The COVID-2019 Thread

[HermantheGerman]

Waiting for the big one: A new flu pandemic is a matter of time | New Scientist

From 2 years ago..

The risk of a flu pandemic is very real | New Scientist


From 7 years ago..

We can not blame the scientists, it’s been on the cards for decades and they have been telling us. In 2050 it will remind us of climate change.

Peanuts!
a report that came out in 2013 (that I as a taxpayer paid for) for our Deutsche Bundestag describes exactly this virus, what to do about, and how to be prepared.
Our politicians excuse: "Nobody felt responsible for it".

The problem now a days is that all our politicians have no life experience. They came out of school and went straight in to politics. They just don't have a clue of what is going on. With this crisis we can clearly see what idiots are running our country.

[OhOh]

Thank you all for the window into the indigenous Australians. What is their official title?

How integrated/embedded into the state or national systems are they?

In this case the health care systems?

[harrybarracuda]

It seems finding the money for Covid-19 was too much for a German state finance minister.

German state finance minister Thomas Schafer found dead | News | DW | 29.03.2020

[harrybarracuda]

Whahaaay the chinkies are coming to the rescue!




Oh.


Looks like they kept all the good shit for themselves.

Dutch officials have recalled tens of thousands of masks imported from China and distributed to hospitals battling the coronavirus outbreak because they do not meet quality standards, the health ministry said Saturday. They received delivery of masks from a Chinese manufacturer on March 21, the ministry said in a statement to AFP. They received a first indication they did not meet their standards when they were inspected. Part of the shipment had already been distributed to health professionals, the statement said. “The rest of the shipment was immediately put on hold and has not been distributed.

“A second test also revealed that the masks did not meet the quality norms. Now it has been decided not to use any of this shipment,” said the statement. Future shipments would undergo extra testing, the statement added. The recall concerned nearly half of the shipment of 1.3 million masks, known as FFP2 — 600,000 had already been sent to hospitals, the public television channel NOS reported. The problem with the masks was that they did not close over the face properly, or had defective filters, the station added. France’s Health Minister Olivier Veran has announced that he had ordered more than a billion masks, notably from China, to help the country fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Read more at: Netherlands recalls defective masks imported from China - Vanguard News

[Klondyke]

Whatever we think about China, in these days they have been the only one together with the bad Russians to provide deliveries of medical stuff to EU and other states...

First train with medical supplies for Europe leaves Wuhan as China eases Covid-19 lockdown
28 Mar, 2020


A train bound for Duisburg leaves Wuhan, China. March 28, 2020. © China Daily / Reuters

Beijing has resumed its railway freight service between Wuhan and Europe by delivering medical aid to Germany as authorities work to lift strict quarantine measures after the number of new cases Covid-19 dropped.

A train loaded with medical supplies and construction materials has left a station in Wuhan, the capital city of China's central Hubei Province, and is set to arrive in the city of Duisburg in Germany in two weeks, Chinese outlet the Global Times reported on Saturday. The delivery will be the first China-EU cargo freight operation from Wuhan since the city was placed under strict quarantine in January after the Covid-19 outbreak.

The first ever Covid-19 cases were recorded in Wuhan in December, after which the city quickly became the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. Lockdown and the deployment of thousands of doctors helped to bring the number of new cases there to near zero in recent weeks.

First train with medical supplies for Europe leaves Wuhan as China eases Covid-19 lockdown — RT World News

[Klondyke]

^
No they haven't.
Plenty of aid went to Italy from other states. It just didn't register on 'alt news' radar.

If you would read another news than of TD's you could count the big transport planes with the medical stuff arriving daily in the EU states. Whether it is free of charge or a gift I cannot argue...

Perhaps you know about any other supperpower flying hugely with the needed stuff into Europe?

[HermantheGerman]

Whatever we think about China, in these days they have been the only one together with the bad Russians to provide deliveries of medical stuff to EU and other states...

-The part with Russia is propaganda and useless shit. They are calculating already a big return when the virus gets out of control in U.S.S.R.

-The Chinese are just making money as always. The reason why I will not forgive them for covid-19 is: "They will do it again!" I can give you a 100% guarantee on this.


