Posts from Those Nerdy Girls

All the posts from our Those Nerdy Girls Facebook page dating back to May 1st, 2020, are currently archived here and can be searched for by category, key words, etc. Be sure to check back often as additional posts are being added each day.

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When can we restart society?

Reopening

A: Leading experts suggest four guideposts: (1) We see a sustained 14 day decrease in cases; (2) Our health care system can handle the existing load; (3) We can test at least everyone who has symptoms; (4) We can trace confirmed cases and their close contacts. Different geographies will reach these milestones at different times. Read more…

Can I breastfeed my baby if I have COVID-19 or think I might?

Families/Kids Infection and Spread

A: Depends whom you ask. šŸ™ tl;dr: The American Academy of Pediatrics’ April 2 guidance recommends separating infected mom & baby while mom is ill, and supporting mom to pump milk for bottle-feeding the baby. WHO, CDC, and Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine say it’s ok for infected mom & baby to stay together and breastfeed, Read more…

Do all encounters with the coronavirus present the same risks for becoming infected and becoming very sick?

Infection and Spread

A: No. Definitely worth reading this full article but here is a summary = TL;DR = too long; didn’t read Prolonged one-on-one encounters with infected individuals (ex: a visit with a person with the virus or patient care in a health setting with infected individuals ) carry greater risk of infection than short, indirect exposures Read more…

DATA NERD ALERT!

Data and Metrics

Today Google released “Community Mobility Reports” demonstrating how movement patterns have changed since social distancing’s enactment. You can check out your own community here. Link to original FB post

Why do all the models tell us something different about what to expect from the pandemic?

Data and Metrics Data Literacy

A: It is complicated, but can be summed up well in this article by 538. TL; DR there are three primary factors: 1) Exponential growth makes models have great variation (think the estimates of 200,000 deaths vs. 2 million deaths); 2) There are many unknown factors (such as regarding the true rates of infected persons); Read more…

Frequent and proper hand-washing is essential to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But all this hand-washing (and use of sanitizers) is leading to dry, cracked skin which can increase the risk of infections. Can anything be done about this?

Infection and Spread Staying Safe

A. Yes! The following are steps you can take to prevent dryness: -Use a hand soap thatā€™s mild and fragrance-free -Wash with warm, not hot water -After washing hands, pat them dry (donā€™t rub) -Use an oil-based hand cream (not a lotion!) immediately afterwards to seal in the moisture -at night, apply a thick hand Read more…

IMPORTANT REMINDER

Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread

For COVID-19, there are lag times from infection to being symptomatic to (in the worst case) hospitalization to death. Today’s case and death rates are like looking at “light from a distant star.” Control measures work, but we only see their effects *weeks* after implementing them. Keep the faith! Links: Twitter Graphic Original FB post