This Side of Sanity
Information on COVID-19

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17 March 2020

main information

(all times are Pacific unless specified otherwise)

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CLEANING

Soap
It’s the best way to wash up (and much easier to find than hand sanitizer).

Disposable gloves
For handling things that might be contaminated. Do not wash or reuse.

Disinfectant wipes
Look for products with active ingredients such as quaternary ammonium, sodium hypochlorite, or hydrogen peroxide.

Towels, clean linens
Or anything else you might need more of as cleaning habits change.

FOOD/NECESSITIES

Supplies of shelf-stable food
Beans, rice, flour, and canned items: enough for a couple of weeks, if access to grocery stores is limited.

Coffee or tea
Or other everyday “necessities”.

A first aid kit
Hospitals may be overwhelmed, so you’ll want to be able to treat minor problems at home.

90 days of medication
The CDC recommends stocking up on prescriptions, so contact your doctor.

WORK AND ENTERTAINMENT

Yarn, art supplies, or other hobby items
It’s a good time to dive into an activity you can do at home. Morale matters!

Things for working from home
From a desk chair to a mouse, it’s better to have the tools for your job if it’s possible to work remotely.

Electronics and, potentially, spare parts
If your phone or computer breaks, it’s an inconvenience in the best of times. Right now, it might be more than that, if stores aren’t open to get a replacement.

Games for family time
If you’ve got kids at home, you’ll need distractions!

IF YOU GET SICK

Medication for reducing a fever, like acetaminophen (Tylenol).

A thermometer for monitoring a fever.

Cough and cold medication
including cough drops and lozenges, cough syryps like Dayquil/Nyquil, and decongestants like Sudafed (the active ingredient is pseudoephedrine, so get the much lower cost generic version).

A humidifier can also help with a cough that makes it tough to sleep.

Rehydration solutions
Pedialyte or Gatorade works, but you can make it at home with a liter of drinking water, a scoop of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Plain water or other liquids also work for mild dehydration in adults.

Basics

what is COVID-19?

    Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). [WHO: Coronavirus]

    Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans. [WHO: Coronavirus]

    Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. [WHO: Coronavirus]

    Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. [WHO: Coronavirus]

    Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing. [WHO: Coronavirus]

How do I care for myself and family?

    Everyone should take care of their health and maintain hand and respiratory hygiene to protect themselves and others, including their own families.

    Regularly and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water, and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser. Maintain at least 1.5 metres or 6 feet distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

    Persons with persistent cough or sneezing should stay home or keep a social distance, but not mix in crowd. Make sure you and people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene, meaning cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief or tissue or into your sleeve or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

    Stay home if you feel unwell with symptoms like fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing. Go to the emergency room if your symptoms turn serious. Do not engage in self-medication.

COVID-19 prepartions

    Masks and other protective gear [What preppers are stocking up on for COVID-19]

    Water and storage [What preppers are stocking up on for COVID-19]

    Medical equipment [What preppers are stocking up on for COVID-19]

    Food [What preppers are stocking up on for COVID-19]

    Other [What preppers are stocking up on for COVID-19]


from Dr. Sarah Boon:

    These are the basic, solid graphics that people need to understand what to do and not to do in these times. Basic #scicomm, people!

    —Dr. Sarah Boon, Co-founder & BoD @ScienceBorealis, Writer, editor, photographer, Former scientist, as posted on Twitter 12:32 pm, 24 March 2020

    Coordinate help for charities.

    If you have contact info and items needed by other charities, please let us know through the website contact form.

Contact

your name:
email address:
phone number:
message:

Feeding the working poor, elderly, and homeless

    The Someone Cares Soup Kitchen, Costa Mesa, CA, has an extreme shortage of paper plates, paper napkins, paper towels, plastic forks and spoons, and toilet paper needed to feed hundreds of working poor, elderly, and homeless every day.

    If you are in the Orange County area you can contribute. See their website. Please provide contact info for other charities around the world.

    720 West 19th Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 USA

    [949] 548.8861 Office

    shannon@someonecareskitchen.org Executive Director


News and historical timeline

(all times are Pacific unless specified otherwise)

regular timeline

17 March 2020


from Bloomberg Politics:

    #Coronavirus latest:
    -Cases hit 191,521 globally; deaths exceed 7,800
    -White House orders Fed employees to limit personal contact
    -Japan to continue preparations for Olympics despite coronavirus
    -Taiwan to shut borders to foreigners as cases rise


Bloomberg Politics

    —Bloomberg Politics, as posted on Twitter 11:32 pm, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:


    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 10:06 am, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:


    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 10:03 am, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:


    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 9:55 am, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:


    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 9:53 am, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:


    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 9:47 am, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:


    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 9:38 am, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:


    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 9:29 am, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:


    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 9:23 am, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:


    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 9:11 am, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:


    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 9:04 am, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:

    I hope I’m wrong but I fear people will be surprised and dismayed by how many people lose their jobs before America’s social lockdown comes to an end

    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 9:00 pm, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:

    Dr. Deborah Birx’s explanation for why coronavirus testing in the US has been a disaster was misleading. She opened the day with a softball interview on Fox & Friends. Not great.


