[mvadg]

Reusing masks.
https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/20...r-masks-safely
TLDR - HEAT MASKS IN A DRY OVEN AT 70 DEG CENTIGRADE FOR 30 MINUTES

thebeijinger.com How to Reuse and Dispose of Your Masks Safely Tom Arnstein, Managing Editor | Feb 18, 2020 8:30 am | 2 comments | 21175 reads 4-5 minutes Now that we've ascertained that pollution masks can filter out particles 10 times smaller than the coronavirus, what about best practices when it comes to reusing masks and disposing of them properly? Reusing masks Concerns with reusing masks arise when you consider two factors: Is the mask safe to reuse once it has worn outside and come into contact with possible contaminants, and will the mask continue to properly filter the air after being washed? Regarding the first point, it does appear that reusing a mask is safe as long as you handle them correctly (more on that under disposing of masks below) and the filtration mechanism has not been compromised. According to this post from International Medical Center (IMC) Beijing, "The mechanism of filtration is mainly inertial collision, diffusion, and electrostatic adsorption. The premise of using the mask again after disinfection is that the sterilized mask can neither affect the free circulation of air nor destroy the filtering mechanism of the mask." The post then outlines several ways that you can wash a mask, including: Oven dry heat disinfection Alcohol spraying disinfection Steamer wet heat disinfection High temperature and high-pressure disinfection Ultraviolet disinfection Of these options, IMC Beijing concludes that oven-dry disinfection (heating at 70 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes) had the least damaging effect on the filtering mechanism, allowing filtration of particles to remain at above 95 percent. Meanwhile, alcohol spraying disinfection and steamer wet heat disinfection either caused irreparable damage to the mask's filtration abilities or to the structure of the mask itself. Despite COVID-19 being sensitive to ultraviolet rays, IMC states that "the inactivation effect of viruses in mask fibers, which cannot be directly observed, is unknown. Therefore, [ultraviolet disinfection] is not recommended." Although it is often advised that you do not reuse disposable medical masks, a joint study from Fudan University Shanghai Medical College and Ministry of Education/Medical Molecular Virology Laboratory of Health Committee and School of Public Health, recently found that disposable medical masks can be disinfected after use by placing them in a ziplock bag and blasting them with an electric hair dryer for 30 minutes (also a way to kill time). This method should not affect the mask's original filtration while inactivating any virus particles that may be present. Disposing of masks Because your mask may have become contaminated after use (it is, after all, filtering the air or stopping the spread of the virus if you yourself have it), you should ensure that you dispose of it correctly after use. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that you always wash your hands prior to putting on your mask to reduce potential contamination. You should also refrain from touching your mask once it is on and wash or sanitize your hands afterward if you do. The WHO also recommends replacing your mask should it become overly wet or humid. To remove the mask, touch only the straps and pull from around your ears or head. Ideally, you'll discard the mask in a medical waste bin (like the yellow ones found in hospitals), but if you do not have that luxury, fold the mask as depicted in the pictures below before throwing it in a general waste bin and cap the bin with a lid. Wash your hands immediately after throwing the mask away. How to best dispose of you mask If you need more tips on how to wear your mask properly or when to wear a mask (basically whenever you leave your apartment), see this post by Beijing United Family. READ: Government Launches Service to Help Unmask China's Mask Scammers Image: Hong Kong Living, Beijing United Family Hospital

[vikramvicky1984]

I have a feeling this thread is going to get locked soon

Please don’t digress or get into blame games on politicians , China or religion or anyone- it’s happening all over TV, Twitter and Facebook. Please continue there.

Some of us visit this thread for source of authentic and reliable information, news and advice. Let it be so

[AZT]

Originally Posted by vikramvicky1984

I have a feeling this thread is going to get locked soon

Please don’t digress or get into blame games on politicians , China or religion or anyone- it’s happening all over TV, Twitter and Facebook. Please continue there.

Some of us visit this thread for source of authentic and reliable information, news and advice. Let it be so

I think the Mods are on it removing spam posts You are correct about this being the go to source for many people for reliable Covid - 19 updates.

[DCEite]

Guys,

All said and done, can we still Flatten the curve ? Atleast before the current lockdown ends ?

Given the recent developments (not taking names of any particular community or religion), howsoever unfortunate,shameful and criminal it was, the need of the hour is to keep our focus on containing spread of the disease further.

Where are we with respect to other countries in terms of rate of increase ?

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Guys,



Where are we with respect to other countries in terms of rate of increase ?

I think India is among the slowest to get to 1000 cases. So probably what ever is being done is working!

[akhil_007]

Originally Posted by vibbs

I think India is among the slowest to get to 1000 cases. So probably what ever is being done is working!

Purely talking from statistics point of view, no of deaths is around 50. We should consider that and say we have lowest deaths due to corona.

