Coronavirus

[wdolson]

I agree with all this. Focus now needs to shift to better air handling/ filtering in the built environment.
Expensive but really the only palatable option for the majority.
It would’ve been great if vaccination buy in was better, but need to adapt to the current reality

Molekule has an air filtering tech that kills viruses. It's been FDA approved for use in medical settings.

It would be a good idea to modify that tech to retrofit to existing HVAC systems. Similar systems are in use on commercial aircraft now so it's very doable. As this virus is not going away, it's time to start thinking about this everywhere.

I looked up the R0 for different variants and other viruses.
SARS CoV2 Orig - 2.79
SARS CoV2 Delta - 6.5-8
SARS CoV2 Omicron 1 - 8-15
SARS CoV2 Omicron 2 - Unknown but > Omicron 1
1918 Flu - 2-3
Mumps - 10
Measles - 15-18
Chicken Pox - 9-10

Taken from a few sources.

With Omicron 2 spreading fast and evidence it might be more lethal than Omicron 1, that means another bad wave coming. The old vaccines are losing effectiveness. We're in a race now to get the Omicron targeted vaccines approved. And we'll see how good immunity is from previous infection of another variant. If it's low, Omicron 2 could sweep through the population like Omicron 1 did.

The pandemic is not over.

 

[dhanson865]

so that covid test I took a few weeks ago, negative all around but the bill came and because the first place I could find one was a "clinic" and saw a "doctor" it cost me $59 more than what my insurance would cover.

I guess $60 was worth the piece of mind of not having to wonder for another day or two and not having to isolate while waiting for a cheaper test to become available.

At the time it was basically the peak of omicron new cases and you couldn't get a test same day anywhere in my city. Best I could do was wait several days and pay what they asked me to.

Oh and those 4 free covid tests from the government that I ordered the same week. I haven't received those yet.

 

[TespaceX]

so that covid test I took a few weeks ago, negative all around but the bill came and because the first place I could find one was a "clinic" and saw a "doctor" it cost me $59 more than what my insurance would cover.

View attachment 768765

I guess $60 was worth the piece of mind of not having to wonder for another day or two and not having to isolate while waiting for a cheaper test to become available.

At the time it was basically the peak of omicron new cases and you couldn't get a test same day anywhere in my city. Best I could do was wait several days and pay what they asked me to.

Oh and those 4 free covid tests from the government that I ordered the same week. I haven't received those yet.

Interesting. We received our 4 free fee gov tests immediately.

But, Blue Shield made us do the old paper form mail-in-rebate for the at-home test reimbursement. Three weeks in, and they still have not updated our account to acknowledge that they have received our claim for reimbursement.
And, it’s equally cumbersome to have a PCR test covered by Blue Shield when performed at a medical office or facility. I won’t even get started with that here. I rather go to a county-run drive-up site and tell them I don’t have insurance.

 

[jerry33]

Molekule has an air filtering tech that kills viruses. It's been FDA approved for use in medical settings.

It would be a good idea to modify that tech to retrofit to existing HVAC systems. Similar systems are in use on commercial aircraft now so it's very doable. As this virus is not going away, it's time to start thinking about this everywhere.

The one I have been looking at is this whole house filter from IQAir. It doesn't kill the virus but it should filter them out of the air (according to the particle filtering size). I also have one of these for sitting at the computer.

 

[jerry33]

so that covid test I took a few weeks ago, negative all around but the bill came and because the first place I could find one was a "clinic" and saw a "doctor" it cost me $59 more than what my insurance would cover.

View attachment 768765

I guess $60 was worth the piece of mind of not having to wonder for another day or two and not having to isolate while waiting for a cheaper test to become available.

At the time it was basically the peak of omicron new cases and you couldn't get a test same day anywhere in my city. Best I could do was wait several days and pay what they asked me to.

Oh and those 4 free covid tests from the government that I ordered the same week. I haven't received those yet.

They must be taking their time on those because I ordered when the email first came and they haven't arrived yet.

 

[cusetownusa]

They must be taking their time on those because I ordered when the email first came and they haven't arrived yet.

Same here. We ordered them right away during the omicron peak and when it was hard to find kits. By the time we get them local cases will be close to zero and now you can find test kits everywhere.

