# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2021 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [January 1, 2021, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428 "2021-01-01T08:03:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/322 "2021-01-28T14:52:58Z")
So it’s nearing the end of the week when FFP2 masks became mandatory in Austria. The rollout seems to have been successful, but only barely. All throughout last week there were shortages of FFP2 masks everywhere, with supermarkets and drug stores selling out as soon as their stocks were delivered. I went to several stores every day last week to try to buy masks but came up empty-handed until Saturday. Once the Monday deadline rolled around, some people still hadn’t been able to buy any masks, but the supermarkets have ended up giving them away for free to customers, the same way they did back when the regular non-FFP2 masks became mandatory back in March. So now anyone who’s still waiting to buy a box of masks won’t go bare-faced in the meantime. Compliance with the new rule, so far as I have observed, is 100%. According to the local news media, the FFP2 masks can be worn for up to four hours, but can be “recharged” a few times by leaving them hanging in the air at room temperature for seven days. So a box of 10 masks should last a long time if you’re economical with your shopping trips and don’t need to commute via public transit too long. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/323 "2021-01-28T15:00:09Z")
Good stuff. Doubt things would have gone as smoothly if say Germany had enacted a similar rule at the same time. I am a little dismayed at passive disinfecting being called “recharging” N95 masks. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/324 "2021-01-28T15:04:07Z")
Oh, and in case anyone is curious about the numbers, Austria is currently seeing about 1450 new cases per day, or 10,500 per week, and 45 deaths per day, or 320 per week. These rates are, per capita, about one-third that of the United States. But the US seems to be doing much better at vaccination, with 7.11% of the population there vaccinated compared to Austria’s 2.17%. Austria’s vaccination rate puts it around the middle of the pack among EU countries. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/325 "2021-01-28T15:05:33Z")
> [@FigNorton](#): > > I am a little dismayed at passive disinfecting being called “recharging” N95 masks. Sorry, that was my term, not the one used in the media. I thought it was OK to use as an informal metaphor, but if you think it’s a bad idea then I’ll avoid this terminology in the future. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/326 "2021-01-28T15:12:38Z")
I use the dashboard shelf under the windshield (it’s in full, sustained sunlight all day since I have to park outside without any nearby shade) for my masks after I use them for an errand. Then I leave them for at least a few days each and use in rotation. I don’t go out anywhere I need a mask more then several times a week (contactless dropping off over due library books or picking up grocery order). ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/327 "2021-01-28T15:14:38Z")
It’s just that N95s start out with an actual electrical charge that fades and obviously, just letting them sit isn’t affecting that. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/328 "2021-01-28T19:21:54Z")
The US continues to see success in failing to prevent the importation of as many known variants as possible: > **[Virus variant from South Africa detected in US for 1st time](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-variant-south-africa-us-2bc397370cdd44afe916ddd6edbaf870)** > > COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A new variant of the coronavirus emerged Thursday in the United States, posing yet another public health challenge in a country already losing more than 3,000 people to COVID-19 every day. > [@](#): > > The two cases were discovered in adults in different regions of the state and do not appear to be connected. Neither of the people infected has traveled recently, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said. > > “That’s frightening,” because it means there could be more undetected cases within the state, said Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious diseases physician at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. “It’s probably more widespread.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/329 "2021-01-28T20:10:50Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > I use the dashboard shelf under the windshield (it’s in full, sustained sunlight all day since I have to park outside without any nearby shade) for my masks after I use them for an errand. Then I leave them for at least a few days each and use in rotation. I have a pair of Ray-Ban Ambermatic sunglasses that I got something like 40 years ago. They darken in sunlight, and lighten in dimmer conditions. A few years ago I put them on the dash of my car to make sure they darkened. They didn’t. They did darken when I wore them outside of the car. Apparently, my Prius’s windshield blocks UV rays. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/330 "2021-01-28T20:26:56Z")
Most if not all modern car windows block UV; it helps the interior last longer. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/331 "2021-01-28T20:31:35Z")
My Transitions lenses are the same-barely reactive to light through auto glass. In the current climate conditions time and cold temperatures must suffice. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/332 "2021-01-28T22:06:22Z")
