[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Gorefest, on 24 October 2021 - 06:49 AM, said:

Do they offer a face fit with the product? Otherwise it will just be as effective as a standard mouth cap anyway.

Creating a mask with flexible edges that can be adjusted to fit the vast majority of faces is not a difficult problem---several different manufacturers have solved it.

They just don't bother with the cheap disposable N95 masks. Even for those they don't 'tailor' masks to fit individuals---they just have people try on a couple different brands.

From what I've heard fit tests as conducted in US hospitals are literally just 'spray some solution and ask if the person can taste it'. If you can feel the suction of the mask on your face when you breathe that's a good indicator it fits well enough.

Also, the internal fans might mitigate issues with fit, depending on how they're set up (blowing away air from areas other than the filters).

There's going to be another drop today at 11 PM EST... think I'll try to snag one. Last time apparently the site crashed almost immediately and when it came back online they were sold out.

[edit: fit test uses taste, not smell
also:


'TWO-SPEED DUAL INTAKE FANS
The chambers allow freshly filtered air to flow freely so you can breathe comfortably. For active users or those that prefer more air circulation, toggle the fans between 2 adjustable high-speed modes (4200/6200 RPM) via the multifunction button.

SOFT SILICONE FACE SEAL AND DUAL STRAP DESIGN
Ensures a tight seal over your mouth and nose while providing a secure, yet comfortable fit for all head sizes.']

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 24 October 2021 - 03:42 PM

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

I've been thinking about COVID a lot this weekend - we went with some friends to stay in Eyam in the Peak District. For those who don't know the story, Eyam isolated itself completely as a village in 1665 to halt the spread of the Bubonic Plague. A huge proportion of the village population died, but there's generally held to be no way to calculate the number of lives that were saved because the Plague never progressed further along the trade route from Eyam to Sheffield or Manchester, and thus further around the north of England.

And in the present day we've got people who think being asked to wear a mask in crowded spaces is a huge oppression of their human rights... I realise there are many ways the situation isn't directly comparable but it's still thought provoking in a very sad way.

Of course this thinking is not helped by the fact we're clearly heading for at the very least "Plan B" in the UK over winter, all the experts seem to be agreed that it's needed right now and the Government are clearly going to sit on it for as long as possible and probably sleep walk into another crisis over winter.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 24 October 2021 - 06:22 PM

[Tiste Simeon]

Yeah none of this has been helped by the UK having the worst government they've had in decades at the helm.

[Macros]

They're gambling everything on the booster shot program.

Like everything

[Maark Abbott]

What exactly is 'Plan B'? I've seen mention of it pop up quite suddenly on social media but haven't looked into what it actually is yet.

I assume it's blast the wealthy to colonize Mars and leave the rest of us here to die?

[Cyphon]

Plan B is a so so UK rapper from the mid naughties.


Plan B is also not specified except to say bringing back some of the restrictions at an unspecified trigger point.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

'Researchers develop "virus-killing" air filtration system

[...] conductive filtration membrane enables simultaneous virus filtration and sanitisation by thermal flashes via resistive heating to temperatures above 100°C, deactivating viruses, including betacoronavirus, in seconds.

[...] especially useful at fighting the viral spread of airborne diseases in confined environments such as emergency vehicles, hospitals, leisure and education centers[...]

[...] several working prototypes have been developed showing the ability of the filter to achieve air purification of 99% of a small room or an ambulance within 10–20 minutes. Several industrial collaboration projects have been initiated with world-leading air filtration companies to introduce this carbon nanotube material into state-of-the-art applications to help combat COVID-19 and other airborne-based pathogens.

"To meet the market demands, our unique process is being scaled commercially by Q-Flo Limited, a University of Cambridge spin-out'

https://phys.org/new...filtration.html

On that last part---as a tax exempt charity with massive government funding, Cambridge is going to give priority to the commercial market?...

