Category: COVID-19

[This message was originally sent by email 3/20/2020 to select group of friends and family – prior to the creation of this site.]

So the last week was full of all kinds of stuff. I was busy with getting my workplace situated so I barely had time to keep up with what was going in, much less offer anything of value to you guys. Hopefully you’re all doing well – or as well as can be expected during this type of situation.
I know that many people rushed the stores when they found they were going to shut away for a while. Often it was found that our standard go-to items were gone and in many cases substitutions were made. I have found it interesting to note how many people bought dry beans but, based on social media accounts, seem to have no idea what to do with them. So let me offer on of my favorite, easy-to-prepare recipes in case you know someone in that situation.
This one is for a slow cooker (Crockpot), but if you use a regular pot on medium low on your stove top, you should be good as well. The key is to not cook them too fast – a high simmer to low boil is where you want to be.
Ingredients: 1 pound dried pinto beans (2 1/2 cups), rinsed and picked over to remove any rocks 7 1/2 cups of water Crushed red pepper (to taste, I use 1/2 teaspoon but 1 teaspoon will spice it up quite a bit) 1 teaspoon salt Black pepper (to taste, I use about 1/2 teaspoon)
Put everything but the salt in the slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours and add the salt. Continue to cook until the beans are tender but not falling apart (7 to 9 hours total). You can add the salt initially, but that generally results on tougher beans that may take longer to cook. Turn off the slow cooker or remove from heat about an hour before serving, which will allow the beans to soak up more water and become more tender.

I like to add meat as well, because I’m a carnivore. Not only that, but it releases some fats into the beans, which releases some of the fat-soluble flavors to be released. I like something smoked like ham or turkey for the extra flavor. If you add turkey (a leg or wing), add about a tablespoon of butter for the extra fat. Throw it in at the beginning and it will be tender by the time the beans are done.
If you add beans to rice, it gives all the amino acids necessary to be considered a complete protein.
If someone you know bought some flour – hopefully they have yeast as well. If so, here is an easy bread recipe:
I call it Lazy-Man’s Bread 4 cups All-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast 1 tablespoon salt 2 cups warm water
Add yeast to water and stir to blend. Add salt to flour and stir to blend. Add yeast water to flour mixture. Stir to blend (30-60 seconds) Put in a bowl and cover until dough doubles in size (8-12 hours) Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes (or until done – such as when a toothpick can be poked in and comes out clean) Let cool before slicing.
Remember to stay as active as possible. Most places still allow you to walk / hike / or bike as long as you maintain social distance.

[This message was originally sent by email 3/12/2020 to select group of friends and family – prior to the creation of this site.]

When I sent out the first update I thought I might send one weekly, potentially monthly – as needed. I never thought I would send more than one in a week.

Things are moving quickly though, so here it is, the second one this week. Sorry this one is so long. If you already trust my opinion, you can skip the Intro part and go right down to the Preparation section and save yourself some reading.

Intro

I’ve heard from at least three people that they are forwarding on to others. That’s great. Please continue to send to those who you believe will benefit. It did make me think, however, that for some who read this I am just some random voice in the wind. So, I thought it would be good to let you know something about my background. There are probably even family and friends who don’t know some of this.

I used to be the IT Officer for the American Red Cross. That means that I had oversight of the technology used by the ~120 chapters of the American Red Cross in Texas and the states that border Texas. As part of that job I developed business continuity planning for the chapters and a program that the chapters could use to provide business continuity planning to businesses in their local areas. (‘Business continuity’ means the processes business uses to try to reduce the impact of a disaster situation and stay in business when they are impacted. It is a close relative of, but different from disaster response.)

Beyond the Red Cross, I have over 40 emergency preparedness certificates for coursework completed through the Texas A&M Engineering Extension office. I also hold a Certified Business Continuity Professional certification from the Department of Homeland Security /FEMA – the second-highest level of certification offered by FEMA for business continuity. Since then I have also consulted, researched, planned and implemented emergency response practices.

