Rayneau -The Store of the Future: Rayneau Optimistic About COVID -19 - “This will p...

Rayneau -The Store of the Future: Rayneau Optimistic About COVID -19 - “This will p...: Rayneau Group of Companies is remaining concerned—but optimistic—about COVID-19 . In these extremely challenging times, Rayneau Group ...

BOATS TAKING ST LUCIANS FROM MARTNIQUE TO LOUVETTE | THEY JUST WON'T LISTEN

The TRUE or FALSE about COVID-19 by Lisa Maragakis

Lisa Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H., is a senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

There's a lot of information circulating about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID), so it’s important to know what’s true and what’s not. Below, find some information that will help clarify few questions to help keep you and your family healthy and safe.

TRUE or FALSE? A vaccine to cure COVID-19 is available.

FALSE.

True: There is no vaccine for the new coronavirus right now. Scientists have already begun working on one, but developing a vaccine that is safe and effective in human beings will take many months.

TRUE or FALSE? You can protect yourself from COVID-19 by swallowing or gargling with bleach, taking acetic acid or steroids, or using essential oils, salt water, ethanol or other substances.

FALSE.

True: None of these recommendations protects you from getting COVID-19, and some of these practices may be dangerous. The best ways to protect yourself from this coronavirus (and other viruses) include:

Washing your hands frequently and thoroughly, using soap and hot water.

Avoiding close contact with people who are sick, sneezing or coughing.

In addition, you can avoid spreading your own germs by coughing into the crook of your elbow and staying home when you are sick.

TRUE or FALSE? The new coronavirus was deliberately created or released by people.

FALSE.

True: Viruses can change over time. Occasionally, a disease outbreak happens when a virus that is common in an animal such as a pig, bat or bird undergoes changes and passes to humans. This is likely how the new coronavirus came to be.

TRUE or FALSE? Ordering or buying products shipped from China will make a person sick.

FALSE.

True: Researchers are studying the new coronavirus to learn more about how it infects people. As of this writing, scientists note that most viruses like this one do not stay alive for very long on surfaces, so it is not likely you would get COVID-19 from a package that was in transit for days or weeks. The illness is most likely transmitted by droplets from an infected person’s sneeze or cough, but more information is emerging daily.

TRUE or FALSE? A face mask will protect you from COVID-19.

FALSE.

True: Certain models of professional, tight-fitting respirators (such as the N95) can protect health care workers as they care for infected patients.

For the general public without respiratory illness, wearing lightweight disposable surgical masks is not recommended. Because they don’t fit tightly, they may allow tiny infected droplets to get into the nose, mouth or eyes. Also, people with the virus on their hands who touch their face under a mask might become infected.

People with a respiratory illness can wear these masks to lessen their chance of infecting others. Bear in mind that stocking up on masks makes fewer available for sick patients and health care workers who need them.

Editor's note: this article is from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/2019-novel-coronavirus-myth-versus-fact

[COVID-19] - How to Prevent Yourself From Getting Infected?

With the talk of CORONAVIRUS and its daily toll on persons globally, knowing how to protect yourself must be a priority. Dr MILTON LUM has given some clear guidelines to follow if we are to stay safe.  

"The Covid-19 outbreak brought into sharp focus the need to keep hands clean by handwashing with soap and water, or the use of alcohol hand sanitisers.

Clean hands, not masks, are more vital in the avoidance of illness and spreading microorganisms to others

To ensure your hands are rid of harmful microorganisms, scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds, or as long as it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song twice. — Photos.com

Many infectious diseases are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean running water.

How they spread

There are various ways in which microorganisms can get onto human hands and cause illness.

The faeces of humans and animals often contain microorganisms like Escherichia coli and Salmonella, which cause diarrhoea.

In addition, faeces can also spread some respiratory infections like adenovirus, and hand, foot and mouth disease, in children.

These microorganisms find their way onto our hands after we go to the toilet or change a diaper.

It can also occur after the handling of raw animal meats that can have invisible amounts of animal faeces on them.

Microorganisms can also find their way onto our hands if anyone touches an object that contains microorganisms on it.

This occurs as a result of an infected person coughing or sneezing on the object, or another contaminated object touching the object.'

When microorganisms on the hands are not washed off, they can be passed from one person to another, thereby spreading and causing illness.

A healthcare-acquired infection (HAI) is an infection acquired by a patient during healthcare delivery in a hospital or other healthcare facilities, which was not present or incubating on admission.

It is the most frequent adverse event in healthcare and affects patients in any care setting during and after discharge.'

A HAI leads to prolonged hospital stays; antibiotic resistance; disability; high costs for individuals, their families and health systems; and unnecessary deaths.

It can also lead to infections in doctors, nurses, other healthcare professionals or caregivers attending to patients.

From hands to face

French tennis player Benoit Paire clutches his face during a match at the recent Australian Open tournament. Touching our face with hands that have picked up harmful microorganisms is one way we can get infected. — AFP

The washing of hands prevents illness and spread of infection(s) to others.

