explained they were using video visit for initial screening and sent her to the MU Health Care website. She was able to get online with a physician who quickly determined she wasn’t experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. (Even had her use the light on her iPhone to let the doc look at her throat.)
This service was provided by a third-party entity with whom the med center had contracted to take some of the load off their physicians. And it was well done, in Barb’s (former ICU nurse) opinion. Today we received a notice from MU Health Connect, the med center’s online portal:
“For patients who prefer to avoid public places or traveling during this time, we offer virtual care as a secure option. Using Zoom software, appointments can be completed from your phone, tablet or computer.”
Hmm. They were not using Zoom when Barb had her consultation. Since then, Barb has used Zoom almost daily, like a bunch of people. What’s going on? Are MU docs now doing “video visits?”
They are. According to my well-placed source, the feds modified their billing guidelines, so MU docs can do a zoom call and charge like a regular visit. That was a big barrier in the past. AND, all the other MUHC administrative friction disappeared quickly with COVID.