 

[madodel]

They must be taking their time on those because I ordered when the email first came and they haven't arrived yet.

I think it is just the sheer volume they are dealing with. We received our tests 2 weeks ago and I ordered them the first day as well.

 

[NikolaACDC]

I think it is just the sheer volume they are dealing with. We received our tests 2 weeks ago and I ordered them the first day as well.

I had ordered ours on Jan 18 and they arrived last week on Feb 10.

 

[Doggydogworld]

Here is the big question. What happens when Omicron BA2 replaces BA1 ? Are we going to get another large wave - like in Denmark?

I've mentioned Denmark before. They will probably surpass their previous deaths/day peak. They are still below US levels, though, at ~5 deaths per million per day vs. 6-7 here (our recent peak was ~8). And their cumulative deaths are roughly 1/4th the US level, despite an older population.

Denmark's confirmed cases are nearing 40% of their population! Going for vax+infection herd immunity. Might be the best choice overall.

 

[EVNow]

Question is - was the takeoff above 3,000 after a pause caused by BA2 or just random / some other cause ?

Looks like BA1 probably gives enough immunity that reinfections are not a large part of cases. So, BA2 could cause large increase in case mainly because it is more transmissible.

After going up steeply and then going down quite a bit - the cases in my city & county seem to have flattened but at a much higher level than delta peak. Wondering whether it is because of BA2 or something else ... and what the future holds. I was assuming steady 30% to 40% reduction in cases per week until we get back to pre-Omicron levels ...

 

[Dave EV]

After going up steeply and then going down quite a bit - the cases in my city & county seem to have flattened but at a much higher level than delta peak. Wondering whether it is because of BA2 or something else ... and what the future holds. I was assuming steady 30% to 40% reduction in cases per week until we get back to pre-Omicron levels ...

My guess is that the higher baseline is purely due to BA1/BA2's higher transmission rate compared to Delta. More people are getting infected (and reinfected).

 

[wdolson]

The one I have been looking at is this whole house filter from IQAir. It doesn't kill the virus but it should filter them out of the air (according to the particle filtering size). I also have one of these for sitting at the computer.

The Molekule is not the best air filter out there, but it does have a stage that kills viruses and bacteria, so it's very effective in keeping down pathogens in the air. Its air filtration is not the focus of the design. And installed in an HVAC system there is already some kind of filter in the system anyway.

I couple of months ago I needed some dental work and took our Molekule with me. In the past I've often felt like I was coming down with something (probably a cold) a day or two after going to the dentist. I manage to beat it with extra sleep, but this time I didn't feel anything trying to get a hold on me after the work. I figure it's the sitting there with my mouth open for so long that lets bugs in.

The dentist said he had one at home but was unaware they were FDA certified. He was going to consider them for the office.

When I was doing neurofeedback with office visits my therapist invested in Molekule. He's got them next to each treatment station around the clinic. He also said he needed sinus surgery and when he woke up in the recovery room there was one next to the bed. His doctor is a believer in them too.

 

[madodel]

The Molekule is not the best air filter out there, but it does have a stage that kills viruses and bacteria, so it's very effective in keeping down pathogens in the air. Its air filtration is not the focus of the design. And installed in an HVAC system there is already some kind of filter in the system anyway.

I couple of months ago I needed some dental work and took our Molekule with me. In the past I've often felt like I was coming down with something (probably a cold) a day or two after going to the dentist. I manage to beat it with extra sleep, but this time I didn't feel anything trying to get a hold on me after the work. I figure it's the sitting there with my mouth open for so long that lets bugs in.

The dentist said he had one at home but was unaware they were FDA certified. He was going to consider them for the office.

When I was doing neurofeedback with office visits my therapist invested in Molekule. He's got them next to each treatment station around the clinic. He also said he needed sinus surgery and when he woke up in the recovery room there was one next to the bed. His doctor is a believer in them too.

Interesting. How is it with dust? We changed our heating system from oil forced air to High Efficiency Heat Pump and I swear there is more dust everywhere than there was with the oil furnace which doesn't make sense. Maybe the new disposable air filter in the system is not as good as our reusable filter from the old system. While I've avoided my usual bronchitis and Strep (and COVID) since COVID started and I've been wearing KN95 and N95 masks in public spaces, my sinuses seem to be bothering me as much as before.

