Cop Car's Beat

A little work done

This morning, I ran the vacuum over the floor in most of the basement (omitting tool shop and sewing room); but, after lunch, I finally made it outside to piddle a bit. I picked up branches that had been blown down from the trees in the woods and over into our lawn where, eventually, Hunky Husband will decide the grass is long enough to mow. Then, I pulled more grass from along the interior edges of my planting beds. That is a never-ending chore. Each fall, while over-seeding the lawn, the landscaping people, generously, also plant grass seed in my planting beds. (Yes, I reminded the guy to please not do that, last fall, as he was starting to seed.) Then, I got around to using a new tool that I had bought last fall - a lawn edger.

Previously, most of the edging that I've done has been accomplished with a Weed-Eater string trimmer; but, while buying supplies to insulate the irrigation system back-flow valve so that it would not freeze, I saw the cute tool, below.

It worked like a charm. I took the photo, below, without sweeping away the debris (it's windy enough today that such effort would be wasted.)

I took a couple of other photos while I was at it. The first photo shows the 280# of water softener salt that I bought the other day. I am letting the salt "age out the viruses" in the trunk for a few more days before carrying the bags of salt down to the basement and dumping them into the brine tank. [The young man who loaded the salt for me, as did other employees, wore gloves - and they keep the salt stacked outdoors.] Although the installer of the water softener told me to add salt annually, and although I did add salt one year after installation of the softener, it has been about 26 months since then. We haven't been using a lot of softened water - about 60 gallons per day, on average. We haven't used a lot of un-softened water either. We have an extra faucet in the kitchen from which I draw my un-softened drinking/cooking water - about 2 quarts per day.

The last photo is of one of the three spears of asparagus that I found while weeding. I didn't bother looking for more at the other end of the house.

It is time for me to be planting my "gamble" tomato plants; but, the seasonal, outdoor plant-selling stand that is up the street hasn't yet been stocked and I don't want to go to WalMart - for obvious reasons with the virus going around.

Public Service Announcement: Safe Grocery Shopping in COVID-19 Pandemic UPDATED!!!

Below is an embedded video of a physician showing good ways of bringing foods into our homes without inviting in COVID-19. It is not easy, and it is time consuming. The video runs about 13 1/2 minutes, the first couple of minutes of which I found less interesting than the rest. Ronni Bennett of Time Goes By had posted this video at the suggestion of TGB reader Page Day.

Down but not out

Bogie is the only one of our close family who does not live in Sedgwick County, State of Kansas, USA. Thus, she is the only one of our family who is unaffected by the following announcement. (Sedgwick county comprises about 1000 square miles with a population of somewhat over 500,000 people.)

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) Update 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, March 24, 2020

The Sedgwick County Local Health Officer has signed a "stay at home" order for the county, effective 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, through April 23, 2020 (30 days) unless sooner amended, superseded, or rescinded.

 

The listing of types of businesses that may stay open, their being "essential", is extensive. We are allowed to grocery shop, pick up "to go" meals from restaurants, do banking, keep medical appointments (if your medical caretakers are open), etc, so it isn't really a big deal, so far.

 

WichiDude's business is considered essential, so he is still going to work - probably because they make HVAC systems which may be required by many people when summer temperatures arrive. (I think it is in the high 70s, now, so I am suffering already; but, I can always go to the cooler basement. Hunky Husband is sitting in the living room, quilt across his legs and lap, fireplace blazing.)

 

Dudette's business is considered essential - probably because they distribute alcoholic beverages - but all office personnel are working from home. She tells us that WichiDude helped her set up a place to work in the basement, her having until then to work at a kitchen table.

 

The two nurses are working in locked down facilities - skilled nursing homes. They are working incredibly long hours; but, fortunately, Next Generation 1 & Next Generation 2 are staying, for the foreseeable future, full-time with their father, rather than half-time.

 

Spring is cooperating, enabling me to pick Hunky Husband a bouquet of posies. We are doing well, and hope that others are too.

 

Our Eastern phoebes are in!

Spooky woods

We awoke to a foggy day, yesterday. Our back woods looked a bit spooky. The first three photos were taken at about 7:50am.

The last two photos were taken at about 8:35. The passing of 45 minutes made a big difference; but, the last of the fog lifted an hour or two later.

Early this morning, I was awakened by a huge thunder clap. By the time I went for my walk, some of the concrete areas were dry; but, there were standing pools of water in all of the neighborhood. We had received only 3/4" of rain, but the ground has been saturated for nearly the entire past 6 months.

