Work on Week March 16

E-mail I sent out to the research group today.

Dear All,

From now on we really do need to reduce lab work and enforce strictly social distancing, something we stated last week.

The first transmissions from Scousers who picked up the virus on match night (bars, clubs, hotels) from Athletico fans will occur this coming week and next week; we will then get F2, F3 (F number related to contact: primary = F1, a contact’s contact = F2 etc.) transmission.

Given the current lack of social distancing in shops and of course since pubs, etc. all open, we can expect a robust increases in numbers. Since numbers are not counted, only acute hospital admissions, any numbers need to be x10 or x20 to get a true view of actual cases. In addition, though the young do not die, it appears that a few have long-term respiratory issues. We also have the first evidence of re-infection from a 70 year old man on the Diamond Princess. Granted patient old, but this is consistent with this family of viruses not causing a substantial and long-lived adaptive immune response. It also suggests there is a possibility that the world has changed for the foreseeable future and will not return to 2019 for years.

Everyone needs to put a barrier at home, in the entrance, so nothing that touches the outside world gets in without a wash or disinfectant on the outside (this applies to shopping deliveries, since you have no idea what is on the packaging… Soapy water does the trick, since as we know detergents destroy membranes. I note the canny Scousers cleared out all washing up liquid and soap from my local Asda yesterday!

We all continue to monitor our temperatures morning and evening, as we have done for the last week.

Children should not go to nursery or school – I have pulled mine from school and I know a number of parents have done the same. This is because they have the least symptoms (the younger you re the lesser your symptoms), but of course are very good at infecting others. If this means you have to be at home, then so be it.

At work and in the lab we will do social distancing as follows (any ideas welcome):

Passing people in the corridor, walk sideways, so with your back to them.

At the bench: with full PPE we should be fine. All training has to be done at a distance of at least 1.5 m. Ditto troubleshooting. This will be interesting ! It will slow things down, since a learner may set something up, then move away for the expert to come in and check. But it is safe.

There needs to be a full set of gloves where we put on lab coats, so we have PPE before we enter the lab area. Currently we put on lab coat and then go to our bench where we have gloves – we should glove up at the entrance.

We enter the lab area by the door where out lab coats are. No more wandering along the corridor and by Lab C from Lab D. If a queue at lab entrance, make space, turn to the wall.

Desks: DO NOT SIT WITHIN 2 M OF SOMEONE, so if there is someone at a neighbouring desk, you cannot sit at your desk.  Stick to the 2 m rule. In any event, we should not be using the common office, except to set up distance operation of IT equipment

It is obvious that we will be locked down in a week or so, as the infection and death numbers rise, with only  essential work (maintenance, e.g, living material that cannot be frozen/stored and virus work) allowed.

Outside of work, avoid travel that involves other people (bus, train, etc.), since there is no social distancing and no masks yet).

I will be in on Monday to do some plasma cleaning, where Hao and I will work together at a comfortable distance! Later in the week we will be working on the virus protein – Hao and I will figure how we can operate in the CD/SPR lab with  someone on both instruments and other people involved coming and out. It we had masks it would be much easier.

As you are all on the research side you may not be aware that a of this Monday the University has very wisely cancelled all face-to-face teaching; all teaching is online. We can use this opportunity to tidy up a bit (no project students, which will increase space available, and so make social distancing easier.

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