New York Times (pay wall protected)

    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 7:53 pm, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:

    Economic conditions haven’t been as bad as 20 percent unemployment in the lifetimes of anyone younger than 90

    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 7:42 pm, 17 March 2020



from Ali Velshi:

    BREAKING: During the a closed-door lunch Tuesday, administration officials warned Senate Republicans that unemployment could reach 20%, according to two sources familiar.

    —Ali Velshi, as posted on Twitter 7:33 pm, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:

    People losing jobs this week are going to have to pay rent/mortgage at the beginning of April

    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 6:24 pm, 17 March 2020

    The last time the unemployment rate was 20% was 1935, during the Great Depression. It hasn’t even broken 10% since 1982.

    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 5:38 pm, 17 March 2020


from Jake Sherman:

    BTW: MNUCHIN expressed some level of concern on getting checks out by the end of April.

    —Jake Sherman, as posted on Twitter 10:47 am, 17 March 2020


from Adrian Wojnarowski:

    Four Nets have tested positive for the coronavirus, team says.
    —Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN, as posted on Twitter 12:56 pm, 17 March 2020


from David Sinclair, PhD AO:

    Right on. Yesterday, a desperate student asked me for advice. Her professor was forcing her to attend a 20 person lab meeting in a small room and stay for non-essential work. That’s not only bad leadership, that’s inexcusable.

    —David Sinclair, PhD AO, as posted on Twitter 12:42 pm, 17 March 2020


from William Mair:

    Lab Heads and PIs: Close your lab don’t wait to be told. Lead. Very few experiments are “critical”. And explicitly tell your team you don’t expect them to be able to be suddenly productive remotely. It is impossible - own that. Now is not the time to add pressure, relieve it.

    —William Mair, as posted on Twitter 12:14 pm, 17 March 2020


from David Sinclair, PhD AO:

    Use zoom or a similar app. We have 20+ people in our lab and we were all surprised how well it worked out and how productive we could be.

    —David Sinclair, PhD AO, as posted on Twitter 12:42 pm, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:

    I hope you find an activity in your life as much as Trump enjoys meeting with corporate executives during pandemics

    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 11:51 am, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:

    Harris’s legislation would give families up to 6 times more money than Romney’s payment proposal.

    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 11:32 am, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:

    Trump lied about his past statements while his coronavirus officials dissembled about the lack of testing and passed the buck to the private sector.

    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 11:22 am, 17 March 2020


from Aaron Rupar:

    Trump championed tax cuts that redistributed *2 trillion dollars* to the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. Never has that looked more ill-conceived than right now. AmericaÕs getting $10 trillion in tax cuts, and 20% of them are going the richest 1%

    —Aaron Rupar, as posted on Twitter 6:37 pm, 17 March 2020


from Jake Sherman:

    INSIDE THE SENATE R-MNUCHIN LUNCH

    MNUCHIN said he wants to send out $250 billion worth of checks — means tested.

    First wave would go out at the end of April. If TRUMP has not ended the natl emergency, another wave goes out four weeks later. Mnuchin notes he’s working with IRS

    —Jake Sherman, as posted on Twitter 10:47 am, 17 March 2020


from David Sinclair, PhD AO:

    Here’s a summary of the results of studies testing various medicines and therapies against #COVID19, including those currently available in the US. COVID-19 Science Report Therapeutics 13 Mar
    —David Sinclair, PhD AO, as posted on Twitter 10:43 am, 17 March 2020


from Jake Sherman:

    INSIDE THE SENATE R-MNUCHIN LUNCH

    MNUCHIN said he wants to send out $250 billion worth of checks — means tested.

    First wave would go out at the end of April. If TRUMP has not ended the natl emergency, another wave goes out four weeks later. Mnuchin notes he’s working with IRS

    MNUCHIN says the checks would amount to two weeks of pay.

    TOM COTTON says he wants to slow down the process — “hit pause,” cotton says. “That’s why we have the senate.”

    BTW: MNUCHIN expressed some level of concern on getting checks out by the end of April. But said he’s already working on it.

    —Jake Sherman, as posted on Twitter 10:47 am, 17 March 2020


from David Sinclair, PhD AO:

    These are recommendations I’ve gathered from hospital staff, the CDC, & scientific papers as of Tues, March 17, 2020. Not medical advice. For official, up-to-date information, see the CDC website. Stay safe out there. Even better, don’t go out there
    —David Sinclair, PhD AO, as posted on Twitter 9:42 am, 17 March 2020


from David Sinclair, PhD AO:

    Hospital staff caring for critically ill patients are encouraged to read this article @JAMA_current

    —David Sinclair, PhD AO, as posted on Twitter 9:42 am, 17 March 2020


from David Sinclair, PhD AO:

    You can gargle with disinfectant solutions (i.e. Listerine) that may eliminate or minimize the amount of virus that enters the throat and may remove the virus before it goes down to the trachea. (Note: I haven’t confirmed this advice but it can’t hurt).
    —David Sinclair, PhD AO, as posted on Twitter 9:42 am, 17 March 2020


from David Sinclair, PhD AO:

    The simplest way to distinguish #coronavirus from a common cold is that the COVID-19 infection does not cause a cold nose or wet cough, but it does create a dry and rough cough. Fever is also an early sign. If you are sneezing, don’t be concerned...