About an hour ago, Hunky Husband went for a jog. He got too rambunctious and overdid it. His monitor says that his heart rate peaked at 189 beats per minute. That's about 25 beats per minute higher than his normal peak. He's a smart man, but I sometimes think he doesn't, as Mom used to say, "have the sense that God gave a goose." Or a gander, for that matter. His story is that the monitor went wonky. I don't know. It took him a lot longer than normal, today, to quit panting and sweating.

UPDATE ON WHAT'S BEEN BLOOMING

Across the street, the neighbor had one daffodil in bloom on March 12. Our first one bloomed on March 13. The ornamental pear trees have been abloom for nearly one week, now. It's been a good thing to have the rains, for the past couple of weeks: It keeps the stink from the ornamental pear trees from being so overwhelming. Bogie's creeping phlox have been blooming since about the 13th.

Most of our daffodils have yet to bloom.

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

The tulips are up, but not abloom.

"Hands...washing hands" - Neil Diamond

I'm posting the following embedded video because Hunky Husband likes "Sweet Caroline" - and - because he says I kept asking the band to play "Sweet Caroline" in Alamogordo NM in 1970 while he was on temporary assignment there. Besides: Amy Farah Fowler, PhD, and Howard Wolowitz, Astronaut, like "Sweet Caroline".

New Project: Making masks for WGD

As Bogie and I have mentioned in comments one to another, WonderfulGrandDaughter (WGD) has asked me to make some general duty face masks for her staff of nurses and other workers in a facility populated mostly by old and old, old people (I should be there!) Obviously, those workers are affected by the shortage of personal protective equipment.

I cautioned WGD that as an old, old person, my aches and pains will prevent me from doing mass production work; I could make a few, at least. This evening, after settling upon an acceptable design (such as was suggested by WGD and found here or, the one I actually used that was published by Deaconess Hospital in Indiana) I made the first mask. It isn't a beauty; but, I had limitations. The front of the mask is to be made of tightly woven 100% cotton fabric; but, they wish to have something soft against the face of the wearer, such as 100% cotton flannel. The only flannel that I have on hand, that I know is 100% cotton, is yardage that I bought 12 years ago to rebind a comforter that Mom made (in about 1965-1975) for Hunky Husband. With that limitation, I chose a rather masculine-looking (what does that mean???) quilt fabric for the front. Below is a photo collage with the result. I'm sorta thinking that it won't look all that bad on a male staffer. The "front" is shown at the top of the collage. The pine cones are on the flannel.

Can you guess what took me the longest in the process? Well...first, I had to change from the rounded-point sewing machine needle that is used for knits (I had just started making myself a nightgown when I received the request from WGD) to a heavier weight, sharp-point sewing machine needle for heavier weight woven fabrics. I use a small screwdriver to loosen/tighten the set screw that holds the needle in place. I shook so much (essential tremors) that it was difficult for me to achieve the needle change.

Then...there was making the tucks in the mask and sewing through several layers of fabric to keep them in place at the sides. I'm hoping that WGD finds that the mask isn't too thick for someone to breathe through. There are about four or five versions of this design that I want to make as prototypes for WGD so that she can tell me what works and what doesn't before I get too wound up. Last night I cut out fronts from a lilac-colored Paisley quilt fabric; but, I'm trying to find something lighter than the flannel for the back side. On one of the websites, someone suggested using pillowcase fabric for the backing - soft, 100% cotton. If I have an old pillowcase that still sports a fabric content label that says 100% cotton, I'll try that. I'm trying to stick with fabrics that I have on hand rather than going into a retail establishment to buy pieces and parts.

ADDITION of 3/23/2020 - Noon - A bit of info concerning masks and respirators

Your Source of Innovation in the Medical Field

Which Masks Actually Protect Against Coronavirus?

(Credit: Photo Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

by Celia Sampol

February 28, 2020 Updated on March 5, 2020

The world is facing a shortage of masks and other protective equipment against the new coronavirus, the head of the World Health Organization warned on Friday, February 7th. Surgical masks are especially in demand. But are they really effective? What kind of masks actually protect against Covid-19? Read this article to find out.

(Our in-house expert Hicham Dhouibi contributed to this article.)