Just remember you heard it first here on Teakdoor from HtG

[HermantheGerman]

First train with medical supplies for Europe leaves Wuhan as China eases Covid-19 lockdown
28 Mar, 2020


A train bound for Duisburg leaves Wuhan, China. March 28, 2020. © China Daily / Reuters

Beijing has resumed its railway freight service between Wuhan and Europe by delivering medical aid to Germany as authorities work to lift strict quarantine measures after the number of new cases Covid-19 dropped.

A train loaded with medical supplies and construction materials has left a station in Wuhan, the capital city of China's central Hubei Province, and is set to arrive in the city of Duisburg in Germany in two weeks, Chinese outlet the Global Times reported on Saturday. The delivery will be the first China-EU cargo freight operation from Wuhan since the city was placed under strict quarantine in January after the Covid-19 outbreak.

The first ever Covid-19 cases were recorded in Wuhan in December, after which the city quickly became the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. Lockdown and the deployment of thousands of doctors helped to bring the number of new cases there to near zero in recent weeks.

First train with medical supplies for Europe leaves Wuhan as China eases Covid-19 lockdown — RT World News

are they still running ?

---

---

The Russian Government plans to limit rail services to and from China from 31 January to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Coronavirus is said to have originated from the Chinese city Wuhan and has so far killed 170 people and infected 7,783, which includes 7,678 cases from mainland China.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said that only direct trains to Beijing from Moscow will run.

Golikova said: “Under a decision of the emergency response centre, we will limit railway service from midnight of 31 January, that is from Thursday to Friday. Trains will follow the Moscow-Beijing, Beijing-Moscow route.”

[Klondyke]

-The part with Russia is propaganda and useless shit. They are calculating already a big return when the virus gets out of control in U.S.S.R.

-The Chinese are just making money as always.

Wondering, whether other superpowers (please now names here) do any help just free?
However, at the moment, they do not provide any help... (asking others to help them...)

[HermantheGerman]

It seems finding the money for Covid-19 was too much for a German state finance minister.

German state finance minister Thomas Schafer found dead | News | DW | 29.03.2020

Maybe he was one of them who disregarded the report?

Peanuts!
a report that came out in 2013 (that I as a taxpayer paid for) for our Deutsche Bundestag describes exactly this virus, what to do about, and how to be prepared.
Our politicians excuse: "Nobody felt responsible for it".

The problem now a days is that all our politicians have no life experience. They came out of school and went straight in to politics. They just don't have a clue of what is going on. With this crisis we can clearly see what idiots are running our country.

[HermantheGerman]

Wondering, whether other superpowers (please now names here) do any help just free?
However, at the moment, they do not provide any help... (asking others to help them...)

Germany is helping as always. Just read the non-communist papers.

[HermantheGerman]

If you would read another news than of TD's you could count the big transport planes with the medical stuff arriving daily in the EU states. Whether it is free of charge or a gift I cannot argue...

Perhaps you know about any other supperpower flying hugely with the needed stuff into Europe?

Coronavirus: Netherlands recalls 'defective' masks bought from China

Hundreds of thousands of masks sent to Dutch hospitals have been recalled after tests showed they failed to protect the face or had defective filters. The Netherlands recently bought 1.3 million masks from China.

Coronavirus: Netherlands recalls ′defective′ masks bought from China | News | DW | 29.03.2020


QUESTIONS ?

[harrybarracuda]

How Britain let us down, say desperate survivors of the tsunami disaster | World news | The Guardian

What a load of utter bollocks, honestly. They obviously swallowed every bit of fucking nonsense he came out with.

Mr Clough, unable to find his wife's body, flew home with his daughters on the first available British Airways flight from Bangkok, on New Year's Day.

I was supposed to be meeting a pal of mine who was in Phuket from the UK on holiday. He was on Phi Phi when the tsunamis struck.

He phoned me from Bangkok on the night of the 26th just before he boarded his BRITISH AIRWAYS flight.

The rest of the article is littered with bullshit and exaggerations to be honest.

Another fucking Poolside Pulitzer no doubt.

A team from the British Embassy in Bangkok, led by the Ambassador, left Bangkok at about 1615hrs local time on 26 December by road, as the airport in Phuket was closed. This team (numbering thirteen including the Ambassador) reached Phuket by midnight. In the meantime, following the reopening of the airport, three further Embassy staff, including the Vice Consul, travelled to Phuket by a special Thai government flight and arrived there at 2300hrs. The Vice Consul immediately set up an office at the main Town Hall in Phuket where many of the casualties had gathered.

