Homemade Face Masks to Combat Spread of Covid-19 – Virus 5

Sewing own face masks (credit to NBC Connecticut)

We might all knew that many hospitals are facing shortage of protective gears (health supplies) for health care workers or Covid-19 patients or general public across America.

Some of important supplies are:

- testing kits

- eye protection

- gloves

- gown

- face masks (surgical and N95 type respirator)

In case of face masks, these disposable items which cost less than 75 cents are ran out as well. Un-believable for rich country such as America.

One hospital may need 5,000 to 15,000 face masks: surgical face masks to patients and N95 respirators for medical workers.

Designs of homemade face masks (credit to Dr Monique Tello)

Luckily, sewing people (mom, nanny and kids) step up to supply the homemade face masks to hospital in many states.

You may ask a question: could homemade masks protect us from Covid-19?

Before answer this question, I posted article: Can Face Masks Contain Wuhan Coronavirus?

The commercial face masks, I quote from my own post: “The surgical mask is effective to block big droplets, but we may inhale very small droplets from the sides of filters.”

Moreover, “N95 respirator is able to block from 95% to 99% airborne pathogens, germs or virus. It is good for health care workers who handle Coronavirus patients (suspected or infected).”

The homemade face mask effectiveness is depend very much on the materials. The following material effectiveness to block 0.02 micron particles (less than Corona virus size):

- scarf is 49% effective

- silk is 54% effective

- linen is 62% effective

- cotton blend is 70% effective

- vacuum cleaner bag is 86% effective.

Thus, at least, homemade face masks are suitable to halt spreading of droplets from infected patients or preventing dispersion of coughing particles. 

When Will Vaccine for Covid-19 Available? - Virus 4

A vial of Vaccine, just for illustration only (credit to Nasdaq)

In simple way, we all might know that vaccine is an antigen from a particular virus, bacteria or other pathogen agents, injected into human bodies.

The main purpose is to train, boost, encourage and trigger our immune system to recognize, then to combat a pathogen, in this case let’s say Covid-19.

We might wonder: why is it so long to find the effective vaccine for Covid-19?

The answer is that long steps and processes must be followed from searching and selecting vaccine candidates until to be ready for mass productions.

Step 1: Finding and develop “candidate” vaccines by available techniques such as messenger RNA

Step 2: Testing to animal (model)

Step 3: Clinical trial to human being. Trials to small number of people

Step 4: Trial to more people. To find out how immune system responds to potential Covid-19

Step 5: More and more patients are tested in long term.

Step 6: Reviewed by relevant agencies such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US

Step 7: This is a final step. If FDA approves, then mass production for cure the Covid-19

It will take 12 to 18 months from step 1 to step 7, if everything goes well. Thus, almost certainly that we will have no “medicine” to combat Covid-19 in this cycle. 

A Hiker Gave Water to a Thirsty Wild Snake

A thirsty wild snake drinks water (credit to Newsflare)

When I was kid, I often saw a long small snake with green color either nearby or climbing coconut trees. Our family owned coconut and palm plantations.

As far as I remember, I never noticed that snakes drink water. I knew they catches mice and frogs.

Just recently, a hiker found a thirsty snake in drought palm areas, Thailand. Then, he gave water from a bottle. Look like the reptile drank joyfully. The touching moment.

The scientific name for snake is Gonyosoma oxycephalum with some common names:

- the red-tailed green ratsnake

- the red-tailed racer

- the arboreal ratsnake

- red-tailed Ratsnake

- red-tailed Green Climbing Ratsnake

The red-tailed green ratsnake as a pet (credit to Tumblr)

The habitat of red-tailed green ratsnake is South East Asian Countries such as:

- Laos

- Malaysia

- Indonesia

- Thailand

- Vietnam

- Philippines

- Myanmar

- Cambodia

This kind of snake is sold in pet shops both in America and European countries in recent years.

The snake is not dangerous and not aggressive, thus become popular as a pet in American households.

Have you seen this kind of snake in nature or pet shop?

Older, Men and Preexisting conditions are Vulnerable to Covid-19 – Virus 3

Graph 1. The older, the weaker.

The interesting facts that the most vulnerable groups to Coronavirus (Covid-19) are older, men and people with preexisting conditions.

In term of ages, the most vulnerable is 80 years old or more. Let’s say that from 100 death cases, almost 15 dead are 80 years old. However, all kids with age of 0 to 9 years old are survive.

The question then Why?

We might “guess” the answer is that immune system is weaker over age. The few facts:

- older has few white blood cells, and less capable to fight new pathogen such as mutant Covid-19.

- virus may damage white cells and immune system, then invites other pathogens. These conditions could cause illness, and death.

 Graph 2. Men more vulnerable than women

Men died more than women due to Covid-19 as shown on Graph 2. This fact not only to Covid-19, but also to SARS (China, 2003) and MERS (Saudi Arabia, 2012).

