Wife had her second eye laser surgery for cataract yesterday. Ophthalmologist went over how her DIY cotton mask was probably more effective than the "vaunted" N95s due to the vent. My GP said the same thing last week and I noticed none of any of the doctors' staffs wore N95s.
If folks don't put an N95 on properly with a good seal, something few folks actually do correctly, then yes a cloth mask is more effective.
Both docs said its the vent that they feel negates the effectiveness.
Well when folks gown up with a known COVID-19 positive patient, they have N95s on or better, not the plain cloth or paper ones.
Interesting article on "Doing It Like A Boss" in the "Great White North" from the NYT. Reminiscent of the current situation in Maine where head of state CDC and governor working together to keep things pretty much in check, much to the dismay of many who care to ignore science. Complete article attached.
[SIZE=7]The Top Doctor Who Aced the Coronavirus Test[/SIZE]
Dr. Bonnie Henry kept the disease in check in British Columbia without harsh enforcement methods. Now, she is leading the way out of lockdown.
By [Catherine Port]('https://www.nytimes.com/by/catherine-porter')er
That Tuesday in March was the day Bonnie Henry had been preparing for her whole life.
Overnight, 83 people had tested positive for the novel coronavirus and three more had died. The pandemic had officially broken out in British Columbia.
Standing inside the provincial legislature’s press gallery, the preternaturally calm top doctor of Canada’s westernmost province declared a public health emergency. Under her orders and recommendations, schools closed, bars shuttered and social distancing measures were put in place.
“It seemed so surreal,” she said. “I felt like someone was standing on my chest.”
That day, March 17, Dr. Henry ended her presentation with a line that would become her trademark, and a mantra for many Canadians struggling to cope under a lockdown. It has since been hung in windows, painted on streets, printed on T-shirts, stitched on shoes, folded into songs and stamped on bracelets.
“This is our time to be kind,” she said in her slow and low-pitched voice that many call comforting, “to be calm and to be safe.”
In the next few months, Dr. Henry would prove to be one of the most effective public health officials in the world, with lessons for nations struggling to emerge from lockdowns.
While Ontario and Quebec, the two most populous provinces, are still grappling with hundreds of new cases every day, British Columbia has now reopened schools, restaurants and hair salons. This week, the province of five million reported fewer than 80 new cases.
“By all rights, British Columbia should have been clobbered,” said Colin Furness, an outspoken infection control epidemiologist in Toronto. The province is on the coast, above Washington State, he noted, with a large population that travels back and forth to China, where the outbreak began.
“They took decisive action, did it early without hesitation and communicated effectively,” Mr. Furness added. “People listened to her.”
Interesting snippets regarding impact of Blood Type on COVID infections. Just remember that a 50% increase in the LIKELIHOOD of something doesn't mean 50% will get that, just means that if your normal odds are 1:1000, your odds would be 1:750...
Preliminary results from more than 750,000 participants suggests type O blood is especially protective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the company said on Monday. The findings echo other research that has indicated a link between variations in the ABO gene and COVID-19.
***
Many other groups, including 23andMe competitor Ancestry Inc., are combing the genome to help make sense of the virus. It is known that factors such as age and underlying health conditions can determine how people fare once they’ve contracted COVID-19. But those factors alone don’t explain the wide diversity of symptoms, or why some people contract the disease and others don’t. Studying the genetics of the people who are more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 could help identify and protect those more at risk, as well as help speed treatment and drug development.
Several other studies looking at both severity of illness and susceptibility to disease have also suggested blood type plays a role.
***
Research published last week prior to peer review suggested blood type may play a role in the severity of patients’ reactions to SARS-CoV-2. That study looked at the genes of more than 1,600 patients in Italy and Spain who experienced respiratory failure and found that having type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood a patient would require a ventilator. An earlier Chinese study turned up similar results regarding a person’s susceptibility to COVID-19.
All the more reason that no one will be on my boat (if I launch) this summer except wifey, no one else will be in my pool, and no one will eat my marinated venison steaks off the barbie. I am A+
As am I. Admiral is "O" which is good to know...
[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/08/asymptomatic-coronavirus-patients-arent-spreading-new-infections-who-says.html?__source=twitter%7Cmain[/URL]
Jesus H........we're in the best of hands....
[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/09/world/coronavirus-updates.html[/URL]
For those of you who think we're getting close to attaining Herd Immunity, this graphic appeared in the NYTimes at the end of May, and no, the last few weeks haven't moved the estimates much.
The graphic estimates Herd Immunity to be attained at a minimum level of 60%. Some scientists, including myself, figure you need to be about 75% for a safer confirmation of Herd Immunity. Regardless, NOBODY NOWHERE is even close...
Lolol. This is classic. He couldn’t shut down a popcorn stand.
[URL unfurl="true"]https://nypost.com/2020/06/14/cuomo-threatens-to-shut-down-manhattan-hamptons-over-social-distancing/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&utm_source=pasteboard_app[/URL]
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