Are the adverts on this site for PPE face mask genuine as according to reports it`s one of the biggest scams being carried out at the moment, and the news is giving out warnings as some are losing thousands.

I think population density has a lot to do with the spread of the covid-19.  Here's how it stands in New Mexico

1091 cases 19 deaths.  Most concentrated in the metro areas of Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

The Navajo Nation has been hit especially hard.  558 cases and 22 deaths.  The discrepancy between New Mexico 19 deaths and the Navajo Nation 22 deaths is because the Navajo Nation lies in three states, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.  So some of those Navajo Nation deaths would be tallied in Arizona and Utah.

In the more sparsely populated 7 counties that make up southeast New Mexico it looks like this:

Lea County 2

Eddy County 2

Chaves County 18

Roosevelt County 1

De Baca County 0

Lincoln County 1

Otero County 3

No fatalities yet

Roswell is the largest city n SE New Mexico with a population of about 50,000.  That accounts for our 18 cases in a county that encompasses 6,000 square miles.  Some of those cases are in outlying ranches or smaller communities.

So prioritywise SE New Mexico hasn't any testing stations yet.  Our hospitals are not overcrowded given there are 5 hospitals in SE New Mexico; two of which are in Roswell. 

We are not New York where people live in ant hills.  But all the precautions have been taken like closing restaurants, theater, libraries, and the like.  But people are walking in the park next to each other.  Shopping at the super markets is just as it was pre covid-19 days.  The only 6 foot separation is at the checkout line where there are only three such 6 foot circles to stand in. The rest of the store will be business as usual.   Social distancing hasn't taken hold in SE New Mexico as it has in the metro areas.  Until and unless things get a lot worse it's not going to happen.  The parks are still open,  Tomorrow is going to be Sunday and warm spring day.  I expect to see picnickers at the tables firing up their grills.  Women will be sitting around the picnic table gossiping and the men will tossing a football around and the children will playing on the swing and slides until the burgers are done and it's time to eat.  And boyfriends and girlfriends will be holding hands walking along the bike path.

If things in the desert country of SE New Mexico get worse I'm sure the social distancing will become more prevalent.  Until then it's business as usual.  We play it by ear.

Noel

Naive in the extreme, given what is taking and has taken place elsewhere in the world.

Everywhere else that thought it was not a problem has finished up in or is heading directly for the same place.

There are always those to whom the rules do not apply and those who know better than everyone else.

It looks like this virus is heading straight for them all.

Oh, goody! 😔

REVEALED: There are TWO strains of coronavirus spreading in Australia - as the virus mutates to beat people's immune systems

I feel like I'm in a Sci-fi movie. Time to reactivate wildfire! Oh, wait......... 😱

 

Edited April 11, 20206 yr by HiFlyer

Perhaps somewhat naïve Reader, but our lifestyles out here are not the same as they are in large metro areas.  We are not knee-jerkers.  We are very independent and not prone to follow things unless we see a need.  At this point we don't see the need.  That doesn't mean to say if we see the numbers start rising a bit more rapidly we will see the need.  I don't know where you are from, but you don't know much about us.  We are independent lot who don't panic easily.  If we see the numbers starting to grow rapidly in our neck of the woods we will respond appropriately.

Noel

 

It can take up to two weeks before somebody who is infected will display symptoms. During that two week period, that person is contagious. You need to ponder that for yourself.

Probably a thing to remember is that covid-19 infection numbers, especially in the early stages are pretty much like the proverbial roaches in the walls. For every one you actually see, you can bet there are a lot more you can't.

Yet.

46 minutes ago, birdguy said:

Perhaps somewhat naïve Reader,

I think the point that you are missing is that by the time that "we see the numbers start rising a bit more rapidly" it is already far too late.

The reason the US leads the world in infections and deaths is because our government arrogantly thought the same thing too. That little or nothing needed to be done yet while things were fine.

