#covid disinfectant spray

[inkykeiji]

steeping in lysol

[algardcare]

Best Disinfectant Products

Algard HWS 256® is one step disinfectant cum cleaner It provides a broad spectrum of disinfection and works on a variety of surfaces. This product has proven efficacy against the human Coronavirus, SARS, and MERS.

[krshush]

Dept manager of camo has plague, husband of footwear dept manager, who also works here, has it. Footwear dept mgmt is being lackadaisical bc she tested Negative so far and won't wear a mask unless she has to, and everyone around me's made it clear they don't really care anymore

Meanwhile I shall become the Fucking Joker

[market-insider]

Disinfectant Spray Market Driven By COVID-19 and Growing At 8.2% Y.O.Y

The global disinfectant spray market size is expected to reach USD 18.6 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.2% from 2022 to 2030. A rise in hospital-acquired infections such as central line-associated bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and ventilator-associated pneumonia is expected to have a positive impact on the market. Rising demand for advanced products to reduce the potential for virus contamination in non-healthcare settings, such as in the home, office, schools, gyms, publicly accessible buildings, faith-based community centres, markets, transportation and business settings or restaurants and importance to prevent infection from the COVID-19 virus across the globe is anticipated to drive the industry. The growing demand for a healthy and hygienic lifestyle is likely to fuel the overall demand. Sales of disinfectant sprays have risen drastically over the past few years, owing to the rising consumer awareness towards the benefits of disinfection and sanitization.

Gain deeper insights on the market and receive your free copy with TOC now @: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/disinfectant-spray-market-report

EPA approved two products, Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist, based on laboratory testing that shows the products are effective against SARS-CoV-2. According to USA Today, in March 2020, sales of disinfectant sprays increased more than 300% owing to the need to prevent COVID-19 infection. Major manufacturers such as 3M, Clorox, and Kimberly-Clark Corporation were not prepared for the unprecedented surge in the demand for disinfectants and sanitizers, resulting in a shortage in hospital facilities, clinics, and households. Thus, owing to this spike in demand, major manufacturers such as Clorox and Reckitt Benckiser Group are focusing on increasing their production capabilities, to suffice the rising demand from both B2B and B2C consumers. The conventional spray segment accounted for a larger share during the forecast period.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the overall incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) has been estimated to be 2.8%. To prevent such infections and diseases, conventional disinfectant sprays are used by all hospitals, medical facilities, nursing homes, and clinics. Thus, the rise in Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) across the globe is leading to a rise in demand for conventional disinfectant sprays for prevention. The B2B distribution channel segment held the larger segment in 2021 and is expected to maintain dominance over the forecast period. The rise in demand for infection prevention practices across hospitals and nursing homes is anticipated to fuel the demand for disinfectant sprays across the globe.

According to the COVID-19 Nursing Home Data by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), nursing homes across the U.S. reported nearly 1,800 COVID-19 deaths among residents and staff in August 2021 and a steady increase from the approximately 350 deaths reported in July 2021. This has led to an increase in precautionary measures such as the use of disinfectant sprays in nursing homes to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. The market is consolidated in nature with the presence of a large number of international players and few regional players. Reckitt Benckiser Group, Ecolab Inc., Procter and Gamble, 3M, Gojo Industries Inc., Whiteley Corporation, Kimberly- Clark, S.C. Johnson & Son Inc., Medline Industries, and Clorox Company are among the prominent players in the global market.

For Any Questions or Inquire please visit @: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/disinfectant-spray-market-report/request/rs5

Grand View Research has segmented the global disinfectant spray market on the basis of type, distribution channel, and region

[secattention]

YOU GOT TO BE F*CKING KIDDING ME...

[sterloc]

Sterloc is an HOCl-based multi-purpose disinfectant and sanitizer. As per the WHO, HOCl has emerged as the most potent and environmentally safe disinfectant.

[maximoffcarter]

It'll be okay.

Pairings: Emily Prentiss x reader.

Warnings: Mentions of COVID.

Summary: Emily Prentiss was known to always taking care of her team, taking full responsibility of everything, taking the blame, making sure they were okay, etc. But, it was true that she never let anyone know the hard time she was having, that was until y/n entered her life.

A/n: This was requested by anon, and gotta say I dunno if this is even good but I wrote what I felt was right. It’s angst with comfort and fluff😌 I added some backstory cause why nooooot? I mostly based this on the first episode, and maybe after the season ends, I'll do a better one, but I believe this was good enough for now haha. Our baby really does need some comfort and a goddamn break🥹 I also did not proof read this, I never do until it's too late haha, so my apologies. Hope you guys enjoy this, leave comments, hearts, whatever you like and reblog so this gets some love🫶🏻

*not my gif*

COVID had definitely taken a toll on the BAU, not only had the world stopped but a lot of things had happened then. People died, people left, the world entirely changed, and there was no stopping, no one could actually stop it. Emily Prentiss had tried to make it work, to make things a little easier as she tried to focus on her job every single day, drowning in paperwork, zoom meetings, not being able to freely do what they were so used on doing, it had been a hard year. Not only that, but the fact that her breakup had been so messy, but that was the least of all the other things she was going through. Emily thought it couldn’t have gone worse, but then y/n was very present in her life. It was funny the day where it all had gone down.

It was the end of the most painful and difficult year, 2021 was about to arrive, just a week for the so awaited new year. And it so happened that on Christmas day, Emily had gotten COVID. She was in complete denial of being sick, more so because she needed to work, and she also had nothing to help her with the undeniable symptoms; the unbearable headache and body ache, the obvious fever, the terrible cold that her body felt, the stupid and annoying coughing and the stupid stuffed nose. Yes, there was no denial she was sick, but of course she wouldn’t admit how bad it was. But that didn’t stop y/n from going into action and deciding to go to Emily. Emily had been on the phone with her a few hours earlier, and when y/n noticed how bad this had gotten, she couldn’t stop herself from getting everything she needed and off to Emily’s house she was.