Kolmi-Hopen is one of the major manufacturers of single-use medical products. Under normal circumstances, their facility in France makes 150 million surgical masks and over 20 million respirators per year. Today, with the rising demand, they have been requested to make over 500 million masks altogether. This is what Gérald Heuliez, managing director of Kolmi-Hopen, told French news agency AFP. In the meantime, companies like Foxconn have said they would make 20 million masks by the end of this month to face the world demand.

Since the outbreak, people in China and in the rest of the world have rushed to their local pharmacies to get surgical masks. But there are different types of masks on the market, and not all of them are really effective against this virus. So, which masks actually offer protection? 

See our buying guide on How to choose a surgical mask or a respirator.

Surgical Masks vs. Respirators

There are two different types of masks: surgical masks and respirators.

Surgical mask (Credit: DACH Schutzbekleidung)

 >>> A surgical mask is a disposable medical device that can be bought in pharmacy and that protects against infectious agents transmitted by “droplets.” These droplets can be droplets of saliva or secretions from the upper respiratory tract when the wearer exhales.

If worn by the caregiver, the surgical mask protects the patient and his or her environment (air, surfaces, equipment, surgical site). If worn by a contagious patient, it prevents the patient from contaminating his or her surroundings and environment. These masks should not be worn for more than 3 to 8 hours.

A surgical mask can also protect the wearer from the risk of splashes of biological fluids. In this case, the surgical mask must have a waterproof layer. It can also be equipped with a visor to protect the eyes.

But a surgical mask does not protect against “airborne” infectious agents so it will not prevent the wearer from being potentially contaminated by a virus such as the coronavirus.

 

N95 respirator (Credit: 3M)

 >>> A respirator is personal protective equipment that prevents the wearer from inhaling aerosols (dust, smoke, mist) as well as vapors or gases (disinfectants, anesthetic gases) that are health hazards. Unavailable in pharmacy, it protects the wearer from airborne infectious agents i.e. against contamination by a virus such as coronavirus, SARS, H1N1, etc.

Respirators are divided into two categories: insulating and filtering. Filtering respirators consist of a facepiece and a filtering device. Sometimes the filter element is integrated into the facepiece. Depending on the type of filter, the mask will either be effective only against particles, only against certain gases and vapors, or against particles, gases and vapors.

Filtering respirators can sometimes also be equipped with an exhalation valve to improve user comfort. The valve prevents condensation inside the mask, misting on the glasses and helps the user breathe in and out easily.

It should be noted that respirators also protect those who wear them from inhaling “droplets” of infectious agents. Respirators can be disposable or reusable. In the second case, it is possible to replace the filter when it is full.

What Are the Standards ?

Each of these two types of masks is subject to different standards and regulations depending on the country or geographical area.

>>> Surgical masks are tested in the direction of exhalation (from inside to outside). The tests take into account the efficiency of bacterial filtration.

In Europe, they must comply with the European standard EN 14683, which has 3 levels of bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE1, BFE2, Type R). In the United States, they must respect ASTM standards which have three levels of protection (from low risk of exposure to fluids to high risk of exposure to fluids).

>>> Respirators are tested in the direction of inspiration (from outside to inside). The tests take into account the efficiency of the filter and leakage to the face.

In Europe, they must meet the European standard EN 149: 2001 which has three classes of disposable particulate respirators (FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3).

• • FFP1 refers to the least filtering of the three masks with an aerosol filtration of at least 80% and leakage to the inside of maximum 22%. This mask is mainly used as a dust mask (home renovations and various types of work).
  • FFP2 masks have a minimum of 94% filtration percentage and maximum 8% leakage to the inside. They are mainly used in construction, agriculture, and by healthcare professionals against influenza viruses. They are currently used for protection against the coronavirus.
  • FFP3 masks are the most filtering mask of the FFPs. With a minimum filtration percentage of 99% and maximum 2% leakage to the inside, they protect against very fine particles such as asbestos.

ANOTHER INTERESTING WEBSITE: Can DIY Masks Protect Us from Coronavirus?

The short answer is, "No, but DIY masks are better than nothing."

From Hunky Husband's alma mater

Hunky Husband sent me this link to a posting about research being conducted at his alma mater.

From that Missouri University of Science & Technology * posting comes the excerpt, below.

"Researchers at Missouri S&T are developing an airborne-biohazard system that could help screeners spot air travelers with lung diseases due to coronavirus and other viruses. Professors in electrical and computer engineering are using machine learning to build a robust system to alert authorities to airborne biohazards as travelers pass through TSA security checkpoints.

