Who would ever believe that there are some new hand sanitizers on the market that are actually toxic? My first thought was that it was a really bad screenplay that nobody would watch; you know — a “B-rated” science fiction movie. But, the FDA announced that certain hand sanitizers manufactured in Mexico can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or digested.
Check your hand sanitizer to make use it DOESN’T have methanol, a wood alcohol. The manufacturer is located in Eskbiochem SA de CV. Hand sanitizers should not have methanol as an ingredient. If you have been exposed to any hand sanitizer containing methanol, seek immediate treatment for potential reversal of toxic effects of methanol poisoning. Exposure to methanol can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system, or death.
Here is the FDA’s list of toxic hand sanitizers:
1. All-Clean Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-002-01)
2. Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-007-01)
3. CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-008-04)
4. Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-006-01)
5. The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-010-10)
6. CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-005-03)
7. CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01)
8. CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-003-01)
9. Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-001-01)
My take-away: don’t drink chloroquine phosphate and don’t use methanol hand sanitizers. In other words, don’t take something meant to protect you from coronavirus that might kill you! Is this really where we are as a society?
Who would ever believe that there are some new hand sanitizers on the market that are actually toxic? My first thought was that it was a really bad screenplay that nobody would watch; you know — a “B-rated” science fiction movie. But, the FDA announced that certain hand sanitizers manufactured in Mexico can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or digested.
Check your hand sanitizer to make use it DOESN’T have methanol, a wood alcohol. The manufacturer is located in Eskbiochem SA de CV. Hand sanitizers should not have methanol as an ingredient. If you have been exposed to any hand sanitizer containing methanol, seek immediate treatment for potential reversal of toxic effects of methanol poisoning. Exposure to methanol can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system, or death.
Here is the FDA’s list of toxic hand sanitizers:
1. All-Clean Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-002-01)
2. Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-007-01)
3. CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-008-04)
4. Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-006-01)
5. The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-010-10)
6. CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-005-03)
7. CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01)
8. CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-003-01)
9. Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-001-01)
My take-away: don’t drink chloroquine phosphate and don’t use methanol hand sanitizers. In other words, don’t take something meant to protect you from coronavirus that might kill you! Is this really where we are as a society?
Now that wearing a mask in public is required in California and other states, we’re hearing all kinds of misinformation about the effectiveness of masks with viruses. My daughter Nicole (an ER doctor) sent me a post written by Dr. Sam Laucks, a surgeon, who definitively answered questions.
I’ve streamlined the Q&A here:
1. Do masks protect me from getting sick?
I have spent the past 39 years working in the field of surgery. For a significant part of that time, I have worn a mask. I have worked with hundreds (probably thousands) of colleagues during those years, who have also worn masks. Not a single one us of became ill, passed out or died from lack of oxygen. Not a single one of us became ill, passed out or died from breathing too much carbon dioxide. Not a single one us of became ill, passed out or died from rebreathing a little of our own exhaled air. Let’s begin here by putting those scare tactics to rest!
2. Wearing a mask for people with advanced lung diseases can make it difficult for them to breathe. What should they do?
It is true that some people, with advanced lung diseases, may be so fragile that a mask could make their already-tenuous breathing more difficult. If your lungs are that bad, you probably shouldn’t be going out in public at the present time anyway; the consequences if you are exposed to Covid-19 would likely be devastating.
3. Can’t viruses go right through the mask because they are so small? Masks keep viruses out just as well as a chain link fence keeps mosquitoes out,” some tell us.