“What…on earth are you doing h-here.” Emily was interrupted with a cough, her hand soon landing on her chest as she felt the horrible pain as she coughed.

“I’m here to take care of you. Go to the living room, need to keep our distance.” Y/n said softly as she adjusted her face mask, getting a bottle of spray out.

Emily furrowed her brows but went ahead to the living room, soon enough grabbing a face mask and turning back to look at y/n. “I’m fine, you don’t have to stay here.”

“Oh, but I do. We’re close to get the vaccine, I cannot have you stopping at the hospital just because you were too stubborn to accept that you’re really sick.” Y/n sprayed the whole area where Emily had just been, and then turned to look at her with a raised brow. “Okay, here’s what we’ll do. You stay in your room, I’ll sleep on the couch, you can only use your room and bathroom. I’ll be bringing you food and medication, already talked to a doctor. If we don’t see any progress, we’ll have to go to the hospital, which I hope, you’ll cooperate, Prentiss.”

Emily just stared at her, a bit surprised on how y/n had become so bossy, but she also couldn’t blame her, knowing perfectly well that she’d probably die on her own. “Got it. I will.”

Y/n nodded. “Good, now I’ll go disinfect your room first. You stay here while I do that, no touching anything anymore. Though, I will clean here too.”

Emily couldn’t help the small smile that spread through her face as she nodded, thankful that the face mask was covering it. “Got it boss.”

Y/n grinned softly as she nodded. “Good, I’ll be right back. Bed stuff?”

“Closet, second drawer, and the blankets are on top.”

Emily would be lying if she said she wasn’t happy to have y/n here. Ever since y/n joined the team, somehow, they had become inseparable, even if she tried to get her to work with the whole team, before she even thought about it, she was already saying that y/n would go with her, and of course, that didn’t go unnoticed by Tara, JJ and Penelope, but they never mentioned anything, even more when Emily ended up with a boyfriend. That of course till this day, Emily thought so much about how she had forced herself to actually like someone just so she wouldn’t feel so alone. But the one person she had actually wanted…had been y/n. And now having her here, willing to take care of her even if she knew there was a risk that she could get sick, it was everything for Emily.

Emily slowly opened her eyes as she heard her door opening. She looked up and smiled softly as she noticed y/n walking in with a tray of food. “Hey. Did I sleep a lot?”

Y/n looked at Emily and smiled, carefully putting the tray of food on the nightstand. “For like an hour and a half. It’s good that you’re sleeping.” She grabbed the thermometer and placed it on Emily’s forehead. She sighed relieved and offered a small smile. “It’s coming down, finally.”

Emily smiled. “And the headache is not as bad.”

“No, Prentiss. I will not leave, it’s good you’re getting better but no way I’m leaving in the next few days.” Y/n raised her brow as she placed back the thermometer in its place.

“I was not going to say anything about that.” Emily chuckled softly. “Just…thank you.” She smiled softly as she sat on her bed.

Y/n nodded softly. “You welcome.” She smiled as she looked at Emily. “So…I ordered some groceries for tomorrow, we’ll have our own Christmas celebration.”

Emily’s heart stopped for a moment, her eyes widening. “Oh my…tomorrow is Christmas! Y/n, you shouldn’t be here. I’m sure you have-“

“Ah, stop.” Y/n grinned softly. “I have nothing to do, and I wouldn’t want to spend my Christmas any differently. What better way to celebrate it than with a sick Emily Prentiss? Such a great gift.” She chuckled softly as she grabbed the tray and placed it on Emily’s legs.

Emily’s heart swelled as she stared at y/n, a small smile on her face. “If you say so.”

“I do say so.” Y/n smiled softly. “Eat that, I’ll bring your medication.”

Emily watched her leave and her smile widened even more. All these years, she had been taking care of herself, not letting anyone in because she knew how that’d end up. She had never liked to be taken care of, but she loved to make sure that her loved ones were always good taken care of. So now, y/n doing all of this…it made her realize that maybe, just maybe…she did feel the same way.

********************

Emily groaned softly as she stretched, slowly opening her eyes to the sound of a groan and then a small whisper. As she looked up, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes, she furrowed her brows as she noticed y/n moving a small table and placing it in the middle of the door. She tilted her head in curiosity as a small, silly smile spread across her face. “What are you doing?”

Y/n looked up at Emily and smiled, her cheeks turning slightly red. “Oh uh…moving a table?”

“And…leaving it right in the middle of the door?” Emily raised her brow.

“Okay don’t laugh but…I thought this could be a way for us to have Christmas lunch together.”

Emily’s face softened as she stared at her, her cheeks turning red and not for the fever. She grinned softly. “Charming.”

“I tend to be.” Y/n grinned softly. “Grab your chair and I’ll bring the food.”

Emily smiled softly and did just as she was told, grabbing the chair that was just might the closet and sitting down in front of the table. She smiled softly as y/n came back with a chair for herself and started brought Emily her plate already with food and her drink. They ate together and right after they talked about everything but work, laughing as they told old stories about themselves and even some stories with the team. Y/n was fascinated just listening to Emily talk, loving that she had chosen the idea of spending Christmas with her, and that Emily had allowed her to take care of her. As for Emily, even if she was tired, she was enjoying every moment she was spending with y/n. As she watched her talk, she kept wondering in her mind if she was right or she was wrong about her suspicions, smiling softly without even noticing.

Y/n furrowed her brows and tilted her head as she stared at Emily. “What?” She hugged a chuckle.

“What?” Emily snapped out of her trance. “Oh! No, nothing. I’m sorry.”

Y/n chuckled. “You should get back to bed and sleep, I’ll clean up and wake you up for your pills.”

“Wait!” Emily coughed, grabbing her glass of water, and taking a deep breath afterwards. “I uh…have a question.”