Edited April 11, 20206 yr by KevinAu

4 hours ago, birdguy said:

Social distancing hasn't taken hold in SE New Mexico as it has in the metro areas.  Until and unless things get a lot worse it's not going to happen.  The parks are still open,  Tomorrow is going to be Sunday and warm spring day.  I expect to see picnickers at the tables firing up their grills.  Women will be sitting around the picnic table gossiping and the men will tossing a football around and the children will playing on the swing and slides until the burgers are done and it's time to eat.  And boyfriends and girlfriends will be holding hands walking along the bike path.

You're right that population density is a major factor, and low population density works in your favor.  But a Sunday in the park like the one you're describing can undercut that advantage, because as others have noted, it only takes one or two encounters with an asymptomatic person to get things started.  Did one of those picnickers spend Saturday visiting an elderly relative with an unusually persistent cough?  Can't know... but that's all the virus would need.

At the risk of repeating myself, I'm worried about what's going to happen in the aftermath of church services tomorrow.  In low-density areas, that's one of the major ways that people (literally) congregate.  I'll be the happiest person in the world if nothing happens as a result, but it's a concern.

Remember, the measure of success is that a few months down the line, people ask "why did we bother with all those precautions?"  A non-event will be the result of everything we did to produce one.

If you look at the New Zealand cases, our highest area of cases is the one with our lowest population, Southland has only 100,000 people, Waitemata is 630,000 people and Auckland is 1.65 million people:

Therefore the theory you are safer in a lower populated area is wrong. Southland New Zealand is the last community on the planet before Antarctica, the very bottom of the world, and yet it was the hardest hit region in New Zealand. 

Reason for that? Someone had a wedding and one person traveled to this wedding that was infected, and half of the guests got infected that night and spread it around the community, all it takes is 1 person. Just because you live in a remote area doesn't mean your safe, because Southland New Zealand is about as remote on this world as you can get. 

EDIT: Here is the news story: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120863226/coronavirus-bluff-wedding-cluster-now-the-largest-in-new-zealand

Edited April 11, 20206 yr by Matthew Kane

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/covid-19-can-fabric-cloth-masks-stem-coronavirus-spread/amp?__twitter_impression=true

 

Not enough studies exist on whether homemade cloth masks trap viruses to know for sure

2 hours ago, martin-w said:

Not enough studies exist on whether homemade cloth masks trap viruses to know for sure

COVID-19 simulation video shows how cough can cross two grocery aisles for ‘several minutes’

EDIT: Me and my Wife only go shopping with mask's on, we have the FFP3 but we would use the cloth masks if we had nothing else. Besides washing hands and keeping distance to other people, using any kind of mask is better then nothing, we dont wait for studies.

Edited April 12, 20206 yr by Nedo68

2 hours ago, martin-w said:

Not enough studies exist on whether homemade cloth masks trap viruses to know for sure

“Though the evidence for fabric masks is sparse, health officials should still encourage people to wear face masks, other researchers write in an April 9 analysis in the BMJ. Limited protection could still save lives. “As with parachutes for jumping out of aeroplanes, it is time to act” without waiting for evidence, the authors say.“

Edited April 12, 20206 yr by KevinAu

1 hour ago, Nedo68 said:

COVID-19 simulation video shows how cough can cross two grocery aisles for ‘several minutes’

EDIT: Me and my Wife only go shopping with mask's on, we have the FFP3 but we would use the cloth masks if we had nothing else. Besides washing hands and keeping distance to other people, using any kind of mask is better then nothing, we dont wait for studies.

 

Err... I may have confused people. You aren't quoting me. That is a quote from the article. You are quoting a quote. Shouldn't really be "martin-w said" My fault.

 

Quote

Besides washing hands and keeping distance to other people

 

Yep, agree. As the article said... " Wearing a mask is not meant to be a replacement for social distancing, handwashing and other efforts."

Seems the research is unclear if makeshift masks or cloth masks can cut down on the finer particles emitted when we breath. Could well be that simply breathing is enough to allow finer, infected, particles to be emitted. 

As long as the wearer is careful enough in terms of the masks use, I guess its better than nothing.

Unskilled use could be an issue though, because moisture traps viruses and can be a strong source of contamination when the mask is taken off. 

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 20206 yr by martin-w