It is true that individual virus particles can pass through the pores of a mask; however, viruses don’t move on their own. They do not fly across the room like a mosquito, wiggle through your mask like a worm, or fly up your nose like a gnat. The virus is essentially nothing more than a tiny blob of genetic material. Covid-19 travels in a CARRIER – the carrier is a fluid droplet- fluid droplets that you expel when you cough, sneeze, sing, laugh, talk or simply exhale. Most of your fluid droplets will be stopped from entering the air in the room if you are wearing a mask. Wearing a mask is a very efficient way to protect others if you are carrying the virus (even if you don’t know that you are infected). In addition, if someone else’s fluid droplets happen to land on your mask, many of them will not pass through. This gives the wearer some additional protection, too. But, the main reason to wear a mask is to PROTECT OTHERS. Even if you don’t care about yourself, wear your mask to protect your neighbors, co-workers and friends! A mask is certainly not 100% protective. However, it appears that the severity of Covid-19 infection is at least partially “dose-dependent.” In other words, the more virus particles that enter your body, the sicker you are likely to become. Why not decrease that volume if you can? “What have you got to lose?!”
4. Doesn’t a requirement or a request to wear a mask violate my constitutional rights?
You’re also not allowed to go into the grocery store if you are not wearing pants. You can’t yell “fire” in the Produce Department. You’re not allowed to urinate on the floor in the Frozen Food Section. Do you object to those restrictions? Rules, established for the common good, are component of a civilized society.
5. Aren’t masks uncomfortable?
Some would say that underwear or shoes can be uncomfortable, but we still wear them. (Actually, being on a ventilator is pretty darned uncomfortable, too!) Are masks really so bad that you can’t tolerate them, even if they will help keep others healthy?
6. Won’t people think I’m a snowflake or a wimp if I wear a mask?
I hope you have enough self-confidence to overcome that.
7. I never get sick; I’m not worried.
Well, then, wear a mask for the sake of the rest of us who are not so perfect!
8. Will wearing a mask help stop the COVID-19?
There is good evidence that masks make a real difference in diminishing the transmission of Covid-19. Please, for the sake of others (and for the sake of yourself), wear your mask when in public. It won’t kill you!
And, by the way, please be sure that BOTH your nose and mouth are covered! Recommendations around mask usage are confusing. The science isn’t. Evidence shows that masks are extremely effective to slow the coronavirus and may be the best tool available right now to fight it.
So there you have it! If a surgeon of 39 years believes that wearing a mask can protect us from spreading the coronavirus and dying from COVID-19, I’m in. I have a dozen masks that I’ve stashed everywhere so I always have a clean mask ready. This is a really easy thing for each of us to do.
I get that we’re all really antsy to get out of the house and resume “summer vacation” activities. When we’re inundated with different messages from the WHO, CDC, government, friends, and family about when shelter-in-place orders will be eased, it’s easy to just take the path of least resistance and go along with the crowd. But seriously. Read the numbers and you’ll see that the numbers of COVID-19 cases are still rising across the US. Yesterday in California, we had more new cases in one day than we have had since this pandemic started in February. A new study reveals how the 2020 Spring Break help spread COVID-19 on college campuses and the surrounding communities.
Statistics speak volumes and when researchers looked at spring break vacation dates, cell phone data, and reported cases of COVID-19, they found that student breaks are partly responsible for the continuing growth of this pandemic. It’s not just spring break, but fall break, Thanksgiving break, Christmas/Winter break, and long weekends.
Many colleges are starting early this fall so they can switch to online classes and shut down campuses and dorms before Thanksgiving. This can prevent the spread of COVID-19 when the students would return to campus from all over the country and world after the holidays.
We’re still plagued by the worst pandemic of our lifetimes, and we need to shelter in place until the coronavirus is under control and there is an effective vaccine. Imagine what’s going to happen if everyone takes their summer vacation trips all over the US and world during the next 8 weeks, we’re going to have a 2nd wave before flu season starts next winter. The sooner we stop the spread of the coronavirus, the sooner we can resume our normal lives again. It has to take place in this order – not the other way around.
I have been hosting family reunions for both sides of my family and it’s a big job. Planning activities, meals, games, prizes, RootsMagic (genealogy updates), and lodging takes months each year. But this year thanks to shelter-in-place (SIP) orders, we can’t have face-to-face reunions this summer. We’re a close family so we found a solution: a virtual family reunion using Google Meet.
