Hello readers. Just figured I’d add a few more things that I’ve learned. The numbers are jumping up, and will continue to do so. But there are still things we can do at home to help this out!
CONTINUE PHYSICAL DISTANCING. This means, stay 6-10 feet away from people you don’t live with! You can carry this disease for days with no signs, so it’s not worth the risk! Still go on walks outside, but if you see someone else, move 6 feet away :)
Sew cloth masks! These can be used for less critical diseases or other people that are sick, so that the N95 masks can be used for COVID-19 cases. AND in a worst case scenario, they are good for nurses and doctors in the trenches of this disease; they are definitely better than no masks at all. Even the CDC agrees. Also, make some for you and your family! If you’re carrying it now (god forbid, but people are), it will also help you keep from transmitting. And it’s better protection than none at all. Here’s a pattern if you know how to sew. This is one step we can do right now!
On the note of other cottage-industry measures, if you have a 3d printer, you can print N95 masks that take cotton rounds as filters and can be washed.
There’s also a very real chance that soon, 3d printers could be helping to make ventilators. In Ireland, an open source ventilator design is getting tested currently to see if it works, and if so, the makers of the world can assist with the sever shortage.
Plant your own victory garden! As this goes on, a good way to help alleviate the pressures of the shipping chain, and to give you something fulfilling to do at home, is to plant your own vegetable garden. It’s the perfect time of year to get started.
Order takeout to support a local business! There are ZERO cases of food transmitting COVID. It could potentially be on the packaging (though that hasn’t been known to happen), so the solution is, when you get home with your food, take the food out of the to-go containers and put it on your own plates, and wash your hands. The transmission would be from package, to hands, then if you touched your face. So disrupt that chain and you’ll be fine. If there WAS some of the virus on your food, it would die in your stomach. You would not catch it. If your local restaurant offers curbside delivery, ask them to set the bag on the ground by your car for you to get it, to maintain the six foot distance. If you are paying at the restaurant, bring your own pen to sign the receipt.
Download folding@home and let it run on your computer! This program studies the composition of the virus (and others), to help learn more about its composition in order to find a treatment. Your computer’s processing power will be chained with that of millions of others around the world to form, essentially a distributed supercomputer. You can leave it to run when it’s idle, just download the client and push start. (Also, if you want to join my team, its identifier is 244329 Here’s the official link
Finally, if you can’t find hand sanitizer or cleaners, don’t forget, regular soap and water break this virus up! Use a cloth with soap and warm water to wipe down lightswitches, doorknobs, and other frequently touched surfaces. This virus is pretty fragile in the wild and can be easily destroyed with soap and water, thank heavens.
Give blood!! There’s a big need for blood, and they are being VERY careful. If you go, just socially distance while you are waiting. You can sign up in advance to find a place to donate.