Life on the front line.

[Dubbag]

Like everything else boingy...people will need education on the safe use of them. They can serve a healthy purpose while out among the general population. I never apply common sense for the general population as a rule as I have seen much evidence to suggest that very little common sense is applied usually as standard. Each individual will have to adapt to their new circumstances...and many will revert to the Lemon standard.....I think if used properly...masks are a good idea at reducing transmission.
It is important to remember that when taking the mask off, you do not touch the mask surface with your hands...if you do...then wash or use alcohol sanitizer....It is the one fundamental mistake made by many.....

[boingy]

Like everything else boingy...people will need education on the safe use of them. They can serve a healthy purpose while out among the general population. I never apply common sense for the general population as a rule as I have seen much evidence to suggest that very little common sense is applied usually as standard. Each individual will have to adapt to their new circumstances...and many will revert to the Lemon standard.....I think if used properly...masks are a good idea at reducing transmission.
It is important to remember that when taking the mask off, you do not touch the mask surface with your hands...if you do...then wash or use alcohol sanitizer....It is the one fundamental mistake made by many.....

Good point Dubbag on how to take the mask off. Regarding common sense I totally agree with you. I have had to tell doctors at hospitals to use sanitizer a few times and if Doctors forget you can see how the general public can easily compromise standards. I had a bloke yesterday who works for the NHS telling me that he has to wear all the kit at work as he walks past me (2ft) coughing when he is telling me outside his house. My wife said should we pop into the shop on the way home and do you know what, I said no. I knew I would religiously keep a 6ft distance but equally knew that many wouldn't. You can be strict yourself but you can never legislate for other people.

[Dubbag]

You can be strict yourself but you can never legislate for other people.

You are correct.....but most importantly at this stage in the pandemic, your safety is solely down to your own vigilance in your everyday circumstances. Guidelines are just that guidelines...but as I know from some mountain climbing experiences...not all guidelines are properly maintained...
I usually wear my cycle glasses when I am out now for added precaution even when I am not on my bike. On our ICU, we treat everyone as if they are infected....and it would serve many people well to do the same when outside.
For the most part the first phase has been reasonable successful in a lot of countries..but the area entering into now has no outward signs or markings telling you were the land mines are. Hand wash...Hand wash...Hand wash......

[Dubbag]

Our ICU ward has seen a sustained drop off of new admitted C-19 patients this past 3/4 weeks. We have established spare capacity on the ward, which is good and serves for some breathing space as the lockdown begins to ease. Will the virus fall away as per Summer season's arrival? We shall all see. That more people are now moving about is most likely going to lead to an up tick in infection rates. While isolated, people have protected themselves and others. Warmer days mat herald a change and also the next phase.... Interesting to keep an eye on the Southern hemisphere countries as they move into their winter season and also "Flu Season" Could be a forward indicator as to what may be a head.
Interesting Science article I was reading on the Genesis of the Virus, as there has been much speculation by people in general and certain high profile politicians spreading all sorts of fear based assumptions to the wider public..... It is technical and needs peer review but apparently is widely accepted in the virologists community to be factually and experimentally based. the link is below.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0820-9

While the analyses above suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may bind human ACE2 with high affinity, computational analyses predict that the interaction is not ideal7 and that the RBD sequence is different from those shown in SARS-CoV to be optimal for receptor binding
Thus, the high-affinity binding of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to human ACE2 is most likely the result of natural selection on a human or human-like ACE2 that permits another optimal binding solution to arise. This is strong evidence that SARS-CoV-2 is not the product of purposeful manipulation. In other words...there are NO interference markers

The data gathering is ongoing but it is likely that this virus has been evolving within bats (who have an immune system that can live with Ebola and the likes without harming them but are deadly to other animals) and quite possibly been attempting to evolve in humans.....
That there may be an intermediate carrier to humans hasn't been established yet..My hunch is that it will probably prove to be man's best friend!!!

https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0226112401.htm

[Albionic68]

[B]......... there may be an intermediate carrier to humans hasn't been established yet..My hunch is that it will probably prove to be man's best friend!!!..........

Cheers Dubs, bit of a harsh description of the wife there chap but I'll bear it in mind .

[Dubbag]

So now that masks are a global issue...some experiments are now been carried out to see if they help outside in the general public...
Certainly looks like it contributes greatly to transmission reduction....

According to a study by a team in Hong Kong, the rate at which the virus was transmitted through airborne particles or respiratory droplets was lowered by as much as 75% when masks were used.

