CoronaBro Meltdown/SARS-Covid-19 Spitballing Thread

[steve dave]

if you need a reasonable N95 plug I've had good luck here. I only use them in airports/airplanes and in the actual hospital but I'm sure everyone has stuff they do that they may want some.

https://wellbefore.com/collections/niosh-n95

also so you can check to see if the one you are ordering is approved you can check here

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/n95list1.html

[Trim]

Got rejected again today from getting a ‘chip for which they had nobody else to install it in. Sounds like at least 5 chips from one location down the drain.

[michigancat]

I still haven't read that full atlantic article about better masks but I was wondering if an N95 with a beard was better than a cloth mask with a beard. Because I know you're supposed to have a seal on the n95's that won't work with some facial hair.

*Reminds me of the early innocent days off the pandemic when the cdc shared that nifty infographic of facial hair styles that work with masks and everyone on instagram was sharing song lyrics that matched up with his long you were supposed to wash your hands. What fun it was back then!

[steve dave]

yeah, I would assume a beard would make an n95 no more effective than a cloth mask for protecting yourself. both would probably be pretty effective in protecting others even with a beard though, right? I know jack crap about it but that seems like it makes sense.

[Sandstone Outcropping]

I still haven't read that full atlantic article about better masks but I was wondering if an N95 with a beard was better than a cloth mask with a beard. Because I know you're supposed to have a seal on the n95's that won't work with some facial hair.

*Reminds me of the early innocent days off the pandemic when the cdc shared that nifty infographic of facial hair styles that work with masks and everyone on instagram was sharing song lyrics that matched up with his long you were supposed to wash your hands. What fun it was back then!

I don't think there is an N95 that will seal up right if you have facial hair around the mouth. You might want to get a PAPR?

Has anyone else done an N95 fit test? Kind of a cool process where you but on the mask and the respiratory tech has you breathe in and out to confirm that there is no leak going on.

[steve dave]

I've gotten geared up a few times to go into Covid ICU but never got fit tested to that degree

[michigancat]

I still haven't read that full atlantic article about better masks but I was wondering if an N95 with a beard was better than a cloth mask with a beard. Because I know you're supposed to have a seal on the n95's that won't work with some facial hair.

*Reminds me of the early innocent days off the pandemic when the cdc shared that nifty infographic of facial hair styles that work with masks and everyone on instagram was sharing song lyrics that matched up with his long you were supposed to wash your hands. What fun it was back then!

I don't think there is an N95 that will seal up right if you have facial hair around the mouth. You might want to get a PAPR?

No I'm doing N95 or cloth (or maybe both?)

Regarding the tests, pretty much everyone in public wears N95's wrong

[IPA4Me]

Got rejected again today from getting a ‘chip for which they had nobody else to install it in. Sounds like at least 5 chips from one location down the drain.

It is so dumb that  is happening

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[steve dave]

How so?


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[michigancat]

How so?


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Most I've seen don't look like they're sealed properly

[Trim]

Got rejected again today from getting a ‘chip for which they had nobody else to install it in. Sounds like at least 5 chips from one location down the drain.

It is so dumb that  is happening

Yes, and realized I posted in wrong thread.  Look at this mod'n!  Sorry, steve dave.

The 5 discarded chips are probably gonna be at the lower end of their eff-ups this weekend.

[wetwillie]

Are all the chips right now the deep freeze variety? 

[IPA4Me]

How so?


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They have to pitch them if not used and they'll get in trouble for giving to those not in that phase. That's the dumb.

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[WillieWatanabe]

on the list for a chip since I volunteer for Meals on Wheels 

[Trim]

How so?


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They have to pitch them if not used and they'll get in trouble for giving to those not in that phase. That's the dumb.

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He was responding to mich’s post about n95 masks. I mod’d my misplaced chip post in between.

[sys]

I was wondering if an N95 with a beard was better than a cloth mask with a beard. Because I know you're supposed to have a seal on the n95's that won't work with some facial hair.

yeah, probably better, based on it's more effort to breath with one on even if it doesn't have a good seal than it is with a paper mask.  at worst, it's no worse.


also, you could shave.