"Assistant professor Dr. Jie Huang and visiting professor Dr. Rex E. Gerald II, their lead graduate student Chen Zhu, and assistant research professor Dr. Qingbo Yang are working on the prototype. Dr. Donald Wunsch, who has expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), recently joined the research effort."

Interesting to us was the fact that Donald Wunsch is involved. He taught the only college class that HH and I ever attended together. As seniors, we took an advanced engineering math class from Dr Wunsch - before he completed his PhD, as I recall. A couple of years, later, HH and I attended a class at Boeing on techniques to improve our memory capabilities.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

*    University of Missouri School of Mines & Metallurgy in our day - Although I did not finish my degree, there, not only did HH get his BSEE (1959) degree there but Elder Brother earned his BSChE (1959) and my late Younger Brother earned his BSEE (1962), MSEE (196?), and PhD GGph (1972) there.

A Guide: How To Prepare Your Home For Coronavirus

ORIGINAL PUBLICATION of 2/27/2020

From National Public Radio (NPR): A Guide: How To Prepare Your Home For Coronavirus 

ADDITION of 3/18/2020

From the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC): Checklist to Get Ready

From the CDC: Clean & Disinfect

From the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2

From the Kansas Department of Health & Environment (KDHE): COVID-19 Updates

 

A personal word about cleaning & disinfecting:

I learned that, although the dilute ammonia that I have historically used for cleaning kitchen surfaces is, in fact, acceptable, my normal procedures are not expected to be effective. The surface should stay wet for at least 10 minutes. I, habitually, have wiped the spray off of the surfaces almost immediately. Bad on me!

"Forever" I have used cellulose "sponges" in the kitchen rather than dish cloths. Those, I nuke while wet for 44 seconds on either side. As the CDC says heat kills, I'll stick with that procedure.

A bit of philosophizing:

As I wrote in a comment on a friend's blog on March 16th: "I had a blood draw, this morning, then stepped next door to the pharmacy to receive my second Shingrix shot. The guy who gave it to me (30-something?) said something about, "Did you ever think you'd live to see the day when we would have such a scare?" My answer: I heard my parents talk about (and had a friend who was disabled as a result of) the diptheria outbreak. I lived through (although, my younger sister did not survive them) outbreaks of measles, mumps, scarlet fever, whooping cough, and polio. I'm not as concerned about the COVID-19 as we were, back in the day, about the older diseases, because I'm confident that there will be an effective vaccination within a couple of years. There are several billion more people to be exposed with COVID-19 than were there in previous outbreaks, though."

Advice from Dudette:

"Everyone stay safe, wash your hands, eat your veggies, and get plenty of sleep!!!  And of course……DRINK MORE WATER!!!"

Kansas closes K-12 schools

Yesterday, Governor Laura Kelly announced the closing of all k-12 schools in Kansas for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. The video, below, runs just over 2.5 minutes.

 

 

BTW: Happy birthday to Elder Brother. Nineteen thirty-six was a vintage year.

One answer is proferred.

It is a given, to me, that I am not the only one to wonder how beneficial is the decrease in air pollution brought on by restrictions due to CORVID-19. Slashdot.org has one person's preliminary evaluation. I don't know François Gemenne, but I find the reported thoughts interesting, to say the least.

Will Coronavirus Lockdowns Bring a Drop in Air-Pollution Related Deaths? (forbes.com) 16

Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday March 15, 2020 @04:19PM from the sparing-the-air dept.

 

The World Health Organization believes air pollution kills seven million people each year.

But will this year be different? Forbes reports: The global lockdown inspired by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has shuttered factories and reduced travel, slashing lethal pollution including the greenhouse gases that are heating the climate. The lockdown may save more lives from pollution reduction than are threatened by the virus itself, said François Gemenne, director of The Hugo Observatory, which studies the interactions between environmental changes, human migration, and politics.

"Strangely enough, I think the death toll of the coronavirus at the end of the day might be positive, if you consider the deaths from atmospheric pollution," said Gemenne, citing, for example, the 48,000 people who die annually in France because of atmospheric pollution and the more than one million in China... "More than likely the number of lives that would be spared because of these confinement measures would be higher than the number of lives that would be lost because of the pandemic," Gemenne said in an appearance on France 24's The Debate.

The discrepancy in how we react to these divergent threats should give us pause, Gemenne said, to consider why it is that we respond so strongly to one with less lethality and so weakly to one with more.

Gemenne has a chance of being correct IFF (if, and only if) production and travel do not, as I expect to happen, go into overdrive when the COVID-19 outbreak is over.