Researched, Curated, Fact-Checked Covid-19 Information for Osoyoos, BC, Neighbours and Neighbors
The advice from health authorities on who should wear masks for protection and when is mixed. This article will outline the advice, look at the research and discuss how some people are are busy sewing masks either for themselves and their families or to provide them to emergency workers.
The big question for most people is how long are we going to have to isolate and how long will this pandemic last.
And, what’s coming next?
No one — not even health experts and epidemiologists — can tell you for sure. But it is possible to get an idea by looking at epidemiological information about the virus and looking at the experience in other countries that got hit by the virus first.
Here’s the difficult reality: we won’t be free from the risk of the virus until a sufficient number of people acquire immunity. And that will only happen when either a vaccine is developed or enough people have had Covid-19 and recovered. Continue reading “We’re in this for the longer haul”
Hand sanitizer these days is extremely difficult or impossible to find. That’s in part due to the high demand, but there have also been some egregious cases of hoarding.
The most notorious case involved brothers Matt and Noah Colvin of Hixson, Tennessee, who drove around their state and neighbouring ones scooping up every bottle of sanitizer they could find. In the end, they had more than 17,000 bottles, along with other much-needed supplies. Continue reading “Distillers shifting from whiskey to hand sanitizer”
A new website, OsoyoosPersists.ca, has launched to provide the Osoyoos, B.C. community and area with localized information about the Covid-19 pandemic.
The non-commercial site is the project of Richard McGuire, a semi-retired journalist and photographer living in Osoyoos.
The site, which “soft-launched” on Friday, March 20, will provide researched, curated and fact-checked information with a focus on this community. Continue reading “OsoyoosPersists.ca, website on surviving the pandemic in our community, officially launches”
The main way that the coronavirus causing Covid-19 spreads is by human-to-human contact.
It forms as tiny droplets when people sneeze or cough, etc. These travel through the air and you breathe them in — where they infect your respiratory system.
The recommended or required distance is two metres or just over six feet to avoid this. Aim for more if possible to be safe. And no, it’s not safe to shake hands from two metres or any distance!
But people also sneeze and cough on surfaces. They cover coughs and sneezes with their hands (why you don’t shake them) and then touch elevator buttons, card transaction machines, and all those other surfaces in our normal lives. If you handle these, then touch your face, you can get the virus. It enters through mucus membranes like your nose, eyes, mouth — you get the idea!
Washing hands thoroughly and as soon as possible after touching surfaces without touching your face is a must. But it’s hard to avoid touching faces because we do it without thinking — for some people many times in an hour.
How long does a surface stay infectious? That depends. Continue reading “How dangerous are surfaces and what can you do to be safe?”
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is reporting that scammers are setting up websites to sell bogus products, and using fake emails, texts, and social media posts as a ruse to take your money and get your personal information.
This information comes in a news release from Cpl. Daniel Michaud
Media Relations Officer Federal Serious and Organized Crime (FSOC).
This can take the form of asking you to donate to victims, offering unproven treatments, or offering protective gear.
See their Fraud Alert warning for more information.
Astronaut Chris Hadfield has released a short YouTube video with tips on self isolation. It’s called “An Astronaut’s Guide to Self Isolation.”
The audio on the 2:05 minute video is a bit low, so crank up your speakers.
Hadfield commanded the International Space Station in December, 2012.
“I’ve spent a little time self isolating — onboard a spaceship,” he said.
Among his tips:
“It’s a chance to do something different that you’ve never done before. And then repeat,” he said.
“There has never been a better time to self isolate,” he suggests, with some much information about everything available on the internet. “You have the entire written work, all the body of everything right there at your fingertips.”
Understandably, people are worried about different ways they might contract Covid-19. Some people are worried about transmission from pets and such fears spread like wildfire on social media.
Relax. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no evidence that pets are a risk. They say:
At this time, there is no evidence that companion animals, including pets, can spread COVID-19 or that they might be a source of infection in the United States.
Animals can, however, get some coronaviruses, so if you are infected, you need to restrict contact with them. Continue reading “Covid-19 and pets”
Blood collection in Canada (except Quebec) is carried out under Canadian Blood Services.
There will be great need for blood, but the logistics of collecting it at this time are complicated. You need to arrange an appointment and if you can’t get an appointment now, consider trying again in a week or so. CBS says:
It’s safe to donate blood during COVID-19, and critical for patients
You can book appointments through their website or by using their app, GiveBlood, which is available for Android in the Google Play Store and for Apple at the App Store.
If you get an appointment, you will need to travel to where they direct you, which likely involves travel up the valley.
Visit blood.ca for more information.
As the pandemic spreads, the rules for social distancing are changing.
Less than a week ago, public health authorities throughout North America were calling for cancellation of events with more than 250 people. Things change quickly and now even small gatherings are being called off.
The current advice is to stay at least two metres (just over six feet) away from others when you are out in public. Obviously if you are showing symptoms or have been exposed to someone else with symptoms, you need to go further. Continue reading “What are the ‘rules’ for social distancing?”