There are two possible answers why women are stronger than men to fight virus:

- women hormones support the stronger immune system

- environmental factors such as men are smoker than women; and men limit their practice to hygiene life such as not washing their hands frequently.

Graph 3. Chronic diseases contributed to dead of Covid-19 patients

The answer why people with preexisting conditions vulnerable to Covid-19 is quite similar to older condition in which their immune system is weaker.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients are target for respiratory infection pathogen such as Covid-19.

Finally, in my opinion that it is important to stay healthy to fight any diseases!

Why We Should Not Control the Future?

A Photo for Illustration only

Every people lived, living and will live in 3 different moments:

- past

- present

- future

Whatever we did, we can not erase it. The past may good or bad, and it could help our today and future live.

We are living right now should focus on the most relevant to us such as education, working, health and friendship.

We wish we could control our current living, unfortunately, we are not in completely charge of daily life. We face with fail and regret in many times.

How about with future? Why We Should Not Control the Future? The futures have some characteristics that are:

- unknown

- uncertain

- unsure outcomes

- unforeseen events

To control the future could results in disappoint, misery, fearful, no hope and worry. Thus, some experts suggest to enjoy of our life right now. We just able to plan our future with hope of good outcomes.

Are you happy with your current life?

Have you Seen Bizarre Looking Birds Called Sage Grouse?

Sage Grouse Male (credit to Sierra Club)

When I posted a strange animal called as a three-toed Sloth, all of us never saw it in nature. Please re-visit previous post: Have You Ever Seen a three-toed Sloth in the Nature? | Tanza Erlambang Update

Here, we talk about another odd animal, Sage Grouse. As of above photo is male of sage grouse.

The strange and interesting that a male attracts females by popping sound produced from very big air sacs which locate in his front chest.

Many females will choose the most dominant male with sizes (weight and lengths) twice more than their own.

The normal weight for males are 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) and 3 pound (1.4 kg) for females. The length size is 28 inches (71 cm) for male and 21 inches (53 cm) for female sage grouses. 

A male with a female (credit to Utah Public Radio)

Sage grouse birds occupy shrub-land across North America and Canada. In America, the birds could be found in:

- California

- Nevada

- Idaho

- Montana

- Washington

- Oregon

- Wyoming

- Colorado

- Utah

- South Dakota

- North Dakota

Two species of birds cover about 190 million acres of American 11 states and two Canadian provinces:

- Greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

- Gunnison sage grouse (Centrocercus minimus).

Unfortunately that population of both species are decreasing in nature. Greater sage grouse is included as near threatened species.

The number of Gunnison sage grouse is extremely low, around 1,700 birds left only in natures, thus categorized as endangered, brink of extinction species.

Finally, have you seen bizarre looking birds called Sage Grouse in nature or in zoo?

Is there Affordable Kit to Detect Corona Virus? - Virus 2

We talked about infected Corona virus from Wuhan, China: 

How to Know Someone Infected by Wuhan Virus? - Virus 1 | Tanza Erlambang Update

Illustration of aset kit to test Wuhan Corona virus

(credit to LabPulse)

Wuhan Corona virus also called as COVID-19 infected more than 100,000 people and caused at least 3,000 dead recently.

The problems are from spreading the diseases to testing the infection to finding the cure for diseases.

Availability of testing “machines” are limited, found only in certain facilities such as research centers, big hospitals or federal agencies.

The testing tool called as a PCR machine, cost from US$ 4,900 to US$ 90,000. It is said that price for US$ 15,000 is good enough.

The test is based on concept of Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect genetic material, RNA in the virus. The results may be known after 1 to 3 days.

Corona virus, Covid 19 (credit to Texas DSHS).

The good news that a company, Co-Diagnostic Inc in Utah, USA invented new technology which is cheaper and easier to be applied to detect the present of Corona virus infection.

The company called its product as Logix Smart COVID-19 test kit,” based on concepts of PCR, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and a mathematical algorithm.

The specimens for testing are taken from:

- upper respiratory tract such as nasopharyngeal fluids and nasal swab

- lower respiratory tract such as sputum, tracheal aspirate and bronchoalveolar lavage

- Serum from who has been suspected

Cost for Logix Smart COVID-19 test kit is US$700 per 100 test. It is mean that 1 test for detecting COVID-19 is US$ 7 only. The result will be known in 90 minutes.

In conclusion that Logix Smart COVID-19 test kit is very much cheaper and quicker compared to existent tests.

Italy and Germany have used this test kit successfully, hope, it will be distributed to all over the world soon.

# Yes, we need PCR machine with Logix Smart COVID-19 test kit:
- Other test kits could cost more than U$$100 and even thousands (based on several news resources) and take longer to know the results