Having an infectious disease epidemiology (MSPH) and emergency medicine (MD) background, and having some sense of the terrible things this pesky virus can do, I am about as far towards the “we need to stop COVID”, “COVID is a serious issue”, “I don’t want myself or anyone else to get COVID", etc. side of things as one can reasonably get. I realize that COVID and what to do about it are contentious issues, but, if you know me, that hardly stops me from doing what I believe is right to help provide hopefully useful information to people that might help. Realize that this is one person’s opinion on the internet, not professional medical advice, so take it with a grain of salt, keep your wits about you, talk with your healthcare provider, and, as they say, do your own research.
I have become very frustrated in particular by many friends on the spiritual path getting COVID on retreats and at meditation centers, often to their profound detriment, including to their meditation practice and abilities, so have made this video with Sam Sabra with help from Melissa to help empower people to be safer.
Here is additional information to accompany that video that may be helpful. I am generally not much of a product endorsement guy, and none of these products links are sponsored, nor do they know I am promoting them.
This was posted August 31, 2024, and the pandemic is evolving, so any and all of this might be out of date by the time you see it.
Respirators and Masks
Independent testing of disposable masks
Best disposable picks for most faces: https://www.testtheplanet.org/best-picks
Best disposable picks for small faces and children: https://www.testtheplanet.org/leaderboard-mini-respirators
How to perform a user seal check:
Elastomeric 3M: https://youtu.be/v5enXbWq5zs
Disposable 3M N95: https://youtu.be/ikrpLxt5oCA
Why fit is so important: https://youtu.be/cUYtB3Dw67M
Fit Testing:
Fit Testing to ensure a good seal on your mask [Part 1]: https://pingthread.com/thread/1652394034055323648
Fit Testing to ensure a good seal on your mask [Part 2]: https://pingthread.com/thread/1655331142990528514
Other resources:
How respirators actually work and which type is best?: https://pingthread.com/thread/1602994049815908353
Why can you still smell things wearing an effective mask?: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1728039593700647259.html
Other Notes:
Almost all ear loops and bifold masks don’t provide adequate protection based on independent testing regardless of their ratings because they don’t seal as well as N95 or P100 that require head straps
COVID Testing
PlusLife can be purchased from Altruan.de
Plus Life Mini Dock https://altruan.com/products/pluslife-mini-dock-poc-nat-test-device-v-575
Plus Life Sars-Cov 2 https://altruan.com/products/pluslife-sars-cov-2-pcr-test-kits-10-tests
Plus Life Extra Nasal Swab for pool testing https://altruan.com/products/pluslife-nasal-swab-nose-smear-stick-1-piece
Contact https://virus.sucks/ to see if group discount code is available
Metrix Reader + COVID test (currently out of stock)
Reader: https://shop.aptitudemedical.com/products/metrix-reader
COVID test: https://shop.aptitudemedical.com/products/metrix-covid-19-test
Collection of articles about Indoor Air Quality that includes:
General Introduction
Ventilation
CO2
Filtration
Upper room UV
Far-UV
UV Light Against Diseases
Humidity
Air Distribution
Air filters
The Nukit Tempest - PC Fan Air Purifier Kit: https://cybernightmarket.com/products/the-nukit-tempest-air-purifier-kit
How to build a Corsi-Rosenthal (CR) box: https://x.com/ShivenTaneja/status/1598099273434165249
How to build a Mini Corsi-Rosenthal (CR) box: https://x.com/ShivenTaneja/status/1628953544924487680
NuKi UVC Torches:
Travel
WHN Guide: https://whn.global/guidelines/travel/
Air travel: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1545148594289868802
Hotel precautions: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1534669593268166657.html
General information: https://johnsnowproject.org/
Vaccines:
All these precautions are still necessary even with up-to-date COVID vaccination as the vaccines don't prevent infection nor is it definitively clear that they sufficiently reduce the long term risk associated with an infection’s ability to cause Long COVID.
Vaccines have side effects of their own that each person needs to weigh the risks for e.g. reducing the risk of hospitalization and death.