[Obdigore]

Maark Abbott, on 25 October 2021 - 07:44 AM, said:

What exactly is 'Plan B'? I've seen mention of it pop up quite suddenly on social media but haven't looked into what it actually is yet.

I assume it's blast the wealthy to colonize Mars and leave the rest of us here to die?

A morning after pill in the US, when you get drunk and get freaky and didn't use protection.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

After reading about the first drop, decided to log in and be ready for the next batch of masks to be released 5 to 10 minutes early, kept refreshing the page. Released about 5 minutes early, managed to add to my cart, then it asked me to log in again... and it was gone from my cart... and then the site started crashing, coming back online, crashing again---managed to add it to my cart three more times over the next half an hour or so, until it finally said 'sold out'.

Razer had said after the first drop that they were going to deal with the issue of bots and scalpers for this one. Aside from a '1 mask per customer' limit, they didn't seem to do much... though I'd suppose it's possible the masks really are that popular, they should have implemented precautions so it doesn't crash their site.

Now a bunch are available on eBay:

https://preview.redd...to=webpc84fe7f5

The internal fans blowing air out of the mask really seem like a great feature for anyone who wants to drink indoors---while you have to take off the mask, you can hold your breath and then let the fans expel most of the contaminated air. Not sure how much of an advantage this is over a conventional elastomeric P100 or (well-fitting) N95 mask, since very brief exposure to aerosolized particles would probably result in a small viral load---and of course you can try to take a deep breath before removing the mask, chug a shot (which should kill viral particles it touches, though I doubt it would help much with subsequently inhaled particles, except perhaps if you can master some technique for breathing in through your mouth whilst holding high proof alcohol in your lips without choking), then try to blow as much contaminated air as you can. I'd suppose I could try adding a miniature fan to the interior of my P100 mask, perhaps only to be activated after removing it to drink and then placing it back on (being careful not to electrocute myself). Having fans already built-in and well-positioned seems like a much easier and more reliable solution....

Unfortunately it seems like all the Halloween parties I'd really like to go to this year are indoors with no outdoor (or airflow equivalent) drinking area. There are a few others which seem okay and are outdoors but don't require proof of vaccination. Did manage to find one which requires proof of vaccination and has an outdoor drinking area, but the music is not my cup of meat (ABBA, Harry Styles, bleh), though I do like the look of the venue. Another option is an indoor venue that closed over the summer to improve their ventilation---hard to gauge how good their ventilation actually is now (doubt it's anywhere near as good as being outside), and they'll almost certainly be very crowded. Could also try substituting pills for alcohol but I'd rather not; and while I could dissociate to relax, that tends to nullify what little actual desire I have to be at such things. Might try going to the indoor one for a bit and not drinking (now that is horrifying...).

[Maark Abbott]

Obdigore, on 25 October 2021 - 05:10 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 25 October 2021 - 07:44 AM, said:

What exactly is 'Plan B'? I've seen mention of it pop up quite suddenly on social media but haven't looked into what it actually is yet.

I assume it's blast the wealthy to colonize Mars and leave the rest of us here to die?

A morning after pill in the US, when you get drunk and get freaky and didn't use protection.

You live in Texas now, so that's 25 years in jail

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

'New paper on 10,024 breakthrough infections shows that vaccination does not prevent #LongCovid.

https://www.medrxiv....5508v1.full.pdf


Interestingly it does show a possible small reduction in the likelihood of getting certain #LongCovid symptoms, including fatigue and possible cognitive and neuropathy symptoms, & a possible small increase in other LC symptoms (headache, abdominal symptoms). More data needed!


[...] This is not a super strong definition of #LongCovid and I'd be interested to
see the analysis without anxiety/depression (having anxiety/depression
alone is not enough to count as Long Covid, and is bad research!)'

https://twitter.com/...408312066723842

'All 3 authors are labelled as members of the department of psychiatry (at University of Oxford). What do you make of that...?

