I had so much fun this morning building a PC fan based #CorsiRosenthalBox.
Maybe part of the problem here is that people don’t like being told what to do and it’s actually fun to solve problems yourself.
Problem: we have a new airborne virus that can kill and disable people. /1
You become infected when you inhale infectious aerosols that hang in the air like smoke. The infectious aerosols got there from someone else breathing them out. That person may have left the room hours ago, or they may be present, continuously exhaling infectious aerosols. /2
How do you stop transmissions? How do you keep yourself, your friends and family, your fellow human safe?
/3
We have some tools already:
Testing (may not detect infection, especially early on - more accurate testing is slower; access is restricted)
Respirators which act as PPE and source control (keeping infectious aerosols out of the air)
Filtration, ventilation, relative humidity, UV
Your project starts now. And it may be lifelong.
The government could help us with this project. At the moment they have chosen to harm, by relaying inaccurate information, withholding accurate information and resources, and not using our collective resources in relation to the seriousness and scope of the hazard.
In my household, I have chosen the tools of vaccination, respirators, rapid testing, judicious sharing of air with others, nasal spray, mouthwash, monitoring of indoor air quality, increased ventilation, and air cleaning with HEPA and DIY cleaners.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
PC fans are about $10 each. The electrical components make this more expensive than the box fan style #CorsiRosenthalBox. With shipping I figure this cost $250 to build. I have been slowly obtaining the parts over 3 months.
Earlier this month I took the box fan CR box fan from my kitchen to a local community centre. I needed to replace my kitchen filtration. I’m glad to get this done.
Here’s a list of parts and resources for building your own PC fan version!
It's time for another #CriticalAppraisalThursday CAT!
I meant to do this weekly but phew December was not the month to start that! I'll pick back up now. Here's my first thread and I'll reply with today's topic AND an apology! Wow!
A journal club is like a book club, but you discuss a paper instead. It can be a fun and social way to integrate both continuing education and critical appraisal.
Pre-pandemic, physicians and academics would often host a journal club in their homes, with food and drink. Students and residents enjoyed attending journal clubs for the social element and the food and drink as well as the learning and critical appraisal elements.
I hope you have been paying attention to what I have tried to share with you about respiratory protection, cleaning indoor air. Please get government to act urgently on improving IAQ and educating the public; providing respirators.
You can get N95s for free from @DonateMask. You can do an at-home qualitative fit test with a cheap nebulizer purchased online and 3M bitrex solution from safety supply store. You may be able to find a local company or group that offers quantitative fit testing.
For kids 4+ there is FloMask, CA-N95s from Canada Strong; KF94s; KN-95s in kids’ sizes. 9+ can wear Eclipse Horizon N95 in small. 3M Vflex in small fits tweens/teens too.
At the end of the first year of operation of NB’s medical school, the Dean had a facilitated meeting where all staff talked through the year and were encouraged to identify problems or areas for improvement.
/1
I’ll never forget his intro to the meeting. He talked about how the Titanic hitting the iceberg is how the design flaw was identified.
Dal Med NB had an amazing first year of operation after much hard work by the initial staff.
/2
But had the year gone so well because the management of the program was genuinely that good?
Or were there potential problems that would only come to light if the program hit an iceberg?
/3
One day this spring/summer I took my kids to an outdoor province-wide athletic event. Despite it being outdoors because there were so many kids we masked. At the time it was to protect us!
The next day when my kid tested +ve I realized we had unknowingly protected others.
You’d think my family would be low risk to infect others - we’re very judicious about who we share air with; we all mask in all public places in CA-N95 or better. But without knowing it, I had a kid who could have been contagious.
If you’ve stopped masking because you don’t think it will make a difference in your own health, and you think you’d only mask up if symptomatic - consider the reality of asymptomatic COVID, and the period of time where you may be contagious but not feel sick yet.
Looking at the poster in the school that says “it’s okay to go against the norm, it’s okay to not do what everyone else is doing.”
Hundreds of people of all ages will shortly be packed maskless into the gym for a concert
It’s all just words
I feel sad that I’m keeping us safe by keeping us out but that I haven’t reached more families. It doesn’t feel right to keep my own kids safe and not others too.
None of the superintendents or principals went against the norm. They were all too happy last year to send the last COVID communication to parents about 10 months ago that said be nice to anyone still wearing a mask; they might be anxious. But said nothing even neutral re: masks.