What are /r/CoronavirusMa's favorite Products & Services?

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I was trying to figure out what caused the enormous spike in wastewater viral load recently. It wasn't re-opening businesses, because nothing changed on that front. It wasn't re-opening schools and colleges, because that happened weeks to months before.

I thought it might be the changing weather, with cooler temperatures sending people inside. But that didn't seem likely.

Then I realized that there was something else that happened in mid-October. It rained. We had two big rain events in succession for the first time in months.

These were preceded by a months-long drought, stretching all the way back to May, in which little rain fell except for occasional thunderstorms. I should know, because I've been checking my CoCoRAHs gauge every day during the pandemic. Until these October rainstorms, I hadn't caught >1" of rain since April.

So I decided to Google whether viruses could be spread through rainfall, and the answer is...possibly. Check out the linked article.

Anyone want to participate in a documentary?

I'm a documentary filmmaker creating a feature length film composed entirely of community video submissions submitted daily as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses. We are looking for people (anyone!) to submit daily or at least frequent short videos documenting and discussing their lives during this pandemic. Everyone is in this together but experiencing so many different things, so we want to use the power of cell phones and the internet to create a global picture of how humans are fighting and coping with COVID-19.

More about the film via our sign-up page: https://airtable.com/shrMT5PyLJ8QpDFJR

PLEASE feel free to ask questions, I want to be transparent. I may not be prompt, but I will answer any questions I can. We have applications in with the International Documentary Association for fiscal sponsorship, and have a pending application for a National Geographic COVID-19 journalism grant.

My heart goes out to everyone fighting this; we're in this together.

A bit late for you, but some advice from another person prone to earache: nasal rinsing. I had ear infections when I was young and even had tubes in my ears to help the eustachian tubes drain. I start using my Neilmed Sinulgator a couple times a day at the start of any sinus issues. It helps to clean any blockage which might otherwise escalate to a blocked eustachian tube and ear infection. It takes a bit of time to get used to, but the awkwardness and inconvenience is a small price. Instead of the saline packets which come with the device (and can be purchased), I mix salt in with boiled water and use when cooled.

I buy the Kimtech N95s (they look like duck bill masks) off of Amazon here

They're about a dollar a mask, but they're the only ones that fit my face comfortably for long stretches of time. And knock on wood, they seem to be effective for the last year and a half I've been wearing them.

If OP is referring to the coronavirus, a surgical mask may help to an extent since it's not airborne. Washing your hands, etc is the best way to not contract the virus.

Edit: It is now officially airborne (which is basically everyone's worst nightmare). Take care everyone! Source

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S5G4YCX

I like this one from Amazon (and it goes on sale often too). It’s about the size of a medium cup of coffee. It has 3 speeds and charges via USB. Put it between kiddo and myself and ran it the whole 4 hour flight.

I love the Korean KF94s — they’re almost always genuine, Korean production standards and oversight are super high. They work basically as well as N95s if they’re worn properly, and I love that they stay away from my mouth. My favorite brand also has adjustable ear loops! https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08WJQWS3T/

They also come in black, which is nice. I’m tall, so this brand fit my larger face well — if your husband has a smaller face there are other brands that could work, let me know and I can look up some options.

If your husband has facial hair, he’ll get much better protection if he shaves, so the mask rests on his face.

Wishing you luck — I know it’s stressful 😔

The 3M Aura masks are pretty comfortable.

There aren't really many children's N95 masks available in the US. But South Korea seems to have a whole bunch of different brands that are KF94, which is pretty close.

Would you expect them to be out there in a blizzard? A hurricane?

This isn't merely "summer weather." This is Day 3 of a 3-day or 4-day heatwave. There is an official Heat Advisory in place.

It is a fair note that this was forecast early enough perhaps to make arrangements for more cooling.

10 day forecast: https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/ma/lowell

I'm tired of people demanding that the entire world needs to change because they want to avoid being exposed to a very small risk, one which they could negate with like 99.9% efficacy with a mask that only costs ~$30. If you're worried about covid, spend $30 and buy one of those, and bam, you're totally protected, and you don't need to worry about whether other people around you are vaxxed or if their mask is all the way around their nose, you can just go about your business and dont need to bother anyone

> For unknown reasons, the link is only good for 24 hours. It was stale when I tried to use it, so I had to start the process again.

You’re supposed to add the code to your phone or print it out.

If you have an iPhone (requires iOS 15.1 and up), you can hold down on the QR code to add it to your Apple wallet.

If you have an Android phone, you can download the CommonHealth app to add it to your Google Pay wallet.

Supply seems a bit tighter, but most Home Depots still have 3M 8210's in stock, and it's still available for delivery. The 3M Aura 9205's are harder to get, but some Home Depots in the Boston area still have them in stock. Amazon still has Honeywell DF300 in-stock (and sold directly by Amazon rather than via 3rd party sellers). It's still not difficult to get N95s.

