Kind of a cool story - a Houston distillery is switching over to hand sanitizer production

quote:

Houston-Area Distillery Pivots To Make Hand Sanitizer, Rubbing Alcohol

March 17, 2020

Houston's largest distiller will soon begin producing hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol to help meet surging demand

Gulf Coast Distillers will produce the hand sanitizer, called C4U, as well as rubbing alcohol on a dedicated production and bottling line. Financial details about how much Gulf Coast Distillers will spend to produce the new products were not immediately available. The distillery expects its production of Giant Texas Bourbon, BJ Hooker’s Vodka and other brands to remain relatively unaffected.

Carlos de Aldecoa, Gulf Coast Distillers’ CEO and president, said the company wants to do whatever it can to help the community.

“Given the fact that we're in the alcohol and ethanol business, I thought it was the right time for us to just jump into it and start the production of this product ASAP,” de Aldecoa said.

Gulf Coast Distillers began having serious discussions with some retailers toward the end of last week and then decided to pull the trigger and start producing.

quote:

Originally posted by mikeyspizza:
How long before grocery stores are drive-thru pickup only?

That's how it is in France right now. In fact, what they must do is pull up, get out of the car, and open the trunk. Then they must reenter their cars and shut the door before the grocery store worker is allowed to approach the vehicle and place the groceries in the trunk and leave. Then the people can get out, shut the trunk, and be on their way. Dead serious.

quote:

Originally posted by holdem:

quote:

Originally posted by Doc H.:
Having said that, warm temperatures may, possibly, diminish the virus's ability to spread. Equatorial zones are, in fact, seeing a slight reduction in transmission. This could be artifact (not enough "n") or it could mean that there will indeed be a seasonal effect on this pathogen. I still hold out a possibility, although researchers disagree. We shall see.

That is a question I have been meaning to ask;

Every spring, cold and flu season dies off. These viruses die off in warmer weather, correct?

Are there other viruses in the cold and flu family that do not die off in warmer weather?

And if not the cold and flu family, just viruses in general that are not affected by warmer weather?

It does pique my interest that the experts are saying this one may not. I tend to think they are being overly cautious, because they simply do not know. And that would be fine. Or is there any evidence to support their theory?

Since it has been in the mid 80's in Orlando for over a week, I am obviously hoping this pathogen is greatly affected by warmer weather.

Several complicating factors. The two closest coronavirus relatives to SARS-CoV-2 are OC43 and HKU1 beta coronaviruses, which are in fact seasonal (a "common" cold). But they fade in warmer weather likely for several reasons.

One may be that they have been in the human population for a long time. A really, really, really long time. There is some pent-up herd immunity, and during Winter, populations are more densely packed inside - facilitating transmission that would otherwise be very mild - Summer. The same thing could of course apply to SARS-CoV-2 (and I think will), but there is no herd immunity, and transmission rates (R0) are higher, making even smaller populations in contact more significant.

They are also sensitive to higher humidity for transmission - relative humidity rises with warmer temperatures: viruses are really goldilocks organisms, and small environmental changes can push them over the edge, particularly in resistant populations.

They also - really - may have been "trained" (evolved may be a better term) - to be more infective when there is more opportunity in a population: higher population density, more children (carriers) mixed with adults, lowered immune response (less nutrition, less Vitamin D, who knows). Winter.

SARS-CoV-2 may be impacted by all of these, and probably is, the difference being that there is almost no (as far as we know) population immunity, so the seasonal impact on related viruses may be greater because they live on a thinner margin for survival. But if it impacts even a little, that combined with other factors like reducing contact and increased population immunity with time (and eventually a vaccine) could push it over the edge too, and I think it might.

quote:

Originally posted by Krazeehorse:

quote:

Originally posted by midwest guy:
I was informed an extended family who is an MD ob/gyn was diagnosed this morning with Covid19. There is some preliminary evidence of fairly alarming lung scarring of 20 year olds who had mild symptoms.