There will be lot of arguments on positive cases being artificially kept low. But deaths can't be hidden in our country. Using that as a barometer would not lead to controversies

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by DCEite

Guys,

All said and done, can we still Flatten the curve ? Atleast before the current lockdown ends ?

Given the recent developments (not taking names of any particular community or religion), howsoever unfortunate,shameful and criminal it was, the need of the hour is to keep our focus on containing spread of the disease further.

Where are we with respect to other countries in terms of rate of increase ?

Today has been worse. I expect a couple of days may again smooth out the curve (hopefully). To do nothing is not an option. The basic curve was to be an exponential increase, we are now only marginally better. Otherwise stronger measures (whatever they are) will come.

Ms Kapoor is having repeated positives (4 or 5 to date). They look for a marker in the blood. Does she have another condition? Then the marker will misbehave.

[vivek95]

Young male travelled from an affected country to Mumbai 20 days back. He followed the home quarantine rules strictly, did not venture out even once. He had no symptoms whatsoever all these days. However, due to fear alone, he got tested himself for COVID-19 on day 21 from a reputed private lab in Mumbai and turns out he is "positive" ! The number of family members who came in contact with him are 7, including his kid and elderly parents.

Another young fellow whom we examined, a local resident, with absolutely no travel or contact history, but with symptoms also tested "positive".

I shared these cases just to let you all understand, where India stands -- yes, right there, bang on that highest pointing tip of the iceberg !

-- Dr. Vivek

[TROOPER]

Link to official website of MCGM with all info and tracking of Covid-19 for Mumbai.

Special feature is the list of containment zones on the map

http://stopcoronavirus.mcgm.gov.in/insights-on-map

[vsathyap]

Can the experts and doctors advise on how to handle groceries and vegetables, fruits, flowers, green leafy vegetables, etc? These things pass through a lot of hands before they make their way into our homes. Will a simple cold water wash suffice for vegetable and fruit? What about packed stuff like biscuits chips etc? What if someone with covid has coughed or sneezed on these items?

[ninjatalli]

Five containment zones created across Mumbai city, putting entire neighbourhoods and buildings in lockdown with cops raising barricades and regulating movement of residents in and out.



The BMC with the help of the police created five containment zones – the biggest at where 11 residents have tested positive so far, followed by a chawl in Prabhadevi with 12 cases, Jambhlipada in Kalina and Bimbisar Nagar in Goregaon with three cases each and Lokhandwala in Kandivali and Neelkanth Regent in Ghatkopar with two cases each.

The BMC is now carrying extensive door-to-door screening at all the five locations and every single resident and people in physical contact with them are being screened. Cops are monitoring all roads leading to these containment zones and only residents and authorised health workers have been provided access. Society members said they have been told the restriction on movement will remain in force to two weeks.

Source Article: Link

Damn, that Neelkanth Regent building is just half a km from my place; I'd actually been considering as one of the options to move in some time back.

But this is a good move; if the BMC is able to figure out smaller and smaller hotspots to contain and manage the infection spread. I just hope the residents in those areas are not facing issues in their day to day requirements.

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by vivek95

Young male travelled from an affected country to Mumbai 20 days back. He followed the home quarantine rules strictly, did not venture out even once. He had no symptoms whatsoever all these days. However, due to fear alone, he got tested himself for COVID-19 on day 21 from a reputed private lab in Mumbai and turns out he is "positive" ! The number of family members who came in contact with him are 7, including his kid and elderly parents.

Another young fellow whom we examined, a local resident, with absolutely no travel or contact history, but with symptoms also tested "positive".

I shared these cases just to let you all understand, where India stands -- yes, right there, bang on that highest pointing tip of the iceberg !

-- Dr. Vivek

Doc, my heart sank the moment I read that post! Wonder how many people could be infected by this one guy. He was quarantined but his family members were not!

:(

My worry for my parents and family back in India grows. More so since I am not with them!

[motorworks]

Unfortunately the situation in India is going to get far worse in the coming days. With more awareness leading to higher number of tests and also higher cases, we are now seeing cases of 100-200 everyday for the last 2-3 days. When a less densely populated country like U.S.A could end up with nearly 2 lakh cases in less than 2-3 weeks, im scared to even think of the possibilities in India. I think whats keeping our numbers so low is the hideously low testing and penetration of general awareness.

[AltoLXI]

Originally Posted by vivek95

He had no symptoms whatsoever all these days. However, due to fear alone, he got tested himself for COVID-19 on day 21 from a reputed private lab in Mumbai and turns out he is "positive"

Worldometer mentions the incubation period ouliers as 0 - 27 days. Maybe this was an outlier case then.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Ms Kapoor ...

Any chance we can forget about this woman? Let her fade into the background with all the others who have done wrong stuff that has put others, sometimes many others at risk. Including, off the top of my head, a magistrate, a collector, and many untitled but educated people.