This was our first virtual family reunion so I kept it simple. We all shared our SIP stories and Nicole gave an update on the coronavirus and her experiences on the frontline as an ER doctor in Silicon Valley. I started the meeting with a slideshow of photos of my SIP projects to get everyone on board. That set the tone for each person as they shared photos and gave us updates on how they’ve worked from home, ordered groceries for delivery, and socially distanced as they met with one another.
Expect that some people will have trouble setting up the virtual meeting so set up a practice run a few days before your event. That way, people can log on to make sure their camera and microphones are all working. You can write instructions on setting up the app, checking the microphone and camera, and offering tips to help those who are computer literate. For others, you’ll need to set it up for them or walk them through every step.
Hope this isn’t the new normal, but for now, it is a fun way to stay in touch with the entire family. I recorded our session and plan to add it to RootsMagic so future generations will know how we’ve dealt with the coronavirus and our SIP orders.
Simona Grace (2020 Mother of the Year)
and
Susan Tatsui D’Arcy (2019 Mother of the Year)
will be featured in the American Mothers California special “Meet the Moms” event!
June 11, 2020 @ 5:00pm
Come get to know these two wonderful mothers and hear about Susan’s exciting year, as well as help us welcome and hear about the amazing plans of Simona for the year to come!
We will also be introducing the new AMC board members and have exciting information to share!! To see the new board members and read their bios, click https://americanmotherscalifornia.org/california-board-members/
Zoom Connection instructions are listed below and are accessible by phone or computer:
Topic: CA American Mothers, Inc.
Time: Jun 11, 2020 05:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81908980606? pwd=M1BXUmpjVTFpUVpHSlpKNkRZcDFCQT09
Meeting ID: 819 0898 0606
Password: 153478
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Dial by your location
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Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kqVAHji6M
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Password: 153478
Simona Grace
Simona is a hardworking L.A. mom who is dedicated to her 10-year old son, Luke, and considers motherhood her greatest privilege in life. She is also the founder of “Moms in Office” a political action committee (PAC) as well as a writer, and a publishing professional. After spending her childhood in Hungary, Simona moved to the United States to pursue her academic goals with one suitcase and no knowledge of the English language. She earned a degree in Comparative Literature from UCLA, summa cum laude. She writes about parenting topics at the intersection of culture and society, and major online media outlets, such as “Scarymommy”, have published her work. With “Moms in Office” Simona became the first single mom in the United States to form a political organization, which has helped her further her mission to strengthen the political voice of all moms and to help elect mothers to public office.
Come and meet this amazing mom and see why all her opportunities as well as the obstacles she’s overcome have helped her to become who she is today!
Susan Tatsui-D’Arcy
Susan grew up in Southern California and currently resides in Santa Cruz. After her first child was born, Susan set up a preschool so she could spend more time with her daughter and provide engaging activities for her. She invited other children to join them to create a stimulating and social environment. Realizing that no existing school met the standards she wanted for her children, she opened an elementary school for accelerated students that expanded with her children as they advanced each year. When her daughters were in middle school, Susan created ProjectMERIT to inspire teens to find their niches and pursue independent projects. Later she expanded Merit Academy to include high school and college advisory. Susan has written eleven books on parenting, education & time management. Susan is the CEO and founder of Merit Academy and Merit Educational Consultants. For fun, Susan skis, ATVs, and manages her aquaponics garden and permaculture fruit orchard.
Come and help us congratulate Susan on all that she was able to accomplish as 2019 Mother of the Year and to wish her a bright future of success!
Just finished building a redwood deck in our oak grove so that we can socialize at 6 feet apart. Anything we do in our home means that we’re breaking that 6-foot distancing rule – sitting around the dining room table, cooking together, walking down hallways, and simply opening the front door. So I built a redwood deck about 150 feet from the house so guests could meet us there. With 2 entrances, it makes it safe to come and go. I’ve ordered 2 bistro tables and chairs so one couple could sit at one table while we sit at another. We can separate the tables but we can face each other at a safe distance. We’re among the old oak trees where it’s cool and refreshing, even on the hottest days.