12. Our Consular Correspondent in Phuket, who acts as an unofficial and unpaid Honorary Consul, offered the Embassy team office accommodation. This office was running from 0100hrs on 27 December. Another team went to the nearby resort of Krabi in the early hours of 27 December. During the night of 26-27 December, other members of the Phuket team travelled to hospitals in Phuket, and to Phuket airport. From the Phuket office we continued to deploy trained staff to different locations including the very badly affected resorts of Khao Lak and Koh Phi Phi as well as Koh Lanta and Krabi. The British Embassy office in Phuket remained staffed 24 hours a day until 15 January. Staff attempted to cover as large an area as possible, giving priority to locations where the pressures and needs of victims and their families seemed greatest.

13. The Thai authorities at Phuket airport were providing free flights to get people out of the affected region. Victims and their families were passing through quickly. For the first 48 hours, which was the period when many of the British tourists in the area would have left, the Embassy team assessed that there was a greater need for them to have staff at Phuket town hall, local hospitals and other badly hit resorts rather than at Phuket airport. However, after those first 48 hours, they had established a team at the airport throughout the day to provide assistance to distressed British nationals.

14. In Bangkok, the Embassy established teams by the evening of 26 December to cover reception of evacuees, phone handling, hospital visiting and research of government and other websites. Staffing of these teams included spouses and volunteers, including ten staff provided by Standard Chartered Bank and two by Citibank to collate data.

15. The UK presence at Bangkok airport was both the first to arrive and the largest of any country. The teams were in place to meet the very first groups of evacuees who arrived back in Bangkok on a series of special flights from about 1800hrs on 26 December. The airport team spread out and established prominent UK desks in the international, domestic and military terminals. They were well ahead of other Embassies including the US—whose citizens we also assisted in the early stages. The involvement of the Airline Liaison Officer, together later with his regional supervisor from New Delhi, ensured exceptional degrees of access within the airport, including normally restricted areas, and excellent co-operation with BA/Qantas and other major airlines. This helped the swift return of many distressed British national evacuees to the UK using seats available on scheduled flights.

16. The Bangkok consular team handled large numbers of evacuees who had lost passports, money, other documents and clothing—approximately 600 in the first five days. They provided free food in the Embassy Club on a 24 hour basis and free clothing (both donated items and sets of Union Jack emblazoned t-shirts and shorts bought from a local market). They also hired a local photographer to join the consular team for several days to provide free passport photographs. One member of staff looked after two orphaned boys in her flat until their aunt was able to take them back to the UK. The FCO chartered a special flight from Bangkok on 1 January to return 94 stranded British and other European nationals.

House of Commons - Foreign Affairs - Minutes of Evidence

[harrybarracuda]

Indonesia.... "the character and culture of the country"....

Indonesia may soon quarantine almost 30 million people in its capital and surrounding areas to curb the spread of the coronavirus that’s killed more than 100 people in the world’s fourth-most populous nation.

Police and transport officials conducted drills on limiting the movement of people from the Greater Jakarta area at the weekend, the Jakarta Post reported. The governor of West Java, Ridwan Kamil, said a decision on the lockdown, including in the worst virus-hit areas of the province adjoining Jakarta, was expected on Monday.

The plan for a shutdown follows a spike in confirmed cases, with the number of infections in Jakarta reaching 675, more than half the country’s total. The pandemic has killed 114 people, the highest in Southeast Asia. The lockdown will allow authorities to prevent an exodus of people from the capital city area to their hometowns or villages as jobs are lost or when the Muslim-majority nation celebrates the end of the fasting month in May.

The return of people in large numbers from places like Jakarta, the epicenter of the pandemic in Indonesia, to their homes can complicate ongoing efforts to halt the spread of the virus, Kamil said in a statement Sunday.

There are fears a new wave of infections could soon hit the nation of almost 270 million people as authorities ramp up rapid testing of suspected cases using blood samples. Authorities had already declared a state of emergency until April 19 in Jakarta, asking companies to allow employees to work from home and businesses to operate only essential services to contain the virus spike.

