Panic buying

[57xx]

18 minutes ago, Reorte said:

 

I've not seen anyone wearing one (I have on the news of course). I'm not at all persuaded that they have any real effect in stopping you catching anything, and only limited effect in preventing spreading.

 

Nor have I, I was saying about the way the media has portrayed it.

 

 

[Gwiwer]

Media might be using stock footage and be under some sort of guidelines to present matters as they do with lots of face-masks being worn.  I have read opinion in the commuter tabloids apparently origination from informed sources (though one can never be certain) which suggests the typical paper masks are of little use against viruses.  A full synthetic face mask would be required to also protect the eyes and minimise risk of hand-touching-face infection arising from actual contact with an infected person. 

[jpendle]

According to my better half who works in a hospital, the bog (roll) standard face masks used in healthcare and that can be bought over the counter are meant for TEMPORARY use.

Put it on, change a dressing, draw blood, etc, then throw it away. Put on a fresh one for the next procedure. They aren't designed or meant to last for hours.

 

John P

[eastglosmog]

1 hour ago, Reorte said:

 

I've not seen anyone wearing one (I have on the news of course). I'm not at all persuaded that they have any real effect in stopping you catching anything, and only limited effect in preventing spreading.

According to WHO guidance (as reported in the New Scientist last week) there is not thought to be any benefit to a healthy person of wearing a face mask.

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

A full synthetic face mask would be required to also protect the eyes and minimise risk of hand-touching-face infection arising from actual contact with an infected person. 

Photographs of health care professionals I have seen include both a mask and a full face shield over all, and surgical gloves of course. (This is the stepdown from the full hazmat suit.)

 

On the subject of masks, the US CDC issued a chart with different facial hair styles. Any facial hair that interferes with the peripheral edge of the mask will limit its efficacy.

[57xx]

7 minutes ago, eastglosmog said:

According to WHO guidance (as reported in the New Scientist last week) there is not thought to be any benefit to a healthy person of wearing a face mask.

 

What about unhealthy people? Surely it must be better to catch all the infected droplets spraying out when they cough?

 

 

[Nearholmer]

Yes, I read something written by a doctor, on the bbc website I think, which said that the ordinary basic mask is not much good at preventing you catching it ( it needs to be changed very frequently, gets touched, then caused hand transfer of bugs, and isnt proof against small droplets anyway). 
 

But, it is fairly good at reducing ‘outgoing’ infection, because it traps the bigger drops and slows down the tiny ones so they can’t go so far.

 

He also cast doubt on the value of gloves worn by non-trained people as a preventative ........ need to be used with very stringent discipline to be useful.

 

HMQ has presumably been trained in that discipline, given that she has started wearing them.

[Kickstart]

9 hours ago, 57xx said:

 

Yup, which is why it's still there, if I remember right, that's the one that won't fit on a standard size kitchen roll holder. You'd have to be desperate to buy that one.

it is good stuff, but a bit excessive for bog roll. And not sure how long it takes to break down

 

All the best

 

Katy

[Andy Hayter]

37 minutes ago, 57xx said:

 

What about unhealthy people? Surely it must be better to catch all the infected droplets spraying out when they cough?

 

 

It would be better if masks did that.  Almost all masks don't.  They will provide an improvement, but not a cure and the second that a mask becomes wet on the outer face it is completely ineffective.

[jjb1970]

Surely if you have symptoms you should be self isolating,  not wearing a mask to stop spreading the illness?

[eastglosmog]

1 hour ago, 57xx said:

 

What about unhealthy people? Surely it must be better to catch all the infected droplets spraying out when they cough?

 

 

Being somewhat cynical, the advice from my GP's practice could be interpreted as they should stay at home and die so as no to infect anyone else!

[brianusa]

The media are trying to extract every inch column of news whether its true or not from this 'crisis' which may be true in some parts of the world, while others seem apparently untouched.  Shopping yesterday was no different from all the others with plenty of toilet rolls in evidence ready to be snapped up, on sale too!  Fortunately there was enough of our usual needs available so we can self quarantine if necessary!

      Brian.

[Reorte]

40 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

Surely if you have symptoms you should be self isolating,  not wearing a mask to stop spreading the illness?

 

I agree, but we all make the odd cough and sneeze even when we're feeling fine. How many feeling fine but actually ill people spreading via coughs and sneezes there are? I don't know. This is why I think they may have some effect in preventing spreading but none in preventing catching.

[JohnDMJ]

An interesting read!

 

On 08/03/2020 at 21:01, jcm@gwr said:

 

Agreed, but there has been talk recently about dropping BBE's for certain things.

honey for a start, but also pasta and instant coffee, I can't remember the others.

 

Best Before, Use By, etc. dates are a myth. What ever happened to common sense when you took a look at a product and thought "I don't like the look of that"? Cheeses, jams, honey, anything in vinegar, corned beef, salted cod, et alia are all preserved foods with very long standing. Tinning, also, is a preservation technique. As I recall, they were introduced by Sains in the Bury to improve shelf stock rotation and have little or no relevance to the life of the product!

On 09/03/2020 at 10:49, tomparryharry said:

" Ok, lets see..."