There is more, but if Red Cross experience and FEMA certifications doesn’t give a little confidence, the rest won’t be worth the time to write or read.

Now for the core of why I’m sending this update: the current situation.

Preparation

For all practical purposes, the COVID-19 coronavirus is here. So while we should continue taking practical precautions to avoid getting it, we should also assume that the likelihood of being exposed is at least equal to the likelihood of not being exposed. It is time, therefore, to prepare for what we would do if exposed.

I’m not medically trained, but I’ve been doing a lot of research and these are the tips I’ve gathered from the US CDC and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control as well as other knowledgeable sources. These tips are not a substitution for consultation with a trained medical professional. If you have specific medical questions, talk to your professional medical provider.

• Prevention. Though most of the guidance is what to do once you have symptoms, still stay vigilant to preventative measures. The CDC has a nice  sign for that: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/stop-the-spread-of-germs.pdf
• Acquire what you’ll. The vast majority of people recover at home without hospitalization or major medical care, so ensure that you have what you need at home.
  • Acquire over the counter decongestants and expectorants. The majority of deaths from this virus are respiratory related, so make sure you have enough medical to treat member of your household for approximately 2 weeks. Don’t over buy – allowing others to be protected and recover helps you too.
  • If you are at high risk (elderly, compromised respiratory system, diabetes, heart conditions) and are on prescription medications, talk to your doctor about getting an extra supply now so that you do not need to go in public if there is an outbreak in your area. Also consider mail order prescription services.
  • Use acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil) for fever maintenance – if you can use these medications. Following dosing instructions on the bottle or as guided by a medical professional. Do not use aspirin for fever management. If you don’t have enough of these products to treat yourself and your household for a week, consider getting more.
• Isolate. The less exposure you have to others before you’re ill the less likely you will be to catch it. The less exposure you have to others if you get it, the less likely you are to pass it along.
  • If you feel symptomatic, do not immediately go to your doctor’s office. Call them and see if they have protocols for seeing suspected coronavirus cases. If you can’t get through to the doctor immediately, treat your symptoms with over the counter medication and continue trying to call.
  • Don’t go to the emergency room for these symptoms unless you would go there with the same symptoms when the coronavirus was not a consideration. You don’t want to be needlessly exposed to this, or any other illness and you don’t want to take up medical resources that may be needed to treat more severe cases. If you are a severe case, call ahead and do what you need to do.
  • If you must circulate in public, especially in areas where people may be ill (hospitals, doctor’s offices, pharmacies, or mega-marts with health clinics and/or pharmacies), avoid close contact. Close contact is considered to be within six feet of those displaying symptoms. You should be able to stretch out your arm, and they stretch out theirs, and not touch.

Perspective

Let me reiterate that this is a serious condition and should be taken seriously, however, the coverage of this illness is completely (in my opinion) out of scale with the level if threat. In fact, again in my opinion, the hype around this illness may be more dangerous than the illness itself. People overreacting may be causing even more dangerous situations – such as unnecessary depletion of necessary treatment items so those who need them can’t get them. This is why I recommend that we steadily prepare even during ‘good times’ so we have what we need during ‘bad times’ and aren’t a burden on the system when others are in dire need.

The flu is still a much more deadly potential illness than coronavirus. I’ve heard people say, ‘but we have a vaccine for the flu’ as if that changes anything. According to the CDC, on an annual basis the flu vaccine is between 50-60% effective, and down to as little as 16% in adults (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/effectivenessqa.htm). So assuming even the highest level of effectiveness (60%), with the lowest incidence of infection (3%) and the US population (327M) we’re still talking about more than 100 times the infections in the average year just in the US as compared to what coronavirus has caused globally.

Of course, it could get worse. For the moment this appears manageable. The best way to keep it manageable is to practice good preventative measures and stay as healthy as you can.

