In self-isolation mode, many men began to pay less attention to shaving. A unique challenge appeared on Twitter, indicated by the tags #coronabeard and #letsgrowtogether: its participants grow beards while they are in quarantine. Jim Carrey, for example, promised not to shave until he can return from filming again.
But in February, infographics created by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention crawled through news sites. In it, the organization recommends that men shave off their beards and mustaches, otherwise they will not be able to wear a protective mask correctly.
But do not rush to grab a razor and get rid of your beauty. The media, as always, exaggerated a bit. This infographic appeared back in 2017, when they did not even suspect a coronavirus.
In an original article, the CDC advises shaving facial hair only to medical professionals who wear N95 type respiratory masks. Their CDC does not recommend wearing on the street. For those who do not work in a medical facility, an ordinary fabric mask will also work. And it may well be combined with a beard.
If you want to leave facial hair, keep in mind that you should not touch it without washing your hands before doing this. iT is also important to simply wash it thoroughly every day with soap or shampoo.If you feel that the beard constantly encourages you to touch your face - shave it away from sin.
Disposable masks have invaded the beaches of Hong Kong where, for several months, residents have been covering their faces to protect themselves from the new coronavirus.
According to environmental associations, these masks add to the already worrying amounts of plastic waste floating in Hong Kong's waters, writes Agerpres.
"The disposable mask is just another weight we leave to future generations," said Gary Stokes, co-founder of OceansAsia.
Shortly before the pandemic broke out, the Hong Kong environmental organization launched a one-year study on waste and microplastics found on one of the country's most remote and uninhabited islands.
The five most commonly found items were bottles, polystyrene packaging, lighters, disposable cutlery and plastic straw.
Currently, disposable masks float on the surface of the sea, along the beaches and the coast.
Recently, environmentalists identified and collected 70 masks within a radius of 100 meters. A week later, another 30 masks were found.
"Since people started wearing masks, the consequences of this phenomenon are now visible on the beaches," Stokes said.
Hong Kong's nearly 7.5 million people produce six million tons of waste each year, of which only about 30% is recycled.
Now they are advised to wear not only sick.
WHO Director-General Tedros Hebreyusus, during a new COVID-19 briefing, announced new recommendations for the prevention of coronavirus. Here are the main points:
- Doctors and other medical staff should always wear masks, regardless of whether they work with infected coronavirus infections or not.
- People over 60 years of age, as well as those who have chronic diseases, are advised to wear masks wherever it is impossible to maintain physical distance.
- The governments of the countries should encourage the wearing of masks in any places where it is impossible to maintain physical distance, especially for public transport and shops.
- Those with symptoms similar to coronavirus infection should stay at home. All who contacted him should be quarantined.
- If a sick person or someone who has contacted him needs to leave the house, he must wear a mask.
- WHO considers masks to be of high quality, which consist of three layers of different materials or more.
Previously, the WHO spoke only about the need to wear masks for the sick, because there was insufficient data (apart from clinical studies, which many experts consider to be of little relevance to real life).
Tobacco smoking may increase the risk of complications from COVID-19. The situation with vaping is similar, but in some respects, smoking electronic cigarettes is now even more dangerous than usual.
There are at least two weighty arguments against vaping. The first is the weakening of your own immune system, which is the main line of defense of the body in the fight against respiratory diseases such as COVID-19.
According to Alexa Mises, associate professor of family medicine at the University of North Carolina, while smoking a vape, the immune system tries to deal with the damage that the inhaled mixture causes to the lungs. Because of this, the body is much more difficult to fight with coronavirus and any other pathogen.
The second important argument is not in favor of vaping - exhaled steam may contain the causative agents of the virus if the person is already infected. Moreover, this vapor lingers in the air much longer than the same droplets released during sneezing, coughing or talking.
According to Robert Jackler, head of the Department of Otolaryngology at Stanford, when smoking a vape in a small room, pulmonary secretions can freeze in the air for minutes or even hours after evaporation. Accordingly, being around can be very dangerous.
Even if the smoker is not infected, the process of smoking a vape involves a constant touch of the vaporizer on the face, and this is also a risk. After all, the causative agents of coronavirus infection can remain on the hands and the device itself, and if you just touch your face, the virus can get into the respiratory tract.
All these are more than good reasons to quit smoking at least during a pandemic. Remember that there is always a risk of getting infected and getting complications, regardless of age, especially if you have chronic diseases besides a bad habit.
If you cannot afford to part with a vape, make it a rule to constantly disinfect the evaporator and wash your hands more often, including before and after each smoking.
A recording with Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Minister Koen Geens, trying to fit a face mask went viral. If the minister tried to get out of trouble with a joke about his ears being too big, political opponents immediately made contact with the way the government handled the new coronavirus crisis.
The Brussels Time states that the scene took place during Koen Geens' visit to a workshop in the province of Brabant. The filmed images show how, due to the fastening system, the minister barely manages to hang his ear mask, reaching first his forehead, then his eyes, and only finally, his mouth and nose.
The one who defended the minister was the author of the Harry Potter series, JK Rowling, who shared the images, saying that she could not laugh at him, because she would do the same and be just as confused and clumsy, especially if it was filmed.
Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès has announced that the restrictions will be lifted gradually, starting with May 11th. First the shops will open, and next week the schools will be reopened, with a limited number of students in each class.
How to do it right and which solution is better to use.
We know a lot of dirty places in the house that we carefully clean. But often we forget about the most important thing - the refrigerator.
Viruses feel great at low temperatures. Studies of persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents have shown that various types of coronaviruses can live in the refrigerator for up to 9 days. Coronavirus is assumed to be no less tenacious.
As a preventive measure, you need to wash the refrigerator at least once a month. Now is the time to do it. You will need:
- Cleaning agent. Household cleaning solutions are also quite effective, if exposed to the surface for at least 1 minute. In extreme cases, you can wash the shelves of the refrigerator with soap or wipe with ethyl alcohol.
- Sponge.
- Cloth or paper towels.
When everything is ready, proceed.
- Unplug the refrigerator and remove all products.
- Throw away all spoiled foods - they are an ideal habitat for harmful microbes.
- Remove all shelves and remove drawers and wash them in hot soapy water as you wash dishes. You can do this in the kitchen sink, if it is too small - in the bath.
- Likewise, thoroughly wash all dishes from the refrigerator in hot water, especially one that contains something stale.
- Use the cleaning agent to clean the refrigerator itself - the inner walls, the racks for the shelves, the door handle. Act, moving from top to bottom, so that the mud does not run down to already cleared places.
- Wipe the refrigerator with paper or cloth towels, then put the racks, shelves and drawers back.
- Return the products back with a thorough inspection to see if they are all fresh. Banks, bottles, containers and bags can be pre-wiped with an alcohol raster.
Repeat this procedure regularly every 30 days, and you can reduce the risk of catching the infection through food.