Smokers or vapers?

From what I read, no.

quote:

Originally posted by AllenInWV:

quote:

Originally posted by DLC762:
Thankfully the restaurants/bars in WV are still open.

I've got some bad news for you....

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — All 50 U.S. states now have confirmed cases of the new coronavirus as West Virginia's governor announced the first positive test in his state on Tuesday evening.
Gov. Jim Justice said the person with the virus is in the state's Eastern Panhandle, a region close to Washington, D.C., though he didn't disclose the county where it was reported.
Justice used a televised address to announce new restrictions, ordering bars, restaurants and casinos to close with the except of carry-out food services. He did not address delivery services.
"This is real and it's really concerning," the governor said.

Damn, at least we had a good meal and a couple of drinks this afternoon.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
OMG - it just got real for me.

You know how, as a dog owner, you're supposed to make sure your dog gets enough exercise every day to keep them healthy and calm? Walks and such every day lest they get anxious and hyper?

Well, my wife's gym has closed for the next few weeks.....

I walk my dog at least a mile every day.
I do it outside regardless of temperature or weather.
What does your wife's gym have to do with your dog?

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
OMG - it just got real for me.

You know how, as a dog owner, you're supposed to make sure your dog gets enough exercise every day to keep them healthy and calm? Walks and such every day lest they get anxious and hyper?

Well, my wife's gym has closed for the next few weeks.....

I walk my dog at least a mile every day.
I do it outside regardless of temperature or weather.
What does your wife's gym have to do with your dog?

I think he is worried that exercising his wife will fall to him now that the gym is closed

This whole thing is Invasion of the Money Snatchers

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
OMG - it just got real for me.

You know how, as a dog owner, you're supposed to make sure your dog gets enough exercise every day to keep them healthy and calm? Walks and such every day lest they get anxious and hyper?

Well, my wife's gym has closed for the next few weeks.....

I walk my dog at least a mile every day.
I do it outside regardless of temperature or weather.
What does your wife's gym have to do with your dog?

Gym's closed. Ski mountain's closed. I'm broke out the road bike and started riding early this year. Had a great ride today. Got my ass kicked though.

quote:

Originally posted by holdem:
It does pique my interest that the experts are saying this one may not (die in warm weather).

Guessing not too much -- How cold was it on the cruise ships?

SOME WINNING



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMFpHPRjD40

Facebook just pulled this from their site. The termed it “spam.”
Supposedly, this is a programming issue and supposedly it’s going to get “fixed.”

quote:

Originally posted by Icabod:
I contribute on Quora and have been getting lots of questions that go: “When will martial law be declared” or “Can you travel to another city under martial law?”

After wondering why there were so many martial law questions being asked we did some research. There is evidence that at least one foreign nation is spreading disinformation.

CNN reports:
“The various false text messages forwarded to many Americans on Sunday and Monday all started a little differently before making the same debunked claim: Martial law is coming.

Martial law is not coming. U.S. politicians sought Monday to remove any doubt and publicly debunked the rumors. But the messages proved hard to stop or even trace, because they were shared in texts, often forwarded by people who meant well.

"Please be advised. Within 48 to 72 hours the President will evoke what is called the Stafford Act. Stock up on whatever you guys need to make sure you have a two week supply of everything. Please forward to your network," one such false text message read.”

Some users, even those who have no intention of spreading wrong information, are forwarding along viral rumors and urban legends to push vital information that is frequently untrue.

The text messages have unnerved many Americans who don't know how seriously to take them, as they have often gotten them from friends or relatives. While it's difficult to track how widespread the texts have become, many people on social media have posted screenshots, and the rumors have swirled enough to push authorities to address them.”

Another article:

“As new coronavirus continues to spread across the nation, local and state governments have, in some places, established curfews or ordered public places to limit their occupancy or close up shop altogether. On the federal level, President Trump has issued a ban on all travel between the U.S. and Europe, most recently including the UK and Ireland.