[This message was originally sent by email 3/10/2020 to select group of friends and family – prior to the creation of this site.]

There is a bit of new information out there, so I thought a new update would be prudent. If nothing else, please see the CDC guidance links below.
Again, this appears to be a contagious illness with a moderate mortality rate (~3% for known cases) – but it is most dangerous to those in the high risk category (see below). 
For those of you who don’t know – or don’t remember – keeping track of this kind of thing and building appropriate plans to respond used to be in my job description. It was part of business continuity planning and that was a primary consideration while I was at Red Cross (and continued at TRC). From my estimation, we have much more to worry about from the reaction of others than we do from the virus itself. With that in mind, here is the rest of the update.

• New cases in China seem to be slowing.
• Where there have been outbreaks in the rest of the world, the outbreaks do not seem as big or as deadly as China – with the possible exceptions of Italy and Iran
• Italy has closed its borders in an attempt to control the spread
• Israel has imposed a quarantine on new arrivals
• Iran has the third-highest incidence, behind China and Italy
• New York is isolating a ‘containment zone’ around much of New Rochelle

The CDC has issued new guidance, especially for those who are particularly susceptible: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html

The CDC defines those at higher risk as older adults, people with serious, chronic conditions (such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease). Those most susceptible seem to be those over 80 years of age. There is a significant reduction in mortality for each age group under 80. I know some on this list are in that vicinity, so please open the link above and familiarize yourself with the guidance.
Also, the CDC has issued a group of graphics for a quick reference for work, school and home: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/workplace-school-and-home-guidance.pdf

I encourage you to read the full package, but in a nutshell:

• Practice good hygiene
• Be careful with travel or large group meetings
• Practice good food handling techniques
• Stay away from others if you are sick

I hope those of you who wanted disinfecting wipes were able to get them. I went to Wal-Mart on the way home yesterday and the Wet Ones and Clorox wipes areas were completely empty. Toilet paper and bottled water were fairly well picked over too.
Even if you are not directly impacted by the virus, you still may want to pick up enough toilet paper to last a couple of weeks (or more), if you can – just sayin’.

[This message was originally sent by email 3/4/2020 to select group of friends and family – prior to the creation of this site.]

Since I’m involved with ‘preparedness’, I’ve gotten a few questions about the coronavirus from friends and family and what could/should be done about it. It made me think that it might be a good idea to have a group message.

Some of you may think it is silly to be concerned with this kind of thing specifically and/or preparedness in general. I’m ok with being the silly one if it means helping you be safer, healthier, or even just a little calmer. But if you don’t want to be included in the future, let me know and I’ll take you off the list.

Since this isn’t just friends and isn’t just family, I’m going to refrain from mentioning specific people, or specific conditions, favoring instead giving more general information. Everyone has also been ‘BCC’d (blind carbon copied) to avoid the massive email storms that can erupt with the liberal use of the Reply All button. If you Reply or Reply All, it will only come to me.

If the situation warrants, I’ll send more info later.

If there is another preparedness topic that you’d like me to address, I’ll see what I can do to give you some practical info.

Feel free to forward.

General Info

I’ll start with saying that from the numbers being reported, this does not look like the next ‘great plague’. While the infection rates are high, the mortality rate isn’t astronomical. More on this later.

Coronaviruses are fairly common. The common cold as well as the seasonal flu strains are types of coronavirus. With the spread of the virus in Washington state and six deaths (as of this writing) in the US and lax protocols around the treatment and release of those infected, for all practical purposes the COVID-19 coronavirus should now be considered to be ‘in the wild’ in the United States. This means you would be prudent to reduce contact with those who exhibit symptoms. COVID-19 symptoms are very similar to flu, so try to steer clear of people who may be presenting with flu-like symptoms:

• Wearing unseasonably heavy clothes and still appearing cold
• Appears feverish
• Coughing
• Complaining of unexplained body aches

Hygiene

Wet Ones wipes have the active ingredient of Benzethonium Chloride (0.3%). This ingredient at this has proven effective against a variety of coronaviruses, though there is not yet a published study for testing against COVID-19. They get pride-of-place here because they are easy to carry.

