Could a mouthwash kill COVID-19?

According to researchers at Cardiff University in Wales, an ingredient in certain mouthwashes has shown “promising signs” in limiting the viral load of COVID-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2 and coronavirus. After more research, this could be big.

The scientists discovered mouthwashes containing at least 0.7% cetypyridinium chloride (CPC) was able to kill COVID-19 within 30 seconds of exposure to it. The lab tests were conducted replicating the conditions of the human nasopharynx and oropharynx passages.

These preliminary findings have yet to be peer-reviewed and further studies need to be conducted, especially on how CPC interacts with COVID-19 in human saliva.

Some of the brands with cetypyridinium chloride (CPC) include:

• Dentyl mouthwash

• Crest Pro-Health Multi-Protection mouthwash – [BUY NOW AT AMAZON]

• Colgate Total Pro-Shield – [BUY NOW AT AMAZON]

• Sensodyne Pronamel Daily Mouthwash – [BUY NOW AT AMAZON]

• Oral-B Pro-Expert Multi-Protection Alcohol-Free mouthwash

• Colgate Plax Cool Mint – [BUY NOW AT AMAZON] 

• OraCare+ Sensitive Alcohol-Free Fluoride mouthwash

To read the complete story at the UK’s BBC website, click here.

I keep a bottle of whichever brand I can find in my car and I use it after returning from being in inside stores and tight areas with people.

Of course, this still means we have to utilize the preventative measures to keep us all safe:

Wash your hands often

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

• It’s especially important to wash:

  • Before eating or preparing food

  • Before touching your face

  • After using the restroom

  • After leaving a public place

  • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

  • After handling your mask

  • After changing a diaper

  • After caring for someone sick

  • After touching animals or petsIf soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid close contact

• Inside your home: Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

  • If possible, maintain A MINIMUM of 6 feet between the person who is sick and other household members.

• Outside your home: Put A MINIMUM of 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household.

  • Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread the virus.

  • Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people.

  • Keeping distance from others is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.

Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others

• You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick.

• The mask is meant to protect other people in case you are infected.

• Everyone should wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

  • Masks should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

• Do NOT use a mask meant for a healthcare worker. Currently, surgical masks and N95 respirators are critical supplies that should be reserved for healthcare workers and other first responders.

• Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The mask is not a substitute for social distancing.

Cover coughs and sneezes

• Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow and do not spit.

• Throw used tissues in the trash.

• Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Clean and disinfect

• Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.

• If surfaces are dirty, clean them. Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.

• Then, use a household disinfectant. The most common EPA-registered household disinfectant will work.

Monitor Your Health Daily

• Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.

• Especially important if you are running essential errands, going into the office or workplace, and in settings where it may be difficult to keep a physical distance of 6 feet.

• Take your temperature if symptoms develop.

• Don’t take your temperature within 30 minutes of exercising or after taking medications that could lower your temperature, like acetaminophen.

• Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.

Protect Your Health This Flu Season

It’s likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both spread this winter. Healthcare systems could be overwhelmed treating both patients with flu and patients with COVID-19. This means getting a flu vaccine during 2020-2021 is more important than ever.

While getting a flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19 there are many important benefits, such as:

1. Flu vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness, hospitalization, and death.

2. Getting a flu vaccine can also save healthcare resources for the care of patients with COVID-19

We are still our own best ally and enemy in the fight against COVID-19.

Today,  the World Health Organization made a chilling announcement about the coronavirus pandemic:

“We still have a long way to go in this pandemic,” said Tedros Adhanom-Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO at a briefing in Geneva. “In the last 24 hours, there have been 106,000 cases reported to WHO – the most in a single day since the outbreak began. Almost two-thirds of these cases were reported in just four countries.”

[Click here to see current COVID-19 cases and deaths.]

Which four countries? Russia, Brazil, India, and the United States (of course!).

The number is scary, but why is it chilling? Because this happens to be the same day all 50 US states were partially opened.

Strap on your face masks, folks. We may be in for a wild ride.

