Pandemic Lingo | Shaking a Contact Tracer | Bacon Maldito Interview | SAFETY DOC PODCAST #135 [Livestream]

By David P. Perrodin | May 15, 2020

[Podcast] Guest Bacon Maldito talks about new terms since the COVID19 pandemic, shaking Contact Tracers, closing city streets for green space, permanent protocol changes for a temporary event, & deals at Dissmore’s IGA.

DIRECT LINK to MP3 of this Episode: https://tinyurl.com/SDP135-AUDIO

PANDEMIC LINGO – 15 NEW TERMS SINCE MARCH

In a mere sixty days, Americans have expanded their vocabularies with at least 15 new pandemic-driven terms / directives, including: (1) Practice Social Distancing; (2) Shelter in Place; (3) 6 Feet Apart; (4) Essential Travel Only; (5) Safer at Home; (6) Sanitize Every Hour; (7) Wear N95 Mask; (8) Use Gloves; (9) Wash Hands Every Hour; (10) Flatten the Curve; (11) Self-quarantine; (12) High-touch areas; (13) Essential business; (14) Essential Worker; and (15) Social Distancing. As Bacon and Doc carve through at least three of these terms, the matters of ambiguity and inter-rater reliability surface. What is an essential business? Is this static, or does it change throughout a prolonged crisis, such as a pandemic? Oh yeah, Bacon brings out the festivus pole for his extended “airing of grievances” periodically interrupted with plugs for restaurants, stores and products not otherwise endorsed by The Safety Doc Podcast.

WEARING MASKS – THERE IS A RISK

The purpose of wearing a mask during a pandemic is recognized by Bacon and Doc. A mask will limit aerosol particles from entering a person’s nose or mouth and will also dampen aerosols expelled by the person through breathing, talking or sneezing. Yet, with a range of masks now being marketed to the public and a wider range of homemade masks, the media narrative is silent about masks contributing to excess CO2 inhalation which is known to present health risks and diminish cognitive abilities. In fact, the National Institutes of Health studied CO2 and O2 concentrations in integral motorcycle helmets. In the September, 2005, edition of Applied Ergonomics, one such study (and yes, there are several studies of closed-face helmets and masks relative to CO2 concentrations) found that motorcycle riders wearing full-face helmets could increase their CO2 intake by 4% or more – and this could contribute negatively to a motorcyclist’s cognitive abilities. As the media taps “experts” on how to make masks out of socks and coffee filters, a very real issue is not addressed – and that is how to create a mask that doesn’t result in a person inhaling some of the CO2 that they just exhaled?

WHEN THE CONTACT TRACER COMES A KNOCKIN

H.R. 6666, the TRACE Act, was introduced on May 1st by US Rep. Bobby Rush. The bill would approve billions of dollars for contact tracing – both in technology and in staffing people that would work as contact tracers. After someone tests positive for COVID19 (or a future virus), a contact tracer would work to identify where the person has been and who he or she has come into contact with. Nearly 1,400 people are being trained to help with COVID19 contact tracing in Washington State. While participation in contact tracing in Washington State is voluntary, other states have sabre rattled consequences for persons refusing to cooperate if a contract tracer knocks at the door. Bacon, Doc and a lively chat room unpack the Pandora’s Box of information obtained by a contact tracer – and potential misuse of harvested data. DISSMORE’S IGA. Doc gives a nod to 2-time Safety Doc Podcast guest Nick Schulaner by displaying four outrageous grocery values from Dissmore’s IGA – located near Nick’s place in Washington State.

BOOK IN CAN

And, friend of the show John Steele noted that canned goods can be feasibly mailed by the postal service if you claim it’s a “Book in a Can” – thus invoking the $3.33 flat media rate.