When hands are washed with soap and water, there is removal of a substantial number of microorganisms from their hands.

There are several ways in which handwashing prevents infections.

Microorganisms from unwashed hands can get into drinks and food during preparation or consumption.In addition, microorganisms can multiply in some types of drinks or foods under certain conditions, then cause illness.

They can cause illness when they get into the human body through the eyes, nose and mouth.

People often touch their eyes, nose and mouth without realising it.

A study of medical students at the University of New South Wales in Australia, published in 2015 in the American Journal of Infection Control, reported that the subjects touched their faces 23 times per hour.

“Of all face touches, 44% involved contact with a mucous membrane, whereas 56% of contacts involved non-mucosal areas.

“Of the mucous membrane touches observed, 36% involved the mouth, 31% involved the nose, 27% involved the eyes, and 6% were a combination of these regions.

Another study, published in 2014 in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, observed hand hygiene and face touching in family doctors and their staff in Cincinnati, United States.

The participants touched their eyes, nose and mouth a mean of 19 times in two hours (a range of zero to 105 times) with family doctors doing so significantly less often than their staff.

Microorganisms from unwashed hands can be transferred to other objects like door knobs, table tops, hand rails etc, then transferred to other people’s hands.

The transmission of healthcare-associated microorganisms from one patient to another through caregivers’ hands involves the following sequence:

• Microorganisms are present on the patient’s skin or have been shed onto inanimate objects in the patient’s immediate vicinity.
• The microorganisms are transferred onto the hands of caregivers, where they are capable of survival for several minutes.
• Handwashing or antisepsis by the caregivers is inadequate or omitted, or the agent used for hand hygiene is inappropriate, and
• The contaminated hand or hands of the caregivers come into direct contact with another patient or with an inanimate object that will come into direct contact with a patient.

Protection against infection

There is substantial evidence that widespread handwashing significantly reduces the incidence of diarrhoeal illnesses, particularly in those with weakened immunity, as well as the incidence of respiratory infections in the community.

Handwashing with soap can protect about one out of every three young children with diarrhoea, and almost one out of every five young children with respiratory infections like pneumonia.

Handwashing can prevent about 30% of diarrhoea-related illnesses and about 20% of respiratory infections, both of which are often prescribed antibiotics.

The reduction of these infections helps prevent antibiotic overuse, which is the single most important factor that leads to antibiotic resistance globally.

Handwashing can also prevent antibiotic-resistant infections that are difficult to treat.

There is substantial evidence that hand antisepsis reduces the transmission of healthcare-associated microorganisms and the incidence of HAI.

Improvement in hand hygiene practices may reduce transmission of microorganisms by half.

In short, the removal of microorganisms through handwashing helps in the prevention of diarrhoea and respiratory infections, and may even prevent skin and eye infections in the community setting.

In the healthcare settings, handwashing reduces HAIs significantly.

Hand hygiene at the right time has saved, saves, and will continue to save millions of lives globally.

It is a quality indicator of safe healthcare systems as infections can be stopped by good hand hygiene practices.'

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the harm to patients and healthcare professionals can be prevented by less than US$10 (RM42.25) and that alcohol-based hand sanitisers, which cost about US$3 (RM12.67) per bottle, can prevent HAIs and millions of deaths annually.

How to wash hands

Hand sanitiser provided for the public at an ERL counter. Alcohol-based hand sanitisers should be used only when your hands are not visibly dirty, otherwise, handwashing with soap and water is a must. — ERL

WHO recommends frequent handwashing with soap and water, or the use of an alcohol-based hand sanitiser, if your hands are not visibly dirty, as one of the basic protective measures against Covid-19 infection.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spells out the details of handwashing for the general public in five steps: “Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap and apply soap.

“Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.

“Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the Happy Birthday song from beginning to end twice.

“Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

“Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.”

WHO has guidelines for hand hygiene in healthcare too.

Handwashing with soap and water must be used when the hands are visibly soiled or potentially contaminated with body fluids, and when caring for patients with vomiting or diarrhoeal illness, regardless of whether or not gloves have been worn.

A hand sanitiser containing 70%-95% alcohol is used for hand decontamination in healthcare settings, as it is better tolerated than handwashing with soap and water.

Non-alcohol-based hand sanitisers are not recommended.

The message on clean hands in the Covid-19 outbreak should be carried forward into the cultivation of frequent handwashing as a daily habit for everyone.

This will also reduce diarrhoeal diseases and some respiratory diseases in the medium to long term.

In summary, clean hands not only protect against infections, but also saves lives."

Editor's note: This article was taken from :
https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/health/2020/03/03/here039s-how-to-prevent-yourself-from-being-infected

Galvaro Pitons takes on Jkube Strikers Friday Nite

Well, it's finally here. Choiseul Smash T20 Series gets underway this Friday Night at the La Fargue Grounds  from 7:00pm, with Galvaro Blazin Pitons coming up against Jkube Kutumba Strikers.
 The encounter, according to our cricket pundits, will be a competitive one with players  who played in the recently concluded SPL expected to give a good showing.