Especially with the man occupying the White House. He’s too busy acting a fool on Twitter, hurling playground-style insults, and threatening states. He’s pathetic and dangerous.

Last night, I watched a report on CNN that made me understand this new path we’re on will be no picnic. Using a fluorescent solution on her hands, CNN correspondent Randi Kaye was the guinea pig in a “contact spreading” experiment while sitting with others at a restaurant table. Using ultraviolet light, we’d see everything she touched and to whom she passed her “germs”. Using the same solution and UV light, they showed how easy — and how far — someone could spread droplets through a simple cough.

Please. Watch the video before making a jailbreak for your favorite restaurant. You may think twice about going. Or maybe not. Sorry. Wishful thinking.

Be safe.

 

This was originally published in the Canadian edition of HuffPost (formerly known as The Huffington Post) on June 11, 2013, while I lived in Germany. I’ve never forgotten the experience that moved me to write it. I was glad to see it moved others, too. In the era of the “Me Too” movement, this piece is as important today as it was when it was first published.

This week, I had a drink with a very good friend. After a little conversation about this and that, we started on a very interesting subject. It was regarding an upcoming event and I could see it was weighing heavily on his mind. I listened to him because that’s exactly what he needed.

He’s currently in a relationship with a wonderful woman and it’s getting quite serious. In the coming week, they’ll be attending a special gathering of her family. Her parents will be present, as well as her adult children with their spouses and children. Friends and other members of the family will also be there, including her ex-husband, who is the father of her children. He also happens to be the man who raped and brutally sodomized her for the last four years of their nine-year marriage.

Click here to read more at The Huffington Post.

Related Post:

My 7th Toastmasters Speech…with Tears

Extra: On the surface, “How Come, How Long”, performed by Babyface, featuring Stevie Wonder, is a beautiful song. But it’s really more than that. The words skillfully tell of the sadness and pain of domestic violence. Below is the video. Listen to the content and emotion of the song and you’ll understand.

How Come, How Long
Performed by Babyface, featuring Stevie Wonder
Composed by Stevie Wonder & Babyface
Produced & Arranged by Babyface
© Copyright 1996

Click here your can read the lyrics
Click here to download MP3 of this song.
Click here to download the entire album, titled “A Collection Of His Greatest Hits”.

This was originally published in the Canadian edition of HuffPost (formerly known as The Huffington Post) December 5, 2013 while I lived in Germany. In the age of Trump and in the current climate, this point could more relevant now than I could have ever known when I wrote it.

I recently contributed a personal story to a book titled 101 Awesome Things To Do For Someone Who’s Sick. Created by actor and award-winning author Elaine Wilkes, this thought-provoking book is filled with heart-warming stories and wonderful ideas to make life easier for anyone who is ill. I was honored to have been asked to contribute.

My story was about a client I had during my 17-year real estate career in Southern California. She was a lonely widow in a retirement center who needed to sell her home. For me, it became more than just another business transaction.

It was a story I’d been telling for years and the book was the perfect venue to share it with a larger audience. I even created a YouTube video where I read my contribution.

Click here to read more at The Huffington Post.

 

This was originally published at HuffPost (formerly known as The Huffington Post) May 1, 2012 while I lived in Germany. In the age of Trump and in the current climate, this point could more relevant now than I could have ever known when I wrote it.

John Arthur Johnson was born March 31, 1878, in Galveston, Texas. Both of his parents were born into and existed in the dehumanizing cruelty of slavery. Johnson lived in the system of Jim Crow. But he would rise from the boundaries that had held other African Americans down and forever carve his place in history. Today, we remember him as the great boxer Jack Johnson.

When Jack Johnson began his professional boxing career, it was possible for African American to wear the crown of champion in the lower weight classes. Unfortunately, the world heavyweight championship was off limits. But Johnson was not deterred. He pursued this seemingly unattainable goal with great tenacity. For two years, he stalked the reigning world champion Tommy Burns, pressuring him into a fight. On December 26, 1908, Jack Johnson defeated Burns, becoming the first black world heavyweight champion.

