COVID-19

[Av8ferg]

Time to shift from making silly Datsun products for a while to making masks for my famly’s use. I have two kids that are active on the front lines and one of them is not being supplied with any PPE (airline).  
I have a great design prototype made from (still) readily available and fairly in-expensive materials that are already designed to filter bacteria and viruses. Homemade masks are not very effective if
1.they don’t fit your face properly, 
2. don’t have proper air flow through the material (will force air around the mask seal if not, think your rad cooling problem when air can get around it)
3. aren’t made of a material that can actually filter out virus particles. Yes, something is MUCH better than nothing, but...
I’ll share the details when we refine the design and fit later today. If you don’t have a sewing machine, get one. You don’t need it, but it makes it easier to make them. Hot glue or needle and thread are just fine as well.
Got all my ideas here. Very comprehensive
https://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Cloth-Face-Mask/

Hey, if you need a couple N95 masks to get you over the hump let me know. I bought some mid-Jan when they’re were everywhere at normal prices. My wife an I discussed donating our extras masks to our local hospital when. I work for an airline....I get it. You can’t really be away from people . Let me know and I’ll ask my wife.


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[zKars]

1 hour ago, 240260280 said:

Hey Jim ?

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8181177/McLaren-F1-engineers-develop-prototype-respirator-NHS-staff.html

Aha!  A positive pressure mask/hood! I’ve seen those in use at sand blasting shops and maybe somewhere at a paint shop.

I’d be a hit walking around the supermarket with that on. 

Our prototype mask is coming along. I’m wearing it now for a hour or so to test comfort and function. Photos and complete reveal of how and why coming. 

[zKars]

Here is the fancy virus filtering fabric/media that I’m using. 3M’s best furnace filter that is stated to be bacteria and Virus filtering. It’s their “Healthy Living” series, the best of their four commercial grades. 

My furnace uses a 16x25x1 filter. After the filter fabric removal from the frame (it’s own challenge), there is enough to make 16 masks. Each mask uses a 10.5” x 9” rectangle of material, 6 pleats worth.

The pleats in the material is the secret to it’s expandability and easy fit to any face. The face fit on me is very very tight. All air goes through the fabric, nothing around. The nose bridge area will reveal a leak in 2 minutes if you wear glasses, as they will fog up.  

There is also a small strip of soft formable aluminum in the nose bridge to make it a custom fit. The only such material I had around was some old Z door threshold plates. Had to sacrifice one old rusty one. The strip is 3/16 by 3.5” 

We lined the second proto type with flannel (baby patterns are the only thing around.... sigh...). The filter material is made of very very fine strands and will be form a bit of a raised hairy mess after some handling that will tickle the crap out of your nose. We added the flannel layer to give you something soft over your nose and chin and to line the INSIDE. This also gives an extra layer of virus trapping. 

The top pleat is sewn shut and the formable strip is placed inside. The bottom pleat is also sewn shut. It forms the chin seal at the bottom.

The single elastic goes over the back upper part of your head. It provides exactly the right force vectoring to pull on the nose and chin section to keep them snug to the face.  Doing the ear loop thing did not provide enough tension. 

The ends are sewn over with the pleats collapsed. Then I punch a 1/4 hole with a gasket hole punch to tie the 1/4’ wide elastic through.

I’ve tested these in the oven to 200F, which is hot enough to sterilize them for re-use.  (160f is the virus kill point apparently)

They breath very easily, there is no extra “work” on your part to push or pull air through them.

Edited April 3, 2020 by zKars

[Av8ferg]

Gents, not good news on the home front here. Today I started having some concerning symptoms. GI issues and a mild fever and chills. Hoping it subsides. Wife also got an email that they’re probably going to let her go. Hospital is losing money since there are no elective surgeries now and revenue dropped 65% in the last two weeks. They can’t afford to keep some salary employees. This sucks!

 

I was supposed to go back to work on Monday but just called in sick.

 

 

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[Zed Head]

Good luck.  Have you lost your sense of taste and smell?  That is one of the signs.  Apparently happens to 80% of the people who test positive.

[Pilgrim]

Sorry to hear it!  Hope it's something less problematic and you feel better quickly.

[Av8ferg]

No, started feeling bad about 3 hrs ago. Having chills but temp seems normal. GI is biggest problem.


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[Av8ferg]

I guess 99 is still consider ~normal. They won’t bother testing you until your get over 100 I’m told. Next 6-8 hrs will shed light


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[240260280]

Before you get worse, talk to your doc and try to get prescriptions of the antibiotic  and malaria drugs for both of you. Azithromycin (Zithromax) and Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil). They are proven to reduce effect of virus.

There are oxygen concentrators you may be able to get off craigslist or ebay just in case you have breathing problems:

https://www.inogen.com/resources/oxygen-concentrators/how-does-an-oxygen-concentrator-work/

Another option is a  welding oxygen tank and regulator https://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Oxygen-Regulator-CGA-870-0-15lpm/dp/B01GGL08C6

 

 

 

[Zed Head]

24 minutes ago, Av8ferg said:

I guess 99 is still consider ~normal. They won’t bother testing you until your get over 100 I’m told. Next 6-8 hrs will shed light

Fun fact - the decimal and three figures of 98.6 just comes from converting 37 Celsius to Farenheit.  It should really be 99.  Body temperature actually varies a bit between humans.  Something to read while isolating.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_body_temperature

[Zed Head]

https://news.yahoo.com/small-trial-finds-hydroxychloroquine-not-124054137.html

[Patcon]

My temperature and most of my kids runs low. When i get to 99F I feel like ?