Many products are effective against coronaviruses. You probably already have some.

• Benzalkonium chloride, found in Lysol sprays at an effective level, can be used as a surface decontaminant.
• Clorox Disinfecting Wipes with Alkyl dimenthylbenzyl ammonium chloride (0.13% or greater) also have proven effective against other coronaviruses.
• Ethyl alcohol is also effective at the 70% (Purell Hand Sanitizer) level as is isopropyl alcohol of at least 50%. I recommend the one with aloe because this stuff can tear up your hands.

With any of these products, apply generously to the surface and let air dry. There are other agents that can be used (included diluted bleach), but some of them stain or damage surfaces, so sticking with the ones mentioned above should give you the ability to remain safe without undue damage to clothes, counter tops or furniture.

As always, the first course of protection is to ensure you have good personal hygiene and you wash your hands, with soap, regularly. Using water only is rinsing, use soap for washing. Fronts, backs, between fingers, you know the drill.

Masks

Counter to what is being circulated by the media and government at the moment, N-95 masks do protect you. Virtually anything that keeps a high dosage of someone else’s coughs or sneeze from entering your nose or mouth (or eyes for goggles) will help. It may not be 100% effective, but it is certainly higher than 0%.

There are also N-100 and P-95/P-100. ‘P’ versions are oil resistant. These masks are harder to breath through so people tend to go without more often or take them off prematurely. Use the N-95, if you need to use a mask at all (and if you can actually find them).

Rather than saying the masks are ineffective, the messaging should be that while you may have some protection from masks, people delivering treatment to patients – who will be directly exposed – need them more at the moment, so please refrain from removing unneeded masks from the supply chain.

Please make sure that your masks – if you have them, if you need them, if you use them – are disposable. If you are using a mask that is not disposable, rethink it. When you remove the mask, put it on, lay it on a counter top, or with other items (such as on your bed, briefcase, purse, etc.), you can be spreading the virus to areas that otherwise would not have been contaminated. If you have a reusable mask and decide to keep it, consider dousing it with Lysol and letting it air dry before setting it down somewhere. Also ensure that you wash your hands and/or use hand sanitizer after your touch your mask and before touching anything else.

Gloves

If you use gloves I suggest nitrile disposable gloves. You should also thoroughly wash your hands after removing gloves. Gloves should be snug, but not tight. Over-stretched gloves can become permeable to fluids and viruses. Gloves are also intended for relatively short periods of time. You should consider changing disposable gloves approximately every four hours with regular use, more frequently with heavier use and any time that it is noticeably compromised.

At this point, I believe that masks or gloves are not warranted. If you’re going onto an aircraft or other confined condition with a large group of people, especially for return from foreign travel, they may be more warranted.

Impact

I’m seeing a mortality of approximately 4%. By comparison, the last great pandemic was the Spanish Flu of 1918, where the mortality rate was about 15% (estimates range from 10-20%). We are still fairly early on and many people who have it but don’t need medical care aren’t being counted. One estimate I saw said that approximately 80% of people who have it don’t know – they either don’t have symptoms or they aren’t bad enough to go to the doctor and be counted. This could reduce the mortality rate significantly.

The mortality rate is highest with those with previously compromised immune systems, the elderly and the very young. The primary cause of death is through pneumonia. So those who should take the highest precautions are those who are already ill, in frail health and/or with respiratory considerations. Having over the counter medication decongestants and expectorants would be a good idea so you can begin treatment of symptoms if being able to get into a doctor is delayed.

Finally, stay aware of your environment. If you see people around you becoming sick and the government has not declared an outbreak, you may still want to isolate yourself from others as much as feasible until this blows over. It will.