Click here to read more at The Huffington Post.

“Go back to Africa!”

This is what I heard as a kid when black folks dared to question their (mis)treatment in the country we call “The Land of the Free”. In recent years, these words have been updated, often so obscured you had to dissect them to understand the true meaning. But today, President Donald Trump went old school on us.

President Trump feels those who choose to protest their (mis)treatment at the hands of state should leave the country. Yep! The descendants of those who unwillingly donated their labor to help build this place should leave because they choose to peacefully — and silently! — protest their unhappiness with the status quo.

He also means the non-black brothers and sisters who’ve chosen to protest, right? In a league that is mostly made up of darker folks, we understand of whom he’s speaking.

When will this man understand that he’s no longer an Internet troll? He’s President of the United States.

Of course, Trump believes “you’re very fine people” if you’re a neo-nazi or a member of the Ku Klux Klan or a white supremacist or Alt-Right or whatever name is fashionable today. Do we need to have a noose around our necks (again) to understand where this man’s priorities sit?

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Of course, Trump believes “you’re very fine people” if you’re a neo-nazi or a member of the Ku Klux Klan or a white supremacist or Alt-Right or whatever name is fashionable today.
Click To Tweet

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The protests were born when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick quietly began to sit during the national anthem. When his actions were noticed, it drew criticism. Then, Nate Boyer — a former Green Beret and NFL player — convinced Kaepernick to kneel instead. That didn’t help. The attacks on Kaepernick intensified, especially after it spread to other NFL players. President Trump seized on the opportunity and weighed in. Remember?

By the way, does Kaepernick have a job yet? No team will touch this player who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl.

Don’t hold your breath. The NFL just implemented a new rule. All on-field players and personnel are required to stand for the National Anthem. Teams will be fined for any violation.

Like a pig rolling in slop, President Trump loves the ruling!

President Trump and others hijacked the purpose of the NFL protests by making it about disrespecting the flag and those who serve our country in uniform. That makes so sense at all. Many from the African-American community have served in uniform, even if they’re not completely accepted as full members of this society. In fact, it’s of historical record that the first to die in the struggle for America’s independence was a black man. Crispus Attucks, for those of you who need a reminder. That was on March 5, 1770, at the famed Boston Massacre.

Over 248 years and we’re still in the struggle for freedom. Well, not all of us.

President Trump has never served in uniform, so he doesn’t have a clue what a sacrifice it is. That’s not to say those of us who have served are a monolithic group with single thought and belief. We’re not. We’re just as diverse as this country. Perhaps more. Non-white members of this society are heavily represented in our armed forces.

If we require everyone to stand for the flag and the national anthem, then this country needs to stand for the ideals we profess to believe in. I think 248 years is long enough of a wait, don’t you?

In case you need a visual reminder of why the protests exist, here you go…

Doing It Right

by Lawrence D. Elliott

[Originally published in the book Not Your Mother’s Book… On Family. © Copyright 2014 by Publishing Syndicate, LLC.]

I walked nervously through the parking lot. My legs felt as wobbly as freshly cooked pasta and my heart pounded in my chest like a bass drum — it almost drowned out the clacking sound my cleats made on the decaying asphalt. I was about to participate in my first Little League game.

As I approached the baseball diamond, I passed a group of young guys sitting on top of a hideous purple Impala. They passed around a funny-looking cigarette and each one took a puff.

Entering the gate to the baseball field, I straightened up and tried to walk like a veteran instead of the rookie I was. I could see the stands had already begun to fill, not just with parents and family members, but also with area residents from one of the toughest neighborhoods in San Diego. It was not uncommon for clashes to break out between rival gangs nearby when our team practiced, and I recognized some of those same faces among the spectators.

My eyes caught the wall of a nearby building on it was a fresh piece of obscene commentary about the mother of someone named Joe. I was really glad I wasn’t Joe because my mom was already in the stands waiting to see me play, expecting me to do my best. She would be upset if she saw the graffiti about Joe’s mother.