President Joko Widodo had argued against copying the lockdown model adopted by countries such as China and Malaysia, saying the character and culture of the country should be taken into account in deciding
shutdowns, and instead called for voluntary physical distancing. But the surge in cases has overwhelmed the country’s healthcare system, with authorities scrambling to procure enough personal protection equipment, hazmat suits and ventilators for medical workers.

The government temporarily banned exports of face masks and sanitizers, and allowed traders to import garlic and onions without permits to boost supplies ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. It has already ordered retailers to ration the sale of staples such as rice, cooking oils, sugar and instant noodles to prevent panic buying and hoarding.

https://www.livemint.com/news/world/coronavirus-indonesia-prepares-to-lock-down-30-million-people-to-curb-covid-19-11585487350818.html

[harrybarracuda]

Meanwhile, in Batshitcrazyland....

A federal agency has designated gun sellers as part of the country’s “critical” infrastructure during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Saturday included “workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges” as critical infrastructure on an advisory list.

The agency emphasized that the list is “advisory in nature,” adding that it is not intended to be “the exclusive list” for what’s included in critical infrastructure.

The list is meant to help other federal agencies, states and local governments to decide which industries should continue work during the pandemic. But individual jurisdictions have the authority to “add or subtract essential workforce categories based on their own requirements and discretion.”

“All decisions should appropriately balance public safety, the health and safety of the workforce, and the continued delivery of essential critical infrastructure services and functions,” the agency said in the advisory.
The federal agency had not originally included the firearms industry on a list of critical infrastructure issued more than a week ago, The Associated Press noted.

Gun rights groups and those in the firearm industry celebrated the addition, especially as some have battled California officials for the designation.

“In these uncertain times, the ability to protect yourself -- and to acquire firearms, magazines and ammunition -- should not be ignored,” Gun Owners of America Senior Vice President Erich Pratt said in a statement.

The Los Angeles County sheriff shut down gun stores after California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) left decisions on critical infrastructure up to the county governments.

Gun rights groups sued the county, saying the closures of these stores violates the Second Amendment, according to the AP.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/490035-gun-sellers-listed-as-critical-infrastructure

[harrybarracuda]

You have to wonder whose toes he is treading on for this ridiculous piece of policy to come from the top.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine made a plea to the Federal Drug Administration on Saturday to approve Columbus-based Battelle permission to sterilize surgical masks to help in the fight against coronavirus.

On Sunday morning, Gov. DeWine followed up with a statement in which he said the FDA has decided to limit Battelle's daily sterilization efforts to only 10,000 surgical masks in Ohio despite their ability to clean up to 160,000.

Although DeWine's office had previously announced they would not host a press conference Sunday, they have since reversed that decision and plan to address this situation regarding the FDA at 2 p.m. today. We will stream his press conference live on WKYC.com and on our Facebook and YouTube pages.

"The FDA's decision to severely limit the use of this life-saving technology is nothing short of reckless," Governor DeWine said. "Battelle's innovative technology has the capability to protect healthcare professionals and first responders in Ohio and across the country, but in this time of crisis, the FDA has decided not to support those who are risking their lives to save others. This is a matter of life and death. I am not only disappointed by this development, but I'm also stunned that the FDA would decline to do all it can to protect this country's frontline workers in this serious time of need."

NOTE: 3News is working to contact the FDA to see why the limitations were put in place. We have also asked Battelle for comment.

DeWine’s office said the authorization to sterilize 10,000 masks per day is also limited to Battelle’s headquarters in Columbus, and prevents the company from sending its technology to other states.

“In addition to offering this technology in Ohio, Battelle had intended to send one machine to New York City and one to Stony Brook, New York, which would have allowed for the sterilization of up to 160,000 surgical masks for New York's healthcare workers each day,” according to information from DeWine’s press release. “Machines would have also been dispatched to the state of Washington and the Washington D.C. metro area. Furthermore, Battelle had planned to ship four more units elsewhere in the United States next week and 15 additional machines in the coming weeks.”

Both DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted have pledged to continue fighting for increased use of this life-saving technology.

This story will be updated if we receive more information from the FDA.

Gov. DeWine ‘disappointed’ and ‘stunned’ by FDA’s limits on Ohio company's ability to sterilize surgical masks | wkyc.com

[harrybarracuda]

BURI RAM: A riot erupted at the central prison of this lower northeastern province after about 100 hard-core prisoners broke furniture and smashed windows and set a fire over rumours of a Covid-19 outbreak on Sunday, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin said.