“Yes?”

Emily took a deep breath, feeling her body still pretty much aching and getting all warm. “Why are you doing this?”

Y/n furrowed her brows again. “I…because I didn’t want you to be alone, Em.”

“Is that the only reason?” Emily raised her brow, a small smile on her face.

Y/n tilted her head as she smiled shyly, looking down at her glass. “Well…I don’t wanna get fired after what I have to say.”

“Which is?”

“You’re a profiler, Em. Isn’t it obvious?” Y/n blushed slightly as she looked back at her. “I…care a lot about you. Which means…that I like you…a lot.” She whispered softly as she nibbled on her lip.

Emily smiled softly as she nodded, tilting her head. “And you’re also a profiler, y/n. Isn’t it obvious?”

Y/n’s eyes widened slightly as she stared at Emily. “Wait…are you serious?”

“If I wasn’t sick and this table wasn’t in the middle of us, I’d be kissing you right now.” Emily smirked softly.

Y/n’s lips parted slightly as she stared at Emily, a soft smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Is the fever making you talk?”

Emily laughed softly, coughing afterwards, and placing her hand on her chest. “No, no…I’m…I’m serious.” She smiled.

“We’re gonna check back once you’re not sick.” Y/n grinned. “But for now…this could be considered our first date.”

“And I’d like to take you in a second date…next year.” Emily joking as she grinned.

Y/n rolled her eyes playfully. “You’re so funny, Prentiss. But I accept.” She smiled softly.

Emily laughed softly as she nodded, feeling her heart beating faster as y/n kept staring at her with that beautiful smile on her face. After all, there was something good out of this pandemic.

********************

It wasn’t new that y/n saw Emily drowning in work, not after all the changed that the BAU had over the years. Having JJ back had at least eased things, but Rossi losing his wife, not having Penelope around, a whole new case that fell into their lap, Bailey not helping at all, Emily was losing her mind. But once she had most of her team back, including Penelope, things didn’t seem to be so bad…until they were, again. Y/n always had her eyes on Emily, the entire time, they both had promised that their relationship wouldn’t interfere with work, it wouldn’t change the way they worked, and it also wouldn’t stop them, meaning that things would stay just like they were before. Of course, the team was now aware of their relationship, and they were happy that at least, there was something to look forward to -Penelope joking that she was already planning the wedding…they believed she was joking-.

But once the whole ‘Gold Star’ started, y/n noticed how Emily just kept getting home late, trying to drown herself in work and compensate for what had happened. She had tried her best to be there for her and let Emily know that it had not been her fault, and that she had done what she and the team had thought was right. Emily tried to hide everything that she was feeling to not let y/n and the team figure out that she was having a hard time, but y/n knew better, she could now see through Emily, but she also knew not to push her. Even if it killed her to know that Emily was having a hard time.

“Hey, so where’s Emily? Thought she’d be here.” JJ snapped y/n out of her trance, making her look up at her while JJ offered a small smile.

“Oh…she had uh…she had something to do.” Y/n tried her best to smile but they knew better.

“Work, huh? She feels…guilty about Bailey?” Tara asked as she turned to look at y/n.

Y/n sighed softly as she nodded. “I don’t know what to do.”

“We know Emily. There’s not much we can do if she doesn’t want to talk.” Tara said softly as she placed her hand on y/n’s shoulder.

“But I’m her girlfriend. I mean…I should at least…I don’t know. Try harder?” Y/n shrugged. “I just want Emily to know that I’m here…”

JJ sighed softly. “Well, I’m sure she knows, she’s just…trying to deal with her stuff.”

Y/n nodded softly as she looked back at JJ, smiling softly. She felt her phone vibrating and got it out of her pocket, furrowing her brows as she saw Emily’s text. Soon enough she was saying goodbye to everyone and then heading back to the office. It felt a little weird to be here so late, the whole office was silent and almost dark, Emily’s office was the only one that had its light on. Y/n took a deep breath as she noticed Emily walking around her office and then stopping by the window. She wanted to support her in every possible way, but she was also afraid that Emily was overworking herself and that didn’t sit right with her. She slowly walked to Emily’s office and leaned against the doorframe, trying her best to smile as Emily turned to look at her.

“Hey you.” Y/n smiled softly.

Emily offered a smile in return. “I’m sorry I made you leave Penelope’s birthday.”

“I was going to anyway.” Y/n shrugged. “What’s going on?”

Emily sighed softly. “We need to talk.”

Y/n felt her heart drop for a moment as she stared at Emily. She could only nod, not trusting her voice as she felt her body slightly trembling as she waited for Emily to say anything at all, but instead, she walked to y/n, grabbed her hand, and kissed it softly, offering a smile as she pulled y/n with her. Soon enough, they were on the ceiling, Emily had sat down and had pulled out a box of cigarettes, catching y/n off guard for a moment, but also keeping in mind how incredibly hot it was to see her smoke. Seriously, y/n…not the time. She crossed her arms and listened to everything Emily had to say, and again, she felt helpless as she listened to Emily, wanting nothing more than to be able to fix all this with a snap of her finger and be able to take Emily anywhere so she could relax.

“Well, you’ve been doing your homework.” Y/n teased as she walked closer to Emily and grabbed the cigarette putting it in her mouth before she returned it to Emily.

Emily scoffed. “Well…we need to get to the end of this.”

Y/n nodded, sighing softly, and looked away for a moment. “So…you think he’s government trained or something?”

“He’s definitely too proficient to be self-taught.”

“And that’s why they’re keeping it a secret.” Y/n tilted her head as she looked back at Emily. “I know that you’ve been overprotective after what happened…but we need to let the team know about this. You know that working together, we’ll get it done.”

