Oxygen Concentrators - Countering Covid!

[Murphyv310]

Hi.
It's not so much discouraging but being aware of the issues.
We in our vintage radio and TV hobby will tell novices about live mains, AC DC radios, charged capacitors etc. We hope they understand the dangers. If any of us mention something here it's not to denigrate what you are doing.
Just hope you accept its because we wouldn't like you to land up in trouble.

[Cleggy]

When the defence company I used to work for was shrinking, and the Health & Safety Manager (previously, a full time job) was coming up to retirement, I was asked to take on that role, but on a part time basis, while retaining my existing technical role. We were all multi-tasking by then, and I was happy to do it.

Consequently, over a period of about 9 months I was sent on safety training courses to obtain a recognised safety qualification. Of course, safety violations in the Work Place are criminal offences. Perhaps I should put up a sign in my back yard saying "This is not a work place".

Actually, I think the greatest dangers I ever encountered were in the 6th Form chem lab at school. We were told to do crazy stuff and there were quite a few "incidents"!

[Crackle]

Actually, I think the greatest dangers I ever encountered were in the 6th Form chem lab at school. We were told to do crazy stuff and there were quite a few "incidents"!

Blimey did you go to the same school as me? 

Mike

[Doodlebug]

You won't need that device soon as a UK vaccine now has 90 % success rate with 46,000 volunteers
in 6 countries and UK has pre ordered 30 million doses.

[Murphyv310]

Indeed.
But how many refrigeration units operating at - 80c are available?

[ppppenguin]

I was reading about the ultra low temperature distribution chain today. There are all sorts of problems and it's not cheap but in developed countries it exists and is routinely used. It maintains low temperature using a mixture of liquid nitrogen, dry ice and ultra refrigerators. These last are standard equipment in any biochemistry lab. LN2 and dry ice are adequately locally available just about anywhere in the developed world.

It's still not easy, as the ultra cold chain won't be easy to extend to lots of local vaccination centres. It may need people to come to a smaller number of large centres which is of course a potentially good way to spread the virus.

Away from the developed world, it won't really be usable in most places. It's hard enough maintaning any kind of cold chain, even ordinary 4C or so fridge temperatures, in remote areas.

[Cleggy]

Actually, I think the greatest dangers I ever encountered were in the 6th Form chem lab at school. We were told to do crazy stuff and there were quite a few "incidents"!

Blimey did you go to the same school as me? 

Mike

It's absolutely true. The worst thing that actually happened to me at school was getting quite a lot of bromine on my hand, No permanent damage, but was bandaged up for some time. Then we made nitrobenzene by boiling up benzene and nitric acid out in the open lab (no fume-cupboards). There was another time when the whole class "mutinied" and walked out of the lab because the teacher has filled it with sulphur dioxide gas. There was a really scary near-miss; they had bought retort stand clamps which must have been made out of some alloy with the melting point of chocolate. Some kid was (doing what he was told to do) heating up something with a bunsen, and the clamp just melted - the molten metal and some hot glassware very nearly falling on his hand. Dangerous days!

C

[Murphyv310]

Away from the developed world, it won't really be usable in most places. It's hard enough maintaning any kind of cold chain, even ordinary 4C or so fridge temperatures, in remote areas.

Absolutely Jeffrey.
Judy as you know is Kenyan. She lived in Nairobi and Mombasa and her home was Nyahururu. In all the years she was there she had no fridge. Here mum and dad are off grid with only solar in Nyahururu again with no fridge. Her dad was a teacher and better off than many but these days they farm with nearly 3 acres. So even basic refrigeration is not in many homes.
I think the vaccine rollout could have many logistical issues, even in Kenya that is reckoned to be an economic powerhouse.

[Refugee]

It is a first generation vaccine.
Within a year we should have a vaccine that will be much easier to transport.