A number of prisoners escaped, he said, but seven have so far been recaptured.

Citing an initial report, Mr Somsak said the protest began at about 11.45am in the dining hall while warders were busy refurbishing an isolation cell for inmates infected with communicable diseases.

About 100 inmates, some of them facing a life sentence, set fire to the dining hall and demolished the visiting room for relatives. Thick smoke was seen billowing from the prison into the sky.

"The fact is that none of the prisoners in Buri Ram were infected [with the coronavirus] -- they only started this rumour to find some supporters," the minister said, adding that the cafeteria and visiting areas were among the facilities torched.

Mental health workers were later deployed to assuage prisoners "after some rumours were spread" about a Covid-19 outbreak, Maj Gen Akkaradej Pimonsri said.

"The situation is under control," he added.

A number of the protesters escaped during the riot, but the exact number was yet to be confirmed, Mr Somsak said.

The breakout prompted prison officials to alert the governor and ask police and military personnel to set up checkpoints to intercept the escapees.

Mr Somsak said he was last notified that seven of the escapees had been recaptured while inmates who were not involved in the riot had been confined to their sleeping quarters.

He said Naras Savestanan, director-general of the Corrections Department, had rushed to Buri Ram to investigate.

Pol Col Narat, in a separate media interview on a helicopter flight to Buri Ram, said five people were initially reported hurt in the incident. The situation had been brought under control but details were not yet clear, he added.

He said the motive for the protest was not clear but it was initially believed the protesters had acted out of stress over the Covid-19 outbreak. Other reports said rumours had spread about an outbreak of the disease among the prisoners. Two prisoners have reportedly contracted the coronavirus in Thailand.

The Buri Ram Prison, like other prisons nationwide, has been closed to visitors to stem the coronavirus outbreak under the government's executive decree for administration in emergency situations.

Still open for service are the money deposit office and the welfare shop to take orders for food.

Prisoners escape in Buri Ram jail riot after Covid-19 rumour

[David48atTD]

There is now a notice in the elevator where I live politely asking tenants not drink the hand sanitizer.
Balls! I'll swallow it and run a mile!

Do you think they mean drain and not drink?

Given the Alcohol content ... he probably means DRINK !

In Australia, the Nation's first people drink the Mouthwash (and Vanilla Essence bottles)

PETER CAVE: Binge drinkers in Alice Springs are going to extreme lengths to get their fix in the wake of tough new liquor restrictions that have come into force there.

They're drinking alcohol-based mouthwash because it's now cheaper than regular alcoholic drinks.

Health workers have warned that they risk serious consequences, even death.

But, as Anne Barker reports, the authorities don't seem to know what to do.

AM - Binge drinkers abuse alcohol-based mouthwash

[David48atTD]

Threesomes are now Officially banned in Australia !

---

At his Sunday night press conference, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a tightening on the rules surrounding gatherings, limiting them to two people instead of 10.

[harrybarracuda]

Given the Alcohol content ... he probably means DRINK !

In Australia, the Nation's first people drink the Mouthwash (and Vanilla Essence bottles)

I do think the old Saudis might be a bit partial to a tipple, they drink anything with alcohol in it as well.

[Klondyke]

What coronavirus revealed about national mindsets across the world — and how Cuba came out on top

A British cruise ship in distress this week turned to the US government for help and was refused

Tuesday 17 March 2020

In a sign of true global solidarity, Cuba today allowed MS Braemer, a British cruise ship, to dock on its shores despite having at least five confirmed coronavirus cases on board and another 52 passengers displaying symptoms. The ship, with over 600 mainly British passengers, had no Cuban nationals on board but had requested help from both Cuba and the US.

Cuba acted without self-interest. The ship had been anchored in the Caribbean over the last five days as it frantically searched for a place to dock. Diplomats from the British Foreign Office had urged US officials to allow the ship to dock on American soil but were met with obstacles. Cuban officials instead accepted the request, stating that there must be “a shared effort to confront and stop the spread of the pandemic”. After all, these are still humans suffering, regardless of the passport they hold.

Cuba itself has only had five confirmed cases of Covid-19, and the ship docking could threaten to increase that number exponentially.