Emily sighed softly as she nodded. “I know.” She nibbled on her lip for a moment as she looked at y/n. “Baby…I need you to promise me that whatever we do here, I need you to be safe. We see what he does…what has happened so far. I cannot…” her voice cracked for a moment, looking down at the floor as she put back the cigarette in her mouth.

Y/n sighed softly as she walked to Emily, positioning herself in between her legs and placing her hands on her cheeks, tilting her head up so their eyes locked. “I will promise you that if you promise me the same.” She smiled softly. “Em, I need you to take a break too. You’ve barely been home, you’ve barely been sleeping. I will make the promise if you promise me you’ll also take care of yourself.”

Emily took a deep breath, moving her free hand to y/n’s hips, offering a small smile. “Alright. I will.”

Y/n smiled softly as she leaned down to kiss Emily’s forehead. “You’re stubborn, Prentiss. If I don’t take care of you, you won’t.”

“That’s why I have you. Couldn’t have it any other way.” Emily chuckled softly, leaning up slightly to kiss her lips while she put out the cigarette.

Y/n smiled against her lips. “I know I should be forbidding you from smoking but…did you know you look extremely hot smoking?”

Emily chuckled softly as she wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her closer. “No but thank you.” She grinned.

Y/n rolled her eyes playfully and then leaned down to kiss her lips again. “Let’s go call Garcia.”

********************

Y/n could only stare at Emily while everyone else talking, giving their thoughts about the video they had just watched. she couldn’t really concentrate on what they were even talking about, part of her was trying to comprehend everything, work with them, say anything at all, but her mind was entirely focused on Emily. The moment Rossi and Emily had walked into the office, she could tell that there was something wrong with Emily; the way she stared at them, the way she talked, her eyes seemed…lost. She tried to keep up with everything, every now and then feeling JJ’s eyes on her, even Tara’s, but her eyes were only focused on Emily.

“Em?” Y/n asked softly as they all left the room, walking to Emily and taking her hand. “Are you alright?”

Emily looked back at her and furrowed her brows. “Yes. Why are you asking?”

Y/n tilted her head slightly as she raised her brow. “That was not nothing. What you and Rossi saw…and you…you don’t look okay.”

Emily shrugged. “It’s part of the job, isn’t it?”

Y/n sighed softly. “Emily, I-“

“Right now, we need to focus on this case. We might have something important here. I know I promised, but we also promised we wouldn’t change the way we work here. Right now, we’re at work, and we need to focus on that.” Emily said softly but firmly, not wanting to sound rude or harsh, but the way she looked at y/n, with stress and frustration, made y/n’s insides turn.

Y/n nodded softly as she let go of Emily’s hand. “Right.”

Emily only nodded before she left, leaving y/n standing there, not knowing what to do or say. She knew working together wouldn’t be the easiest thing ever, but she couldn’t help it, and Emily couldn’t blame her for worrying. Y/n had stayed behind with JJ at the office, she had tried to brush it off and focus on their main task. But again, once they came back, y/n noticed it again, she noticed the way Emily rubbed her temple and went straight to her office. She didn’t say anything, she stayed with JJ as she let Emily have a minute. She was right, they had made it clear things wouldn’t change, and so far, it had worked out, and she was not about to stress Emily more.

********************

Y/n closed the door behind her and sighed softly as she locked it, standing there staring at it as she took a deep breath before she turned to walk to their room. Emily was already sitting on the bed, taking off her shoes. Y/n said nothing, walking to the bed and also sitting down and doing the same as Emily. Silence surrounded them for a moment for a while, y/n knew it was stupid that Emily’s words had hit her the way they did, but she couldn’t help it, she knew that if it was the other way around, Emily wouldn’t drop it until y/n accepted that Emily was right, but in this case, which was not even an option.

But then she heard a soft groan coming from Emily, and as she turned, she noticed Emily’s head in her hands, and y/n was back to feeling worried. She stood up slowly and walked around the bed, kneeling right in front of Emily, and positioning herself in between her legs, her hands on top of Emily’s as she leaned her head against Emily’s.

“Em…” Y/n whispered softly.

“I’m exhausted.” Emily breathed out, her voice cracking slightly. “I don’t know what’s going on, nothing seems right, everything seems to be against us, to be against me. It’s like they want me to resign so badly, they want…they want the BAU to disappear. I don’t know what they want from me, I cannot just drop this, not after everything we’ve been through.” She said quietly as she felt her eyes getting teary, not being able to look up at y/n. “They’re making us get involved with a fucking serial killer. What has gotten into their minds?! What are they hiding?!”

Y/n wrapped her arms around her, only being able to hold Emily tightly as she started sobbing. Emily knew that she was overworking herself, that she was doing too much, she was obsessing too much, but there was no chance to back down, she couldn’t just let it happen, she couldn’t let them win. But she felt so…heavy. Everything hurt, her head felt like exploding, her chest felt heavy, she had felt the usual anxiety creep in her body, she felt worse than she had years ago. She sobbed quietly as she felt y/n tightening her embrace, Emily suddenly wrapping her arms around y/n’s neck, feeling bad for the weird position they were in, but needing y/n to hold her so badly, she’d worry about the position later.

“I can’t just drop this.” Emily whispered as she buried her face on y/n’s neck, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I know. And we won’t drop it. I’ll be by your side.” Y/n whispered softly.

“I’m sorry I’m so stubborn…”

Y/n shook her head, smiling softly as she turned to kiss the side of her head. “But you’re mine. You can be as stubborn as you want.”

Emily chuckled softly as she pulled away, looking into y/n’s eyes. “I’m sorry that I’ve been drowning myself in this case.”

Y/n sighed softly. “I don’t blame you, Emily.” She rubbed Emily’s back softly as she leaned in and kissed her forehead. “I just don’t want you falling sick for so much stress. I don’t want you to get stuck in this to the point where you can’t notice that you’re putting everything and you’re putting yourself in danger.” She said softly as she looked into Emily’s eyes. “I’m just worried about you.”

Emily nodded as she let out a shaky breath. “I know. I won’t keep anything else from you, I promise. And…I’ll come to you when it’s too much.”

Y/n nodded as she smiled. “Em…baby, look at me.” She ran her fingers through her hair as Emily locked her eyes on hers. “I’m here for you, no matter what. The good and the bad, you’re not a burden to me, okay? I love you. And you’re not alone.”

Emily’s eyes filled with tears as her face softened, her body slightly trembling as she finally gave up and let tiredness take over her. She took a deep shaky breath, nodding her head as more tears rolled down her cheeks. Y/n rapidly wrapped her into another tight hug, letting Emily bury her face on her neck and sob as much as she needed. They stayed like that for a while, y/n rubbing her back and whispering sweet nothings while Emily cried. It was becoming too much, and Emily knew this wasn’t even the half of it and there was so much more to come, but for now, for now she had y/n, she was present in this moment. Y/n gave her the space to break and make her feel like she deserved to have this sort of moment even if they still made her feel weak, but she knew her lover would never judge her, not like she had been judged before. After a moment, she finally felt like she had gotten everything out, slowly moving back but resting her forehead against y/n’s, not wanting to be away.

“Thank you…” Emily whispered softly.

“Why are you thanking me?”

“Because you always take care of me even if you don’t have to.” Emily smiled through her tears.

Y/n smiled softly pulling away just enough to wipe her tears and stroke her cheek. “And I’ll be here to do it over and over again. If I risked my life with COVID, why not now?” She grinned a little.

Emily rolled her eyes playfully. “Well, it kept you in my apartment for a whole month. Not my fault you were so eager to kiss me.” She teased back.

Y/n gasped softly. “In my defense, you were supposed to be out of risk, and also, I couldn’t help it when I had you right in front of me. We had become girlfriends, and I hadn’t even kissed you yet.”

“That’s true.” Emily chuckled softly as she leaned in and kissed her forehead. “And I got to take care of you.”

Y/n nodded. “We’ve got each other’s back. You take care of me, and I take care of you.” She smiled softly.

Emily smiled and nodded softly. “Yes.” She rested her forehead against y/n’s once again. “I love you.”

“And I love you.” Y/n smiled softly and sighed softly as she closed her eyes for a moment. After a while, she moved to kiss Emily’s nose and offer another smile. “C’mon, let’s take a bath together. I’ll bring some wine and snacks.”

Emily smiled softly and nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

Y/n nodded before she got up, but as she was about to leave, Emily pulled her back to her, making her turn back to Emily who was now standing. “Yes?”

Emily smiled softly as she shook her head. “Nothing.” She placed her hand on y/n’s neck and brought their lips together into a tender kiss. “I love you.” She whispered softly against her lips.

Y/n giggled. “I love you too.” She whispered back and kissed her lips one more time before she walked out of the room.

Emily knew there was still a very long way, she had no idea what they were getting into, a lot of stress was coming their way, but she knew that as soon as she walked into their house, she’d be able to leave that stress behind at least for a while. This little bubble they had created for themselves was everything to Emily, and what got her to keep going. And that was all she needed.

[angels-heap]

I would love any advice you have for protecting yourself against covid in a work environment where no one else cares, because I’m in the same boat.

That really, really sucks, friend. As I said, I don't have all the answers, but here's what I've learned over the last few years and what's worked for me and my inner circle so far. Note that much of this advice will be US-centric because that's what I know best.

First, some light reading: This Covid Safety 101 flyer/infographic includes a ton of helpful info, and I've had some success using it as a conversation starter in my workplace. TL;DR: COVID is airborne, it's a SARS virus, its effects can be devastating, and your risk of Long COVID increases with each infection. We should all be taking steps to contract COVID as few times as possible and spread it as little as possible, with or without the support we should be getting from our public health institutions.

As for practical suggestions, many of them unfortunately cost a non-inconsequential amount of money because we live in a capitalist hellscape, but here are some things you can try, roughly ordered from least to most expensive.

Awareness: COVID is airborne!

A lot of folks, including people in the medical field (!!!) seem hesitant to believe/accept that COVID is airborne, even though this has been understood by researchers since fairly early on in the pandemic. Since most lingering "infection prevention" protocols focus on things like handwashing, disinfecting surfaces, and keeping a six foot distance from other people (all good for public health, but not particularly helpful for COVID), you'll need to gauge your own safety and comfort when around others.

As a general rule, if you're close enough to someone that you could smell their vape or cigarette smoke if they were engaging in such an activity, you're probably close enough catch COVID from them. Also, like smoke, COVID can linger in the air for a while after someone leaves a room. Adjust your habits accordingly and keep your mask on as much as possible (see below).

CPC Mouthwash and Nasal Sprays

I haven't had time to do a ton of research on these options, so take my recommendations with a grain of salt, but it sounds like there's some research coming out that suggests certain nasal sprays and mouthwashes containing CPC (Cetylpyridinium Chloride) may help neutralize viruses or block them from entering your body (or, at the very least, they may help reduce your viral load). I've been using Crest Pro-Health Clinical Rinse mouthwash before and after interacting with people for the last few months; I don't know how much of a role it's played in keeping me safe, but it might be helping, and even if it's not, it was cheap and my breath is always minty fresh. Here's some more info about nasal sprays, since I don't know enough about them to make any specific recommendations.

Testing

Keep a few rapid antigen tests on hand, if you can, but know their limits as a diagnostic or preventive measure, especially as new variants continue to evolve. My current understanding is that many new variants won't show up on a home test until day 3-4 of symptoms. What this means for you is:

Testing when you're completely asymptomatic and don't have any known recent exposures is probably not the best use of your resources.

