Covid-19 Pandemic Thread

[Mister Paul]

So this Yong woman who died. What's that about then, if she had no underlying condition?

[Joan]

So this Yong woman who died. What's that about then, if she had no underlying condition?

If 400,000-600,000 people die, most will have an underlying condition or be old, but some will lie outside the curb. She won't be only young, apparently healthy person to die. But if there are many more, that will show there is something about this disease that we don't understand. At this stage we don't know the denominator.

And of course, she may have had an underlying condition she didn't know about. It's rare, but not unheard of for young people to suddenly die.

Of course, this is just speculation.

[Joan]

I will thanks-we have chocolate

E45 should help with eczema but you already know that.

Actually I don't. I haven't really had eczema since I moved the UK. I've occasionally needed a dab of hydrocortisone, but no on going care. hc isn't cutting it now, so I will have to investigate alternatives.

[LowlifeDes]

If the washing is causing your skin to crack, you could be increasing the infection risk, by providing an easy point of entry. In that case, it might be better to wash a bit less than recommended in order to achieve the best available overall risk reduction.

[Regulator]

So, you want more ventilators...

... and you award the contract to a vacuum cleaner manufacturer who has never made them before - and who doesn't have any manufacturing capacity in the UK...

...and you ignore the existing UK medical equipment manufacturers who make these things already and who could increase their UK-based manufacturing capacity with cooperation from other manufacturers.

[Joan]

Oh, shit, Dyson? Really?

Can we discuss what potential disease vectors those weird hand dryers are? I hope they don't decide ventilators need design innovation.

[Lullabelle]

If the washing is causing your skin to crack, you could be increasing the infection risk, by providing an easy point of entry. In that case, it might be better to wash a bit less than recommended in order to achieve the best available overall risk reduction.

I don't see the need to wash hands so much when you are at home, after going to the loo yes, before prepping food etc...but other than that no need.

[Joan]

It could be the antibacterial soap I snapped up because .... Because it was in stock.

I may be guilt of a little panic buying If so, I am being justly punished.

[Lullabelle]

[Rutabaga]

If the washing is causing your skin to crack, you could be increasing the infection risk, by providing an easy point of entry. In that case, it might be better to wash a bit less than recommended in order to achieve the best available overall risk reduction.

Can this virus be caught through a cut in the skin? I thought it was transmitted through breathing and via mucous membranes in the mouth, nose, and eyes?

[LowlifeDes]

Can this virus be caught through a cut in the skin? I thought it was transmitted through breathing and via mucous membranes in the mouth, nose, and eyes?

My understanding is that you are most probably right but that we aren't yet certain.

[Joan]

The real risk is some other sort of infection, which in turn would put me at risk of CV19 while seeking treatment.

However, I have had a thousand cracked knuckles, but no infections that needed treatment that I can remember.

[The Real Ravenhurst]

Can this virus be caught through a cut in the skin? I thought it was transmitted through breathing and via mucous membranes in the mouth, nose, and eyes?

Yeah my understanding is that most wound infection risk is about bacteria. Having said that, I would imagine severely dry, cracked hands give pathogens of all types more places to hide so there is probably a balance to be struck. It may be less about how many times we wash our hands than the order in which we do things. The face-touching advice is nearly as important as the hand-washing, IMO, but seems to get less promotion.

[Joan]

Thanks. This is all very helpful. And if I can avoid typing the letter Q (damn!) not terribly painful to respond to.

Now I am only going out once a day, and generally not touching surfaces so not using public bathrooms, I guess I am only washing my hands 2 extra times per day - before leaving to remove as much of me from them - and after returning home. But that's still a lot of washing, especially as I didn't previously wash my hands for a total of 20 seconds most days, I suspect.

I need to find a soap alternative, and apply a bandaid to keep it clean until it heals. I am also digging into my saddle sore supplies.


this will be the worst I experience.

[Regulator]

I can recommend Dr Bronner's products, if you can find somewhere that stocks them. I find they don't tend to make my skin as sore as other soaps.