COVID-19 Resources

I'm going to have a reference file here for articles I have found particularly worthwhile, and will update this here as we learn new information.

If you see something terrific, please share. We're all in this together.

General Safety Information

The best overview I've seen is this article by AM Carter.

"Here’s how I avoided all viral illness after my bone marrow transplant, and how you can, too."

Highly recommend it.

For Kids questions:

Coronacast podcast

This St. Jude's Children's Hospital's site also has a coloring book and an activity book
Also: talking to kids about Coronavirus:

Masks:

A new article (4/10/20) from two epidemiologists in Iowa suggests face shields as an important way to protect people from droplets, since they provide good eye and nose protection. I agree with that part, but as someone who uses shields regularly, I know mine slip and need to be readjusted, so one would have to  be careful with hand sanitization before fixing the shield's fit.

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There is great controversy over how much cloth masks will help. Certainly they will block large droplets. The questions revolve around small particles from aerosols, the lack of tight fit, what materials are best.

WHO's Dr. Tedros summed the issue: " Masks alone cannot stop the #covid19 pandemic.” Countries should (repeat with me): "find, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact."

I like the design and directions for this mask by Jessica Nandino the best, because it is adjustable for health care workers to fit over an N-95 or wear alone, it has a nose piece to improve fit, and has a pouch where you might insert a filter. I have not made any of the DIY masks myself. If you see anything better, please share.

https://www.instructables.com/id/AB-Mask-for-a-Nurse-by-a-Nurse/

If reusing a cloth mask, wash and dry between uses. Some have recommended ironing to disinfect them.

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It's pretty pathetic that #45 can squander millions of dollars on golf carts and weekend golfing at his properties, but front-line health care workers are having to reuse masks. Surgical masks are reused at least for a day; N-95s for a week. This is unconscionable.

Here are tips for reusing surgical masks, saving them in a paper bag between uses. Please be sure to mark one side of the bag as front, and always have the outside of the mask face front. This will reduce, but not eliminate, contamination of the side against your face.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwPWdkbyizw

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I like this idea of using a plastic container rather than paper bag to store this N-95 mask:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEZxnI8-zXs

Gloves: 

Here is a reasonable video on how to remove gloves: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-h_AsYD8mI/?igshid=12xhjf3kl4e28

Remember, as with masks, to disinfect your hands by washing or using hand sanitizer immediately after removing your gloves in case you accidentally contaminated your hands or the glove had a small tear.

Handwashing: 

The best handwashing video was shared by @ianbremmer:

Groceries

4/13/20 Good article on Grocery Shopping safely and do you really need to disinfect groceries?

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/12/832269202/no-you-dont-need-to-disinfect-your-groceries-but-here-s-to-shop-safely

Again, the experts NPR spoke with emphasized hand sanitizing over everything.

They say it is not necessary to disinfect groceries: "If you follow good hand-hygiene practices — washing your hands after unpacking your groceries, before cooking and before eating — then, she says, your risk is probably "very, very low."

If something (like canned goods) are going to be set aside, you can just leave them for 2-3 days and don't need to wipe them down.

And these infectious disease experts disagree with the Michigan doc of the famous YouTube, saying to just rinse your produce in cold water.

Sanitizers - Cleaning

The easiest and least expensive option is likely dilute Clorox (bleach).

The key is to use 1 part bleach and 9 parts water, and mix a small amount of this up fresh daily.

Dr. Robin Bissell  has some good info on her Facebook site, Doctor Bleach and Gloves, for making your own wipes. Take an old towel and cut it into 6 inch squares. Make a spray bottle of bleach 1:9 with water. So 1/4 cup 4 oz would be added to 36 oz (4 1/2 cups)

Spray the solution on the towel pieces and seal 2-3 of them in a ziplock bag.

Make small batches of 10% Bleach solution and replace it every day. As long as the ratio is 1:9 you can make any amount.
To make 1 1/4 cup: 1/8 c (2 oz) bleach to 1 1/8 c water
To make about 2/3 cup: 1 tbsp (1/2oz) bleach to 1/2 c plus 1 tbsp (4.5 oz) water
You need to rinse, wring and refresh the chlorine wipes every day.

Updated 4/10/20 from Dr. Bissell

Liquid Bleach mixed in Cool Tap Water (expires in 24 hours

Recipes based on the percentage of sodium hypochlorite found in your liquid bleach to prepare a 0.12% sodium hypochlorite solution for International System units:
*based on CDC recommended 1:48 dilution of 6% sodium hypochlorite bleach

2% Sodium Hypochlorite Active Ingredient 3 teaspoons to 1 cup  Cool Tap Water
3% Sodium Hypochlorite Active Ingredient 2 teaspoons to 1 cup  Cool Tap Water
4% Sodium Hypochlorite Active Ingredient 1 1/2 teaspoons to 1 cup  Cool Tap Water
5% Sodium Hypochlorite Active Ingredient 1 1/4 teaspoons to 1 cup  Cool Tap Water
6-7% Sodium Hypochlorite Active Ingredient 1 teaspoon to 1 cup  Cool Tap Water
8-10% Sodium Hypochlorite Active Ingredient 3/4 teaspoon to 1 cup  Cool Tap Water

Do I need to take precautions when using bleach?
Yes, bleach can be corrosive and cause harm to the skin, eyes, and lungs. Always use bleach in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves when handling the product or solution.
Make sure to read the label and follow all safety and first aid protocols outlined on the bleach bottle.
Never mix bleach with any product containing ammonia or acids (such as toilet bowl cleaners, rust removers, etc.) as it's dangerous.
https://youtu.be/1Oc2Q-Sr944

How do I know if my bleach has expired?
On most bottles of bleach, there will be a 7 digit code printed on the bottle. This code contains the information you need to calculate the expiration date.
Let's take the code E619337. We need to break this code into 3 parts, starting from left to right.
The first two characters E6, tell us the facility the company manufactured the bleach.
The second two number 19, tells us the year the company manufactured the bleach
The last three numbers 337, tell us the day of the year the company manufactured the bleach.
So, code E619337 tells us this bottle of bleach was manufactured at facility E6 in 2019 on the 337 day of the year, which is December 3.
This bottle of bleach expires one year from December 3, 2019, so it needs to be used or disposed of by December 2, 2020.