Discussions
Reply to: COVID-19: key developments for Friday, March 20, 2020 Posted March 21, 2020
Reply to: Some quick advice on bugging out for COVID-19 Posted March 18, 2020

Yes, you are correct that people who have the virus but are non-symptomatic can still spread the virus; we call this “viral shedding.” One of the limitations in our understanding of how this virus spreads is that we don’t really know how far “droplets” go…6ft is not some expertly-calculated upper-limit of dispersion, it’s more like an average around which most particles spread, but you should expect some variation including travel of viral particles well beyond 6 ft. There are many factors that can contribute to this: the force of expulsion and the prevailing air currents are two factors that come quickly to mind. It would be unwise to assume that one is at less risk of exposure only because they’re not sharing an aisle with someone or the cashier is lower than face level. We do have some new data on how long the virus can last on different surfaces (“fomites”): SARS-CoV-2 was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel (https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/new-coronavirus-stable-hours-surfaces). If you’re going to any site where > 10 people typically congregate, then wear N95 + goggles + gloves. Limit the number of people in your family who go outside to get groceries, gas, etc. The virus spreads along social contacts, so we must limit that number in order to reduce the burn rate.

Reply to: Cold or COVID-19? How to use a pulse oximeter to tell if your lungs are in trouble Posted March 18, 2020
Reply to: What preppers are stocking up on for COVID-19 Posted March 15, 2020

You’re missing the point. Expecting that you can simply purchase something is #badprepping, not everyone has the money, but more importantly supplies are NEVER guaranteed. The best tool for prepping is your brain, and you can’t buy that. Let’s share ideas and legitimate alternatives. Environmental cleaning: the CDC recommends cleaning with at least 70% alcohol (EtOH). https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fhome%2Fcleaning-disinfection.html. This is easily achieved with Everclear, which is ~90%, cheap, and ubiquitous. Personal hygiene: if you’re out of TP, don’t freak out. People tend to overuse the stuff, anyway. Humans can get clean enough with a little water. Check out this decent alternative: https://andrewskurka.com/pooping-in-the-outdoors-part-4-the-backcountry-bidet/.

Reply to: What preppers are stocking up on for COVID-19 Posted March 12, 2020
Reply to: What preppers are stocking up on for COVID-19 Posted March 12, 2020
Reply to: IFAK first aid kit list Posted March 9, 2020
Reply to: IFAK first aid kit list Posted March 9, 2020

Here are my suggestions (I’m a physician and I’m certified in Advanced Wilderness Life Support): -Oral Dissolving Tablet (ODT)/Sublingual formulation: awesome but is the most difficult to obtain and not all medications are offered in this formulation. Offers rapid administration and are usually stored in blister packs. I prefer ODT for medications that are important to give when the patient is nauseous/vomiting (traditional oral medications might not stay down long enough to get absorbed). For example, I keep my Ondansetron 8mg ODT (brand name Zofran) to rapidly (<5 minutes) reduce nausea. I absolutely love Zofran, as a doctor and as a patient, but it’s a prescription medication, so you’ll need to get creative.If you know someone with “angina” you might be familiar with their “nitro” pills; these are also ODT. -“Chewable”: sort-of like ODT. I keep all of my Asprin (81mg) in chewable forms. -Tablet and Capsules: good because they are 1.) robust (don’t lose their form/turn into powder easily), 2.) retrievable (you can spill them and re-acquire them without loss of efficacy), 3.) don’t require a measuring tool (liquids need a cup), 4.) easily accessible, and 5.) are stable and easy to administer in a variety of settings. A problem I encountered when storing my tablets/capsule meds: I buy bulk if I can so I end up having to store the pills in a new container to save space/weight. The pills often don’t fit perfectly in my new containers so I pack them with cotton. This not only protects the pills from abrasion but keeps my bag quiet. -Liquid formulations: AVOID. These are difficult to measure without some kind of graduated container (which you might not have, or more likely has become dirty). Also, imagine if you tip over an open bottle…you can pick pills up, but you’re never going to separate your liquid Tylenol from the dirt. AVOID SPILLS, CHOOSE PILLS! (I just made that up…rhyming helps the brain remember things)