> I get yelled at daily

Have you tried gently yelling back LOUNDER?

Only $15 with free Prime shipping from Amazon

HALYARD FLUIDSHIELD. They're what all the hospitals around me are using. They're soft and comfortable, ASTM certified, and have strong wires around the nose. They range from ASTM Level 1 (yellow) to ASTM Level 3 (orange), with Level 3 filtering more but being slightly harder to breathe through, but I really like the Level 3 ones with the foam strip to prevent glasses from fogging up: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S5G4YCX

These are all I wear now. My Korean sister in law recommended them; they’re absolutely legit (not fakes), they have adjustable ear loops, and they come in black or white. And they stay away from your mouth, which I appreciate. Highly recommend. [LG Airwasher] KF94 Disposable Face Masks [Multi-Pack] Made in Korea Black/White 4-Ply 3D Reusable Adjustable Cloth Face Mask https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08WJPS6KY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_26KNCT4S1B9R2CBA9BKR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I like the Halyard Fluidshield 3 Model 47107

Manufacturer's product page for more information.

I struggled with that too, just not wanting to be misinformed and constantly questioning how and why people are spouting crazy bs. I know you referenced a coworker being like this; I got airpods that offer noise cancellation and they are a blessing in my office filled with anti-vax trumpers. if you don't want to pay for the airpods, here is a comfy over-ear brand that I had before that worked really well.

Also, the news and media coverage are also a central source for this type of stress for me. I have deleted all my social media(cept reddit) and basically don't even bother with the news anymore. It's all emotionally charged rhetoric to get ANY response, good or bad, from the consumer. It's a lot quieter in my head now that I'm not consuming so many differing opinions from anyone I know or some giant media conglomerate, and I feel less of an urge to panic over crazy rantings from the office idiots lol. I've also been re-curating my reddit feed and unfollowed popular subreddits like whitepeopletwitter, facepalm, insanepeoplefacebook, etc, as I found that when I consumed more media like that I had less patience for stupidity in real life. I hope you can find some peace in this wild world

MODERATOR ACTION: After reports, submission removed. Referral links will not be allowed. You may delete and repost it using the URL https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08ZR5XNBM/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl if you're interested in doing so.

Did you actually look at the studies referenced in that article? Nothing in that link refutes my point that the cloth mask only reduce the spread, not totally stopping the spread, and that people wearing masks are still transmitting/catching the virus.

If we were advocating legitimate respirator masks like this which are only $40 and stop like 99%+ microbe transmission, I'd take the mask talk seriously, but these cloth masks everyone is wearing? Sure they are better than nothing, but they are not effective enough for people to be acting like masks are a guarantee that no covid could be spread, while acting like one unmasked person walking through the room guarantees that everyone will be infected.

I'm an engineer in the aerospace industry, the focus of my work is on fuel injection/ignition and air induction systems in turbine engines, so I know what the fuck I'm talking about when it comes to to the behavior of small particles in turbulent airspace

Nonwoven polypropylene (NWPP) is the most common material used in medical grade masks. Instead of being woven like cloth, NWPP is created by spinning polypropylene fibers into threads and laying them down in a porous web that is breathable, provides filtration, and is naturally water resistant.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CXHJJFY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1GWDXH9Y8AP1PBB2KFTV

Man only $11.99 in Amazon for 50. Good deal!

No problem! Another thing to think about is that 30+ is a sufficient sample, so you don’t need huge numbers like 30,000. Statistics accounts for the population and sample sizes in the calculations.

If you want to learn more about experimental design, I recommend starting with this video series or with this book. Happy learning!

MODERATOR NOTE: This crosspost does not violate our rules.

The gist of the post is that Android users are finding that the MassNotify app from the MA Department of Public Health was silently installed onto their phone.

There are some questions in the comments as to whether these Android phones are running with Google's COVID-19 Exposure Notification capability enabled. This is a feature which does need a dedicated local app as well to do anything, such as MassNotify.

Here's the link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KY1HMVC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

look for "double banded" or "over head" masks. Or extenders

https://www.amazon.com/LITMIND-Adjustable-Extension-Anti-Pressure-Protector/dp/B08GG8ND9Z/ref=sr_1_18?dchild=1&keywords=overhead+kids+masks&qid=1619451730&sr=8-18

Or you can get a piece of elastic from the notions section of Walmart or Michaels and just tie it to the back of the ear loops. My sister did this for her youngest

The mask:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JZ1MK6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_rcKVFb1JNFX4N?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

And filters:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009POHLRC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_tdKVFb38BVAWQ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Make sure to do a negative pressure fit test with the mask once you have it on and adjusted to check for a tight seal before putting on the filters.