[IPA4Me]

How so?


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They have to pitch them if not used and they'll get in trouble for giving to those not in that phase. That's the dumb.

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He was responding to mich’s post about n95 masks. I mod’d my misplaced chip post in between.

Out of control moderator!

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[michigancat]

I was wondering if an N95 with a beard was better than a cloth mask with a beard. Because I know you're supposed to have a seal on the n95's that won't work with some facial hair.

yeah, probably better, based on it's more effort to breath with one on even if it doesn't have a good seal than it is with a paper mask.  at worst, it's no worse.


also, you could shave.

Yeah I've considered shaving for N95 sealing. I was just wondering because I've tried homemade cloth masks with fabric that wasn't very breathable and all the air seemed to go out around my eyes, where with a surgical mask or different homemade ones they mostly go through the cloth (and are actually a little harder to breathe through). The best here might be both.

[Trim]

I got 30 of these with them at basically $1/mask to use for more dangerous outings to grocery stores. I don’t know that they’re that much better than regular surgical looking masks that are like $8/50, but it made me feel more confident wearing one while dashing through hell.

https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/6528612/Powecom-KN95-Face-Masks-Adult-One/

[steve dave]

I know jack crap but from what I’ve garnered is kn95 may be as good as n95 or may be you doing a beer bong of Covid Busch light depending on the manufacturer


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[Trim]

That particular one was on this FDA list. 

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-emergency-use-authorizations-medical-devices/personal-protective-equipment-euas#appendixa

I will wear those when I choke the person who's about to throw away my 'chips.

[sys]

israel is at 38% of their population vaccinated.

https://twitter.com/wwwojtekk/status/1353135350311481352

[Spracne]

how do we know that chart is rael?

[steve dave]

i used to dread checking this every day and now I look forward to it

https://twitter.com/COVID19Tracking/status/1353130889585119232

[treysolid]

Congrats #blueanon nation.

You're going to start seeing a reduction in positive cases, because almost right on cue the WHO has issued guidance on Ct.   Soon to come to the U.S. if not already here.   

Instead of Ct values of 37-40 in PCR testing, we'll see Ct values of 30 . . . tops.   Thus reducing the amplification of already low viral loads that in the vast majority of cases are both asymptomatic and non-infectious. 

Cases are most certainly going to drop simply by this measure alone.   How appropriately timed . . . should have bet on it.

There's only one state that requires Ct value reporting, Florida.

As someone who designs and does qPCR assays all the time - anything that comes up after cycle 30-32 is pretty much trash (spurious products, primer dimers, etc.). Reducing your cycles by 10 will save you ~15 mins per run and allow you to process more samples a day. Good, common sense molecular biology - especially for any diagnostics lab.

Yes. So the US using a 40-cycle PCR for the last 10 months or so seems like a poor choice then.

Another science nerd here so I'll also chime in. Look at nearly any qPCR experiment and you'll see you always run them for at least 40 cycles. It's where the signal crosses a set threshold that gives you a Ct value. And that part is a bit fuzzy too since depending where you set your threshold point, you can swing that Ct value at least 3-5 cycles.

Non-nerd here, but find this stuff fascinating. Cycles are exponential as well, correct? Like, if you get a test and your showing covid after 10 cycles you’ve probably got a good but in you. But if it’s 30-35... 40, you may have like a couple of little viral guys maybe hanging out in there?

I’d love to gain a nutshell/layman’s understanding of how this all works.

Hi nicname - sorry, I just saw this. This wikipedia page is a good place to start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-time_polymerase_chain_reaction

Because you double the number of template strands every cycle of PCR, it is an exponential process - at least, in the beginning (the curve stops being exponential at a certain point as you start running out of reagents in the reaction). That's why the threshold to determine Ct is set low, you want to measure the reaction while the amplification is still exponential. And since everything is exponential, 10-fold differences in starting template concentration will be separated by ~3.32 Ct. So if you've got 100 million viral guys crossing the threshold at cycle 7, then samples with 100 viral guys will cross the threshold at ~ cycle 27. (And 10 viral guys will be detected at ~ cycle 30).