Wearing masks and gloves, I bought the redwood and had plenty of help carrying the wood down to the oak grove. Nicole and Brad helped me cut, carry, and assemble the skirtframe (and 60 lb bags of cement). They even tried to dig post holes using an 8” auger, but the sandstone made it impossible to penetrate. Our maintenance guy later jackhammered the post holes and Mario set the posts. Rob helped me cut and place the joists. I rented a framing gun and compressor, and learned how to use a handy tool to straighten crooked boards as I framed the deck. Mario helped me install guardrails, posts, and benches. I’m putting the second coat of sealer on today. Thanks to a team of willing volunteers, the deck is done!
I’m excited about socializing in a safe way, while enjoying the views and a new space. Ready for guests in 2 weeks!
This is clearly the most unconventional and obstructive high school semester in our history since WWII. Everyone has been affected by school closures, shelter-in-place (SIP) orders, unemployment, and/or COVID-19. You all have your stories and the college admissions departments want to hear them. Schools will submit information about changes in class instruction, final exams, and grades or pass/fail as a result of SIP. Now students will have their opportunity to share their experiences on the college applications.
The Coalition for College Application has added a question to its application about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected their education. It will also have optional checkbox-style questions that describe how COVID-19 impacted their ability to do schoolwork, parents’ unemployment or employment as an essential worker, and family/friends who have gotten sick or died.
The Common Application has also added an optional question about students’ COVID-19 experiences. Here is the prompt:
“Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces. Do you wish to share anything on this topic? Y/N Please use this space to describe how these events have impacted you.”
This is a good time for high school seniors to reflect on how SIP and the coronavirus pandemic has changed their perspective on life. This essay will help college admissions officers learn more about them. Need help getting started? Click here for a free session.
If you’re going to be a freshman at one of the University of California campuses this fall, you may need to take their Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE). Normally, it’s given at one of the 10 campuses but this year – Surprise! Surprise! – it’s going to be given online. The AWPE is scheduled for Saturday, June 20th. You only need to take this exam if you haven’t satisfied their Entry-Level Writing Requirement.
If you have satisfied any ONE of these requirements, you do NOT have to take the AWPE:
- 30 or better on the ACT, English Language Arts; or
- 680 or better on the SAT, Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing section; or
- 3 or above on either Advanced Placement Examination in English; or
- 5 or above on an International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level English A: Literature exam; or
- 6 or above on an IB Standard Level English A: Literature exam; or
- 5 or above on an IB Higher Level English A: Language and Literature exam; or
- 6 or above on an IB Standard Level English A: Language and Literature exam; or
- Successfully completed a UC-transferrable English Composition course offered by a college or university (not high school).
You should have received an email from your UC Registrar about the exam requirements and test date. If you didn’t, call the registrar to get more information.
Now that students are taking all classes online, teachers are struggling to find ways to test them. Many of my clients from across the country are not taking tests or final exams as the spring semester comes to a close. This may cause problems with accreditation companies that require comprehensive final exams. One of the reasons that schools have gone to pass/no pass grading during this shelter-in-place order is that they can’t find a testing format that prevents cheating. I did some research to look at ways teachers can test students to determine how well they’ve mastered the concepts taught in their classes. This is what I found:
1. No Copy-Paste
Don’t allow copy and pasting on the exam itself. Set this up by using programs like LockDown Browser, Blackboard and other programs. They can detect if students copy and paste during the exam. This eliminates students researching answers online and copying/pasting the answers.
2. Different Questions
Students often cheat by getting questions from other students who take the class during an earlier period. If a teacher has a 20-question test, then the teacher would create 100 questions and randomly select 20 for each of their five classes. That way, students who take tests later in the day don’t have an unfair advantage.
3. Timed Tests
Set a time limits for the tests that don’t give students time to go online to research the answers. By setting a tight deadline for completing the test, the students won’t have time to talk to friends, look at cheat sheets or google the question.
4. Problem-Solving Questions
Instead of asking questions that check memorization skills, teachers can ask questions that require critical thinking and problem-solving skills. By applying their knowledge about concepts taught in class, students will be graded on their ability to find viable solutions.
