Is it time to talk about coronavirus? (1 Viewer)

[Wayne_j]

I just saw an interesting report on why there is such a shortage of toilet paper. It turns out that it may be largely because people are using their toilets at home a lot more than they were before the virus hit since they can't use it at work or restaurants. Different manufacturers make toilet paper for the home than do for industrial use meaning that there is an extreme shortage of the home kind and warehouses full of industrial toilet paper.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...d30e92-75b5-11ea-87da-77a8136c1a6d_story.html

 

[TonyD]

Seems there’s more of a shortage of disinfectant products to me.

 

[Mike2001]

I just saw an interesting report on why there is such a shortage of toilet paper. It turns out that it may be largely because people are using their toilets at home a lot more than they were before the virus hit since they can't use it at work or restaurants. Different manufacturers make toilet paper for the home than do for industrial use meaning that there is an extreme shortage of the home kind and warehouses full of industrial toilet paper.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...d30e92-75b5-11ea-87da-77a8136c1a6d_story.html

My wife just showed me a funny meme - Toilet paper hoarding explained: Some people are eating their own cooking for the first time.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

I haven’t seen a bottle of rubbing alcohol anywhere I’ve been for at least three weeks, but still a great idea for those who can utilize it.

I keep several bottles around for cleaning, and also because it dissolves dried "mistakes" using latex paint. It's come in handy these days.

Professional painters buy it in 5 gallon containers.

 

[Mike2001]

Sad to hear about John Prine passing away from Covid19. He was one of my favorite folk musicians. When I heard he was infected last week, I was sort of expecting this, since he had previously survived lung cancer. I’ll pour some wine and listen to some of his tunes tonight in his honor.

 

[TravisR]

Seems there’s more of a shortage of disinfectant products to me.

Yeah, I've seen toilet paper the last couple times that I've gone to Target. What I don't see much of are tissues and paper towels. I haven't seen any kind of disinfectant since my state's shut down began almost a month ago.

 

[Carlo_M]

Trying to be tonally neutral here politically. From my understanding, The Defense Production Act gives the President power to compel industries to help in a manufacturing effort, as long as it's "within their realm of expertise." So for example you can't make a clothing company build tanks.

Given that, I feel the DPA should be used first and foremost to have companies who can re-tool make PPEs and ventilators to help the sick and the medical professionals caring for them.

And then The DPA should be invoked to have the numerous alcoholic beverage companies make alcohol based cleaning and sanitizing products.

I put the laugh icon because I have no idea how easy it is to re-tool a beer and spirits production line to creating 70%+ isopropyl alcohol. But we should definitely explore it!

 

[DaveF]

I was impressed with Target's social distancing measures. They had 2 employees whose only job was to enforce social distancing and direct customer traffic. There was a single master line and they directed customs to open check stands from the master line. Smart. They had sanitizing wipes (for the carts) at the entrance. It was basically similar to my experience at a grocery store last week (small independent chain).

That’s good to hear, because a week ago Target was doing nothing. They were almost pointedly not cleaning surfaces or sanitizing carts.

I’ve got to go shopping this week so I hop my local target looks like yours.

 

[Malcolm R]

I put the laugh icon because I have no idea how easy it is to re-tool a beer and spirits production line to creating 70%+ isopropyl alcohol. But we should definitely explore it!

I thought I'd read that this was already being done by some of them on their own? I know a couple local places are doing this:

https://www.wcax.com/content/news/Vt-distillery-to-market-its-own-hand-sanitizer-568841071.html

https://www.wcax.com/content/news/Windsor-distillery-donating-hand-sanitizer-568973931.html

https://www.wcax.com/content/news/L...p-out-by-making-hand-sanitizer-568825301.html

 

[Carlo_M]

That’s good to hear, because a week ago Target was doing nothing. They were almost pointedly not cleaning surfaces or sanitizing carts.

I’ve got to go shopping this week so I hop my local target looks like yours.

Eataly, which is mostly deserted I think because of it's association with Italy (hence COVID) religiously cleans their areas, including check-out between customers. I feel like I own the place every time I go there. They have sanitizer stations at the entrance and exits, give you gloves, and wipes for the cart or basket. It's been my go-to. And Trader Joe's is also good at cleaning their areas. Will have to go tomorrow morning before my Zoom meetings begin. Hopefully they'll have TP.

I thought I'd read that this was already being done by some of them on their own? I know a couple local places are doing this:

https://www.wcax.com/content/news/Vt-distillery-to-market-its-own-hand-sanitizer-568841071.html

https://www.wcax.com/content/news/Windsor-distillery-donating-hand-sanitizer-568973931.html

https://www.wcax.com/content/news/L...p-out-by-making-hand-sanitizer-568825301.html

That's good news for local areas, but need the biggies like Miller, Coors, Bud, etc. to step up for national needs. And Corona too...they owe us!

