South African Covid-19 News and Discussions 3

[Brian_G]

For people with glasses, here's what could help with masks causing fogging;

There's the light blue plastic(?) more professional-looking mask from Dischem that's adjustable at the nose, has something like stiff pipecleaner items embedded there. It loops around the ears.
Helps a lot, but I've also heard the plastic factor could be toxic over time so not sure it's the answer.

 

[Brian_G]

Another concern making its rounds which I would think we probably need to be aware of, is that what we exhale shouldn't go into our eyes long term.

 

[Geoff.D]

That is why the N95 industrial dust mask is preferable. They have a metal/plastic strip that can be moulded around the nose. The price used to be about R 5 - 6 each before the madness, now can't find any below R11 each.

 

[Brian_G]

That is why the N95 industrial dust mask is preferable. They have a metal/plastic strip that can be moulded around the nose. The price used to be about R 5 - 6 each before the madness, now can't find any below R11 each.

How often is it suggested they can be worn?
Fairly easily available?
TIA

 

[Brian_G]

Have now found this.

How Many Times Can an N95 Mask Be Sanitized and Reused?

Number of safe reuses varies by decontamination method, study states

www.medpagetoday.com

— Number of safe reuses varies by decontamination method, study states. N95 respirators can be safely decontaminated without undermining functional integrity only two or three times, a government study showed. Apr 15, 2020

I presume they mean ordinary soap washing as well from what they say, which IMO is needed once every week or two?

EDIT: I haven't forgotten that contamination concerns aren't sufficiently valid to some of us, just partially about reasonable usage questions in those cases since we have to use them.

 

[noxibox]

That is why the N95 industrial dust mask is preferable. They have a metal/plastic strip that can be moulded around the nose. The price used to be about R 5 - 6 each before the madness, now can't find any below R11 each.

On it's own that metal strip doesn't work sufficiently for many people. Giving an alternative escape path is effective. Adjusting the mask so the breath can escape below the chin and/or to the sides along with getting the upper part as snug as possible can eliminate the fogging.

Have now found this.

How Many Times Can an N95 Mask Be Sanitized and Reused?

Number of safe reuses varies by decontamination method, study states

www.medpagetoday.com

I presume they mean ordinary soap washing as well from what they say, which IMO is needed once every week or two?

EDIT: I haven't forgotten that contamination concerns aren't sufficiently valid to some of us, just partially about reasonable usage questions in those cases since we have to use them.

Washing in soapy water will damage the mask.

There's also no way for civilians to test whether they've compromised their mask short of deliberately trying to inhale some small particles through it.

 

[Brian_G]

Washing in soapy water will damage the mask.

What layman / easy way is there to clean them then, if any?

There's also no way for civilians to test whether they've compromised their mask short of deliberately trying to inhale some small particles through it.

A guestimate safe period based on details seems to be roughly an initial 2 weeks, then 3 washes and further 2 weeks each... about 8 weeks?

For those wanting this, heard they're at Builders Warehouse, some other hardware retailers too.

 

[Brian_G]

 

[The_Right_Honourable_Brit]

EXCLUSIVE-S.Africa confirms going for COVAX vaccine scheme for 10% of population

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 24 (Reuters) - South Africa is going with the COVAX global COVID-19 vaccine distribution scheme, with a committed purchase for 10% of its population of 58 million, a senior health official said on Tuesday.


Khadija Jamaloodien, director of affordable medicines at the health ministry, told Reuters South Africa had not yet signed the commitment agreement to participate in COVAX but would do so once officials had completed the necessary administrative processes.

She said the facility would give the country an early batch of vaccines with which to start protecting people.

“We have to be strategic about how we do this, because the intention is to cover a larger proportion of the population,” she said. “Initially the strategy is to protect the vulnerable, the vulnerable includes our healthcare workers and then those which we will identify as priority groups.”

The decision followed earlier advice from a group of experts.

The government has publicly expressed support for COVAX, but it had yet to say how much of the population it would seek to cover via the facility co-led by the World Health Organization, and whether it would go for the committed, rather than optional, purchase arrangement.


South Africa will make a 500 million rand ($33 million) payment to help fund production of vaccines that will be made available via the facility, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said earlier on Tuesday.

Possibly one of very few good uses of tax revenue this year.

 

[Lupus]

Gauteng can’t fight Covid-19 with fake figures

Gauteng’s officially recorded COVID-19 figures are becoming more and more ludicrous, providing little guidance in tracking the epidemic to prevent hotspots developing further. According to the latest figures from the National Health Department, there are only 283 active cases in Gauteng, the...

dagauteng.org.za

 

[CataclysmZA]

What layman / easy way is there to clean them then, if any?

A guestimate safe period based on details seems to be roughly an initial 2 weeks, then 3 washes and further 2 weeks each... about 8 weeks?

Steaming the masks for ten minutes in a rice cooker was proven to be effective (by the inventor of the N95 mask itself, no less), the temperature and pressure is good enough. You can also leave it in the sun for about 30 minutes.

 

[netstrider]

Steaming the masks for ten minutes in a rice cooker was proven to be effective (by the inventor of the N95 mask itself, no less), the temperature and pressure is good enough. You can also leave it in the sun for about 30 minutes.

Yep, firm believer here the sun can do most of the job.

Do that with garden containers as well.

Best bet is to just live your life though. Then, if you get sick, assume you are sick and don't have some deadly disease.

 

[MiW]

Gauteng can’t fight Covid-19 with fake figures

Gauteng’s officially recorded COVID-19 figures are becoming more and more ludicrous, providing little guidance in tracking the epidemic to prevent hotspots developing further. According to the latest figures from the National Health Department, there are only 283 active cases in Gauteng, the...

dagauteng.org.za

If the GP numbers are not fixed in a week, we might be the first place on earth achieving negative active cases.

 

[MiW]

SA cancels health screenings for domestic travellers at all international airports

Government has relaxed the requirements for flying over the holiday period after it was announced that domestic Port Health screening has stopped and domestic travellers won’t need health questionnaires.

www.iol.co.za

 

[pinball wizard]

Steaming the masks for ten minutes in a rice cooker was proven to be effective (by the inventor of the N95 mask itself, no less), the temperature and pressure is good enough. You can also leave it in the sun for about 30 minutes.

Spray it with homemade hydrogen peroxide solution and hang on the line in the sun for a day.

 

[MiW]

I think I just found out why cases are reported 24-48h and older.

South Africa has one of the world’s best mechanisms for reporting deaths.


There are currently delays (related to lockdown’s impact on paperwork), and cause of death without an autopsy is dependent on the judgement of the health worker filling in the form.

 

[Brian_G]

In the last few posts - fake figures / best mechanisms / currently delays
??

 

[Lupus]

I think I just found out why cases are reported 24-48h and older.

So they could've been knocked over by a car, but the health worker decides, COVID cause they had it 6 months ago?

 

[The_Right_Honourable_Brit]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1331289874843000834

I will keep an eye on what he will say....

 

[R13...]

SA cancels health screenings for domestic travellers at all international airports

Government has relaxed the requirements for flying over the holiday period after it was announced that domestic Port Health screening has stopped and domestic travellers won’t need health questionnaires.

www.iol.co.za

Good idea. People just lie anyway. People claim no symptoms but you hear coughing all around the aircraft.