Face Mask for Corona?

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Forget face masks and rubber gloves. The best way to avoid the coronavirus is frequent hand washing, according to a medical adviser to the world’s airlines.The virus can’t survive long on seats or armrests, so physical contact with another person carries the greatest risk of infection on a flight, said David Powell, a physician and medical adviser to the International Air Transport Association. Masks and gloves do a better job of spreading bugs than stopping them, he said.

Q: What’s important if you are on a plane to ensure you don’t get infected?

A: Hand hygiene -- because contrary to what people think, the hands are the way that these viruses most efficiently spread. Top of the list is frequent hand washing, hand sanitizing, or both. Avoid touching your face. If you cough or sneeze, it’s important to cover your face with a sleeve. Better yet, a tissue to be disposed of carefully, and then sanitizing the hands afterward. Washing your hands and drying them is the best procedure. When that’s not easy to do, alcohol-based sanitizer is a good second-best.

Q: Does wearing masks and gloves help prevent infections?

A: First of all, masks. There’s very limited evidence of benefit, if any, in a casual situation. Masks are useful for those who are unwell to protect other people from them. But wearing a mask all the time will be ineffective. It will allow viruses to be transmitted around it, through it and worse still, if it becomes moist it will encourage the growth of viruses and bacteria. Gloves are probably even worse, because people put on gloves and then touch everything they would have touched with their hands. So it just becomes another way of transferring micro-organisms. And inside the gloves, your hands get hot and sweaty, which is a really good environment for microbes to grow.

Coronavirus: As the Threat Grows, It’s Time to Prepare By Carolyn Nicolaysen · February 25, 2020

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Both fear and apathy seem to be growing when considering the coronavirus (COVID-19). What is the latest, should we be concerned and what should we be doing? ...

“As we’ve seen from recent countries with community spread, when it has hit those countries, it has moved quite rapidly. We want to make sure the American public is prepared. As more and more countries experience community spread, successful containment at our borders becomes harder and harder,” said Nancy Messonnier, director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

The CDC urged American businesses and families to start preparing for the possibility of a bigger outbreak. Messonnier advised parents to ask their children’s schools about plans for closures, businesses to consider whether they can offer telecommuting options to their employees, and hospitals to look into expanding telehealth services. She also said, “we as a family ought to be preparing for significant disruption to our lives.”

Be Ready to Self-Quarantine

In Case of a Community Health Emergency: Be Ready to Self-Quarantine

By Carolyn Nicolaysen · October 15, 2019

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There is a limit to what government or the health care community can do in advance of a pandemic outbreak. The U.S. Federal Government, the World Health Organization, and others are monitoring the flu, as well as other pandemic threats closely. The United States has active national as well as international programs for manufacturing, pre-positioning, and stockpiling antiviral drugs, masks, and other supplies. A lesson we have learned from the response to hurricanes, floods, and the destruction caused by tornadoes and earthquakes, we need to be prepared to care for all our own needs.

In the United States, former Secretary Leavitt of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) has stated that “any community [or individual] that fails to prepare—with the expectation that the federal government can come to the rescue—will be tragically wrong” (April 10, 2006).

Stock up on:

·         N95 particulate face masks.

·         Paper plates, cup, bowls, and utensils will cut down on the possibility that germs will be passed as meals are cleared. They will also save precious time for those who are the care givers and a must have should the power fail.

·         Paper towels, become essential items for keeping your home germ free.

·         Large plastic trash bags for soiled clothing, towels, and trash.

·         Bleach and/or hydrogen peroxide for laundry and cleaning, and other disinfectant cleaning supplies should be stored now.

·         Prescription drugs to insure a continuous supply in your home. You may ask your doctor if he has samples or can help you to lawfully prepare. This is especially important for medications such as insulin that cannot be rationed.

·         Nonprescription drugs including pain and fever relievers, stomach remedies, anti- diarrhea medications, and cough and cold medicines and preventive medications.

·         Remember, never give young children aspirin. Purchase medications specifically designed for children.

·         Fluids with electrolytes.

·         Anti-bacterial wipes for cleaning up after attending to a patient.

·         Hand sanitizers. These should be used every time you are with someone who is ill or after you shake hands with anyone.

Whether you are trying to prevent disease or prevent it from spreading, you will want to take precautions in every aspect of your family routine. Now is the time to start by teaching and practicing good habits.

Avoid shaking hands with someone who is ill, begin the habit now. If this is impossible, thoroughly wash your hands as soon as possible or use a hand sanitizer.

Decide now which room in your home will be used to care for those who are ill. A room with its own bathroom is the best. You will want to keep a patient as far away from healthy family members as possible. Be sure to have several sets of sheets for the bed or beds in that room.