5. No Immediate Scores
Students will be less inclined to cheat if they don’t know how their accomplices did on a test. Rather than give immediate feedback on exams, give the tests back with scores after all students have taken the tests.
6. Disconnect Auto-Complete
If multiple students use the same computer to take the exam, disconnect the auto-complete feature so they don’t type in a few letters and get the previous test-taker’s complete answers.
7. Safe Exam Browser
By using https://safeexambrowser.org/, teachers can control what the students do while taking exams. They can make it difficult to do searches on browsers.
8. Monitored Online Programs
By using webcams and microphones, programs can monitor student activity and discussions while taking tests. There are several programs that offer these services: Online Exam, Online Video Test Proctoring, ProctorU, and Proctorio.
9. Trick Cheating Students
This is by far the most creative way to see if a student has cheated on an exam. A clever teacher wrote a difficult question that was impossible to answer, and then uploaded that question and INCORRECT answer to his lecture notes (or homework site). If students selected the “wrong” answer, they failed both the exam and the class.
Cheating has been a problem for all teachers, and now with online classes, it’s even more difficult to catch. Software companies are scrambling to offer solutions to cheating on tests now that millions of students have been and will probably continue to take online classes. As long as the teachers stay a few steps ahead of the students, the students will likely succumb to studying and preparing for exams. Getting an F on a test or failing a class is not worth the risk.
Even before the shelter-in-place (SIP) orders, most of us shopped for groceries a couple of times per week – even if to just pick up some bread. Back then, these frequent trips to the store actually increased our monthly spending because we usually bought more things than we intended to buy. But today, planning out our meals for 2 weeks and creating a good shopping list can decrease our exposure to coronavirus AND save us money.
I created a “Weekly Menu and Shopping List” to make it easy to plan out meals and shopping lists all at the same time (link below). This list is part of the Busy Woman’s Organizer that I wrote and Prentice Hall published back in 1997. Here’s how it works:
Step One: Plan your Meals
Enter in breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the entire week. Include your family favorites as well as new meals that you’ve always wanted to try. Check online to get recipes to spice up your menus.
Step Two: Check off your Ingredients
Using the Weekly Shopping List, enter each ingredient you need for every meal. I’ve made it easier for you by listing vegetables, fruit, meat, frozen foods, seasonings, packaged goods, canned goods, bottled goods, bakery, toiletries, kitchen supplies, pet supplies, and cleaning supplies.
So if you’re planning to make chicken tacos, you’d check off chicken breasts, taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and corn tortillas. Continue to do this for all of your meals.
Step Three: Check your Fridge and Pantry
To reduce waste, check to see what you might already have in your kitchen before heading out to the store. My husband loves to cross off items I put on the Shopping List when he finds them in the pantry…
Step Four: Order Online
By ordering online, you’ll save lots of money because you won’t be impulse buying as you walk around the store. They’ll deliver exactly what you ordered and nothing more.
Step Five: Shop at the Grocery Store
Now that SIP restrictions are easing up a bit, you can venture out to the grocery store to do your own shopping. Still, wear a mask and gloves – and don’t touch anything unless you plan to buy it. Careful not to touch your face.
You want to get in and out of the store quickly so stick to your list. You know where things are located so put them in your cart and then check them off your list. Don’t buy anything that’s not on the list and you’ll save money and time.
Step Six: Place your Weekly Menu and Shopping List on your fridge
With your Weekly Menu and Shopping List on your fridge, you can easily remember what you’re preparing for all meals during the week. Also place a new Weekly Menu and Shopping List on the fridge so you can start planning the next week’s meals and add to the shopping list as you run of staples like mayonnaise, butter, and milk.
With the SIP order here in Santa Cruz, CA, I plan menus for 2 weeks. The first week has more fresh salads and vegetables meals, and the second week has more lasagnas, chilis, stews, and soups that require less fresh veggies. I’ve save hundreds of dollars on food while I SIP.
Click here for the 1998 BWO Shopping List and Menu