Friday, May 15, 2020

21. Duck-beaked face masks and France's Paris Opera making masks

May 16, 2020

The Singapore Government is said to be giving duck-billed masks to residents at the end of June. These are uncommonly seen. I saw only 2 medical clinic staff using them last month.








IN FRANCE
The costume director, Ms Christine Neumeister, preferred the masks with three folds which resemble the surgical one. "It allows you to breath better than the duck beak model," she said. "It was made with light poplin with a cotton fleece in the middle. It was washable to 60 deg C.

In the Paris Opera, during the lockdown, the 30 couturiers sew masks from the home. The masks were delivered in "tutu bags" marked "Opera de Paris". Thee had o be among the chicest personal protection accessories. The people there had the fabric material and the know-how.

Mask making in the costume departments of opera houses across France began in earnest only after the official norms were posted on line at the end of March.

The Marseille Opera asked their masks to get the official imprimatur of the local authorities for use by their staff.

1000 masks a week, they draw on the opera's stock of fabrics. Getting fresh supplies of fabric is difficult. Usual suppliers are out of stock.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

20. Covid-19 disease in children in Singapore. Kawasaki disease

The Straits Times, May 7, 2020

The Ministry of Health, Singapore reported that Covid-19 had infected 57 children - those aged 16 and younger. Non has had to be in the intensive care unit. As at May 6, 42 have ecovered and 15 remain in hosptial.

None have suffered from Kawasaki disease symptoms which are  serious inflammatory reactions. But Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, programme leader (infectious diseases) and co-director of global health at the national University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, noted that not all of them have been tested or found to have the virus and so there needs to be detailed investigation to associate Covid-19 with Kawasaki disease in those children.



Saturday, May 2, 2020

19. Covid-19 pandemic humour - social distancing rules



Adapted from a cemetery joke of Harry's.

A guy was walking across a cemetery in the middle of the night
Suddenly he heard a voice: "Help me! Help me! I've got worms!"

Non-medical people may not get the joke.

18. Face Mask with exhalation valve

1.  N95 respirator is the best to protect the wearer from inhaling the viruses. These should be worn by people who are immunocompromised. The effective ones are made by 3M and are "expensive" but there are non-medical N95 respirators being sold at retail stores.  

2. Cloth mask protects others from being infected, but many 3-ply ones do not have the good quality centre filter.










3. Many non-medical N95 respirators have exhalation valves to make the wear feel less stuffy as they let out unfiltered air from the wearer. This means that the asymptomatic Covid-19 wearer can still transmit the respiratory droplets to infect other. They should not be worn around other people esp. at close quarters unless the valve is covered over with tape or cloth.





They were selling at around $6.90 per respirator in Mar 2020, but much depends on the quality as some sell as cheap as $2.00.  





Wednesday, April 29, 2020

17. Face Mask supply situation in Singapore as at April to May 2020 - How to assess a face mask?

28 Apr 2020

1. I went to NTUC Serangoon Gardens. It sells the following:


1.1  Fabric face masks at $3.50/piece. It does not state whether it is 2-ply or 3-ply. (see photo).
1.2  Polyurethan face masks at $4.90/piece. (see photo).
1.3  Disposable face masks made in China at $28.00/box of 50 (see photo). Last week, it costs $32.00/box.

Generally, there are disposable face masks available in the 3 main pharmacies.


28 Apr 20











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1 May 20

Choices Petrol Station now sells disposable face masks - 2 brands.
A box of 50 costs $28.50.   A loose packet of 10 costs $6.00




Watson Pharmacy


As at May 10, 2020, there is an adequate supply of the disposable 3-ply surgical masks in most NTUC supermarkets selling at $28.00 for a box of 50. Watson and Guardian pharmacies have their own brands, made in China.

There are also branded reusable face masks made by companies selling at NTUC.


HOW TO PURCHASE A MASK THAT FITS?
When buying your masks and respirators, check for the following:
Manufacturer's name clearly printed on the packaging (if the printing is unclear, it could be a counterfeit mask).

Bacterial 
Filtration Efficiency (BFE) based on your needs (i.e. dust, odour, airborne bacteria and viruses);


Expiry date (Disposable respirators are valid for about three years from the date of the manufacture;


Sealed box which is stored properly and;


Good fit with no gaps when worn.

For example: This China-made surgical mask claim a BFE = 95% which is what most good quality surgical mask will state in their box. However, some may be fake BFE % and so, you have to check carefully e.g. whether the box is sealed and stored properly.     

BFE  => 95%


BFE => 95%





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The Straits Times, May 7, 2020
New cloth masks for all residents as Singapore ramps up production..

Covid-19 virus cases cross 20,000 mark. It took 3 months after Jan 23 when Singapore's first imported case of coronavirus was diagnosed to reach 10,000 on Apr 22. But it took another 2 weeks for the number to hit 20,000 on May 6, 2020. Experts predicted 30,000 cases in May. But containment measures appeared to control the situation.  Case counts rise in a more controlled number.



MASK SUPPLIES

Ramped up local production of surgical masks to meet Singapore's healthcare needs and tapped diverse sources of mask supplies for the needs of the public. This is a sustainable strategy.

In mid-Feb, ST Engineering rolled off the production line of the first made-in-Singapore surgical mask. Local manufacturers and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research to improve on the materials used for reusable masks.

Trade and Industry Minister  Chan Chun Sing said yesterday that there is a possibility of recurring waves of infection, meaning demand for masks can spike again. The global demand for masks has risen in recent months and many countries cannot produce and export masks owing to lockdowns.


Reusable masks are not "reusable for eternity" despite being a sustainable option. He stressed that "no mask is 100 per cent foolproof.


A 3rd mask distribution exercise of locally produced, reusable cloth masks to all residents. They can get the masks from vending machines, in addition to community centres and resident committee places around June 1, the end of the circuit beaker period.

The masks will be more comfortable to wear and have better filtration qualities.


Tuesday, April 21, 2020

16. Singapore Wildlife: Oriental Garden Lizards in Yio Chu Kang Cres,Singapore 20 Apr 20

21 Apr 20.
The Prime Minister announced an extension to another 4 weeks of partial lockdown which was from Apr 7 to May 4, 2020. A massive increase in Covid-19 cases over 1,000 cases was detected in the dormitories.

The Oriental Garden Lizards in Yio Chu Kang Crescent and Lentor Avenue area has more privacy as the road and tunnel construction workers were absent. 

Some images are as follows:

Nearer to Lentor Ave, on Yio Chu Kang Crescent, around 9am

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

15. No wake for deaths during the partial lockdown from Apr 7 to May 4, 2020.

On Good Friday, April 11, 2020, my good friend passed away at home of a heart attack. He did not have a wake for friends to say goodbye. He was cremated  On April 13, his daughter informed me. This was how the Covid-19 pandemic impacted the lives of people.

On April 14, I went for my usual morning exercise walk and saw the 3 butterflies. They hung around for sometime.




My good friend has 2 daughters. So, these 3 butterflies appeared to be a reminder of him and his close family of 2 daughters?

Video: