Modern Vespa

This we will never know for sure, there is no list with the names of all those who were at the gathering and of those who contracted the virus and even died; it's just a guess...for many a hope of not having been infected.

Fud ... we are in times of emergency and there are technologies for mass production of freezers suitable for the purpose, if you want you can produce refrigerated containers built to keep products below 70 ° C (I hope they are degrees centigrade); the problem is that their reliability and management is entrusted to the human factor and this thing kills more than it saves.

"For long-term storage, the vaccine has to be kept at very cold temperatures around –70° Celsius (–94° Fahrenheit), which requires a specialized freezer."

(Source: Forbes.com)

"Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. It is used primarily as a cooling agent, but is also used in fog machines at theatres for dramatic effects. Its advantages include lower temperature than that of water ice and not leaving any residue (other than incidental frost from moisture in the atmosphere). It is useful for preserving frozen foods where mechanical cooling is unavailable.

Dry ice sublimes at 194.7 K or −78.5 °C (−109.3 °F) at Earth atmospheric pressure."

(Source: Wikipedia)

I don't know about other countries, but it is very common in South Africa to have ice cream vendors with cold chests that are cooled by sublimating dry ice,
where the solid CO2 becomes a gas without transitioning into a liquid.

In my opinion, minimal training in handling dry ice and simple protective gloves would be sufficient.

Last edited by Fudmucker on Mon Nov 23, 2020 5:55 am; edited 1 time in total

Dry ice is easy to find around here, we used to use it to shrink fit parts in off-road truck transmissions at the shop. A pin that took a hydraulic press to install at room temperature would slip in nice and easy after being cooled in a simple wooden box with a one inch thick foam insulation. Welders gloves worked fine for handling it.

Maybe but I think for rural and hard to reach areas the Moderna vaccine makes more sense.

What we really want is to avoid waste and that can be a bit tricky.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/22/scarce-covid-vaccine-waste-438928

The Oxford (Astra Zenica) Vaccine looks the business...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55040635

I like that it will be sold on a not-for-profit basis during the pandemic, and in perpetuity to low and middle-income countries.

Agreed. I was just reading about it. The cost is MUCH lower than the other vaccines and storage also seems not nearly as complicated as the Pfizer vaccine at least.

One thing we all have to remember as it takes 2 injections and roughly one month apart. Still it is looking like maybe at least here next summer may for the most part be "normal" . The Canadian government has done a pretty good job in procuring vaccine allotments.

I see there is already a campaign against the vaccine on the false basis that it is cultured in fetus genetic material aborted for the purpose.

For full disclosure, I did ride through Sturgis during the Rally. Face shield down on my helmet and no stopping to get off and walk around the crowd. We did not stay in the Sturgis area, but spent most of the summer in the Black Hills, staying at an RV resort about 55 miles from Sturgis. We did not go to the 4th of July event at Mt Rushmore.

We enjoyed great riding all summer long, but we did not go out to any restaurants and did not socialize. We work masks when grocery shopping and maintained distance from others. Washed our hands frequently and used hand sanitizer frequently when we were away from the motorhome. Riding the scoots is a great way to be entertained and socially distance.

Realistically, we felt safer in the Black Hills at that time than in our home area in south Texas currently, where the culture is all about large family gatherings. I had to go to the hospital week before last to have a bone scan done... when we came out, there was a group of about 30 people standing outside the front entrance, apparently waiting for a family member to come out. No masks, no distancing. We had to thread that gauntlet to get to the parking lot.

Don't use me as an example that you can go to large public gatherings right now. We have gone to Sturgis during the Rally more than 25 times over the years. This year was VERY different for us: one "pass through" for me, my wife didn't want to be anywhere near it. No associating with anyone, didn't even stop to buy a t-shirt. Didn't stop to eat any Rally food. Didn't walk Main Street.

Thriving? We are trying to live life each day, but definitely taking precautions. I am scheduled for surgery next week; less concerned about getting cut on than I am having to be around stupid people before, during, and after.

Be safe out there.

Jim

Sounds like QAnon level thinking. I will not get in to the discussion over using aborted fetal tissue as that can get hot. However "for the purpose" ?

A quick Google search shows that that theory is at best misleading .

At least FB and Twitter are finally taking some action against some of these outrages claims that show up.

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/nov/18/facebook-posts/oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine-does-not-contain-aborte/

I am NOT obviously referring to you here Fudmucker as you are just passing along the "belief" some people have. However it amazes me just how naive some people can be. It is NOT hard to cross reference against multiple sources the validity of some of these theories. However it appears some people are just all in on some of this crap. It used to just be the "crazy uncle" at the holiday dinner but that number has in recent years increased by no small amount.

Hey, if you can't get the girls to wear a bra, who's gonna wear a mask?

IIRC, North Dakota is one of the states that just gave up on contact tracing altogether because the spread is so rampant.

Read an article this morning about Evangelical physicians pleading for churches to close to services. The very FIRST comment I read was something like... AND NEXT THING YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IN CLASSROOMS!

Americans.

Here with us, in the nearby region of Campania (in Naples) many behaved like at the meeting and the result was not long in coming; it became the red zone in a short time.
Before they were all bold and after all (too late) to cry and with great fear .... but as the sun comes out they come out in large groups like careless sheep. Some populations are like that, they scream for protection but they don't do anything first, they're stupid!
Then there are no places in hospitals and they pay (who has the money) an ambulance to be brought to the Lazio region (yellow zone) in those few places left free thanks to those who were prudent.

Italians.

Oh it's not just Italians. We have our share of those people here and are in hard lockdown again as a result. You know it's bad when your city hits the front page of CNN.

American Thanksgiving.. oh boy that is a Deep-Fried Turkey just waiting to explode..

I was actually attempting to imply just the opposite of that. It should be clear from the surge seen in those graphs for the upper midwest now that we can't be ignoring how personal behavior affects the infection rates. Although any number are:

Surging virus cases get a shrug in many Midwestern towns
https://apnews.com/article/iowa-south-dakota-coronavirus-pandemic-nebraska-north-dakota-bf7197b284401dea8b779cfa764dfab2

No biggie ... for example, the Shingrix vaccine (prevention of shingles) is a two dose series, given 2 - 6 months apart, for those age 50+. (It has been available for nearly the last 3 years in the USA; and, Zostavax is no longer available.)

Agreed. Just a couple short visits to the local pharmacy.

Says the guy living in a large city.

I'm on the same page for >90% of folks in US at least.
But there *ARE* a lot of people living an hour drive from a pharmacy even here.

Ahh, the joys of living in rural America🤪. Hopefully there will be roving vans to inoculate those in rural America, much like mobile libraries.

... and horse-drawn buggies in Amish counties.

At least odds are some or many Amish will take the vaccine. They aren't completely against modern medicine.

Careful of that rabbit hole.
The county in which I live has the largest Amish population of the state, and we have two 35 foot bookmobiles. The county health department offers immunization clinics throughout the county; depending on need and necessity, the county fairgrounds have been used previously, as a central location. Lots of space to park horse/buggy. Lots of area to social distance.

How much I adore your still being so delightfully rural ...

Pictures, lots of words etc...

BTW that's ST Lawrence market where I get groceries from about 3-4 times a week as I live very close. Ranked by many as best in the world and largest in the world. I will miss it when I move away in a few years. I'm also lucky to be friendly with a number of the shop owners and it's been interesting talking to them as the pandemic moves on.

If anyone can get pics of the Macy's windows that would be awesome.

no longer go into the city.. at least for a while.

Yeah I know but you're doing what you have to do man.

My wife and I love NYC especially this time of the year. We've been a few times when the Habs were playing the Rangers and stay at the Eventi which is the same hotel the team stays at. It's a weird feeling when you the elevator opens and there is Carey Price. Last time as luck had it we checked in at the same time as them.

Anyway we have been there when the parade was on and I've been in Macy's at about 6 am. So beautiful and surreal looking at the windows and then going up those wooden escalators. We started watching the parade from our room and then went down to be part of it.

One day this pandemic will be over and we can do this again. Oh and maybe the Habs won't suck... FWIW they won that game.

The least they could have done is worn their unused bras over their nose and mouth !

(As a life-long member of the Free the Nipple Movement, I must declare a vested interest on that subject.)

Never been to a game at Madison sq garden despite living here for 15 yrs!

I did go to one hockey and one basketball game at the old Boston garden. And this post made me think of that. Plus my father sent me this article the other day and i swear i remember those details this guy built into his model!

https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/2020/11/23/21590340/boston-garden-table-hockey-arena-bruins-table-hockey-game-trent-buhler-table-hockey-bruins-game

"No mask, no entry"...right!

This post was not quite
What we were hoping to see
Try again, perhaps?

you tube URL please...

Its getting worse here...........
https://drinksdigest.com/2020/11/23/australia-corona-beer-shortage/

Nah, if you were running out of Castlemaine XXXX THEN you'd have real problem. Fosters I'm sure you have plenty of.

https://fb.watch/22rBGt_6S7/

Sure, but what to do with all the lime and lemon wedges.....

Margaritas?

This thread is a fascinating time capsule of the year. I had not read any of it before tonight. I still have a lot to read.

In February, I was in northern Chile at the ALMA telescope site. We were helping to qualify components from our colleagues in Taiwan and Japan. So visitors from all four countries were present.

My manager was very nervous that we would have to cut our trip short because of the coronavirus. In the end, we did not and I returned home to Virginia on March 8 after spending an extra weekend in Santiago with friends. Our mindset at the time was much more preoccupied with the political turmoil in Chile than with the virus. Jokes were being made about the virus. The airports in Santiago and Atlanta were 'normal': very few wearing masks. I did not wear one. (I do every day now.)

Our Taiwan colleagues knew even then that when they returned, they would face a two week quarantine at home, where an officer could call you at any time on a wired telephone line and you could be fined the eq. of $3000 and up if you did not answer. I did not get similar details from the Japanese.

Chile has managed to take control of the epidemic extremely well so far. They still have ~1000 new cases a day from a population of ~19 million, with most concentrated in cities and a much larger wealth gap than about anywhere else in the 'developed' world. And the slope has remained downward since the initial spike.

The entire ALMA telescope site (~200 workers and up) shut down about a week and a half after we left. They have had a 20-person caretaker staff on site since June. They are going to start powering up and checking equipment this week.

Though I have gone at least eight times since 2008, I will not be visiting this February, or likely all year.

Thank you for an interesting perspective.

Here's hoping science can continue to advance despite the constraints!

Yes and i have noted that there is an electronic engineer, never that one day i need advice.

-----> http://www.salute.gov.it/portale/nuovocoronavirus/homeNuovoCoronavirus.jsp?lingua=english

Find your place in the Vaccine line. US-only unfortunately but maybe other countries have a similar estimator.

When the vaccine might be available to you.

Miguel
Wear a mask, wash your hands, keep your distance. Pah-leez!

South Africa's Government is very concerned for a post-Christmas Holidays surge from two coastal province hot-spots, where many up-country visitors are expected for their annual vacations. Thankfully they are looking at reinforcing existing social responsibility protocols (masks, distancing and sanitising) together with 10PM-4AM curfews and liquor shop sales only Mon-Thurs in these hotspots. Restaurants and on-premises must stop serving at 9PM.

A 'circuit-breaker' lockdown of even 14 days at this time would likely wipe out their peak income period for the year. Perhaps the up-country visitors should quarantine there for another 14 days afterwards to boost the local tourism economy?

I am sad to see the rocketing cases in the US, UK and EU countries again.
South America also seems to be really suffering at this time.
My thoughts are with you all.