If you have any unusual symptoms that might indicate illness, stay home (or wear a high quality mask, if you must interact with others). A negative test doesn't necessarily mean you're in the clear, and if you're sick, you can transmit COVID for several days before you test positive.

Swabbing your mouth and throat in addition to your nose (in that order, obviously) may increase the sensitivity of home tests.

Any sign of a positive test line counts as a positive! If the test line is very, very faint, that still counts.

If you feel sick, but your first test comes back negative, try again in a few days and keep testing periodically until you feel better and are no longer testing positive.

Vaccines

They're not perfect, and they won't get us out of this mess on their own, but if you have access to vaccines, get them. Any vaccine is better than no vaccine, but FWIW, I personally opted to get Novavax this year, after learning that it was the jab of choice for many COVID safety advocates and researchers. Pros of Novavax, specifically, include lower risk of side effects, possibly more durable immunity, and it's not an mRNA vaccine (great option for the vaccine skeptics in your life). But in the end, get whatever you can get.

Masks

If you're not already wearing an N95 respirator or similar, such as KN95, FFP2, KF94, etc., anytime you're indoors (or outdoors in a crowd), now's the time to start. One-way masking isn't perfect, but it's a lot more effective than no-way masking. As someone with a fairly petite face, I've had a hell of a time finding N95 masks that fit me. Through my many expensive mistakes, I have learned:

Avoid buying masks on Amazon, if at all possible. There are a lot of fakes out there.

If most masks fit you comfortably and you're comfortable wearing masks with headstraps (which tend to have a better seal than earloop masks), the 3M Aura is fantastic.

WellBefore sells masks in a variety of styles, sizes, and colors for affordable-ish prices. If you have a more petite face and have found that blue surgical masks and most N95s are huge on you, try their small or child sized masks.

BreatheTeq makes great masks in 4 sizes, and they sell a sample sizing kit for $7 + shipping to help you avoid wasting money.

Masks with headstraps generally form a better seal than masks with ear loops, but the most effective mask is one that you can/will actually wear semi-comfortably. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. I've been wearing earloop masks for 3.5 years and have made it through multiple known exposures unscathed.

If you can afford to keep a few extra masks on hand to offer to colleages who have to be in your space, people who are coughing in public, or people who seem to be trying but they're still wearing inadequate surgical or cloth masks, do so. More often than not, people will take and wear them when offered!

Air Filtration

If we lived in a society that believed in public health and safety over profits, we'd have spent the last 3 years improving air filtration in public spaces. Alas, most places did not do this, so your next best options are as follows:

Open windows and prop doors whenever you can! Your goal is to keep fresh air moving through your space and minimize the amount of air that will be "re-breathed" by multiple people.

Build a Corsi-Rosenthal box with furnace filters and a box fan. Pros: Fairly cheap and easy to do; Cons: Boxes are large and can be loud. Some sites also provide instructions and/or sell kits to make smaller, more portable C-R boxes out of desktop computer fans.

Buy a HEPA air purifier (or 2, or 3), or try to get your workplace to shell out for one. While many brands sell small, portable purifiers that are around the size of a lunchbox, I would personally recommend that you buy the largest one you can afford. The smaller ones are probably better than nothing, but you really want a more room-scale solution, if possible. I've had good experiences with Medify Air and Coway air purifiers, but I'm sure there are other great brands out there as well.

If you buy an air purifier, you want one with a HEPA filter and without an ionizer, as ionizers aren't as helpful as the advertising would lead you to believe and they can pose health risks (ozone exposure, etc.).

Measuring Air Quality

If you can afford it, buy an Aranet 4 CO2 monitor. Yes, they're expensive, but I haven't heard of any cheaper products that compare in terms of accuracy or portability. (And they do occasionally go on sale on Amazon.) The Aranet 4 measures the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air around you. This reading is a great proxy for how much COVID might be in the air, and it can help you identify which areas of your home or workplace are the safest, and which ones would benefit the most from fresh air, an air purifier, or other safety measures.

[queerofthedagger]

how do people have covid and then go 'oh this wasn't that bad i'll just go on being not careful' like mine is relatively mild in terms of how bad it could be and i was already still masking and shit and i'm like. no one's ever anywhere going to see me without a mask and a spray bottle of disinfectant EVER again this is terrible oh my gOD

[isbergillustration]

Today's inktober is courtesy of today's creative writing assignment, which you can read under the cut;

Mask, gloves, hand sanitizer, that used to be all you needed. Then you could go out, have as much fun as you like. Not here, though. Not any more. In other places, they got vaccines. Well, they are getting them. Twice a year, every year, because those are the important people. The ones with access. The same sort of people, maybe, who during the regular lockdowns have vast houses and gardens in which to isolate, not tiny shithole apartments. Have you tried walking up fourteen flights with post Covid lung capacity? It’s not fun. And in the mask, too. We’ve moved past the cloth and paper masks, most of us. They don’t last long enough, and they’re not sufficiently secure for when you use your one allotted day out waiting in queues all day with people trying to hide their coughs, who have somehow faked their tests. They never quite figured out a foolproof way to stop people from doing that. No, it’s proper gas masks, these days. I got mine off the net in the early days, I was lucky. It’s from the cold war and there’s probably remnants of worse stuff, but it’s got filters and it keeps the Covid and the smells out. So far.

I’ve only gotten it four times in the last five years, which is pretty good. I got a shot of Astra-Zeneca, back when they still bothered producing it, when they figured the leftover from the rich West were good enough for us. After the heart attacks and deaths. That’s all, though. No more shots for me, at least not of that kind. Maybe a few of some cheap vodka. If I can get any. It has been hard getting anything not local and dirt cheap for years. I’ve got contacts, but even they are becoming unreliable.

I finish closing up my protective suit, such as it is. It was sent by the government, three years ago now, and several patches are taped up from the inside, painted the pale grey white to blend in. I can’t afford a new one. I also can’t afford to get sick again. Last time it was months before I was able to function again, and that was back when Emily was alive. When I still had someone to- anyway.

