| About This Archive | | DCHAS-L 2020 Index | | DCHAS-L Yearly Index | |
Check out Safety Emporium for your N95, N99, and face shield needs.
|
Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Virtual ACS Date: Monday, August 17, 2020 at 2:25:50 PM Author: NEAL LANGERMAN <neal**At_Symbol_Here**CHEMICAL-SAFETY.COM> |
Next by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Masks and Covid-19 transmission Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2020 15:28:17 -0400 Author: Margaret Rakas |
Just to add a bit to the Covid-19 testing discussion, I would like to share my personal experience. After working from home for about five weeks, during the last week of April I had a sleepless night of almost non-stop coughing. The next morning I went
to a local Urgent Care facility, where I was examined. Temp normal. Chest X-ray normal. I requested a Covid-19 test, which I was told was not necessary based on what they had seen of me. I insisted, and the next day received a phone call with a positive result.
What followed was almost two weeks of fluctuating temps throughout each day, from 98 to 102, frequent coughing, extreme difficulty breathing at times, and blood oxygen saturation levels mostly between 91 and 95%. I managed to stay out of the hospital by getting
supplemental oxygen at home both night and day, being monitored by almost daily "telehealth" visits with my pulmonologist, and lots of TLC from my family. The diagnosis was Covid-19 pneumonia.
I was symptom-free after two weeks (and remain so today) and was able to go back to online teaching in time for the summer session to begin in mid May. On June 4th, I went for an in-person visit to the pulmonologist, where I had an exam, chest x-ray, and comprehensive pulmonary function testing. I was pronounced Covid-free with no apparent residual effects.
Two separate antibody tests, one in late May and the second in June, both showed no detectable antibodies in my blood. It was not until my third antibody test, on July 16th, that I got a different result, which was now strongly positive for antibodies against the virus. This was a full two months after I no longer had symptoms, and at least ten weeks after I first tested positive for the virus.
I have spoken with several physicians, and the consensus appears to be that it can take some time, even months, for detectable levels of antibodies to be present in the blood, and also that those antibody levels will most likely remain for a long time without
diminishing. That makes me feel much more comfortable about return to live teaching in about three weeks, especially with all of the precautions that will be in place, particularly in terms of masking and distancing, including reducing the number of students
that attend live in each class to no more than half of previous levels. Of course, we will see how all of that works. It is possible that within a short time we will have to return to full time Zoom sessions. Let's hope that doesn't happen. The progress we
have made here in New York is impressive up to now.
Neil Edwards, Laboratory Manager
Adjunct Assoc. Professor
Dep. of Chemistry, Math & Physics
LIU Post, Brookville, NY
Phone: 516-299-2017
Email: nedwards**At_Symbol_Here**liu.eduWARNING: This email originated from outside of Long Island University. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. - LIU Information Technology
--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchasThe primary issue I see with trying to draw conclusions from state data, is the policies behind the reporting itself. Which is really a shame given all we could learn if the data were "clean". It would be interesting to know if the OH state data reporting guidelines are better than the IN state ones. Let me explain.
About 1-1/2 weeks into the IN state-wide shutdown my daughter was presenting some symptoms of respiratory illness. Within 7 days, my daughter went from a sore throat to pneumonia. At that point she was Presumed Covid Positive. She was not tested due to bureaucratic rules. Regardless, her diagnosis was reported to the state. A few weeks later, the antibody blood test was made available. Her pediatrician looked into the test and determined that my daughter was a good candidate. Her antibody test came back negative. She never had it!!! Yet she is still in the IN state tally as a positive case.
This is not unique. Just 1 month ago, a friend of mine was also presumed positive. No test either. She has 6 kids under 18yrs old. Nobody else in her household developed symptoms, not even her husband who continued to sleep in the same room. Just like it happened at my house (I have 9 kids under 18yrs old). So, likely my friend never had it either. Yet she is still reported as a positive case in the state tally.
Here is another piece of interesting information. IN has several Self-Administered Drive-Through testing sites using the nasal swabs. A relative who is currently at Cleveland Clinic was given a nasal test. He cried from the pain!!! The nurse apologized and told him that the sampling, when administered as intended, is painful. I doubt any those people self-administering the test really pushed that swab up their nose, where it really hurts, and gathered a good sample.
Thank you,
Yaritza Brinker
260.827.5402
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> On Behalf Of Ernest Lippert
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2020 11:38 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Masks and Covid-19 transmission
** External Email **
There has been much discussion about the effectiveness of simple masks worn by the public in slowing the transmission of Covid-19. Many agree that masks are effective in preventing the spread of the virus to others but there are several theories and measurements that try to disprove this effectiveness. I have been monitoring, among other data, the number of cases and deaths reported in Ohio. A plot of the data ending 15-Aug-2020 is available. It shows a significant decrease in New Cases Reported after the state-wide Mask Mandate was issued on 23-July. This behavior is also seen in the data for Lucas and Wood counties, two of the 88 in Ohio. Does this not strongly support the hypothesis that wearing masks leads to a reduction in cases of Covid-19? Request the plot from ernielippert**At_Symbol_Here**toast.net.
Ernest L. Lippert, Ph.D.
--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas
Electronic Transmission Confidentiality NoticeThe information contained in this electronic transmission is private, confidential, the property of the sender, and intended for the use of the recipient(s), only. If you are not the addressee, any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of this information for any purpose is strictly prohibited. If you have received this information in error, please notify the sender, YBrinker**At_Symbol_Here**fele.com, immediately by e-mail and then delete this message. Thank you.
[FE.EN.1]
Previous post | Top of Page | Next post