This is not the first time Cuban healthcare providers have stepped in to support global emergencies. Cuban doctors were praised after being deployed in West Africa to help during the Ebola crisis. They were said to have put other countries “to shame” following their response to the Haitian earthquake in 2010.

Started in the wake of Fidel Castro’s Cuban revolution, a government program has seen Cuban healthcare professionals sent across the world to help in humanitarian situations and crises. As the US continues to pressurize Cuba’s fledgling economy, even this program has come under threat from the Trump administration.

The coronavirus pandemic should be a cause for uniting the world in our fight against the disease. Cuba has for years run a celebrated universal healthcare system, with outcomes equal to developed countries and one of the world’s highest life expectancies. As the US continues its tenacious push to profiteer from coronavirus through its private healthcare system, its early failure to even provide adequate testing kits to its population speaks volumes. Spain, in a dramatic announcement, this week nationalized all its private hospitals in an effort to contain the impact of the virus. If we needed proof that a nationalized system works better and keeps citizens safer, this was it.

Instead of battling to close borders (only once the US economy tanked, might I add) and fuelling xenophobia by referring to a “Chinese virus”, the president could take this opportunity to prove that he really is capable of leadership. Trump continuing to ask for his wall to built will achieve nothing. With rising fears leading to a spike in gun sales, there must still be room for humanitarian goodness (remember that?), when we treat others, regardless of where they are from, as we would wish to be treated. Iran has already borne the brunt of US protectionism as US sanctions have accelerated the spread of the virus in the country.

After the rise of Isis and other national security crises, Trump was quick to push that old narrative about the US being the policeman of the world. If he really subscribes to that, then it’s time to apply that logic to the coronavirus. The reality is that global economies and international epidemics cannot be treated in isolation. Should a car bomb in Iraq occur, stock prices in the US would take a hit. The spread of coronavirus has already caused a financial contagion worse than the infamous 2008 credit crunch.

This is no longer about making America great again — that theory has already collapsed. It’s about saving the world again. And if Trump squanders that opportunity, other countries have proven they will happily step in.

What coronavirus revealed about national mindsets across the world — and how Cuba came out on top | The Independent

[Cujo]

Spain calls for action from Europe as daily death toll rises again
Dutch recall 600,000 faulty Chinese masks and Germany takes patients from France


Sun 29 Mar 2020 15.50

Spain has has joined Italy and France in demanding that Europe do more to help as it reported another record single-day increase in coronavirus deaths and moved to further tighten its already strict national lockdown.

Spanish authorities said on Sunday 838 people had died from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the country’s death toll to 6,528, with 78,797 confirmed cases. All non-essential workers are being ordered to stay at home for two weeks from Monday.

more

Spain calls for action from Europe as daily death toll rises again | World news | The Guardian

[misskit]

Fauci: Coronavirus could kill over 100,000 Americans


Fauci also said it's not yet time for social distancing guidelines to be pulled back.



Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that he anticipates the coronavirus could kill between 100,000 and 200,000 Americans while infecting "millions."


Speaking with CNN's "State of the Union," the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said however he does not want to be "held" to that prediction because the COVID-19 outbreak is "such a moving target."


Fauci's comments come as the much of the nation is shut down to contain the spread of the disease, which first appeared in China late last year. As of Sunday morning, roughly 125,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the U.S., the highest total of any nation, with at least 2,000 deaths, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker.

MORE Fauci: Coronavirus could kill over 100,000 Americans

[David48atTD]

Hospitals turn to snorkel masks to ease respirator overload


A medical worker tests a Decathlon snorkeling mask, with a 3D-printed respiratory valve fitting attached, at the Erasme Hospital in Brussels
Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD, AFP

As hospitals face an overload of COVID-19 patients struggling to breathe, innovative medical staff are turning to snorkelling masks from sports stores to stop their lungs collapsing.

"They are to be used for patients with severe respiratory problems. The aim is to avoid having to intubate the trachea of the patient and put them on a respirator," said Frederic Bonnier, a respiratory physiotherapist at the hospital who also teaches at the university.

Hospitals turn to snorkel masks to ease respirator overload

[GracelessFawn]

@Katie. It will all depend on the level of behaviour of the people and willingness to commit to the lockdown. Flippers luv to cross the line. It doesn't help in this situation