Coronavirus

[Old Grumpy]

It has been suggested a few times on various broadcasts that a thin smear of washing-up liquid will do the job.

When I went to Barnard Castle, Specsavers staff went out of their way to impress on customers do not put washing-up liquid on your glasses. This would remove the protective film applied to spectacle lenses and they would certainly not be able to see well enough to drive down to London.

OG

[Bryn]

But if you wipe it a few times with a magnet it'll point north - south; then bend it to shape & it'll guide you to Tesco's frozen peas & ginger nuts

You have checked that it's ferrous, have you?

[Old Grumpy]

You have checked that it's ferrous, have you?

Just tested one in a disposable mask - no it isn't...

[teamsaint]

But if you wipe it a few times with a magnet it'll point north - south; then bend it to shape & it'll guide you to Tesco's frozen peas & ginger nuts

Thanks for doing the research on this, Z. Who knows where it could have led ?

[Bryn]

Just tested one in a disposable mask - no it isn't...

Funnily enough, both surgical and re-usable masks I currently have do indeed have strips with magnetic properties. Weakly ferrous, to be sure, but they are somewhat attracted by a magnet.

[Frances_iom]

Funnily enough, both surgical and re-usable masks I currently have do indeed have strips with magnetic properties. Weakly ferrous, to be sure, but they are somewhat attracted by a magnet.

probably stainless steel (would avoid iron stains if got damp) - some Stainless Steels are slightly magnetic (depends on their composition)

[Bryn]

probably stainless steel (would avoid iron stains if got damp) - some Stainless Steels are slightly magnetic (depends on their composition)

Yes, we didn't do stainless at East Moors. That was more a speciality further west, near Abertawe. Eight months analysing steels and slags on a continental shift basis was enough for me. Raging migraine every cumulative 4-day break. I got the Hell out of it before they got shut down.

[Anastasius]

I don't know - you may be right.

More expensive masks may be useless if they are not handled correctly - subject to the risks - of course. For example - if a mask is worn - and is actually effective - then taking it off may expose a wearer to all the collected material thus infecting them by the material they were hoping to avoid. I believe that this was another argument for not imposing mask wearing as a regulation.

Given the clear understanding of the British public when given detailed instructions, this might have been a very sensible approach to dealing with masks, though new understanding of the problems - particularly related to newly detected virus strains - may require a change in policies.

Why are we all going round in circles over masks. It really is very, very simple. You wear a mask either (a) to stop you infecting ANO if you have Covid or (b) to stop yourself getting infected. If it is (a) then basic, simple masks of whatever type go a long way to preventing you spewing out Covid that other people might pick up. Ideally you throw those away at least once a day. But people don't. They re-use the same mask, day in, day out. So if they are a carrier then it will get saturated with covid and cease to be as effective (NB. my gut feel on this aspect).

(b) is a completely different ballgame. Those cheap masks won't do very much for you. FFP2 is better. But if you're really paranoid and out there in the thick of it then FFP3, worn properly, a new one at least once a day and shave that beard off.

Simpler to stay at home.

[Anastasius]

... The idea, we were told at the outset, was to prevent others' infection by a non-mask wearer, rather than the other way around. ...

No, it was the other way round. It was to prevent someone with Covid spewing it out. So much disinformation and ill-informed views regarding masks.

[Anastasius]

Thanks from me! I'd assumed the wire bit was supposed to go under the chin, as the batch number printed on the inside of all my masks is that way up!

I'm gobsmacked that you thought that. Surely you are winding us up ?

[Anastasius]

I have an astigmatism, short sight, and the sort of long sight you get with increasing seniority.

I had a long overdue review of my beloved contact lenses in the autumn. My gas permeable contact lenses ( which I wholeheartedly recommend) are adjusted to give me adequate / reasonable reading vision, and I treated myself to two pairs of varifocal glasses for the first time . Fantastic upgrades . And I avoided getting covid into the bargain .

If you have never tried gas permeable lenses, I really recommend trying them, though they take a little getting used to. They were the first thing I bought when I started work in 1984, and I still love them.

Having cataract surgery and getting a corrective lens inserted is the solution. Magic! I remember when the first eye was done, my wife driving me back and me with an eye-patch...surreptitiously lifting it up and thinking "Bloody Hell...I can see properly !"

[Anastasius]

This from Reuters - Fact check: Metal strip in medical masks is not a 5G antenna

You owe me a new keyboard as my coffee just ended up over it. Excellent.

[teamsaint]

Having cataract surgery and getting a corrective lens inserted is the solution. Magic! I remember when the first eye was done, my wife driving me back and me with an eye-patch...surreptitiously lifting it up and thinking "Bloody Hell...I can see properly !"

Excellent. that must have been terrific.Although a bit radical if you don't have cataracts.

Still, I feel a bit like that every day when the trusty gas permeables go in. They are wonderful, one of the great inventions. I have thought about laser surgery, but on balance would rather put a lens in each day.

( Plus I don't fancy paying all that money, and then having my eyes alter a bit.....)

[Anastasius]

Apologies for the torrent of replies. Other things took me elsewhere.

But here's why I really logged in tonight. You see, I'm miffed. Truly, truly miffed. Sicker than that parrot. Why ? Well, first they give some of our ICU beds away...never mind the practicality of taking a patient in ICU all the way from London to Newcastle. At least they've knocked that on the head. But now they're cutting back our vaccine supply by 50 % ! Because we're too good at vaccinating...67% in the North East compared to 50% in some areas down South. OK...two possible explanations. The first is acceptable. We were given more than our fair share of vaccines to start with. If that's the case then fair enough. Understand.

The second is that we're just better at it. Better organisation up here, the receiving population demographics and ethnicity might come into it, more anti-vaxers down South, people up here take it more seriously ? Whatever. Not relevant. Not our fault. So WTF penalise us. What good is sending a load of our vaccines down South ?

Never has my Gruntle been so Dis'd

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm gobsmacked that you thought that. Surely you are winding us up ?

See my #4696 for a fuller explanation.