Established players like Alvin Laffeuille and Desmond Alfred,  SPL players like Jason Simon, Christian Charlery, as well as Bronte Bess and Bradley Tisson are sure to give the crowd something to shout about.

Sunday from 2:00pm will see the start of a women's series while at 7:00 pm on Saturday and Tuesday the men's competition continues.

Here's the fixtures for the matches:

According to the organizers,fans will be awarded  prizes from blind Smash. Fans will be randomly chosen and blind folded. Then a ball with a bell will be rolled to them where they can hear a sound. Persons who hit the ball the farthest wins. This will be done at half time during the women's matches.

Also FICS "Snatch-a-Catch" where fans get instant cash for catching balls hit over the boundary. Fans can also win random prizes.

Live streaming will be made available by "Choiseul on the Move"

Franchise Cricket Gets Set for Launch in Choiseul Next Weekend

Franchise cricket has finally arrived in Choiseul - and it is going to be a Smash!

The long, drawn-out auction over the players is now complete; Choiseul Smash Super League is now set  and will launch next week Friday February 28, 2020 at the La Fargue Playing Field with six teams involving about 100 players.

By all indications, "It promises to be a smash," so says one of the organisors.

The teams: 

Sulphur City K9's, Jkube Kutumba Strikers, Impromptu Quadrille Renegades, Kehls Sugarmill Rangers, JJ's Claypot Conquerors, and Galvaro's Blazing Pitons are all seeking to reach Finals Day sometime after March 22, 2020 - and each side will be bolstered by two outside  signings. Matches will be on a round robin basis.

It is not the first time the Choiseul  cricketers have blazed a trail - one will recall the recently concluded SPL where many of the players  now in Choiseul Smash proved their worth. Choiseul Smash, the first of its kind in the district promises to be a real SMASH and lots of entertainment for the spectators.

What is Choiseul Smash? 

According  the Choiseul Smash FaceBook page,"Choiseul Smash is a cricket tournament designed to develop cricket in Choiseul and give fans an exciting cricket package. The tournament will see male, females and junior (separate competitions) do battle in an exciting and enthralling environment. Teams will be selected using a draft format. Interested persons will register to go in the draft for a chance to be selected on a team."

The table below shows the persons behind each franchise.

Team	Franchisor/Owner	Base
Galvaro Blazing Pitons	Horatio Nicholas	La Fargue
JJ’s Claypot Conquerors	Jahmel	Caffiere-Morne Jacques, Dacretin
Dotcom Sugarmill Rangers	Christopher Peter	Morne Sion, Mongouge, Fiette
Sulphur City K9’s	Stichy	Delcer, Lapointe, Soufrierer
Jkube Kutumba Strikers	Jkube productions	Saltibus to Piaye
Impromptu  Defay Tamboo		La Fargue, Village, Reunion

NB: Efforts to get the info to complete the table above were unsuccessful. Will update once it is available.

Matches are in the T20 format and will be played  on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and are scheduled to commence at 7:00 pm.

"Choiseul on the Move" intends to cover LIVE the first  and last 5 overs of every innings on FaceBook or YouTube.

Three New Justices of the Peace for Choiseul/Saltibus

On January 17, 2020 at Government House  about 4:00 pm, fifty (50) new Justices of the Peace  from across the island were sworn in and took the Oath of Office.

Among those fifty JP appointees were three Choiseulians in the persons of Valentine Monrose and Eve Aimable, Primary School Teachers - the former is retired and Dedan Jn Baptiste, Content Marketer at Rayneau Construction and Industrial Products Ltd.

Governor General

The ceremony commenced with the Governor General, His Excellency Sir Emmanuel Neville Cenac welcoming the future Justices of the Peace. In his short remarks he briefly went through the history of Justice of the Peace institution while in between adding a bit of humour which is part of his signature at many of his speeches. In closing he told the new appointees,” You are the eyes of your community.”

After the short remarks the  Governor General's, Aid de Camp Curtis Sealy, swore-in the Justices of the Peace administered the Oath of Office. The Certificates were then presented  to each JP by the Personal Secretary to the Governor General. (View video below)

The mission of the Justices of the Peace:  To provide the highest standard of service and performance to the citizens of Saint Lucia through efficiency, consistency and fairness and to ensure that justice is provided without unreasonable delay thereby enhancing the public's confidence in the Justice system

                                 Justices of the Peace Swearing-in Ceremony

Choiseul/Saltibus now has 13 registered Justices of the Peace. The table below shows the Choiseul/Saltibus Justices of the Peace before January 17, 2020:

It is interesting to note that Mr Anthony Herman is the longest serving JP in the district. (Refer to table)

Support your JPs - they are there at your service; make use of them.  A new blog will be created soon to inform the Choiseul/Saltibus residents and by extension the island about the importance of JPs in the community. The blog will be named "Justices of the Peace and You."