Very interesting development on the screening front: > [@](#): > > **Can coronavirus-sniffing dogs effectively prevent the spread of COVID-19?** > > There has been some research on this. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in _[BMC Infectious Diseases](https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-020-05281-3)_ in July found that dogs who were trained to sniff out COVID-19 detected cases about 94% of the time. The study specifically found the dogs had 157 correct indications of positive cases and 792 correct rejections of negative cases. By contrast, there were 33 incorrect rejections of a negative case. “This data may form the basis for the reliable screening method of SARS-CoV-2 infected people,” the researchers concluded. > **[Miami Heat Is Using COVID-Sniffing Dogs to Screen Fans. But How Effective Is...](https://www.prevention.com/health/a35308684/can-dogs-smell-covid-19-coronavirus/)** > > “There may be some promise with this,” experts say, but other precautions are still necessary. It sounds like all of the errors in the study were false positives, which seems like it would be encouraging in terms of preventing spread. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/333 "2021-01-28T22:11:59Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > In the current climate conditions time and cold temperatures must suffice. Hot temperatures probably work better. I’m pretty sure covid survives better in the cold. > [@eschrodinger](#): > > dogs who were trained to sniff out COVID-19 detected cases about 94% of the time. I would _much_ rather have that test than the swab-up-the-nose thing! (People with lesser facial defensive reflexes but afraid of dogs would, I expect, disagree with me. Maybe we could have a choice?) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/334 "2021-01-28T22:14:42Z")
As long as they’re okay with people who are facially defensive against dogs. I’ve never had the big tube up my nose but I’d rather have that than a dog slobbering all over me. If they can just sniff me I’d be fine with that. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/335 "2021-01-28T22:21:18Z")
They definitely don’t slobber on you. A positive result is if the dog sniffs you and then sits. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2021, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/336 "2021-01-29T00:32:36Z")
And in the Helsinki airport, they are asking people to rub their skin with a wipe, and then bringing the wipe to a dog which is isolated in a booth. Sounds like a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/337 "2021-01-29T00:43:23Z")
I just listened to a vet working on training dogs for covid. He was rather hesitant to endorse the Miami Heat plan. So far he doesn’t think enough real world testing has happened and that since we’re not really sure what the dog is actually detecting, we should be careful about using it for individual “yes/no” at the moment. Felt more confident in a "see if there’s covid in this nursing home " type uses at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2021, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/338 "2021-01-29T05:32:27Z")
102,041,000 total cases 2,201,043 dead 73,867,291 recovered In the US: 26,338,607 total cases 443,769 dead 16,070,127 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 101,441,177 total cases > 2,184,273 dead > 73,325,507 recovered > > In the US: > > 26,166,201 total cases > 439,517 dead > 15,942,757 recovered ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2021, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/339 "2021-01-29T10:27:40Z")
### [You Probably Should Double-Mask Now. Here’s How To Do It Properly.](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-double-mask-prevent-covid_l_600f3e87c5b600a27962329e) > Wearing **two face masks** during the pandemic may be a super-effective way to protect yourself against new coronavirus variants. Then, same article… > When it comes to cloth masks, [evidence](https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2020/11/eng-marrmasks-1123.html) suggests **three layers** of tightly woven fabric are the way to go. Wear _ **a** _ mask. Wear _ **two** _ masks. Wear _ **three** _ masks. I think I know where this is heading… > # _[The Onion:](https://www.theonion.com/fuck-everything-were-doing-five-blades-1819584036)_ Fuck Everything, We’re Doing Five Blades then Life imitates Art… > # Gillette’s [5-blade](https://boingboing.net/2005/09/14/gillettes-5blade-raz.html) razor predicted by The Onion and then… > # Introducing the [Seven-Blade](https://www.wsj.com/articles/introducing-the-seven-blade-razor-no-seriously-1444255307) Razor. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2021, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/340 "2021-01-29T11:25:46Z")
Novavax study reports: > **[Covid-19: Novavax vaccine shows 89% efficacy in UK trials](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55850352)** > > The vaccine is the first to show in trials that it is effective against the UK variant of the virus. This is [the company press release](https://ir.novavax.com/news-releases/news-release-details/novavax-covid-19-vaccine-demonstrates-893-efficacy-uk-phase-3) - there isn’t a _No Cookies_ button on this Headlines: > _ **First to Demonstrate Clinical Efficacy Against COVID-19 and Both UK and South Africa Variants** _ > > - _Strong efficacy in Phase 3 UK trial with over 50% of cases attributable to the now-predominant UK variant and the remainder attributable to COVID-19 virus_ > - _Clinical efficacy demonstrated in Phase 2b South Africa trial with over 90% of sequenced cases attributable to prevalent South Africa escape variant_ j ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2021, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/341 "2021-01-29T17:32:12Z")
And again - more efficacy news on another vaccine: > **[Covid vaccine: Single-dose Johnson & Johnson jab is 66% effective](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55857530)** > > An international trial shows the jab gives complete protection against hospitalisation and death. j [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=18)