Covid 19

[Hugo]

Thanks very much Meleri for explaining about the snood,  I'll try and stretch it and see what happens.     
 I've got other types of masks for the garden and I have the same problem as you do, my protective goggles mist up and I can't see anything.
I've been working under my hedge this week pulling Ivy and other stuff out and I have to take the glasses off to see where things are and then put them back on for protection, it makes things a lot harder to do

[Meleri]

Please be careful Hugo, Mr M had a very bad torn rotator cuff injury from pulling grasses from under the hedge a few months back. I found him sitting in the garden holding his arm & moaning, turning greyer by the minute, so I called an ambulance thinking he was having another heart attack.

[Hugo]

Thanks very much for your concern Meleri.   I do take as much precaution as I can but accidents can happen.   I wear a hat, gloves, goggles, sweatshirt and fleece but my problem is fitting underneath the hedge!
I just hate Ivy and I've had 3 or 4 bags of the stuff in the last week or so
I hope that Mr M is recovering well after his injury, it must have been a very worrying time for both of you

[SteveH]

7,000 extra hospital beds to deal with coronavirus crisis

Critical care capacity has more than doubled across Wales and 1,000 new ventilators are on order.

The plans have been bolstered by a massive response from recently retired NHS staff ready to return to work – 1,300 healthcare professionals have already responded and 1,200 registered GP locums are preparing to enter the NHS Wales workforce. They will be supported by thousands of trainees.

Full article   https://www.southwalesguardian.co.uk/news/18358961.7-000-extra-hospital-beds-deal-coronavirus-crisis/?ref=rss

[Ian]

Is it worth wearing a mask?

[SteveH]

Is it worth wearing a mask?

I had Just finished reading the story, and thinking it over, my opinion is/was ? to wear a mask, that's why we bought a couple of the  Virustatic shields, with the (96% protection against pathogens, and germ trap technology.) but the article mentions, problems when removing masks as they could be retaining the bacteria, the other thinking is it helps contain the spread from those infected, particularly those who are unaware they are contagious, anyway, I admit to wanting to wear a mask as a security blanket, I will have to have an open mind, when the time comes to venture out.

[Ian]

I think these new virustatic masks actually destroy the virus envelope, rendering it inert. So they're probably a good investment.

[Hugo]

Tourist phones Gwynedd Chippy during lockdown -----    Here's what happens next


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/tourist-phones-gwynedd-chippy-during-18045920

[SteveH]

Not short videos, but important to anybody on the front line.                                   ref BBC

Doctor gives PPE demonstrations on YouTube
An intensive care consultant at Wrexham Maelor Hospital is raising awareness of how personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used correctly by medics.

Dr David Counsell from Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, Conwy who worked in Sierra Leone during the 2015 ebola outbreak, has published three YouTube tutorials on using PPE properly.           

He says: "I've been watching all the stuff on PPE on TV, especially about staff dying from Covid-19, and there's an important message that I don't think has been getting out: staff training on the proper use of PPE has been universally very poor, especially in the removal of basic equipment."

In the three videos he demonstrates the different types of PPE such as gloves, visors and face masks, as well as safe ways to remove the kit without increasing the risk of infection to staff.

Search you tube   Effective use of PPE for Covid 19 pandemic Dr. David Counsell

Part one...............  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiB7ZbFUFaY

Part two................ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAEbLhpqpm8

Part three.............  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP-GVyZ2xUI

[SteveH]

Coronavirus status checker

You can help the NHS understand more about coronavirus.

A coronavirus status checker has been launched to find out more about how and where Covid-19 is affecting people.

Tell the NHS about your current experience of coronavirus
This survey will help the NHS understand more about how and where coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting people currently.

By answering some quick questions, you can help the NHS plan its response to coronavirus.

Simply answer the questions online at https://www.nhs.uk/coronavirus-status-checker

[SteveH]

More on the Coronavirus status checker questionnaire above, this is a simple procedure, the only personal information needed is your postcode 


Heat map of North Wales coronavirus symptom hotspots - and who flouts lockdown
Information is being collected about people's behaviour during the pandemic to help fight the spread of the virus.