"The findings implied to the world and the public is that the effectiveness of mask-wearing against the coronavirus pandemic is huge," leading microbiologist Dr Yuen Kwok-yung, from Hong Kong University, said on Sunday.
This guy has some weight behind his comments..as this guy helped discover the SARS virus of 2003
He said that his team conducted the study because - while he has long supported wearing masks - world leaders, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), had questioned their effectiveness.

Source SKY News,https://news.sky.com/author/alix-culbertson-743

[Dubbag]

So now the serious part of the Covid- 19 pandemic begins. here in Ireland we have 25,000 positive cases detected. Virology people say you can at least double that and perhaps double it again to get a truer reflection of how wide spread the disease is That is about 100,000...maybe...In truth, they have no idea on account of the way this disease can remain hidden in a person.....Even so. its less then 2% of the population that has been exposed....When the lockdown brakes come on and you have a decent sub 0.5 R number...you have a chance of living with it as a containment virus.
In other words, you should not get swamped and should manage to keep your head above water. Summer may be a cushion, it may not...... If we can suppress it in the community then we have a chance......but travel abroad and overseas visitors??????
Gets tricky......

[baggieal]

So now the serious part of the Covid- 19 pandemic begins. here in Ireland we have 25,000 positive cases detected. Virology people say you can at least double that and perhaps double it again to get a truer reflection of how wide spread the disease is That is about 100,000...maybe...In truth, they have no idea on account of the way this disease can remain hidden in a person.....Even so. its less then 2% of the population that has been exposed....When the lockdown brakes come on and you have a decent sub 0.5 R number...you have a chance of living with it as a containment virus.
In other words, you should not get swamped and should manage to keep your head above water. Summer may be a cushion, it may not...... If we can suppress it in the community then we have a chance......but travel abroad and overseas visitors??????
Gets tricky......

So Dubs a couple of questions:
Do you think there will be a second spike in the U.K. or Ireland?
I had heard that someone has contracted the virus twice - is that true or false in your view? If true then presume the anti body test is a waste of time.
You personally knowing what you know - would you go on a plane anytime soon?

Just curious on your thoughts....

[Dubbag]

So Dubs a couple of questions:
Do you think there will be a second spike in the U.K. or Ireland?
I had heard that someone has contracted the virus twice - is that true or false in your view? If true then presume the anti body test is a waste of time.
You personally knowing what you know - would you go on a plane anytime soon?

Just curious on your thoughts....

A second wave looks inevitable for some countries more then others at the moment. Policies are very different across the globe. The idea of lockdown is to stop or slow the spread to a manageable rate.....but high risk groups are now going to have to move around in an active environment with many people still infected... Obese, diabetes, asthmatics and the likes are going to have to be extra vigilante when out. Smokers too...in general people with poor baseline health.

When the virus is leaving your system after an infection...you can shed the virus for over ten days.....A swab detects the remnants of the virus and can give off a positive reading......the evidence at the moment points to antibodies been produced in quantities to ward of a repeat infection for between 6 months and maybe two years....BUT THIS RESEARCH IS STILL IN AN EARLY STAGE.
So reinfection is highly unlikely at this stage.....most likely a false positive. We get that quite a bit.

baggieal....I stopped using airplanes a while a go for environmental reasons (2015).....Before this broke I would have been isolated from people other then work, to be honest. You may recall my hobby is astronomy..out in the cold at night....and running...on my own mostly..
If you paid me to go on a plane...I would graciously refuse. The 1917 devastating flu was borne on the backs of ships carrying troops all around the world during the height of it. Today, airplanes are doing the same job....
Hope you are keeping well....

[Dubbag]

Further to your question yesterday baggieal regarding reinfection....
This is our guidance from the HSE here in Ireland.....

HEALTHCARE WORKERS ARE treated as being immune from Covid-19 for three months after first contracting the virus, according to the HSE.
While the exact nature of immunity conferred on those who have recovered from the virus remains unclear, the HSE is telling staff that they can be “considered immune for 3 months from onset of symptoms”.
Guidance for staff, compiled by the HSE and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, was issued on 21 May.

A document published on 13 May, compiled by the Health Information and Quality Authority, sets out the limited results of research into post-infection immunity. The available evidence suggests that there could potentially be antibodies in individuals for one to two years after being infected.
However, the HIQA document states that “it is unclear if reinfection can occur following recovery from” Covid-19.

World Health Organization officials have also acknowledged the limited data available on immunity.

It remains unclear if a person with Covid-19 antibodies is protected from the virus into the future.
Asked whether healthcare staff with immunity could play a significant role in the case of a second wave of the virus, Holohan acknowledged this could be considered: