COVID-19: A thread to share some thoughts and events

I don't think we are able to make a "Mass Manufactured Product" in a short time, even in this times. But maybe it's useful for the next flu epedemic or next virus.
The main problem is the politics and economy which try to make the health-sector as cheap as possible.
Even in Germany which has a pretty good health sector this is a problem. Other countries are much more problematic (like UK, Italy, USA, etc...)
But OK, let's not speak about politics.
 
There are many states in the US that now have closed non-essential businesses and there are more about to. I'm affected since I'm in one of those states, Pennsylvania. Although where I work manufactures plasma cutting tables for HVAC, an essential business, and supports these tables we are non-essential and closed for the at least next 2 weeks. I am a programmer that develops part of the software we sell but the owners are against work at home. My workstation has a desktop computer rather than a laptop so it is not mobile.

Many stores here are closed such as hardware stores. Restaurants are only allow to do deliver or pick up, no sit down service. Also most churches have online services only. It is a bit surreal seeing businesses that once had full parking lots being almost empty. Also I'm concerned about the economic stress this will be on small businesses and displaced workers.
 
In my country, the number is increasing when people in other countries, especially Europe, come back a lot. However, everything is well controlled with the support of the government.
 
@slomobile - Yes, gathering data is vitally important. I'm persuaded to "flip" the project management sequence. Or even discuss several "aspects" in parallel. If we can brainstorm and agree the important stuff, then maybe the project framework needed will become clearer.

You make many good points in your opening paragraph. I'm supporting all of it. Now consider your bullet points (alphabetically labelled) in turn:

(a) Monitoring body temp. (b) Begin logging. My wife and I have started this for the last four days. We both use our own (individual) digital thermometers - the type that has a long pointed stalk with presumably a thermistor as the active sensor. These give a reading to 0.1 degC. Is the DS18B20 good for tenths of a degC? The ideal may be something body-worn giving continuous logging, but that could be overkill - depends what time profile we are looking at, minutes or hours or days.

The body temp profile is going to vary throughout the day. It is going to raise when metabolism peaks. I asked my wife to make three recordings, one first thing in the morning, one in mid-day, and the other before sleep. So far mine varies from 35.9 to 36.3, but I'm dieting and losing weight, so that can account for the sub 36.5 (which the thermom thinks is the median).

So what's the objective here? I'm looking for any unusual upward turn and the time/date when it happens. I don't know how fast an infected person changes from norm to the 37.8 that is stated as "high temp" - anyone got any further info on this aspect? They say "...you will know about it, when it happens".

(c). Get concensus on a web site. No doubt readers will have suggestions, but it has to be simple, so at first I would suggest we use a separate thread (if Paul agrees) and then we nominate a person (bullet (d.)), maybe, to take the data from there and put it somewhere in a more professional form. Its going to be a very varied dataset with some missed readings.

(e) (f) (g). Fully support lots of argument/debate about designs. We also need agreement on what we are searching for. Why we are searching for it.

(h) (i). If we get "mass" data that is "normalised" by a specific design or product then that will at least be something. From the debate, I think other project ideas will emerge.

If I can end this post with some upbeat (whimsical) overnight thinking... pipe dream I know... Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is used for detection of organic and non-organic chemical substances. That "detection" then goes on to produce spectrums and even brilliant 3D imaging. But it might also produce a cure (WHAT? yes, wild speculation). How? If a molecule can give out energy as NMR (perhaps that should be MMR - Molecular Magnetic Resonance), then it can also take it in. If we generate Radio/Light of the correct frequency, or combo of frequencies, and at the appropriate/safe power levels, we can make the virion molecule increasing resonate and oscillate - possibly to destruction?

Such a pipe dream would be good for the next Pandemic event, which we know is coming when this one has been forgotten.

Why do I even think this might be possible? My reason is history, and it goes back to 1975/76. At that time I worked for a medical firm in the UK. I was ask to go visit a guy called Ray Lightwood (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Lightwood). Ray was the technical guy behind the world's first pacemaker (Leon Abrams/Ray Lightwood). Ray showed me another project he was working on. It was a Radio Tuned Induction Coil in a plastic box attached by cable to a power oscillator. Various consultants in the QE Hospital would invite Ray to use his Heath-Robinson contraption on infected surgical wounds that refused to respond to antibiotics. The findings were that, in some cases, healing amazed the consultants who were in charge.
 
Change in the UK tonight - Monday 23 MAR 2020

We have just had a broadcast at 8.30pm tonight on national TV from our Prime Minister, Boris Johnson...

The UK is now in partial LOCKDOWN with immediate effect. This applies to all citizens. All "non-essential shops" are closed. People are only allowed out to buy food, take one exercise per day alone, buy medication, go to and from work - if they have no alternative (home-working). All public gatherings/services are prohibited, including weddings, baptisms, church/religious meetings with the one exception of funerals.

Parliament is discussing the "Emergency Powers Act" at this very moment. It will be passed into law very quickly and then fines will be made by the Police for non-compliance.
 
I wonder if the postoffice will shut. If it does then I will have to shut my online store.

Actually it wouldn't make that much difference, sales has been right down.
 
They can't stop transportation. All the toilet paper, disinfectants come in daily, and food. Theyre government businesses and because it is essential I am still working there, despite seeing the stupid... hygiene habits of others.

They wont even close the SAQ or SQDC here (wine and marijuanna) because thats money for the government, and they don't want also people who don,t get their daily meds (pot) or alcohol to rage violence in the city due to their psychotic episodes....

Lockdown starts tomorrow for all non essential businesses, and gatherings of people. Less than 2 meters together the cops will give you a 1000$ fine. That includes public streets and residential/commercial buildings.
 
High doses of garlic and cabbage soup significantly reduce the risk of infection by increasing social distancing. :p
To be as stinky as possible keeps the coughing masses several meters away.

It also helps to prevent political dialogue and gives the farmers the chance to sell fresh vegetables.
 
Last edited:
You make many good points in your opening paragraph. I'm supporting all of it. Now consider your bullet points (alphabetically labelled) in turn:

(a) Monitoring body temp. (b) Begin logging. My wife and I have started this for the last four days. We both use our own (individual) digital thermometers - the type that has a long pointed stalk with presumably a thermistor as the active sensor. These give a reading to 0.1 degC. Is the DS18B20 good for tenths of a degC? The ideal may be something body-worn giving continuous logging, but that could be overkill - depends what time profile we are looking at, minutes or hours or days.

The DS18B20's datasheet indicates that it's maximum resolution is 0.0625 Deg C.

Accuracy +/- 0.5 Deg C from -10 to +85 Deg.


At first sight, one might suggest that DS18B20 accuracy may be less than optimum however the resolution looks useful for picking up Rate of Change.

Given that "rapid onset" is a kind of buzz phrase associated with Covid, I feel that randomly checking temperature will not provide any kind of early warning that one is infected by it.

Perhaps logging readings at say one per minute might be a worthy starting point. Have got some spare Teensys so will endeavor to pick up some DS18B20 to play with.
 
Given that "rapid onset" ..., I feel that randomly checking temperature will not provide any kind of early warning that one is infected by it.

Continuous monitoring is a toughy. What about a 10 MHz crystal sensing body temp as part of an oscillator. The radiated frequency can then be monitored remotely by near field radiation for logging. Once fitted, capacitive changes would average out. Large ppm/degC an advantage here - many cheap crystals.

Interesting 'blip' in my temp readings yesterday. Normally it's around 36.3 midday, but late afternoon had a hot bath and evening meal and it peaked up to 36.7 then two hours later back down to 36.3.
 
We also have LOCKDOWN in bigger cities. Things are really going crazy !
I hope this is going to get under control as early as possible.
 
We also have LOCKDOWN in bigger cities. Things are really going crazy !

Can I make a request please for all to amend your forum profile to include your country (and/or state for the larger continents). Then we can appreciate what is happening and where. Thanks.

Interesting info from these sources (https://lightsources.org/2020/03/23/lightsource-research-and-sars-cov-2/) and (https://www.mitegen.com/resources-for-researchers-and-labs-working-on-sars-cov-2/) on SARS-Cov-2 "protease". I particularly like the Diamond Light Source video on mounting the virus for X-Ray analysis.
 
Last edited:
High doses of garlic and cabbage soup significantly reduce the risk of infection by increasing social distancing. :p
To be as stinky as possible keeps the coughing masses several meters away.

It also helps to prevent political dialogue and gives the farmers the chance to sell fresh vegetables.

So does sparing use of toilet paper :)
 
Im in long island ny, no toilet paper in most stores but you find it here and there, some grocery stores have lines to allow only 25 to 30 people at a time but its not long wait times, 10 mins or so but its not all stores.

Im staying positive and i think within the next 2 weeks something will come to put an end to this but then again im being overly positive, im very lucky that i work from home anyways so it hasnt affected me yet and hopefully it wont at all but i feel bad for my friends who are bartenders who have no income hopefully the stimulus package will come sooner than later to get them taken care of.
 
What about a 10 MHz crystal sensing body temp as part of an oscillator.

Yeah, I was reading of that method yesterday. Personally, I don't want to wear any piece of gear that emits RF and am happy to wear a sensor, cabled to a small box.

After shopping, looking at the bits and pieces, the line of least resistance is looking like:-

T3.2, DS18B20, SD breakout, 128x64 SSD1306 Oled (or Nokia screen), a few buttons and some proto board are on the table. First to hook up the hardware. Then get the training wheels on as am not a programmer, have not done SPI, screens let alone graphics yet.Talk about a weighted plunge into the deep end.

Zooming out to Starship Earth then back to our daily realities, a Mask that many are coming to grips with using when in public, covers a faint smile. Smile big so others can see it.
 
@MatrixRat: Now you're talking mate. Thinking like this is needed for Project#1. Don't worry about the software - lot's of us here to muck in with that. Just think, if we optimised the design, the US Fed Government might buy millions to stimulate the economy. Ford motors could switch production, like WW2 :eek: !

I've also been thinking about Project#2. I was worried about slowing motor speeds down to breathing rate, making it quiet, and then there was the bellows construction issue. Gearboxes first came to mind. Then a bright light began shining... what if Project#2 used a "stepper motor"? The rotation speed could easily be as slow as needed. And it could be bi-directional. So with fan blades, it could suck as well as blow... hmm, no need for bellows! Just a tube to the patient. Or even two stepper motors - one for positive air input, another for negative air output. Needs some more cigarette packet sketching, but there could be a germ of an idea here?

@neroroxxx: When TP is in short supply, that's when right-handed folk discover what their left hand is for! (Now its time for bed - way past my bedtime).
 
Saw this note about ventilator cost in 2015:
16,000 needed ventilators for $36,000 apiece, or a total of $576 million

Found : high-acuity-ventilator-cost-guide
with this note:
Home care ventilators
Transport ventilators
Low, medium, and high-acuity ventilators
High-frequency ventilators
Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation/continuous positive airway pressure (NPPV/CPAP), bilevel positive airway pressure (BIPAP) systems
Different ventilators also have different gas delivery designs, including turbine-based air supply and proportional solenoid (PSOL) valve control, or a combination of the two systems.

ebay:
Newport HT70 Plus Ventilator COVIDIAN home and hospital care Brand New $10,000.00
Factory data: medtronic.com/covidien/.../mechanical-ventilation/newport-ht70-plus-ventilator.html

Add in a battery:
Our Puritan Bennett™ 980 ventilator is a good example of how different factors can impact cost. Both configuration and patient needs can influence the price range of the Puritan Bennett™ 980 ventilator — which is from $32,000 to $48,000.
Your hospital’s group purchasing organization (GPO) or Integrated Healthcare Network (IHN) affiliation, as well as the number of ventilators you intend to buy, will also affect the cost.
When factoring the costs of ventilators over their lifetime, it’s important to consider the following:
The expected lifespan of premium ventilators
The Puritan Bennett™ 980 ventilator is intended to be in use at least ten years.
Preventative maintenance costs
Our preventative maintenance package is $1,950 for three years.
Battery life
The Puritan Bennett™ 980 ventilator battery lasts about three years.
The cost to replace it is approximately $400-$800
.
 