As of April 6, more than 12% of users in North Wales report that they have come down with symptoms of the virus.

Conwy tops the table with 14% claiming to be ill with symptoms, followed by 13% in Denbighshire and Gwynedd, 11% in Flintshire and 10% in Wrexham.

The UK has entered its third week of lockdown with all non-essential travel banned - but police are still coming across holidaymakers and locals who are breaking the rules and ultimately putting lives at risk.

People in Conwy and Denbighshire had the highest proportion of respondents who said theyh were still going out.

full story    https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/heat-map-north-wales-coronavirus-18053319

[SteveH]

Plea for public to stop calling 999 for Covid-19 tests and check-ups
8th April 2020
THE Welsh Ambulance Service is appealing to the public not to call 999 for a Coronavirus test.

Some patients have been demanding that paramedics perform an on-the-spot test to rule out the virus, according to feedback from crews.
Ambulance crews do not, and never have, carried tests for Coronavirus.

The Trust also reports that people have been calling 999 under an emergency pretext but on arrival crews are being asked to give a ‘check-up.’

In a video appeal shared on social media, Lee Brooks, the Trust’s Director of Operations, said: “Our people are working incredibly hard to provide you with the best possible care in these exceptionally challenging circumstances.

“Our crews cannot perform swabbing or testing for Coronavirus, so please don’t call us for this reason.
“Please also don’t call us for a ‘check-up’ if you have symptoms of Coronavirus.

“Our emergency ambulance service exists to help people whose lives are in immediate danger, and not to give precautionary check-ups.

“If you are self-isolating at home then you do not need to be tested, and you do not need to call 111 to tell us you’re self-isolating.
“You should only call 111 if your symptoms worsen considerably or you cannot manage your symptoms at home.”

“We do understand that you’re concerned and frightened, but using us unnecessarily is taking our precious resources away from patients who really need our help.”

The official advice from Public Health Wales says that testing for coronavirus is not needed if you’re staying at home.

Only those in hospital are being routinely tested for Coronavirus.    cont  https://www.ambulance.wales.nhs.uk/Default.aspx?gcid=1634&lan=en

[SteveH]

In the front garden yesterday, I noticed three runners, well spaced, but I surmised that their constant speed and spacing meant that number 2 and 3 were actually running into the air space of the one in front, (unfortunately a bit later I noticed a couple of speedy cyclist's engaging in what appears to be the normal habit of spitting, bad enough at the best of times......) after a bit of searching, I found this article. ...........


Belgian-Dutch Study: Why in times of COVID-19 you can not walk/run/bike close to each other.

What is a safe distance when running, biking and walking during COVID-19 times? It is further than the typical 1–2 meter as prescribed

in different countries!

In a lot of countries walking, biking and jogging are welcome activities in these times of COVID-19. However, it is important to note that

you need to avoid each other's slipstream when doing these activities. This comes out of the result of a study by the KU Leuven

(Belgium) and TU Eindhoven (Netherlands). (1)(2)(3)

The typical social distancing rule which many countries apply between 1–2 meters seems effective when you are standing still inside or

even outside with low wind. But when you go for a walk, run or bike ride you better be more careful. When someone during a run

breathes, sneezes or coughs, those particles stay behind in the air. The person running behind you in the so-called slip-stream goes

through this cloud of droplets.

Full article  ..  https://medium.com/@jurgenthoelen/belgian-dutch-study-why-in-times-of-covid-19-you-can-not-walk-run-bike-close-to-each-other-a5df19c77d08

"Anyone can publish on Medium per our Policies, but we don’t fact-check every story."

[Hugo]

There has been talk of banning jogging in the UK or at least restricting it to certain times for the reasons expressed in the link.    On a narrow path the joggers pass very close to you and they never stop to allow a walker to go past, they always assume that they have the right of way and the link explains clearly how infections from the joggers can spread

[SteveH]

A bit basic, but might help.........

Coronavirus or hayfever? How to tell the difference
As the UK braces for the worst wave of pollen in 70 years, here is everything you need to know.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/how-tell-coronavirus-hayfever-symptoms-18070635