While TP is rare, I have seen it. I have not seen any isopropyl alcohol or sanitizing wipes since the "fit hit the shan".

 

[SamT]

This was 4 years ago. I bet they didn't know how important it was.

 

[Malcolm R]

While TP is rare, I have seen it. I have not seen any isopropyl alcohol or sanitizing wipes since the "fit hit the shan".

I've seen TP a couple places around here in the last week or so. Tissues seem available in many places locally, and paper towels are coming back in several stores. I also found 91% alcohol at one supermarket last week, and bought two bottles for my parents. Mostly just wipes and sanitizer that I still don't see anywhere right now. I got some of the smaller travel size packs of wipes in early March in Dollar Tree.

Hopefully this shopping madness is nearing an end.

 

[TJPC]

The number one producer of pulp for toilet paper is Canada with vast forests. Manufacturers have said again and again that there is no shortage, but stores here are empty of toilet paper.
People have made such huge stockpiles they have enough for years. There will be a time when factories will have to be laying off employees because there is no work.

 

[Tino]

I just saw an interesting report on why there is such a shortage of toilet paper. It turns out that it may be largely because people are using their toilets at home a lot more than they were before the virus hit since they can't use it at work or restaurants. Different manufacturers make toilet paper for the home than do for industrial use meaning that there is an extreme shortage of the home kind and warehouses full of industrial toilet paper.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...d30e92-75b5-11ea-87da-77a8136c1a6d_story.html

That article is Not entirely accurate. I’m in that industry and we are having major issues getting industrial toilet tissue in addition to commercial. We get drips and drabs and allocate to as many customers as we can. I had a customer place A truckload order and we could only give him 20 cases.

The shortage is industry wide, both commercial and industrial. There are no warehouses full of industrial toilet paper at the moment.

 

[Robert Crawford]

How about this video as I've heard similar occurrences happening across the world due to "stay at home" orders.

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-r...XfVH7KGn94CSNfFBjP1_B4oBgYpQ72DyoyhdXxR6NTPyg

 

[Tino]

Seems there’s more of a shortage of disinfectant products to me.

That too.

Anything that says Clorox, Purell, Lysol or sanitizer we can’t keep in stock.

 

[Clinton McClure]

And then The DPA should be invoked to have the numerous alcoholic beverage companies make alcohol based cleaning and sanitizing products.

I put the laugh icon because I have no idea how easy it is to re-tool a beer and spirits production line to creating 70%+ isopropyl alcohol. But we should definitely explore it!

Arkansas has at least one brewery / distillery in Little Rock that began making hand sanitizer about three weeks ago before the DPA was even suggested. The owners saw desperately-needed hand sanitizer was disappearing off store shelves and people couldn’t get any. Citizens are encouraged to bring their own pump bottles and fill them up. The company isn’t licensed to sell the sanitizer so they are giving it away.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Arkansas has at least one brewery / distillery in Little Rock that began making hand sanitizer about three weeks ago before the DPA was even suggested. The owners saw desperately-needed hand sanitizer was disappearing off store shelves and people couldn’t get any. Citizens are encouraged to bring their own pump bottles and fill them up. The company isn’t licensed to sell the sanitizer so they are giving it away.

Nice gesture from your local brewery. Question is does what they normally produce taste like
hand sanitizer?

 

[Carlo_M]

How about this video as I've heard similar occurrences happening across the world due to "stay at home" orders.

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-r...XfVH7KGn94CSNfFBjP1_B4oBgYpQ72DyoyhdXxR6NTPyg

Because I'm morbid, I'm re-reading The Stand by Stephen King...this video would fit right in to the story...

 

[Mysto]

Trying to be tonally neutral here politically. From my understanding, The Defense Production Act gives the President power to compel industries to help in a manufacturing effort, as long as it's "within their realm of expertise." So for example you can't make a clothing company build tanks.

Given that, I feel the DPA should be used first and foremost to have companies who can re-tool make PPEs and ventilators to help the sick and the medical professionals caring for them.

And then The DPA should be invoked to have the numerous alcoholic beverage companies make alcohol based cleaning and sanitizing products.

I put the laugh icon because I have no idea how easy it is to re-tool a beer and spirits production line to creating 70%+ isopropyl alcohol. But we should definitely explore it!

Actually one of the local micro breweries in my (Tampa) area has converted to hand sanitizer

https://www.tampabay.com/arts-enter...ing-hand-sanitizer-heres-how-theyre-doing-it/

EDIT - sorry didn't see the reply for another area.