But the increase in rules has also led to the circulation of rumors about the establishment of a COVID-19-spurred martial law. The term was trending on Twitter, though using incorrect spelling: “marshall” law.

“There is an ongoing effort to spread disinformation and cause undue panic. There is no national quarantine for the United States. It’s important we remain vigilant in ensuring our information is coming from verified sources," a senior Trumpadministration official told Fox News regarding rumors of a nationwide quarantine.

On Sunday, federal officials began confronting what they said was a deliberate effort by a foreign entity to sow fears of a nationwide quarantine amid the virus outbreak. Agencies took coordinated action Sunday evening to deny that any such plans were put in place, as they tried to calm a nation already on edge by disruptions to daily life caused by the virus.”

“Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE,” the National Security Council posted to Twitter on Sunday night. “There is no national lockdown

https://www.foxbusiness.com/po...ion-hhs-cyber-attack

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/t...xt-messages-n1160936

I have never known Mr Netanyahu to be a reactionary,panic driven politician. I will respect what he says until it can be proven otherwise.


Israelis not allowed to leave their homes unless ‘absolutely necessary’

https://www.jpost.com/Breaking...-304-patients-621258

The government rolled out a new set of restrictions on the Israeli population Tuesday as the number of coronavirus patients increased to 337 at press time and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised there would be a dramatic increase in the number of sick people detected, tests taken and hospital equipment available to serve the infected.

“We started today using the digital technology that detects those who come in contact with coronavirus patients,” Netanyahu said in a press briefing. “We will send these people into isolation. These will be large numbers. Isolation is not a recommendation - it is mandatory, and we will enforce it without compromise."

He likewise committed to “dramatically” increasing the number of people tested for coronavirus to the largest number per capita in the world. Netanyahu said that he expects between 3,000 and 5,000 tests to be taken per day, comparing Israel to South Korea. That country tests around 15,000 people per day and has a population around five times larger than Israel’s.
The prime minister also noted that hospitals are upgrading to be able to handle more sick patients, including that the country has purchased 1,000 additional ventilators to treat those who fall victim to the virus, which can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome or pneumonia.

“I am happy to report that, as of now, not a single Israeli has died,” Netanyahu said, “but sadly this will not be the situation going forward.

"I ask for discipline and responsibility,” he continued. “All of these steps will not help if there is no discipline and responsibility on your part. I can sadly say that there are many of you that still don’t understand the level of danger we are facing. This is not children’s play. This is a matter of life or death.
“Love is keeping your distance,” he concluded.

The bottom line of these new restrictions: Israelis are not allowed to leave their homes unless "absolutely necessary."
"Do not leave your home," said Health Ministry director general Moshe Bar Siman Tov in a video message to the public. "Only go to work... or to purchase essential items, such as groceries, medicine or the like."
Visiting parks, beaches, pools, libraries and museums is now prohibited as are all social interactions, which the ministry said should be conducted on the phone or by other digital means. Group sports and workout classes are also all cancelled effective immediately.
Elderly people and those with respiratory conditions or weak immune systems should not leave their homes nor should they invite guests over.

One day after Netanyahu told citizens that the public sector would work in emergency mode but that the private sector could operate at 70%, the new restrictions require that all work that can be done should be done from home. If one does have to go into work, all businesses should ensure that employees keep two meters from each other, and that good hygiene is maintained.
All dental procedures should be rescheduled unless it is an emergency.
Delivery services may only bring deliveries to the front door.

"Safeguard yourself," said Bar Siman Tov. "Anywhere you go there could be a person with coronavirus. You could be infected and put others at risk… Our ability to beat coronavirus is largely dependent on you."
Bar Siman Tov predicted that the number of sick people in Israel will grow exponentially even in the coming days. He said that we could see “as early as tomorrow, at least 100 sick people per day” and that the country could end up in a situation where “hundreds of people are diagnosed daily, and some people will die.”

