I need to get to bed: Coronavirus on 4.4.20 – 1,203,484 sick with 64,774 dead
And, it is far from over. PLEASE, stay home, stay distanced, wear a mask and wash your hands.…
Coronavirus Blog
Thoughts on COVID-19 from a food and legal perspective
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Coronavirus – its likely not the food you eat but the air your breathe
By Bill Marler
Chicken with Salmonella can make you sick. So can romaine lettuce with E. coli and buffets with lurking norovirus. So why aren’t health officials warning people about eating food contaminated with the new coronavirus?
The answer has to do with the varying paths organisms take to make people sick.
Respiratory viruses like the new coronavirus generally attach to cells in places like the lungs. Germs like norovirus and salmonella can survive the acid in stomachs,…
Some good advice on food safety in the time of the coronavirus
By Bill Marler
The Food Safety Information Council today released information about coronaviruses, COVID-19 and food safety.
Cathy Moir, Council Chair, said that consumers have been in contact asking questions about food safety during the pandemic.
“The good news is that Food Standards Australia New Zealand states that there is no international evidence so far that the virus causing COVID-19 is transmitted through eating food. Spread of respiratory droplets from person to person and close personal contact are…
To wear or not wear a mask during the Coronavirus Outbreak
By Bill Marler
“Is It Time That We All Start Wearing Masks?” Medscape, 1 Apr. 2020, www.medscape.com/viewarticle/927890. Thanks to Chris, our Marler Clark nurse, for this post: Attached is a Medscape article from 4/1/2020:
IS IT TIME THAT WE ALL START WEARING MASKS
Here are some excerpts from the article:
“Data on efficacy of masks are scant, though evidence does suggest that masks reduce personal risk. The mode of transmission of high-attack-rate, fast-moving epidemics has been determined to be…
Farmers as unsure as the rest of us on how to operate in a COVID-19 world
By Jenny Schell
When we think of those who are “on the front lines” in the COVID-19 crisis, most of us probably think of healthcare workers. But what about farmers? In a business where they have been deemed essential but cannot work from home, some workers are anxious about spreading the virus between themselves and their families.
And, of course, there are the sheer economics of the space farmer’s occupy in our system:
Sadly, this crisis has exposed…
Seattle Washington stay home order extended to May 4 amid Coronavirus Outbreak
By Bill Marler
Marler Clark, although not in the office, has been fully functional for over a month. All staff has everything they need to work remotely and to continue to service clients to the degree of excellence that we have expected since 1998.
Be safe, stay home, stay a minimum of six feet apart from others, self-quarantine if you show any COVID-19 symptoms and wash your hands.
For the past month, our City and country have experienced…
Food Safety expert at Canada’s University of Guelph on grocery store shopping
By Jenny Schell
A food safety expert released an informative YouTube video (that you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snnpNx6gRIY&utm_source=guelphtoday.com&utm_campaign=guelphtoday.com&utm_medium=referral) to correct inaccurate information that has been circulating about proper protocol when buying groceries and taking them home.
Generally, the same cleanliness rules apply that food safety experts would recommend for common foodborne pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria:
“[P]ut down your groceries, wash your hands for 20 seconds, put your groceries away, then use a disinfectant wipe…
Closer to home- the New England Journal of Medicine’s epidemiologic analysis of COVID-19 in Washington long-term care facilities
By Jenny Schell
The New England Journal of Medicine has released its analysis of COVID-19 outbreaks that have materialized in numerous Washington long-term care facilities, beginning with the first facility referenced as “Facility A”. The report begins with numbers:
On February 28, 2020, four cases of Covid-19 were confirmed among residents of King County; 1 person had presumed travel-related exposure, and 3 were identified by testing hospitalized patients who had severe respiratory illness (e.g., pneumonia) and who had…
DOJ weighs in on legal repercussions of intentionally infecting others with COVID-19
By Jenny Schell
Along with every crisis there are those who look to exploit the general panic that comes with it. From fake cures and tests to hoarding and price-gouging, law enforcement have seen any number of reprehensible actions taken by individuals across the country. See Department of Justice memo available on Politico, which you can find here:https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000171-128a-d911-aff1-becb9b530000. One particularly abhorrent action is intentionally exposing others to COVID-19. According to US Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen,…
Can Vomiting and Diarrhea be a sign of Coronavirus?
By Bill Marler
Dr. Glatter weighs in on a possible sign of a COVID-19 infection that might be overlooked.
While we are focused on cough and fever as the initial signs of COVID-19, it’s also important to be aware that abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea could precede respiratory symptoms in some people.
Results of a new study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology indicate that a subset of persons could develop symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea…