[Adam]

FYI: Here in Louisville an outfit came to town and set up a drive through covid-19 test site in the poorer section of the city. If one had the correct insurance the test was free. If not, the charge was $200. They were literally run out of town by community activists and the president of the city the city council.

Clues: The banner they set up did not reference an association with any other organization.
They did not contact city government. At the time the only legit test site was University Hospital.
HIPAA was misspelled on their forms.
The nurses did not change gloves between giving the swabbings.
They only did throat swabs. The real test does nasal swabs.

Folks giving up their personal info, social security numbers, Medicaid numbers and Passport health numbers enable these scammers to bill Medicaid for thousands of dollars plus whatever else they can do with that info.

To see a scam of this level is extremely disheartening. I hope that there are severe penalties for this kind of behavior once it's possible to shift attention away from responding to the crisis itself.

Adam
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[rzigmont]

Well, in it's place I'll offer this blunt and scary video. It's 34 minutes, very frank, but really clear.

HOW COVID-19 KILLS--I'm a Surgeon--And Why We Can't Save You - YouTube

I hadn't seen this video till today. He made this a month ago and he called it correctly! Thanks.. I passed it on, on faceybookie. Stay well!

[Pentaxergy]

Nice that Pentax is keeping the community informed.... !

[ecostigny]

Yes, thanks for passing along the good information!

[Marnie642]

Thanks Adam for keep updating what is going on. Please keep it up.

[FJC]

If any of you are interested, we have made a home maid sterilization unit at our home. It works, it´s cheap and it´s easy to do. All you need is an ultraviolet type C light set into a box, with a switch to turn it on OUTSIDE the box. You can buy it as a fluorescent tube (this is the one we use) but there are other kinds of UVC lights. The box must be CLOSED before you switch the light on, because UVC light can damage your eyes. It can also damage your skin. But you will be safe if you turn it on once the box is closed. UVC radiation kills all the bacteria and virus in just minutes. It has been extensively tested and is used in industry to sterilize water and food. We use it at home to sterilize all packages that come from our Internet purchases, and even for our face masks. This system has been proved to be effective for the sterilization of face masks. We bought our UV fluorescent tube type C from a Chinese company for 20-30 €, with its bearing and cable, shipping included. If you are willing to make your own make sure you buy a UV light TYPE C. Others won´t kill the corona virus. If the light source is a fluorescent tube it can generate ozone. It is no good to breathe ozone frequently, but ozone will also kill the corona virus from the item you put inside the box. If this is the kind of light source you use for your sterilization unit, be sure to use it in a well vented place. Due to the inverse square law, that you probably know, the UVC will need more time to be effective in a bigger place. But inside a box of 50x50x50 cm, for example, it´ll take just 2-3 minutes to kill all the microbes from your packages. One more (and last advice). Put something in the bottom of the box (inside) so it isn´t even (to avoid any package, letter, etc., stay flat once you introduce it into the box). This way the light will touch the introduced item all around. I hope you find this post useful. Stay safe.

[Baxter]

Dear PF community,

I hope you are all staying safe and healthy in these unprecedented times!

While most online stores and shopping services remain open, I wanted to share a reminder that it is believed that the virus can live on surfaces for some period of time, so please follow the currently recommended precautions to clean/disinfect any potentially contaminated surfaces (including packages and their contents) and wash your hands as needed: Cleaning and Disinfection for Households | CDC

Also, be on the lookout for coronavirus-themed online scams (such as fake charity sites) and e-mails with links to attachments that might contain malware or try to phish your credentials. There are also coronavirus maps out there that are loaded with ransomware. Cybercriminals are taking heavy advantage of the global panic and are ramping up their attacks, so please be careful.

For those members who have been staying home over the course of the past weeks, I hope that the forum has proved to be a fun place to hang out, as well as a valuable resource. If anyone is facing financial hardship during this crisis, know that we're here to help as much as we can. I'd be happy to offer free access to our Marketplace for those who might need it (please shoot me a PM), and we will be relaxing our rules on what can and cannot be listed. The Marketplace isn't limited to Pentax items: you may also list non-Pentax photo related gear as well as any electronics.

Lastly, our upcoming April photo contest will feature a theme that's indoor-friendly.

Best wishes to all,

Adam

Thanks for the words of warning.

[Baxter]

Dear PF community,

I hope you are all staying safe and healthy in these unprecedented times!

While most online stores and shopping services remain open, I wanted to share a reminder that it is believed that the virus can live on surfaces for some period of time, so please follow the currently recommended precautions to clean/disinfect any potentially contaminated surfaces (including packages and their contents) and wash your hands as needed: Cleaning and Disinfection for Households | CDC

Also, be on the lookout for coronavirus-themed online scams (such as fake charity sites) and e-mails with links to attachments that might contain malware or try to phish your credentials. There are also coronavirus maps out there that are loaded with ransomware. Cybercriminals are taking heavy advantage of the global panic and are ramping up their attacks, so please be careful.

For those members who have been staying home over the course of the past weeks, I hope that the forum has proved to be a fun place to hang out, as well as a valuable resource. If anyone is facing financial hardship during this crisis, know that we're here to help as much as we can. I'd be happy to offer free access to our Marketplace for those who might need it (please shoot me a PM), and we will be relaxing our rules on what can and cannot be listed. The Marketplace isn't limited to Pentax items: you may also list non-Pentax photo related gear as well as any electronics.

Lastly, our upcoming April photo contest will feature a theme that's indoor-friendly.

Best wishes to all,

Adam

Thanks for the update.

[TONY LOUIS]

Dear PF community,

I hope you are all staying safe and healthy in these unprecedented times!

While most online stores and shopping services remain open, I wanted to share a reminder that it is believed that the virus can live on surfaces for some period of time, so please follow the currently recommended precautions to clean/disinfect any potentially contaminated surfaces (including packages and their contents) and wash your hands as needed: Cleaning and Disinfection for Households | CDC

Also, be on the lookout for coronavirus-themed online scams (such as fake charity sites) and e-mails with links to attachments that might contain malware or try to phish your credentials. There are also coronavirus maps out there that are loaded with ransomware. Cybercriminals are taking heavy advantage of the global panic and are ramping up their attacks, so please be careful.

For those members who have been staying home over the course of the past weeks, I hope that the forum has proved to be a fun place to hang out, as well as a valuable resource. If anyone is facing financial hardship during this crisis, know that we're here to help as much as we can. I'd be happy to offer free access to our Marketplace for those who might need it (please shoot me a PM), and we will be relaxing our rules on what can and cannot be listed. The Marketplace isn't limited to Pentax items: you may also list non-Pentax photo related gear as well as any electronics.

Lastly, our upcoming April photo contest will feature a theme that's indoor-friendly.

Best wishes to all,

Adam

Hi Adam

I am very lucky to be alive after getting infected with coronavirus 3 times in 14 months. I almost lost my life 6 times and almost lost 2 of my 3 children form it. Coronavirus is more deadlier than I ever thought it was. The first time I got infected, I never knew what it was and visited A&E I was told I had a virus but they did not know what it was. My infection led to coronavirus induced pneumonia which almost shut all the organs down in my body. Breathless is a understatement. I was staring at death. What saved me was Doxycycline antibiotics for pneumonia chest infection, taking 323mg of iron tablets everyday (Iron helps move oxygen around the body), Drinking hot boiled ginger root tea (and I mean Hot), Sleeping in a vertical position for 2 weeks and eating lots of Raw garlic. The 2nd time I caught it wasn't life threatening and passed within 3 weeks but the third time I caught it was deadly. This one gave me congestive heart failure, blood clotting of the feet and legs and serious headaches plus a lot more. I am now scared to death of this virus. Isolation is the best way until they sort out this virus. Watch out for the mutations. Hope everyone keeps safe.

[hongman]

I hope everyone and their families are safe and well in Pentax Land and every where else too! My Wife & I got our 2nd shots yesterday, and I hope everyone who wants a shot can get them as soon as possible

[Roger Dier]

I never view posts on this forum without wearing a mask.

[DWS1]

According to the government I am fully vaccinated as of today. Not that it's going to make any difference in my life style. Social distancing has never been a problem for me.

[Zoltansc]

Just keep the social distance I think this is the main message...I got the first vaccina two weeks ago...

[ecostigny]

I'm getting my second vaccination in a couple of hours. I realize that I still have to take precautions to help ensure that we emerge from this pandemic successfully.

[Yoda boy]

With the Covid 19 pandemic we have all had to learn how to demand a higher level of cleanliness. The problem is: are others taking the same precautions are you? Some of the new variants apparently have much longer shelf life times so we have to consider this. Remember, this is a situation where it is not how many times you do things correctly, it is the times that you don't that will get you.