As I close and lock the door behind me, the automatic disinfection shower starts. Before I can leave my little airlock made from cheap plastic, I have to get sprayed down. At least this time it is scented, but the scent they have chosen seems to be brackish water with rotting seaweed.

No one else on my floor is allowed out today. Can’t risk contamination. It works, I suppose, as a system. Part of these new blocks they built, designed for social distancing, as the ads say. Dirt cheap rent, so all the people with the highest risk get stuck in the same space, and are easier to quarantine. Means that other than the noises that seep through the walls, you don’t get to know your neighbours. I know there lives a family above me. I know that there’s only one set of running and jumping toddler feet I hear from there lately.

The fresh air would be nice if it wasn’t filtered through fifty year old filters, but I enjoy it anyway. You only get to go out every fourteen days, after all, and it’s been a while. If you’ve got a pet that needs air, or a small enough child, there’s exception. I’ve got neither, these days. I’ve got no one. It’s safer, I hear people say. You’ve got no one else you’ve got to worry about getting sick. No, I agree, not any more.

Within five minutes I reach the queue. It snakes through the few green spaces between the apartment buildings. It’s not to bad today. Two kilometres, maybe. I forgot to check the app before I left, and I can’t open the suit to get at my phone. No one can. Suppose that’s the bright side of this. We’re forced to talk to each other, because there’s nothing else. It’s hard, though, through the masks. A sort of sign language has developed, combined with gestures. It’s not proper sign language, for that you need to see the mouth, and have better finger mobility than these gloves allow for, but it’s enough. How are you? What about this weather, huh? Lost anyone? Condolences. Wonder if there’s fresh bread today. In other places people got into baking during the pandemic, but, well. With the price of things these days…

Later, after an efficient 5 hours of queueing, I got my shopping for the next two weeks done. It’s locked in my airlock for 24 hours for safety. Much of it is canned, don’t know what good the sanitiser does for that, but I’m no biochemist. My contact, though…

When I got home, I found an encrypted message waiting for me. After making sure it was safe, running it through decryption, it was there: an offer of a new underground vaccine. Not tested, no. This was that. Illicit search for human test subjects. And it paid, too. Not a lot, but enough to matter. Would I be interested?

Fcuk yes, I type, sending it before I can catch my typo, sign me up.

I haven’t even read the risks found in animal trials, but god, if it works? Anything for the kind of freedom those who can afford to go abroad and get the vaccines have. There’s parts of the big cities, blocked off from everyone who couldn’t get vaxxed. I hear it’s real bougie now, all nice and not constantly covered in trash. The environment is recovering too. Isn’t it nice, they say, strolling through sparsely populated parks, not even bothering to carry masks these days. Some of them don’t even have some remnants of long Covid symptoms. God. Most people have had it a number of times, now. And it doesn’t get easier. It’s worth a little, I check the list, vomiting, migraines, heart disease, certain cancers and strange dreams. A hint of kidney failure if you’re lucky. Poor mice. But hey, what have I got to lose?

[rhube]

More on Glass Onion and the pandemic

Specifically, the significance of the Ethan Hawke cameo with the 'spray gun'.

Like most people, I initially took the spray gun thing at face value as a handwave to have all the stars unmasked. However, quite apart from the fact that IT'S VERY STUPID as far as 'cures' go, and that should be a red flag that it's bollocks, especially as no one questions it simply because it's said with confidence (even Blanc doesn't push the matter)... it's significant that the guy who wields this fancy-looking high-tech spray gun is played by Ethan Hawke.

Make no mistake, there are a lot of stars in this film, but they all carry with them meaning and legacy that's played on. Whether it's hearthrobe Hugh Grant as Blanc's romantic partner or Edward Norton as the duplicitous lead, who has played double-identities in at least three major films I can think of (The Incredible Hulk, Fight Club, and Primal Fear). So any connotations you get from those actors are likely not to be a mistake.

For me, Hawke's most famous role is also his most high-tech: Gattaca. His all-white outfit also calls back to the pared back, monotone aesthetic of that film. A film in which he plays someone who uses various technological tricks to deceive everyone into thinking he's someone he's not. This not only supports the general themes of fakes and authenticity, but also supports the theory that Derrol (the Corona man) represent the virus, present on the island despite whatever the spray gun does, and that by the end of the movie everyone has interacted with Derrol at least once and is likely infected.

Sadly, Blanc and Helen likely have the highest level of infection as they're going room to room, and therefore encounter Derrol more often.

The name Derrol also reminds me of 'Dettol', and Trump's famously absurd theory that you could use this to protect yourself from COVID. Alluded to also when Blanc asks if the spray is some kind of disinfectant.

So. Ethan carries with himself the theme of duplicitousness and technological fakery. 'Disinfectant' is alluded to twice; a famous quack way of protecting yourself from COVID. And the two people who touch the most of everybody's things also bump into Derrol as they do so.

Indeed, I feel uneasy about the way Blanc ends the film laughing with Derrol and smoking a cigar. It may be his 'thing' but COVID as a disease that affects the lungs makes this particularly unwise, and it always struck me as a dark moment.

I'm sure they don't want to end the franchise by killing off Blanc, but I wouldn't be surprised if the next movie alludes to Blanc having caught COVID after this adventure - along with everyone else too.

Long story short: of course in the film where stupid things are unpicked the group of people who break COVID rules and accept a quack cure will all have caught it. The smart people along with the stupid.

[swiftyangx12]

Don’t mess with Microbes

[Valorant]

[Gender Neutral!Agent!Reader]

[Synopsis]: What if the new agent is a specialist in Microbiology and also one of the few HQ’s doctors?

Let’s say [Reader] has a unique career as a microbiologist.

I mean, yes, they have assisted and helped many doctors and scientists of identifying undetected bacteria from patients.

