Two Nurses One Doctor, the Powerhouse behind the FoSF.

Your Guide to Beating the Bugs.

Three Quarters of a Century of Training and Service to the Nursing and Medical Professions.

Covid-19, Omicron, Influenza and Fomites.

What are Fomites.

Fomites are every day objects you can come across on your travels, whether you are out shopping, in a Coffee Shop, Restaurant. Public House or even a Community centre.

Common Fomites in existence.

Common Fomites include Handrails, Door Knobs, Tables, Chairs, Salt and Pepper Pots, Menu Cards, Cutlery, Escalator Handrails, Loo handles, In fact if you can touch anything with your bare hand that anyone else can touch then that item or piece of furniture becomes a Fomites capable of transmitting disease.

How can Fomites harm us.

Well the truth is Fomites are in general harmless, and as above consist of everyday objects of diverse shapes and sizes but with that one thing in common that we all come into contact with and touch.

What bugs can Fomites harbour.

Fomites can play host to a variety of bugs and in that respect we are talking about Bacteria, Viruses, Pathogens, Gram Positive and Negative Bacteria including Cholera etc. etc. The length of time a Fomite can play host to a certain type of bug depends on the bugs ability to survive on its own and the type of material it is living on. A bug on hard plastic in a shop window would not survive for very long due to the suns Ultra Violet rays, however that bug may have a far longer survival time on a moist rag or Handkerchief.

How can bugs spread.

There are numerous ways that bugs can be transmitted, here are some of the ways bugs can and do travel.

1. Aerosol transmission, Coughs, Sneezes, Sewer Gas etc.
2. Body contact or Body fluids.
3. Smaller lighter bugs can float through the air.
4. Ingestion, germs incorporated within the food we eat.
5. Sexual activity.
6. Found in soil samples and be taken home on your shoes.


How can we avoid being bitten.

Avoiding viruses is a game you play standing on your feet, you know Covid-19 is out there plus many other viruses including seasonal Flu' Your main weapon in this fight to stay infection free is your BRAIN, you need to stop and think for yourself where are the main problem areas where bugs may hide, well think Public Transport, Tube Trains, Buses, Rail Network, Shopping Malls etc., areas of high human concentration are likely to hold people with the Virus. An yes these are the areas you need to pass through on your way to work or shopping. What can we do about this, well I have been wearing a Mask well before the Government even had any thoughts of making it compulsory, so that's number one. Second tactic, ware gloves at all times, not the rubber or nitrile gloves but plain and simple Thinsulate gloves designed for winter wear, they will help combat contact with Escalators and Handrails etc. Pay serious thought as to whether you really need that Coffee or beer you could be sitting at a table and the previous person had the bug and left traces for you to pick up, CRAP HAPPENS. The final tactic you need to abide by is to go through a decontamination process when you arrive home. Place shopping on kitchen table and remove mask and gloves placing them in a special place to grab some sunlight, immediately afterwards Wash your Hands and use Sanitizer, then relax and have a cuppa in the safety of your own home.

What are the most DANGEROUS Fomites around. The Gloves are OFF.

Any FOMITE that has not been cleaned and disinfected can be harmful to you but there is one that has so far not been mentioned that we nearly all see and use in everyday life that is the TOUCHSCREEN, found on Self Serve Checkouts, Post Office self serve checkouts, Ticket machines, Public computers, Cashpoint machines etc. etc. To my mind these are the most Dangerous routes for Viral transmission to be found anywhere.
There is a solution to the Touchscreen problem, perhaps if I say first that gloves are a barrier to touchscreens and need to be removed for you to make contact with the screen before anything starts to work, and it's your bare hands that are susceptible to picking up Viruses etc. The solution is capacitive gloves, they are basically ordinary gloves with three finger tips coated to transmit a small sensing capacitance from fingertip to the screen, they as you can guess designed to prevent the need for glove removal at Touchscreens while the screen detects input.


Is Vaccination enough Yes / No.

Vaccination is one tool in the Health Services armoury to beat the Virus but it is not perfect, a lot of people think once they have had their  shot (s) they are invincible, well as we all should know that is not the case, you need to think on your feet and not invite trouble. Manage these two tactics together and you stand the best possible chance of survival of anyone on this Earth.

Cash.

Always pay by card,  cash transactions can and will carry bugs

Government thinking. Right or Wrong .... A Ping Pong Economy.

Government thinking regarding dealing with complex situations such as this can be coloured by the economy and the need to keep shops and companies in business. This can lead to Government advice being delayed at the expense of the economy, and often boils down to what do you want a Viral free county or a slightly shambolic infrastructure that is still in a position to recover from sanctions.

Conclusions.

There is no happy medium to sorting any Viral problem, our main hope lies with the Back Room Boys or Boffins to help find a way to beat this problem, these are the real unsung heroes and some did not make it, sacrificing their lives for the good of others. Please take time to consider these people and their lives and aspirations that have been lost in the Viral wars.

Author

Adrian Wilson RMN.

Adrian trained and Qualified as a Level One Psychiatric Nurse many years ago but has never forgotten his training, now as the Founder of the FoSF with the backing of Doctor Wilson his daughter ( Also a Medical Scientist ) and Diane Wilson SRN,RMN, his Ex wife he is able to help others through this publication The Friends of Sherwood Forest.

www.MajorOak.uk

The three Governors of the FoSF have a combined Training and Service of nearly three quarters of a Century to the Nursing and Medical Professions.

             Copyright 2nd December 2021.

Permission must be sought from the Author to reproduce this article in part or full.
 

...... There is a Charity using our name on Government records,

they are based in Edwinstowe 

Please note we are NOTHING to do with the Sherwood Forest Trust,  they have elected to use our name on Government documents in bad faith,  we as a truly Independent Charity have concerns about fraudulent behaviour from others attempting to pass themselves off as belonging to the FoSF.  Please be Advised.

The RSPB is now in charge of Sherwood Forest, more of that on our RSPB page for your enlightenment.