Let’s talk about self protection
First of all, I want to apologize for stopping updating the dashboard since yesterday. The numbers are rising too fast for me to keep up with. Since the epic center has moved from Asia to Europe with more media attention now, I figured you can get more detailed information from local media. Hence, the dashboard has served it’s interim purpose. For real-time update, I recommend the following sources:
BNO News-very reliable and fast
worldometers-comprehensive with useful tables
Aljazeera-covering middle east news
Of course, I would write posts whenever there’s significant progress(hopefully!) or unfortunate bad news in Asia.
Now, let’s talk about how to protect yourself when the outbreak is happening in your country. The cute pics of Shiba are designed by Taiwanese government to illustrate what we can do in our daily life to reduce our exposure to the virus.
Another important issue is FACE MASKS. I know most people in the west prefer washing hands to wearing a mask while the Asian do the opposite. But to fight against this sneaky coronavirus, we need BOTH! The mask is meant to protect both you and people around you. If you see someone wearing a mask, please don’t panic, he/she is just trying to protect both you and them from contamination. It is those who carry the virus without proper protection that you should be worried about.
Not every mask can effectively protect you from coronavirus. Not those for pollen or dust. It has to be surgical grade with 3 layers with water proof surface (against droplet, which is the main route of infection of Wuhan virus).
It’s equally important to put on and take off the mask correctly
For more details and information about surgical masks->HERE
You might think “Wth Pi, I can’t find any mask anywhere, now you’re telling me these bullshit when I don’t even have one single mask?”
Don’t be upset, you’re not the only one with this issue, trust me. We also have the shortage problem here in Taiwan even though our government banned its exportation as early as January 24, the ration still only allow us to have 2 (now 3) masks/per week which is far less enough for most people.
So some doctors and experts suggest we can:
use cotton cloth mask with less risky occasions, like if you only plan to stay in a not-so-crowded place for a short period of time and save the surgical masks for high risk situation, like visiting hospital & airport, using crowded public transportation. Cotton cloth mask provides 80% protection, it’s lower but better than nothing, right?
sew a mask cover to extend the life-cycle of your precious surgical masks or as a contingent alternative.
This way, you can use your masks longer and more effectively. Here are some videos tutorials about how to make a mask cover by yourself:
This one is a Chinese tutorial but easy to understand with details.
This is the easiest one I can find so far.
Be sure to put non-woven cloth (disposable) inside the cover. It is this non-woven cloth can provide protection, not the cover itself. You can use gauze, diapers, wipes (it has to be dry though), or pad. No one knows what you put inside, so don’t be shy.
Wash the cover every time after using and make sure it's dry and clean before you put it on.
If you have to take it down when you go out, fold it (like the pink mask in my pic) and put it into a zip-lock bag to prevent it from contaminating other stuffs.
Don’t overuse your surgical mask. Normally it’s life-cycle is 4~8 hrs, provided intact structure without moistening. If you find it got wet, stop using it, unless you have a ultraviolet disinfection lamp.
Cotton cloth mask might look less intimidating and repelling than surgical masks, I think? It’s also a good way to kill time since we all have to stay home most of the time.
If you find it really really hard to put on the mask and go out, at least keep a safe distance from people to make sure you won’t get any droplets, don’t touch anything or wash your hands (and glasses or even your face) as frequently as possible.
As for sanitizers, you need to use those with effective components like 70~75% alcohol to clean your hands and objects like your keyboard & mouse, office telephone, smart phone, etc. Alcohol can destroy coronavirus due to its envelope structure. Don’t spry alcohol all over your body like wearing perfume, it’s flammable!🔥🔥🔥 HCIO is another popular alternative, but it can only be used on objects, please don’t use it on your hands.
Also, I would recommend to make sure you have enough inventory of necessary living supplies for at least 3~6 months. Its not doomsday, you don’t have to hoard everything, just those might face a shortage of supply when those manufacturing countries are hit with virus. My friends and I are storing canned food and sanitary products.
One thing important but I neglected is medication. If you have to take a certain meds regularly, make sure you have enough at hand. India just announced an ban over drug export.
That’s it for today, I’ll keep you posted when I find anything useful. Stay healthy and stay positive! I have friends living in Tokyo and Seoul, they’re all fully aware the risk they’re facing and dealing with it based on our lesson learnt during SARS. Don’t worry and don’t panic, we can fight this together!💪💪💪