As far as a ventilator goes, something like this perhaps?

This links with a (lengthy) facebook thread for further details. I don't use facebook but my wife does and eventually I found this GoogleDoc...
https://docs.google.com/document/d/...XbnmW2SPq7XKQmswuUkYsxyyZAtqH8J7GbHs8owNiiNvU

Still trying to see the details (but some good info) - its a convoluted thread... see page 5 of 12 for the start of the Ventilator Machines.

@thebigg: That green component in the picture looks like its just some form of reservoir, or is this where a fan is housed? The comment from Steve Harrington confirms that it does use a "stepper motor", so that's a move forward.

Edit: No, the joke I would like is removed.
 
Last edited:
RE: Temperature tracking
Just read through this article, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/f...avirus-infections/ar-BB11Flcb?ocid=spartanntp, on a company that is using its app info from digital thermometers.

Yes - I saw a portion of a show yesterday where they interviewed someone (don't remember if owner or ??? of the company), where they showed a us map where they recorded the counts/locations of those who registered as having a fever, then they subtracted the counts of the expected numbers for this time of year and showed areas on the map in colors of where there appears to be unusual fevers.

They also showed some timelines of it, where it showed NY as a hot spot several days before it obviously a major problem there. They also showed how different areas, where after they started social distancing and the like how the colors diminished (i.e counts getting back closer to average).

If their stuff is correct, I would not go anywhere near Florida as there are large portions of the state that were a very bright RED!
 
Yes - I saw a portion of a show yesterday where they interviewed someone (don't remember if owner or ??? of the company), where they showed a us map where they recorded the counts/locations of those who registered as having a fever, then they subtracted the counts of the expected numbers for this time of year and showed areas on the map in colors of where there appears to be unusual fevers.

They also showed some timelines of it, where it showed NY as a hot spot several days before it obviously a major problem there. They also showed how different areas, where after they started social distancing and the like how the colors diminished (i.e counts getting back closer to average).

If their stuff is correct, I would not go anywhere near Florida as there are large portions of the state that were a very bright RED!

Morning @KurtE
Got curious so here is a link to their interactive map for the US: https://healthweather.us/. Interesting when you look at the details for a area and their explaination. I will let you all explore. Oh, just don't use MS Edge. Use something like Firefox
 
Just a quick update - PJRC is still up and running, but it's down to just Robin & me. We asked our hourly employees to stay home starting last week, and Oregon now has a "shelter in place" order. While that order does allow for some work to continue with certain conditions (which we would be challenged to meet in good faith), we didn't feel right about exposing our employees and their families, who are otherwise limiting their contact pretty well.

Robin & I have been crazy busy last week and this week, trying to do all the stuff we normally do, plus the testing and packaging of products our hourly employees would normally do.

I have also been working to bring up the bed-of-nails test fixture for Teensy 4.1. At least 1 more PCB spin (and maybe more) will be needed before the tester is ready. My hope is to get as far as I can with the first tester rev and order a new PCB this weekend. After that PCB is ordered, you'll see more of me on the forum. I'm also planning to put some time into website updates while we wait for that PCB. But right now, if I don't stay focused on this, it risks setting back Teensy 4.1.

Then again, coronavirus slowdown is casting a huge shadow of uncertainty on the timing of everything. We definitely are trying to move forward with Teensy 4.1 as quickly as we can under these circumstances. I'm not going to make any predictions on time frame, nor discuss the specific features. Just know we are working on the new product, and continuing to run PJRC - and it's a huge amount of work.
 
Back
Top