Like Netanyahu, the Health Ministry stressed that the new restrictions were necessary because Israelis failed to stay home and follow its instructions. The day after it encouraged people not to gather in groups of 10 or more, the streets were full of passerby and beaches crowded with sunbathers and other visitors.

“Stay at home,” Bar Siman Tov reiterated. “Don’t visit grandma and grandpa. I say this with a heavy heart: the way to protect our parents and grandparents is not to go visit them.”

HOWEVER, as part of the new system, some Israelis will actually be encouraged to leave their homes - even those already in isolation - as Israel rolls out its first 24-hour drive-through coronavirus testing station in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, with five more expected to open soon after in Haifa, Jerusalem, Petah Tikva, Rishon Lezion and Beersheba.
The new system will allow the country to test thousands of Israelis per day, according to Magen David Adom.
Citizens will arrive at these new drive-through complexes in their private vehicles and the sample will be taken while they're sitting in the car.

The complexes will be in open areas, which will allow for continuous entry and exit of vehicles, such as parking for football fields and parking lots. They will be staffed by teams of MDA EMTs and paramedics, members of the Israeli police and security guards. All staff will be dressed in full anti-infection gear.
A release by the organization explained that anyone approved by a physician to be sampled will receive an SMS message with the details and will be asked to arrive at the testing center at a specific time. He or she will undergo an identification process, be tested and then drive directly home.

Patients who are unable to access the complex without the use of public transport will be able to do the sampling in their home, as it has been done so far.

On Monday, MDA paramedics took samples from 1,085 people nationwide, an increase from the daily average of 750 tests. Until now, MDA has taken around 7,000 tests.

OF THE 337 Israelis who had coronavirus at press time, five of them are in critical condition, according to the Health Ministry.
In addition, 10 people are in moderate condition and 311 have mild cases of the virus, according to the ministry report.
The rate of people in critical condition (1.5%) in Israel is lower than the world average, where around 5% of patients are in critical condition. However, as Channel 12 explained, Israel is at a tipping point. In Spain, for example, on March 6 there were 401 sick people and 10 days later, on March 16, there were 9,942 infected, including more than 500 dead.
Some 234 people are hospitalized, 20 are expected to be hospitalized and 64 patients are being treated in home isolation. For the other patients, a treatment plan has not been decided.

Eight patients were transferred on Tuesday to Tel Aviv's first recovery hotel, which was inaugurated the same day by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett. Tomorrow, a similar coronavirus hotel will open in Jerusalem, and Sheba Medical Center will open a new 40-bed coronavirus isolation unit in a space that was formerly used as a parking lot.
Some 50,337 people are in isolation. Eleven Israelis have recovered from COVID-19.

Among the sick are three people who work in the Central Laboratory for Detecting Coronavirus of the Ministry of Health at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer. On Monday, the lab was shut down because its deputy director-general became infected. The new diagnoses include two additional staff members, Kan news reported.

On Sunday night, a senior doctor at Ichilov Hospital was reported by Ynet to have contracted the virus. All the patients in her unit – many of them senior citizens – had to be tested and transferred to another unit, and her staff was sent home to self-isolate. The next morning, an intern in the hospital’s urology department also tested positive for coronavirus.
In addition, the IDF confirmed that patient No. 273 is a 19-year-old soldier from the north of the country. She is in mild condition. The IDF Medical Corps and the Health Ministry are together conducting a comprehensive epidemiological investigation and will share that information soon.

MK Tzachi Hanegbi refrained from attending the Knesset swearing in ceremony on Monday because he feared he had been in contact with someone who might have coronavirus. Hanegbi went into isolation but was released on Tuesday when his test came back negative.
Two other MKs are in isolation: Ram Ben Barak and Alon Schuster, both members of Blue and White.
Furthermore, a report disseminated by Hadassah-University Medical Center in Jerusalem's Ein Kerem shared that the condition of an 89-year-old woman who was infected with coronavirus deteriorated overnight and she is considered in critical condition.
So far, as Netanyahu stressed, no one in Israel has died from the coronavirus.

On Thursday at 6 p.m., Israelis will applaud Israeli medical teams for two minutes by stepping out on their balconies or into their private gardens, front yards or open windows and cheering their efforts.
But not everyone is likely to be celebrating.

The news of increased restrictions was announced as the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) said that Terminal 1 at Ben-Gurion Airport will close Wednesday until at least the end of April. Local flights from Ramon International Airport near Eilat, which usually arrive at Terminal 1, will now land at Terminal 3.

According to the IAA, there are currently only two daily flights operating between Ramon and Ben-Gurion Airport. On Monday, Israeli airline Arkia said it would be halting operations on the route until after the Passover holiday.
Some 5,891 flights to and from Israel have been cancelled in March alone, leading to a decline of approximately 1.2 million passengers. In January and February combined, a total of 530 flights were cancelled. Of the remaining 2,065 flights scheduled to fly before the end of the month, the IAA "expects many additional cancellations." Flights still operating are only 47% full on average, down from 76% earlier this year.

Confirming announcements made in recent weeks, Israeli airline El Al and its subsidiaries placed 5,500 employees on unpaid leave on Tuesday until May 31.

The Jerusalem Light Rail will also be reducing ride time. On Thursday it will operate only until 8 p.m. and cease working on the weekend entirely.

Shares on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange climbed slightly on Tuesday, recovering some of the heavy losses endured the day before as the novel coronavirus outbreak continued to instill fear in investors.
At the closing bell, the benchmark TA-35 index climbed 2.12%, and the TA-125 was up by 1.73%, with energy companies among those recording the most significant gains.

I suppose I'm glad a lot of children are being homeschooled on infectious disease and getting to know Uncle Fauci. It could be worse and might come in handy again in their lives. I was social distancing since 3/1 and buying staples. lots of coffee and jerky. For me, shelter in place applies.

The tale of two cities is a good example.



staying positive and thinking of other things besides this but Joe has a good channel

Well WV finally reported our first case, it is in the eastern panhandle near DC area.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by mikeyspizza:
How long before grocery stores are drive-thru pickup only?

That's how it is in France right now. In fact, what they must do is pull up, get out of the car, and open the trunk. Then they must reenter their cars and shut the door before the grocery store worker is allowed to approach the vehicle and place the groceries in the trunk and leave. Then the people can get out, shut the trunk, and be on their way. Dead serious.

My wife and I haven’t been in a grocery store in three weeks, between Walmart and their pickup grocery app, Aldi will deliver to your door and I have Oberweis milk delivery which also stocks fruit, vegetables,bread and some meat products.

Loves me some Oberweis!

President Trump, today:

“This is a pandemic. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.”

quote:

Originally posted by springnr:

quote:

Originally posted by Doc H.:

quote:

Originally posted by springnr:
I'm posting a couple of videos on possible medicines whose use might aggravate covid-19 conditions, leading to a worse outcome.

My personal thinking is that it's far too early to tell from limited studies, or the course of the disease itself, what does or doesn't increase risk (other than well established preventive measures such as limiting contact, and known comorbidities), particularly with existing pharmacotherapy that may be necessary to prevent stroke or cardiac events - from which a patient may be at higher risk. Important as always to ask your own physician.
As we see broader testing and both increased deaths (unfortunately), and increased recoveries, we'll know more and can make better recommendations based on reasonable data.

Thanks Doc, appreciate your thoughts and addition reading material. I'm due for a refill for BP meds and will hit her up while requesting a 180 day script vs 90 day fill if possible.

Me too, I’ve taken an angiotensin II inhibitor and a baby aspirin for several years. I sent my cardiologist a note tonight about whether it might be time to review the meds. Would love to read more on these studies.