2nd Ellsworth COVID case

March 23rd, 2020

I’m having this “WTF WERE THEY THINKING?” experience. The Ellsworth School District had a choir and band trip that LEFT on March 9, returned on March 14, to New Orleans. This trip LEFT after the pandemic was blooming, after recommendations to self-isolate and for social distancing. There’s just no excuse for this, putting people at risk. And now, the second person from that trip has been officially diagnosed with COVID.

Update: Pierce County COVID-19 cases now number three

From the article:

Band and choir students were in New Orleans March 9-14, which also was spring break. The two people attended the senior high school choir trip, according to the message.

The group consisted of 44 students, 14 parents and two teaching staff, the email said. When the group left on March 9, all Wisconsin schools were still in session. The group returned the day after the governor’s Friday afternoon announcement closing schools and five days prior to the actual mandatory closing of Wisconsin schools.

Listen to this rationalization and denial:

“The trajectory of the virus changed dramatically from the time in which the group left to their point of return. At the time in which the group left for the trip to New Orleans, the State of Louisiana was not listed as an area of community spread. The first case in Louisiana was actually reported on March 9th, the day the group left,” the district email reads. “Spring break was a time in which many of our families traveled throughout the country and to other countries. Due to the many changes that took place in an extremely short period of time, the decision was made to not have all district students return to school after spring break for the three days available prior to the governor’s closing date of March 18, 2020. ”

Is “self-isolation” and “social distancing” so hard to understand? “Do not travel” is pretty self-explanatory. Putting people at risk like this is so wrong, living in denial is no excuse. Willful ignorance, willful disregard…

CDC Recommendation – Masks – accessed 4/10/2020

SUAY Community Mask Coalition – click for mask pattern and instructions

ANOTHER PATTERN: What might be the best, fits better, but use bands or ties rather than those small hair ties that are so painful for ears!

More patterns from THIS PAGE:

mask 1 regular size with pocket.pdf

mask 2 large pattern.pdf

mask 2 regsize pattern.pdf

mask 2 child pattern.pdf

CLICK HERE – A SIMPLE FOLDING NO-SEW BANDANA, JUST ADD A REMOVABLE FILTER CUT FROM A HEPA VACUUM BAG!

Pattern for one above HERE!

Here’s video on how to make an easy square and pleated one!

And scroll way down for ear savers!

New York Times Mask Pattern and directions

This one has the most detailed instructions, and design is more intricate:

Here’s the NORTH MEMORIAL PATTERN

Another style I made:

And this one, recommended by a hospital that was asking for volunteers to make them — and then it was removed. Note that they only want them partially made, but the video shows how to make the whole thing, and MOST IMPORTANT, at the end of the video is info on FILTERS, and they recommend using replaceable HEPA vacuum cleaner bags (NOT HEPA air filters or furnace filters).

HEPA VACUUM BAGS DO NOT CONTAIN FIBERGLASS:

https://www.vacuumcleanermarket.com/news/do-vacuum-bags-contain-fiberglass/

https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/04/is-it-safe-to-make-a-diy-mask-out-of-a-vacuum-bag-debate-erupts.html

https://www.ezvacuum.com/ezvacs-answers/does-vacuum-cleaner-bags-contain-fiberglass/

The design is such that you can replace the filter easily. And the video has been removed… just great… it was very well done. Anyway, here’s directions and a pattern. I think something like this is a whole lot better than running around shopping in a bandana (HANDS UP, DON’T SHOOT!).

I LIKE THIS PATTERN BEST, GREAT FIT, WITH DIRECTIONS (but with hair headbands, not the small elastic hairbands):

On the above pattern, I cut 4 of the large piece, and 2 of the small, the small open for a filter if desired, I use a cut up HEPA vacuum cleaner bag, but even a coffee filter works.

I don’t really like these kind below, because the ear elastic is painful, but they’re pretty easy to make, I’ve made a few of these the pleated square type, and I took out the blue hair elastic to put in headbands go around my head:

Here is the elastic sewed on the edges of the simple pleated mask:

This is one of the square ones with three pleats, a filter pocket, and an added bandana touch at the bottom!

And to save your ears from those elastic bands, you can also do something like this, or sew buttons onto a hat or shield:

STAY HOME!

March 16th, 2020

From the STrib: Tracking Coronavirus in Minnesota

Just do it — no excuses. Neighbors, relatives, friends, need to help each other get through this, self-isolation and social distancing is not easy, and is for sure nearly impossible for too many. HELP AS YOU CAN!

Coronavirus and the Sun: a Lesson from the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

Sick with COVFEFE-20!

March 11th, 2020

Repeated sternutation, over and over. Hacking and wheezing for two days. Alan had it first, now moi. How do I know it’s not corona/COVID-19? No fever. Yup, for the record: NO FEVER, no aches and pains, just a head stuff to the extreme and going to explode, utterly unable to sleep. Until yesterday, slept all day. No work done whatsoever!

SO, if you’re looking for me to produce something, put your feet up, it’ll be a while. Drafting and pontificating on the computer is not a good idea when this loopy! Thanks PUC, Xcel, and whoever else, for stalling!