Coronavirus: Advice from ME organisations

couldn't you 'create' a sort of quarantine chest/cupboard for non-perishable items? as the virus only lives on surfaces from several hours to a few days.

 

You would need some sort of batching strategy, else each time you added something into the store, thereby risking contaminating that already in there, you would then have to restart the quarantine timer. But it's not a bad idea if that were solved. Maybe two stores - one already quarantined, and the other fully loaded and left alone.

 

I'm supposed to fly to London on Sunday afternoon to go to the CMRC gathering on Tues/Wed. I change my mind every 15 minutes about whether I should or should not board the flight. University of California has asked us to restrict "non-essential" travel to the most hard-hit countries, a list that includes Italy but not so far UK.

 

I agree. I think that’s the best idea. I think it’s spreading in the UK now as well, definitely from person to person, the cases are going up quickly every day, and London has been hit by it too. Bhupesh prusty has the right idea.

 

I'm curious on how you decide on when to start social distancing.

Do you wait until cases pop up in your communitiy or for the local health department to give out recommendations? Or do you decide independently from that?

 

Well aha yes I do that with some items.... toilet roll & other things I know I wont need for a wk or so, I get the driver to put them in a box under the kitchen table, but the rest (most of it) I need to use or am likely to use in the next day or two. When we can get specific figs on how long it lives on surfaces at ambient temps then sure, but much of my shop goes in the freezer/fridge.

I'm inclined to agree, especially if you are anywhere near being in a 'vulnerable group' -
I'm not asking your health status, but I am hoping you wont take any risks.

You are much too important to us all - as a person - regardless of whether you do any more advocacy - you are far too important to risk your health.

Especially to conference where your attendance is to benefit the cause of PwME.... We would be much worse off without you in our corner, so please don't put your self at risk on our behalf.

 

I read an article in the NYTimes today about a mathematician's review of the Covid-19 statistics. He said that if there is a community case that is hospitalized (a serious case), then it has certainly spread already (to an extent) in the community.

This is based on the serious case rate generated by x-number of total cases and the R factor (the number of transmissions per case).

Since I already am prepared and can stay at home for now, and I am a former nurse, etc., I err (or not) on the side of caution and stay home. It's also a public service because I am one less senior to use vital health services (if I got seriousy ill).

I don't know what to make of local health department advice here in California. I'm sure they have an algorithm, but I'd rather feel less stressed by feeling safe (staying inside), or the few times I go outside, I am employing infection control behaviors.

 

Unfortunately there isn't much information on the number of hospitalized people in my area. I guess that will change once the numbers rise.

I'm not going to mass gatherings or travel anyway but use public transport 1-2/week to go out to socialize.

Yesterday, I had one of these subway coughers across from me and of course he didnt cover his mouth. Since it wasn't a dry cough I didnt worry but I realized an incident like that would be enough.

From what I understand the virus is here to stay and will disrupt public life for a longer time. I'm actually a bit scared of the loneliness that might come with it.

 

How about asking someone to take an AV1 telepresence robot there for you (and @Andy ) ?

https://www.s4me.info/threads/uk-hospital-and-outreach-education-granted-£500k-to-provide-continued-education-to-children-absent-from-school-due-to-long-term-illness.8532/

https://www.s4me.info/threads/my-robot-makes-me-feel-like-i-havent-been-forgotten.5552/

https://www.s4me.info/threads/teenager-with-me’s-life-has-been-transformed-by-a-robot-that-helps-her-learn.4033/

I still think it would be a good thing to transform most parts of the event into a video conference.

I first thought, in addition, maybe S4ME could provide an online chat space for the breaks. On a second thought, it's probably too much effort to organize that.

Perhaps the best would be to postpone the event alltogether and have some webinars and online chats instead, like Cochrane did with their conference in Chile last year.

see also https://www.s4me.info/threads/uk-cf...e-10th-and-11th-march-2020.11813/#post-241990

eta: Anyway, good wishes to everyone dealing with the impact of the spreading virus and (hopfeully not) the virus itself.

 

It is so frustrating. I would like the information in those 2 videos but one is 33 minutes and the other is 24 and there is no way I can manage that.

I don't know if I am in the minority, but if I read something I can take my time and go back over bits to increase how much I understand with an ME brain.

Videos bounce all the time and it gives me vertigo, too.

 

Thank you @Trish

I also have trouble absorbing information from videos (vs. printed text) so I appreciate both of your summaries!

 

They still haven't taken into account possible faecal-oral or nasal route via aerosol from toilet flushing. Put your loo lids down before flushing (as discussed on the other coronavirus thread). Which is why we don't have soft close lids on our loos - they take forever to close.

 

Thank you Trish !! Your information are very appreciate!!

 

I was really hoping IM could work from home next week. Sometimes he can, but at the moment they still want people in to work.

His commute to work is fine - he has to drive in anyway. They hot desk in the office though. So while.you can sanitize the desktop, it's harder to do with the keyboard. Keyboards are fairly germ laden at the best of times.

They have handsanitizer all over the place, but that's not much use if the keyboard is dirty. The when you think about a shared office chair and all the places people touch that. Desk drawers, inside the drawers, maybe even under the front of the desk as you pull the chair in.

They are waiting to see before allowing his team to work from home. I'm not sure I understand the logic......

Ah well.

 

I'm with Trish!

 

@Invisible Woman The clinell alcohol wipes that luna mentioned on the other thread would be good for IM at work for keyboards etc? or just soak & wring out the bleach solution Trish mentioned above & put in a plastic tub to take to work?
Hope he can stay away really though