My mom was born in a farmhouse in the small town of Lillie, Louisiana. Her life was not an easy one. She learned early that nothing was going to be handed to her. She worked to instill is knowledge in my siblings and me. We learned very early in life now right she was.

After our father abandoned us, there were times when we didn’t have a place to stay or know where our next meal would come from. But we were never allowed to complain. She’d remind us of what we did have and how some people didn’t even have that. For her, self-pity was verboten. It was not only a waste of time but a misuse of energy.

Mom worked long hours and juggled our little budget to make every end meet as she played economic leapfrog to better job opportunities. Sometimes she wouldn’t get home until late at night. But she practiced what she preached — she never complained.

And when I wanted to play Little League, Mom scraped together enough money to pay for a baseball glove, cleats, and the registration fee. But it came with a caveat.

“If you’re going to do this,” she warned, “you’re going to do it right.”

“OK,” I eagerly answered.

“You mind your coach. You remember how you’re supposed to act.

“Yes, I know.”

“Just because things get rough that doesn’t mean you just up and quit. That’s not how life is.”

“I know,”

“You don’t get to give up because things don’t go the way you want. That’s not how life works.”

“I know,” I said, hoping the lecture was over. I just wanted to play.

After a few warm-ups catches with a fellow teammate, we all went to the dugout as the coach discussed the line-up with the umpire. As the visiting team, our team would bat first. I would be the second batter.

As the leadoff hitter stood at the plate, I waited in the on-deck circle with my bat as I ’d seen so many major leaguers do. I could feel my heart pounding even more when my teammate took a swing at the first pitch.

Crack! The ball flew to left-center and the fielder barely had to exert himself to make the catch. First out. It was over that fast.

I approached the plate and stood nervously in the batter’s box. My heart was beating even more erratically now and my knees wobbled. The pitcher stood on the mound, went into his windup and hurled the ball across the plate.

“Ball one!” exclaimed the burley umpire in a deep baritone. My body seemed to tremble from the power of his voice. Knowing my mom would be watching, I was glad my back was to the standards I couldn’t bear to look at her.

The pitcher started his windup again. I choked up on the bat. The ball sailed toward the plate and I started to swing. But when the ball reached the plate, I found myself unable to follow through with my swing.

“Strike one!” yelled the umpire.

Shoot! I should swing at that one! I yelled in my head.

I could hear the taunts and comments from the crowd.

“He ain’t swinging!” one deep voice barked.

“He’s chicken!” shouted a female voice.

The catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher. As I prepared for another salvo from the mound, the catcher yelled to the pitcher, “This dude’s scared! You can throw anything!”

That comment made me angry! I was determined to swing at the next pitch, no matter what. I just hoped it would be a good one.

Once again, the pitcher went into his windup. This time, there seemed to be cockiness in his body language and he gave me a sneer when he threw the ball. As it approached, I prepared to swing, just as I’d been taught. The ball made strange serpentine movements as it neared. I swung with all of my might. Crack!

From the sound, you might have thought rd made a solid connection. But you would have been wrong. The sound was of the ball connecting with my knuckles! The bat immediate fell from my hands. I tried not to cry, but the pain was so intense I couldn’t fight back the tears, The coach dashed from the dugout, and the crowd softly chattered.

“Can you move your fingers?” the coach asked me as he checked my hands.

Then a loud voice pierced the silence: “Don’t baby him!”

The coach stopped working on my hands. He looked into the crowd. He wanted to know to whom the voice belonged.

“Don’t baby him!” the voice repeated. “Shake it off!”

“Oh, no,” I said under my breath.

Slowly, I turned toward the crowd. There, I saw that everyone was looking at this one person.

Every mouth was wide-open with astonishment. Embarrassed, I closed my eyes and only one thought came to mind.

Oh, God, I knew it!

The voice was that of my mom.

© Copyright 2014. Lawrence D. Elliott