Finding decreased purely physical symptoms in conjunction with increased psychological symptoms, makes me worry about it being twisted for a BPS grab.'

https://twitter.com/...566307128029186

At the least, increased psychological symptoms for people who were fully vaccinated but had breakthrough cases seems a little sketchy... though I'd suppose it's understandable that having a breakthrough case could add to the psychological stress (something like 'I did everything right and still got it, despair despair' or 'covid's gonna get me no matter what I do, might as well just curl up tight around my own poo').

[Tsundoku]

Azath Vitr (D, on 29 October 2021 - 03:03 AM, said:

'covid's gonna get me no matter what I do, might as well just curl up tight around my own poo'.

What a wonderful picture you paint.

[Tiste Simeon]

Both me and my wife are out the other side! Still got a bit of a slight cough and there were some days that were pretty miserable but no long term effects it seems. Got a scan on Tuesday again but all seems to be well with the twins (they're certainly wriggling away in there) and our little boy has taken it all with a surprising level of understanding.

Could have been a lot worse. A colleague who has not been vaccinated was on oxygen and has had it waaaay worse than me.

[QuickTidal]

Tiste Simeon, on 29 October 2021 - 01:08 PM, said:

Both me and my wife are out the other side! Still got a bit of a slight cough and there were some days that were pretty miserable but no long term effects it seems. Got a scan on Tuesday again but all seems to be well with the twins (they're certainly wriggling away in there) and our little boy has taken it all with a surprising level of understanding.

Glad yo hear you're out the other side!

And the silver lining is that according to reports about people who get it while pregnant is that the twins will be born with some level of immunity to the virus right off the hop.

[Tiste Simeon]

Thanks QT I've heard that too. I also think we're basically immuno-covered for a few months. I was told we can't get it again for a while which is a bit of a relief.

[QuickTidal]

Tiste Simeon, on 29 October 2021 - 01:31 PM, said:

Thanks QT I've heard that too. I also think we're basically immuno-covered for a few months. I was told we can't get it again for a while which is a bit of a relief.

I'm truly glad you all weathered it well.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Tsundoku, on 29 October 2021 - 07:14 AM, said:

Azath Vitr (D, on 29 October 2021 - 03:03 AM, said:

'covid's gonna get me no matter what I do, might as well just curl up tight around my own poo'.

What a wonderful picture you paint.

It's intended to be sung, ed elli avea del cul fatto trombetta

Maybe at the Cosmic Cafe's next open mike... nothing like loudly singing at people to put the fear of Covid into them (though it's better if you're also spitting in their eyes and other orifices...).

[Malankazooie]

National and local news overuse of B-roll showing kids with faces of consternation to outright bawling when receiving the approved vaccine shots for 5 and older now.

[Aptorian]

Things are starting to look worrisome here in Denmark despite "okay" vaccine coverage.

BIG PICTURES ARE BIG

Spoiler

Number of new infections per day
 Screenshot 2021-11-14 144013.png (114.94K)
Number of downloads: 0

New hospitalizations per day. Red and green er intensive care and respirator numbers
 Screenshot 2021-11-14 145141.png (154.74K)
Number of downloads: 0

Thankfully the number of new hospitalizations are lower than last year and there's not as many severe cases.

But I still think we're looking at some kind of lockdown towards Christmas. If nothing else various government workers being sent home.

[Mezla PigDog]

My age range has been approved for booster vaccines in the UK and allegedly they are going the link the vaccine passport thing to whether you have had all eligible vaccines. So I'm in a bind. I believe in vaccines so happy to have it but I categorically don't believe in getting a third shot before most of the world hasn't had its first shot. So hopefully as I don't do a lot anyway maybe I can conscientiously object and not be seriously hampered by it... It's especially annoying since covid has been through my house and didn't infect me - can't I get some kind of superwoman covid pass to see me through the next few months? Don't they know how special as well as how morally incorruptible I am?