 

[scottf200]

Maybe the new disposable air filter in the system is not as good as our reusable filter from the old system.

Would seem like it would depend on your air filter as there are so many different ones including MERV ratings/levels.

What is a MERV rating? | US EPA

Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values, or MERVs, report a filter's ability to capture larger particles between 0.3 and 10 microns (µm). This value is helpful in comparing the performance of different filters The rating is derived from a test m

www.epa.gov

Also: Air Cleaners and Air Filters in the Home | US EPA

 

[wdolson]

Interesting. How is it with dust? We changed our heating system from oil forced air to High Efficiency Heat Pump and I swear there is more dust everywhere than there was with the oil furnace which doesn't make sense. Maybe the new disposable air filter in the system is not as good as our reusable filter from the old system. While I've avoided my usual bronchitis and Strep (and COVID) since COVID started and I've been wearing KN95 and N95 masks in public spaces, my sinuses seem to be bothering me as much as before.

It does some filtering, and would probably help some, but if your goal is to remove larger particulates, another type of filter would probably do a better job. We have a small HEPA we use when we need to clear a room of some sort of particulate. A week or so back something fell and broke a bottle of hobby paint in my office. I ran the HEPA for a day to clear out the fumes (it was water based so not bad, but the smell was strong for a bit).

Here is their website:
Air Purifier | Air purification, reinvented by Molekule

 

[jerry33]

Interesting. How is it with dust? We changed our heating system from oil forced air to High Efficiency Heat Pump and I swear there is more dust everywhere than there was with the oil furnace which doesn't make sense. Maybe the new disposable air filter in the system is not as good as our reusable filter from the old system. While I've avoided my usual bronchitis and Strep (and COVID) since COVID started and I've been wearing KN95 and N95 masks in public spaces, my sinuses seem to be bothering me as much as before.

Generally, the filters that filter the very fine particles are not as good with dust because they don't have the volume--cheapie ones do better with dust even though they don't filter the air that well. Dust is one reason why I'm looking at the whole house filter from IQAir. (Construction has been going on for almost a year.

 

[wdolson]

Generally, the filters that filter the very fine particles are not as good with dust because they don't have the volume--cheapie ones do better with dust even though they don't filter the air that well. Dust is one reason why I'm looking at the whole house filter from IQAir. (Construction has been going on for almost a year.

I knew someone who installed an all house filter because one member of the couple had a cat allergy and the other had cats. The filter helped with his allergies, but he said cleaning the filter was a pain. It needed changing every couple of months and he said it was an all day process because it had to be hosed down and then dry before going back into the filter. I thought getting a second filter would at least help with the drying issue, the one just pulled would have a few months to dry before having to go back into service.

This was 20 years ago so the filters have probably changed.

 

[jerry33]

I knew someone who installed an all house filter because one member of the couple had a cat allergy and the other had cats. The filter helped with his allergies, but he said cleaning the filter was a pain. It needed changing every couple of months and he said it was an all day process because it had to be hosed down and then dry before going back into the filter. I thought getting a second filter would at least help with the drying issue, the one just pulled would have a few months to dry before having to go back into service.

This was 20 years ago so the filters have probably changed.

From the pictures, there are four filters that the air passes through. It doesn't appear to be any harder to change than a typical air filter. They are single use filters, so just remove and replace. What I'm trying to find out is the expected life of the filters. EDIT: found it. 3 years @ 50% duty cycle.

 

[Slipstream]

With Omicron 2 spreading fast and evidence it might be more lethal than Omicron 1, that means another bad wave coming.

Just curious as to where you have found evidence that Omicron 2 is more lethal. I’ve been searching and can’t find any info so far.

Really appreciate your posts on this forum thread, by the way!

 

[scottf200]

Just curious as to where you have found evidence that Omicron 2 is more lethal. I’ve been searching and can’t find any info so far.
Really appreciate your posts on this forum thread, by the way!

Various articles using the Google search: ba.2 more severe
indicated it is no more severe. Just what I found...