Closed ski resorts due to the coronavirus

Various topics, technical questions, announcements, events, resorts, ...

Moderators: fivat, rilliet, Arnaud, nils

Aracan
Rank 4
Rank 4
Posts: 67
Joined: Wednesday 2 June 2010, 16:38
Location: Vienna

Re: Closed ski resorts due to the coronavirus

Post by Aracan » Wednesday 18 March 2020, 15:27

A mask doesn't protect you from infection. It protects others from you, if you are infected. Thanks for urging panic buying on a public message board.

hknz
Rank 2
Rank 2
Posts: 16
Joined: Sunday 30 October 2016, 14:50

Re: Closed ski resorts due to the coronavirus

Post by hknz » Thursday 19 March 2020, 6:26

Aracan wrote:
Wednesday 18 March 2020, 15:27
A mask doesn't protect you from infection. It protects others from you, if you are infected. Thanks for urging panic buying on a public message board.
No offense. Your statement must be false.
> If you statement is true, then doctors and nurses should not wear mask.
> If you statement is true, Hong Kong people should unlearn our lesson from SARS in 2003, when we have 299 deaths including doctors, nurses, kids, teenagers. If we wear no mask at that time, quite sure our deaths will be 2999 or 29999.
> If you statement is true, you cannot explain why HK, being the world 2nd densest city, has a much lower infected ratio than European cities (HK:26/1M, Italy:591/1M, Austria:183/1M, Swiss 360/1M, source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/). Mind you that European ratio is still going up, while HK (7M population) now has about 10 new cases per day and 90% are overseas travelers. Besides, some countries now do not have enough capacity to test lightly-infected case, so there many cases are hidden from the figures. I trust HK figures because we have free test and the capacity. My wife had fever and she just has her free test this morning.

I apologize if I have caused any panic. But I prefer to cause a panic rather than losing lives if I have a choice. I am not a politician and has no motivation to give you false information, while politician and government tell you what to do to their own benefit, not yours. No offense. You can keep your view and still stay calm if you think fit. Mind you that most Italian people stay calm a month ago and you now see the result.

As I mention before, if you live in the rural area such as a farm or mountain, a mask may not be needed. A mask, even a ski mask is needed in the urban environment. For your consideration please.

User avatar
Swoard team
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 657
Joined: Thursday 21 March 2002, 11:23
Location: Switzerland
Contact:

Re: Closed ski resorts due to the coronavirus

Post by Swoard team » Thursday 19 March 2020, 8:57

There is no real panic in Europe. As far as people keep the social distance, it's good.

Regarding the masks, you are both right: they protect the others, and they protect yourself (against saliva droplets)... but not completely: if you wear a mask and then you touch your eyes with your uncleaned hands, you can be infected.

For people who like mathematics or want to understand the exponential growth, and when it should stop, here is a good video:



The Swoard team

Aracan
Rank 4
Rank 4
Posts: 67
Joined: Wednesday 2 June 2010, 16:38
Location: Vienna

Re: Closed ski resorts due to the coronavirus

Post by Aracan » Thursday 19 March 2020, 10:09

Doctors and nurses haven't started to wear masks during this crisis, they did that before. Notice how surgeons have always worn masks NOT because they are afraid to catch something from the patient, but vice versa?
HK did many things right, as shown by the infection curve. Wearing a mask is a good way to protect others if you are unsure about your own infection status. Wearing a mask doesn't do much if you are healthy, except, as pointed out by the Swoard Team, keep you from touching your face.
And again, promoting panic buying on a public message board is irresponsible, to say the least.

hknz
Rank 2
Rank 2
Posts: 16
Joined: Sunday 30 October 2016, 14:50

Re: Closed ski resorts due to the coronavirus

Post by hknz » Friday 20 March 2020, 7:41

No offense. But spreading incorrect and unscientific information (saying a mask doesn't protect you from infection) on a public message board is more irresponsible than promoting the correct way (wear a mask to protect yourself) to stop the virus spreading. :bravo:

Your surgeon example is not appropriate because the situation is different. Most of the time the doctor is facing a body part, arm/leg/stomach/knee/feet/eyes/heart/spine. Unless it is a mouth/teeth/lung surgery. In such case, the doctor will wear mask/eye wear/ plastic face protection to protect themselves from infection. In 2003, a few doctors/nurses/medical students did not wear mask when putting a plastic breathing tube into a SARS patient's throat (a very simple operation, even not a surgery!). These doctors and other innocent patients (i guess 3 of them) in the ward get infected/died/seriously injured by SARS. A tragedy happened 17 years ago because HK people at that time considered wearing a mask did not help. Lesson learn. :clap3:

Yes, I agree that wearing mask does not protect you if you still rub your eyes/nose/mouth with your dirty hand or jump off the rails! :wall: But it does protect you from other people if they cough/sneeze/talk near you. Flying droplets transmission is confirmed by scientist, some say 1.5m or 4m which is exactly the urban environment we live in such as metro, train, supermarket, street etc.

Although there is no scientific proof of air-borne transmission, HK has cases suspected to be infected from leakage of anti-syphonage AIR pipe (e.g. flat A at 5/F, 20/F and 25/F of the same building, no coincident!). And cases of a few top floors residences of a building (e.g. flat A, C, F at 30/F) get infected from the roof top sewage AIR vent pipe (distance >10m). These cases are under investigation and studying how far can droplets "fly".

In 2003, we have many scientific-confirmed SARS cases infected from flying droplets when a floor drain lost its water seal and ventilation fans drew the virus droplets upwards to the bathroom. (Refer attached diagram). If you are interested, you can search with keywords "Amoy Gardens SARS", sure you will find many scientific papers and information.

Mask does filter certain degree of virus droplets if not 100%. People who said a mask doesn't protect you from infection likely live in a rural environment, say a farm/mountain hut where there will be no stranger within your social distance. Only under that circumstances, I agree your statement is true.

I apologize for my poor 2nd language for explaining technical matters.
Attachments
jech-2003-September-57-9-652-F2.large.jpg

User avatar
fivat
Swoard & EC founder
Swoard & EC founder
Posts: 3010
Joined: Thursday 21 March 2002, 13:13
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Contact:

Re: Closed ski resorts due to the coronavirus

Post by fivat » Thursday 16 April 2020, 17:13

Now half of the people in the world is confined! 8O :?

Most countries, as well as many doctors, have been surprised by the quick propagation of the Coronavirus. Some countries in Asia had learned from their experience with the SARS in 2003 and have reacted better.
There are still some things not clear or not proven about how the Coronavirus propagates in the air and survives on various surfaces.

I was myself misled by some doctors (but I don't blame them) who were still saying in February that it was like a flu, with risks only for old people. That's why in this thread, till the beginning of March, I was optimistic for the Swoard Demo Tour in Italy. Then fortunately the resorts closed.

Progressive deconfinement is starting now in Europe. Let's hope it will be well controlled, so we can avoid a second wave which would ruin next snowboard season! :pray:

The use of masks is going to be generalized in many countries, despite there is still a big lack.
@hknz: You were right, the masks can help against the pandemic, but remember that we had no stock so far.
@Aracan: You are also right, the masks protect mainly the other people.

I wish everybody good health and courage till next winter! 8)

Patrice Fivat

User avatar
fivat
Swoard & EC founder
Swoard & EC founder
Posts: 3010
Joined: Thursday 21 March 2002, 13:13
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Contact:

Re: Closed ski resorts due to the coronavirus

Post by fivat » Thursday 16 April 2020, 18:49

Here is a souvenir from last month, right before the confinement. :D
Well, in Switzerland we are allowed to go outside, but at the condition of avoiding other people (keep at least 2 m of distance), and make no groups of +5 persons. The sports with risks of injury must be avoided (what includes hiking, biking, paragliding, ...) because the hospitals are too busy.

Carrying the board on the backpack and using snowshoes is not really a problem! ;-) It's what I did already 30 years ago. But a Dual2 splitboard would be a cool thing! ;-)

See you everybody next winter, healthy and happy! :bravo:

Patrice Fivat
Attachments
Snowboard hiking with snowshoes.jpg
Snowboard hiking with snowshoes.jpg (70.34 KiB) Viewed 6293 times

Locked