Any ideas of items we can make - to help in the fight against Corona Virus?

I know there are great ideas above.
Some mentioned that staying at home itself is a help. I found some people also help by keeping people happy and not "running" around.
For example, this lady sings to her neighbors.
I would suggest some of you, who can show your machinist skills, either by demo, or by showing some of the things you made to neighbors, who stand far apart. Maybe that would help also. It would be nice to have food and drinks, but that put alot more effort/cost and not mentioning problem with the virus.


On making something to contribute, I was thinking if there is something that can be done with a lathe, that helps fabricating medical devices faster, that would help.

For example, a retractable device, that we can use to open doors. So we don't use our hands to open doors. Once used, it retracts back and we don't touch it. If you can turn it into a mechanical hand, that would be great. I know some of you are genius :)

Ok, one more addition to the device, when retract, it would go through a pad that got filled will hand sanitizer. So it's auto sterilized.
Would be nice to have auto open/close cap at the end, that doesn't touch the "fingers" part.

Wow, normally, this would be a billion dollar idea! Please don't patent this! It's my idea :)

I think it would go over fingers, like partial gloves. You can control it almost like a scissors.

Please share plans and showing videos doing so we can copy.

If we can produce millions of these, and force everyone to wear cloth masks, then no more disease!
Because masks don't protect you, but it protects everyone else from your possible disease.

With the auto sterialized hand, that solves the rest of the touchy issue.

Update: I read it again and it's overthinking. Pair of rubber gloves and a squeezable tube of hand sanitizer hanging on your neck would work.
 
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One thing that comes to mind would be a personal stylus that could be used to operate the card readers at nearly every checkout counter everywhere. I don't want to touch the reader keys or the attached stylus. It needs to be plastic with a rounded point. UHMW, Delrin?
 
FYI:

If you go out wear a bandana around your nose and mouth to limit what you might exhale onto surfaces or others. Pretty sure we all have some of those in our drawers and it should make a difference if everyone does it. At least it can't hurt, and won't limit the supply for those who really need them.

John

Not a great idea, dust masks, bandanas and such offer very little benefit but what they do, do is create a nice warm humid environment very friendly to bacteria and viruses right in front of your mouth and nose. They are also uncomfortable increasing the impulse to wipe your face.

If you have something to spread stay home, if you don't have anything then what are you containing?


Be very aware of your hands, don't touch things that are suspect, don't touch your face and wash frequently. If you cough or sneeze be polite and follow what preschoolers are taught and cover your face with your elbow (not hands) or a hankerchief. You would be amazed at the things your hands do when you aren't paying attention to them.

Don't go out without a purpose.
 
Not a great idea, dust masks, bandanas and such offer very little benefit but what they do, do is create a nice warm humid environment very friendly to bacteria and viruses right in front of your mouth and nose. They are also uncomfortable increasing the impulse to wipe your face.

If you have something to spread stay home, if you don't have anything then what are you containing?


Be very aware of your hands, don't touch things that are suspect, don't touch your face and wash frequently. If you cough or sneeze be polite and follow what preschoolers are taught and cover your face with your elbow (not hands) or a hankerchief. You would be amazed at the things your hands do when you aren't paying attention to them.

Don't go out without a purpose.

Okay, I'm not going to argue with you about this because that's not what this place is about for me. I'm choosing to do this because my wife asked me to. She read a credible article from a UCSF doctor who advocated it as a means to cut down on the spread of this virus.

There are a couple of facts to which I believe are relevant which I will state and you can all read them until this thread is shut down like the first one I posted "corona virus impact".

1. It's known that people without symptoms can have and transmit this disease, so just because you don't have symptoms doesn't mean you aren't a vector.

2. People in many Asian countries have been wearing face masks for a very long time. This is not about keeping themselves healthy but rather to keep from spreading disease to others.

China and South Korea seem to be getting a handle on this while our infection rate is skyrocketing, we may not be able to take some of the governmental measures they have but we can certainly take the personal ones.

