:) Thanks, Clod - yeah, she is getting there. That is quite a funny mental image.

@ glatt - I went to the NHS Give Blood page - started going down the criteria lists and it says dont give blood if you have ever injected, or been injected with drugs even if it was a long time ago, and even if it was only once

....oops. It was really long time ago - like decades ago ... but it sounds like that bars me from joining the blood drive :(

in mask news

taiwan is sending 100,000 masks to the US
france intercepted and took a shipment of 130,000 masks before it got to UK

message to taiwan shipping: please look out for french boats

lol

We're re-using N95 masks five times, each worker is issued one and stores it in a tupperware container with the straps outside the lid.

We've just implemented a protocol for shooting portable chest x-rays through the door (ER patient rooms have a glass door).

I'm sorry, Flint. I'm grateful for folks like you, doing the impossible job as best you can.

Thank you. To clarify-- I don't come into clinical contact with patients, but I do support the department running smoothly, and since it's under stress and we haven't technically been given guidance on cancelling outpatient imaging procedures, I'm delaying pulling the "work from home" card.

My work friends, the people I see every day, are the ones that are really in the firing line. I'm there in solidarity, to be honest. So I've quarantined myself to work (the minimum exposure possible) and my house. I haven't been in contact with anyone else...in 10 days? My ex is keeping the kids.

UPDATE SINCE EARLIER: I live on the coast, a tourist area, and I'm now learning that we're overrun with people coming in from out of town. My town and the next one over are drafting up an emergency declaration but do not have the authority to impose restrictions on hotels, etc. until the governor declares restrictions on the whole state.

I live in the one that's in between Washington and California.

Man, that sucks. People need to go home.

I have an aunt fighting cancer she's supposed to get radiation 5x per week for 6 weeks. Talk about terrible timing.

The plot thickens.

FEMA administrator says more masks are being shipped from stockpile amid shortage

Ah yes, the national stockpile.

It's true. The national stockpile is 75 million masks.

But they are just for emergencies

Good thing the Democrats reminded us about those go to war supplies and it wasn't politically incorrect to do so.

Why is Japan an "outlier" with fewer cases than everyone else surrounding China? Nobody seems to know yet. Are they about to experience the crush, or did cultural practices stop it before it could get going? It's all just guessing at this point.

No, Japan was one of the first countries to close schools and mandate social isolation. I think their national will to band together and accept draconian measures is a result of the earthquake and tsunami from a few years ago. There is usually a political delay between the acceptance that a certain measure is required and when it is mandated whereas in Japan, that delay is maybe 20 minutes.

My default TV station is NHK (an English speaking 24-hour channel from Tokyo) and I've been hearing first hand what the national temperament in Japan is. Japan ain't effing around - they locked down early.

And while I don't post here often, I think about you knuckleheads a lot and hope everyone in cellardom is ok and makes it through this nonsense.

most likely entirely unrelated.... Placido Domingo*

*used fox link to show no political bias :D