Reply to: IFAK first aid kit list Posted March 8, 2020
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Reply to: COVID-19: key developments for Friday, March 20, 2020 Posted March 21, 2020
Reply to: Some quick advice on bugging out for COVID-19 Posted March 18, 2020

Yes, you are correct that people who have the virus but are non-symptomatic can still spread the virus; we call this “viral shedding.” One of the limitations in our understanding of how this virus spreads is that we don’t really know how far “droplets” go…6ft is not some expertly-calculated upper-limit of dispersion, it’s more like an average around which most particles spread, but you should expect some variation including travel of viral particles well beyond 6 ft. There are many factors that can contribute to this: the force of expulsion and the prevailing air currents are two factors that come quickly to mind. It would be unwise to assume that one is at less risk of exposure only because they’re not sharing an aisle with someone or the cashier is lower than face level. We do have some new data on how long the virus can last on different surfaces (“fomites”): SARS-CoV-2 was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel (https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/new-coronavirus-stable-hours-surfaces). If you’re going to any site where > 10 people typically congregate, then wear N95 + goggles + gloves. Limit the number of people in your family who go outside to get groceries, gas, etc. The virus spreads along social contacts, so we must limit that number in order to reduce the burn rate.

Reply to: Cold or COVID-19? How to use a pulse oximeter to tell if your lungs are in trouble Posted March 18, 2020
Reply to: What preppers are stocking up on for COVID-19 Posted March 15, 2020

You’re missing the point. Expecting that you can simply purchase something is #badprepping, not everyone has the money, but more importantly supplies are NEVER guaranteed. The best tool for prepping is your brain, and you can’t buy that. Let’s share ideas and legitimate alternatives. Environmental cleaning: the CDC recommends cleaning with at least 70% alcohol (EtOH). https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fhome%2Fcleaning-disinfection.html. This is easily achieved with Everclear, which is ~90%, cheap, and ubiquitous. Personal hygiene: if you’re out of TP, don’t freak out. People tend to overuse the stuff, anyway. Humans can get clean enough with a little water. Check out this decent alternative: https://andrewskurka.com/pooping-in-the-outdoors-part-4-the-backcountry-bidet/.

Reply to: What preppers are stocking up on for COVID-19 Posted March 12, 2020
Reply to: What preppers are stocking up on for COVID-19 Posted March 12, 2020
Reply to: IFAK first aid kit list Posted March 9, 2020
Reply to: IFAK first aid kit list Posted March 9, 2020

Here are my suggestions (I’m a physician and I’m certified in Advanced Wilderness Life Support): -Oral Dissolving Tablet (ODT)/Sublingual formulation: awesome but is the most difficult to obtain and not all medications are offered in this formulation. Offers rapid administration and are usually stored in blister packs. I prefer ODT for medications that are important to give when the patient is nauseous/vomiting (traditional oral medications might not stay down long enough to get absorbed). For example, I keep my Ondansetron 8mg ODT (brand name Zofran) to rapidly (<5 minutes) reduce nausea. I absolutely love Zofran, as a doctor and as a patient, but it’s a prescription medication, so you’ll need to get creative.If you know someone with “angina” you might be familiar with their “nitro” pills; these are also ODT. -“Chewable”: sort-of like ODT. I keep all of my Asprin (81mg) in chewable forms. -Tablet and Capsules: good because they are 1.) robust (don’t lose their form/turn into powder easily), 2.) retrievable (you can spill them and re-acquire them without loss of efficacy), 3.) don’t require a measuring tool (liquids need a cup), 4.) easily accessible, and 5.) are stable and easy to administer in a variety of settings. A problem I encountered when storing my tablets/capsule meds: I buy bulk if I can so I end up having to store the pills in a new container to save space/weight. The pills often don’t fit perfectly in my new containers so I pack them with cotton. This not only protects the pills from abrasion but keeps my bag quiet. -Liquid formulations: AVOID. These are difficult to measure without some kind of graduated container (which you might not have, or more likely has become dirty). Also, imagine if you tip over an open bottle…you can pick pills up, but you’re never going to separate your liquid Tylenol from the dirt. AVOID SPILLS, CHOOSE PILLS! (I just made that up…rhyming helps the brain remember things)

Reply to: IFAK first aid kit list Posted March 8, 2020