Those are both facts, not opinion meant to argue with you.

Yes, staying home even if you feel well is important. Wash your hands and be cautious about anything you bring into your home that could potentially spread this virus.

Stay safe, stay well, and stay happy.

Cheers,

John
 
Okay, I'm not going to argue with you about this because that's not what this place is about for me. I'm choosing to do this because my wife asked me to. She read a credible article from a UCSF doctor who advocated it as a means to cut down on the spread of this virus.


That goes against what I was taught when I was working EMS, but I asked my wife who is currently working in a hospital what they are doing and this follows what they are doing. They wear the N95 masks where they specifically suspect an infectious agent and are being told to wear regular masks during other contact in case they are sick themselves. She said for cases where they could get direct exposure (like taking mouth swabs for Covid tests) they are actually wearing PAPR (powered respirators).

It is as you say meant to stop spread from a potentially infected person, not protect you from getting it. When I was working we (the health care worker) were assumed not to be sick, but these are different times.

So long as people understand that this won't prevent them from being exposed. I witness a lot of magical thinking about cheap masks whether it is illness or smoke from wildfires and it sets me off.


I think we can all agree don't stick magnets up your nose. :grin:

'Virus-fighting' scientist gets magnets stuck in nose
 
Please thank your wife from all of us for being on the front lines of this fight:applause 2:

As you said, these are unusual times, a week ago I wouldn't be wearing a mask or bandana since I have no symptoms and long ago learned about the Asian custom of wearing masks when you are sick.

At this point I'm just trying to keep myself and my 89-year-old mother well and limiting my exposure as much as possible. I started wearing gloves whenever I was out shopping almost two weeks ago and have washed my hands upon getting home for the past 20 years.

I believe that if nothing else wearing the bandana shows others that you care about their health and might encourage them to be more careful in their daily activities....

It looks like the guy in Australia wasn't totally crazy, just careless with some rare earth magnets;)

I do like Jim's idea of a personal stylus though, will have to make one once I get the lathe up and running.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay happy,


John
 
Please thank your wife from all of us for being on the front lines of this fight:applause 2:

As you said, these are unusual times, a week ago I wouldn't be wearing a mask or bandana since I have no symptoms and long ago learned about the Asian custom of wearing masks when you are sick.

At this point I'm just trying to keep myself and my 89-year-old mother well and limiting my exposure as much as possible. I started wearing gloves whenever I was out shopping almost two weeks ago and have washed my hands upon getting home for the past 20 years.

I believe that if nothing else wearing the bandana shows others that you care about their health and might encourage them to be more careful in their daily activities....

It looks like the guy in Australia wasn't totally crazy, just careless with some rare earth magnets;)

I do like Jim's idea of a personal stylus though, will have to make one once I get the lathe up and running.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay happy,


John

His heart was in the right place and the idea of a necklace to help remind you to keep your hands away from your face isn't a dumb idea. This actually fits right in with the intent of this thread. In this case I suspect what started as a serious project turned into goofing off with magnets, and being a physicist he probably has access to some small but very powerful magnets.

It is nice to see people trying to be helpful. Several of the local breweries and distillers are converting their beer and spirits making into producing hand sanitizer and alcohol for disinfectant.

Who knows, maybe with lots of bored, creative people sitting around some great new inventions will be discovered.


I will pass your thanks onto my wife.
 
For those looking for a challenge, Medtronic has released the Design Files for one of their Ventilators.

 
For everyone's suggestion. Taiwan has been an island where people wearing the Mask all the time, nothing to be shame for wearing mask in regular time.
Allergic to dirty air and moisture, so wearing a mask. my daughter did.
Riding scooter needs a mask, my daughter did.
girls not doing make up and go out, wearing a mask is a good cover, my daughter did.
And of course you need that when you catch cold, we all did.
Tradition can be ignored when a dead and live thing coming up.
So, we make our choice to face the truth. Be value the life of ourselves and others. Fighting !!!
 
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