March 21 2020, 13:12

I figured out why heat and low humidity reduce flu (and presumably Covid-19) infections almost to zero.

The virus’s capsid (shell) is destroyed by ultraviolet light, which is part of solar radiation. However, when the virus is in an aerosol droplet, it reduces the effect of ultraviolet light, and the virus remains active longer. Low humidity and temperature cause the droplet to evaporate faster, and heat carries the fine dispersed particles into the air (though someone’s nose might be in the way), while larger particles are pulled to the ground by gravity. Indeed, high humidity is also good – small particles are enveloped in moisture droplets and stop flying in front of one’s nose. In short, a certain level of humidity, uncomfortable for the virus, is important. However, the hotter it is, the more people prefer air conditioning and avoid going out into the sun.

Also, many think that soap simply washes the virus off, so if hands squeak after 5 seconds of lathering and rinsing, the virus is washed away. In fact, the main function of soap is to destroy the virus and reduce its ability to penetrate the cell. This function requires soap to be active for a longer time, which is why everyone writes about 20-30 seconds.

Thus, summer is better than winter, the sun is better than light bulbs, the south is better than the north, open spaces are better than closed ones, washing hands frequently is better than gloves, and a mask and glasses are better than no mask (but the point about the mask is most controversial. Simply, if someone sneezes in your face, you can throw away the mask, wash up with soap and perhaps be spared. It also prevents touching your mouth and nose)

Very interesting material, but Facebook and Medium consider it misleading. Indeed, the conclusions there are quite politicized, and it’s better not to read them. But the beginning and middle are quite reasonable. Look up “evidence over hysteria”

March 20 2020, 16:40

One of my first books in English, right after King’s The Mist.

“The main characters—an father and his young son, born after a global catastrophe—try to cross the territory of the former USA on foot to reach the distant and longed-for sea. They suffer from diseases, hunger, and fear of other people—bandits and cannibals. The boy’s mother, having lost all hope, took her own life long before the events of the book, the father is sick, coughing blood, and realizes that he will soon die. His last hopes for his son’s future are pinned on their journey to the sea; he repeats to his son ‘we are the good guys’ and ‘we carry the fire’ in contrast to the dehumanized bandits.”

A good book. Symbolically, The Mist, the predecessor, ended with a father and son driving deep into a country plagued by a global catastrophe involving alien creatures that ate people (and they encountered them there). In the movie, it ends well (almost), but in the book—it ends indeterminately.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road

March 20 2020, 14:15

Here in the USA, every organization considers it their duty to inform their clients that they are closely monitoring the situation and doing everything possible (and often listing what they are doing). Is it the same in Russia?

For example, this applies to banks and auto insurers who don’t really have walk-in offices.

I received such a letter from the bank that gave me a car loan (I am no longer their client, but they still remember me and write to me). Or another letter from TurboTax. This is a service for filing tax returns. Or another one from Groupon.

Sometimes these messages are useful, but mostly they all say the same thing. I understand why this might be necessary for a fitness center. But why a bank needs this, with which clients interact 100% through the website, is unclear.

And yes, this is not about general advice like “stay at home,” but about how “we are vigilant, everything is under control.” Their marketers probably can’t miss an opportunity to write something seemingly useful once a week and thus ostensibly maintain contact with clients. I don’t know about others, but with each such letter, I get the feeling that companies are using the information as an opportunity for their marketing purposes.

Probably, their motivation is the same as mine with this message to you 🙂

March 20 2020, 09:48

Here’s what I thought just now. Here we are, IT people, designers, and journalists, relatively confident about tomorrow: there will always be work for us. If everyone is locked in at home, there’s always a way to earn money, and then spend it right away in online stores. But all this hope and confidence are based on the fact that there is the internet. And yet, it’s a resource that can be quite easily shut off. Theoretically, if a lot of people lose their jobs (and they have already started losing them), self-organization online will move to a new level, and many governments might see this as a threat. Ultimately, all our work depends on a single point of failure without the possibility of hedging.

In general, quarantine has two possible outcomes: a bright one (as much as we can apply this term) and a dark one. The bright side is associated with the explosive growth of e-commerce and remote services, more money will circulate among participants, and there will be happiness for everyone. The dark side is associated with using problems in the interests of strengthening the power of the elite and obtaining a lot of free or even slave labor in exchange for security and maybe even food.

March 20 2020, 09:27

In Baltimore, the mayor has asked people to temporarily stop shooting each other so that the injured do not occupy hospital beds needed for COVID patients. Apparently, if you’re going to shoot, you might as well go all the way. Or let them run.

https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2020/03/18/we-need-those-beds-baltimore-mayor-urges-people-to-put-down-guns-after-violence-continues-during-covid-19-pandemic/

March 15 2020, 14:25

I’m not a medical professional, but perhaps (a question to the medical community – are there any?), it might be worth buying Plaquenil or Immard (Hydroxychloroquine), while it is still available in pharmacies (though it is prescription-based). It is used, among other things, for malaria prevention, and seems quite safe. However, a recent article at the link claims it may be useful for treating the ill. Costs only 300 rubles in Russia.

If there are any medical professionals – I would appreciate comments.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32150618