 

Tinned Soup?  Check

Tinned rice pudding? Check

Plastic milk? Check

Tinned baked beans? Check

Tea bags? Check

Rice? Check

Pasta? Check

Tinned meat?  Check

 

.....Oh, and a diet Coke...... Just the one......

 

Enough to last a lifetime!

 

On 09/03/2020 at 17:05, Gwiwer said:

This has appeared on social media. 
 

 

 

Haha

 

21 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

Because bog roll is cheaper than buying tissues to sneeze/cough in.........................

 

Absolutely true. And it's disposable safely by flushing!

 

2 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Yes, I read something written by a doctor, on the bbc website I think, which said that the ordinary basic mask is not much good at preventing you catching it ( it needs to be changed very frequently, gets touched, then caused hand transfer of bugs, and isnt proof against small droplets anyway). 
 

But, it is fairly good at reducing ‘outgoing’ infection, because it traps the bigger drops and slows down the tiny ones so they can’t go so far.

 

He also cast doubt on the value of gloves worn by non-trained people as a preventative ........ need to be used with very stringent discipline to be useful.

 

HMQ has presumably been trained in that discipline, given that she has started wearing them.

 

It depends on whether the virus is airborne or spread by contact. Most viruses, I believe, are spread by contact.

 

Consider this: why does bottled water have a BBE or Use by date? Water is the original recyclable resource and has been around for millennia. How old is the water we drink from natural springs? Bet it's beyond its use by date!

Edited March 10, 2020 by JohnDMJ

[Nearholmer]

He seemed to be talking in general, not about this particular virus, and talked about droplets and hand transmission (droplets presumably land on surfaces as well as get directly breathed-in anyway).

[LBRJ]

The latest Roving Report from the local Spar shop is that supplies of nearly everything are at normal levels (its hardly priced to buy in bulk there )

But

There is not one bog roll in the place - and also all the kitchen roll has gone too!!

 

If they all start flushing kitchen roll down the closets Covid 19 won't be affecting many people - We will all be too busy dying of cholera as the drains burst out into the streets .........

[Nearholmer]

A possibility has just struck me: that the first symptom that a person has contracted the virus is that they exhibit an irrational and uncontrollable need to accumulate toilet rolls.

 

Its a bit like hydrophobia in rabies, only the other way round.

[Reorte]

42 minutes ago, JohnDMJ said:

Consider this: why does bottled water have a BBE or Use by date? Water is the original recyclable resource and has been around for millennia. How old is the water we drink from natural springs? Bet it's beyond its use by date!

 

Some stuff might leech in to it if it's been sitting around in a plastic bottle for a while.

[Andy Hayter]

Equally don't assume that treated water and sterile water are the same thing.

[37114]

I am really worried about this virus and being stuck at home, I am guilty of panic buying....

 

 

 

 

 

.....I bought all of the wood for my new layout from B&Q at the weekend,  if I am stuck at home due to some travel ban I might as well make use of the time.

Edited March 10, 2020 by 37114
Typo

[LBRJ]

I thought the Government had said that BBE dates should be phased out, 'cos they are pretty meaningless and cause a lot of panic-led food wastage.

 

Use By dates are different - often the stuff marked with them will go off - No doubt 'cos much of it is the type of manufactured "food" that bears little resemblance to reality; he said cynically

[LBRJ]

Regarding the use of face masks.

Down in town there are a lot of Chinese students at Sheffield University - Many of them seem to habitually wear masks when out and about on the streets, and have done for a long time.

I have always assumed its due to potential threats from pollution as much as anything.

[JohnDMJ]

Interesting comments!

21 minutes ago, Andy Hayter said:

Equally don't assume that treated water and sterile water are the same thing.

 

I was thinking spring water. In Switzerland, even the water from the street fountains is drinkable and you often see locals refilling their bottles from them.

 

15 minutes ago, LBRJ said:

I thought the Government had said that BBE dates should be phased out, 'cos they are pretty meaningless and cause a lot of panic-led food wastage.

 

Use By dates are different - often the stuff marked with them will go off - No doubt 'cos much of it is the type of manufactured "food" that bears little resemblance to reality; he said cynically

 

A return to common sense would be great, but, I guess, it will never happen because most of the present generation don't know what it is! Too much good, edible food being wasted, yes, I agree. I regregularly have this discussion with my work colleagues who make use of the two fridges we have in the rest room. For one thing, most of what is kept in them does not need to be. Some colleagues even put their frozen lunches in them; if they left them out, they'd only be chilled by lunch time and take less time to "'cook'".

If I buy my lunch on the way to work instead of at lunch time, it sits on my desk regardless of what it is.

[JohnDMJ]

 

 

27 minutes ago, LBRJ said:

I thought the Government had said that BBE dates should be phased out, 'cos they are pretty meaningless and cause a lot of panic-led food wastage.

 

Use By dates are different - often the stuff marked with them will go off - No doubt 'cos much of it is the type of manufactured "food" that bears little resemblance to reality; he said cynically

 

It depends  on the product to which they are applied.

 

How did we manage before the Food Police started telling us what to do?

 

Consider this: if someone hadn't tried the quality of mouldy bread, how did we get penicillin?

[Gwiwer]

This panic-buying thing has reached ridiculous levels

 

I'll get me coat