    If you or a family member has difficulty breathing or continual shortness of breath, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, or bluish lips or face, the CDC says you should seek medical attention immediately:

    The virus is typically first in the throat causing inflammation & a feeling of dryness. This lasts 3-4 days. The virus then travels through moisture in the airways to the trachea & into the lungs, causing pneumonia for 5-6 days, which makes it very hard to breathe.

    Pneumonia manifests with a high fever and difficulty breathing. The common cold is not accompanied, but there may be a choking sensation. In this case, a doctor should be called immediately.

    People with serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, lung diseases, immune deficiencies, or lack a spleen are most at risk. Contact your healthcare about obtaining extra essential medicines. If you cannot get them, consider using mail-order.

    People are infectious a few days before they even have symptoms. Based on yesterday’s @NatureMedicine paper I posted, about a case of #COVID19 in Australia, it took a week after admission for the virus to be undetectable in a nasal swab. It took her two weeks to recover.

    Hospital staff have suggested doing this simple verification every morning: Breathe in deeply and hold your breath for 10 seconds. If this can be done without coughing, without difficulty, there is likely no fibrosis in the lungs, indicating the absence of infection...

    Ensure that your mouth & throat are always wet, never dry. You should drink a sip of water every 15 minutes. Even when the virus enters water or other liquids through the mouth, it will get flushed directly into the stomach. (Note: I don’t know if this is true but it can’t hurt).

    The virus hates heat & dies if it is exposed to temperatures greater than 80°F (27°C). Therefore hot drinks such as infusions, broths or simply hot water should be consumed. These hot liquids may kill the virus and are easy to ingest. Raw food from public places are risky...

    The virus has a large size (a diameter of 400-500 nanometers) so N-95 face masks can stop it. Stay 6-10 feet away from others to allow the virus to fall to the ground. Fortunately, sneezing is not a common symptom of #COVID19.

    When the #coronavirus is on hard surfaces, it survives 12-96 hours. If you touch public doors, appliances, railings, touchscreens, elevator buttons, etc, wash hands for > 20 sec with soap and/or disinfect with alcohol gel. Use elbows, knuckles & sleeve-covered hands when possible.

    The virus can live nested in clothes and tissues for 6 - 12 hours. It has an outer lipid membrane, so common detergents will kill it. Things that cannot be washed should be exposed to the sun for a day and the virus will surely die. #CoronavirusUSA

    #coronavirus seems to survive on hands for > 10 minutes, during which time you will probably rub your eyes or touch your nose or lips. We usually touch our faces every 12 seconds. So, wash your hands often. Also, act like you have #COVID-19 and you don’t want to spread it.
    —David Sinclair, PhD AO, as posted on Twitter 9:42 am, 17 March 2020


from Anonymous MD:

    Please RT so they will see this. This is a cry for help.

    @realDonaldTrump @VP Physician here. We need more masks. We need more tests. We need more swabs. We need more ventilators. If you are stockpiling, now is the time to start sharing. It will be too late in 2 weeks.
    —Anonymous MD, Primary Care Physician, as posted on Twitter 4:00 am, 17 March 2020

Italian Intensive Care Guideline

    Now the Italian College of Anestheisa, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI) has published guidelines for the criteria that doctors and nurses should follow as these already extraordinary cirumstances worsen.
    The document begins by likening the moral choices Italian doctors may face to the forms of wartime triage that are required in the field of “catastrophe medicine.”
    Instead of providing intensive care to all patients who need it, the authors suggest, it may become necessary to follow “the most widely shared criteria regarding distributive justice and the appropriate allocation of limited health resources.”
    The principle they settle upon is utilitarian. “Informed by the principle of maximizing benefits for the largest number,” they suggest that “the allocation criteria need to guarantee that those patients with the highest chance of therapeutic success will retain access to intensive care.”
    The authors, who are medical doctors, then deduce a set of concrete recommendations for how to manage these impossible choices, including this: “It may become necessary to establish an age limit for access to intensive care.”
    Those who are too old to have a high likelihood of receovery, or who have too low a number of “life years” left even if they should survive, would be left to die.
    These guidelines apply even to patients who require intensive care for reasons other than the coronavirus, because they too make demands on the same scarce medical resources. As the document clarifies, “These criteria apply to all patients in intensive care, not just those infected with CoVid-19.”
    —The Atlantic, 17 March 2020, with emphasis added by the The Jimmy Dore Show

The Jimmy Dore Show
Dylan Ratigan Reports From The Future In Italy
23 March 2020 at 11:30 PM