Though, they only joined the Protocol because they were falsely accused of exposing a public area with a human-made pathogen that’s third most lethal than the Bubonic Plague and COVID-19. (It wasn’t them. I swear they did not release a dangerous bio-weapon for malicious purposes.)

They worked as another healer and doctor for the team.

Mostly stayed in their own lab experimenting cultures and observing microorganisms.

[HQ Laboratory]

Dr. [L/N]: Uh, Dr. Sabine? I think somebody from our team picked up a little nasty bug on their last mission.

Viper: *Looks through the microscope* Oh god.

Dr. [L/N]: It’s okay. I’m working on a vaccine for this one. Thank god I took a course on Vaccinology.

Viper: You studied Vaccinology?

Dr. [L/N]: As a minor in university, yes. Just hope nobody dies on my watch when experimenting.

Viper: *Impressed, yet concerned* Then do what you need to do. You’re responsible if somebody were to become deceased by your hands.

Dr. [L/N]: Understand, Dr. Sabine.

《🦠》

Dr. [L/N]: Jett, you look terrible. *Puts on their medical face mask*

Jett: *Sniffs* I’m fine! Just a little sniffle. ACHOO!

Dr. [L/N]: *Sprays Lysol in the air and area* Girl, go back to your room. I’ll inform Brimstone about your dilemma and in the meantime, no contact with the other agents.

Jett: *Sniffs* Okay…

[An hour later]

[Jett’s Quarters]

Dr. [L/N]: *In a biohazard suit* Jett, I made Kimchi stew.

Jett: *Coughs* You did?

Dr. [L/N]: I heard from Phoenix that you sometimes get homesick and after the Venice incident, it must have been difficult to go through when you were falsely accused for something you’re not responsible for to begin with. Believe me. I know the feeling by experience.

Jett: Oh, doc. *Sniffs*

Dr. [L/N]: Are you crying or is it the sniffles again?

Jett: *Cries out* SNIFFLES!

《🦠》

Dr. [L/N]: Annual vaccines! Line up!

KAY/O: You know I don’t need it.

Dr. [L/N]: I know. That’s why I purchased a sanitary station to disinfect your whole body.

KAY/O: Wow. You really thought of everything.

Dr. [L/N]: I have to keep everyone healthy and safe so we can kick Omega ass.

《🦠》

[Lotus]

Prions (Dr. [L/N]): *Creates a deadly pathogen to infect enemies within a second to drop paralyzed*

Omega!Skye: *Running away from Prions* Shit! Shit! Shit! I didn’t sign up for this shit!

Prions: *Shoots a patho-dart at the enemy*

Omega!Skye: *Drops down and becomes paralyzed*

Prions: Look whose become my next patient~ *Eliminates him with their Sheriff*

[Their team looks at the microbiologist with horror.]

Viper: I like them.

Brimstone: *Looks at her in disbelief*

[Tagged]: @hhurric4ne @l0serloki @radianights @luckyowl @theluckyr

[naturalrights-retard]

Are we heading into a “dark winter”?  Many were hoping that the outbreaks that we have witnessed over the past few years would fade away and that life would soon return to normal.  Unfortunately, the truth is that “normal” is never coming back.  Even as you read this article, mad scientists all over the globe are monkeying around with some of the deadliest bugs ever known to humanity, and as we have seen it is way too easy for a “mistake” to happen.  Our ability to create deadly diseases far exceeds our ability to control them, and once a pathogen gets loose it can spread around the world in the blink of an eye.  So whenever a new outbreak erupts, we need to watch it very carefully.

This week, it is being reported that public health workers wearing white hazmat suits have been spraying the streets in northern China.

Footage of this has created quite a stir on social media, because we witnessed the exact same thing at the beginning of the COVID pandemic…

Public health workers wearing full protective gear have appeared on the streets of northern China, according to footage on social media, evoking memories of the country’s stringent anti-virus measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hazmat-clad personnel were seen spraying disinfectant in public spaces in Sanhe, in China’s northern Hebei Province roughly 50 miles east of capital Beijing, according to the poster of the images and video footage. It remains unclear whether this was a local government initiative or central government directive.

This spraying is happening at a time when “mask-wearing crowds” are overwhelming hospitals all over China.

[argumate]

Anger and criticism over China’s unrelenting zero-Covid policy has erupted after a bus transporting residents to a virus quarantine facility crashed killing 27 people.

According to authorities, the bus was carrying 47 people from Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province, to a remote county 249 kilometers away, when it overturned on a mountainous stretch of highway and fell into a ravine at around 2:40 a.m.

It is unclear why a quarantine bus would take people on winding mountain roads after midnight. China’s transport regulation prohibits long-distance coaches from operating between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.

A photo widely circulated on social media shows the bus driving at night, with the driver wearing a full hazmat suit that left only his eyes uncovered. Other photos and videos show the bus being towed by a truck, its top crushed, and a hazmat suited worker spraying disinfectant on it.

spraying disinfectant on a crashed bus, that's a good summary of zero covid right there.

[aminotvxq]

Some very personal findings🤔

Many of those who have never caught covid ever since early 2020 (at least that's what they claim), including me and some others around me, have a few things in common:

A. They're single and live alone away from their family. Most of covid-affected friends, colleagues and acquaintances of mine live with their family, are dating, married and/or have kids.

B. They have a relatively simple lifestyle. All they do pretty much throughout a year is move back and forth between their home, their workplace, grocery stores and restaurants within their small community circle.

C. They love to stay at home. Many of them love playing video games, drawing, crafting, creating videos, reading books, cooking etc. Some of those who drink often choose to drink alone at home.

D. Last but not least, they stick to rigorous personal hygiene. For example, I carry a spray bottle of 83% alcohol at all times. The alcohol is to disinfect my hands and items that I have direct contact with a lot e.g. my cellphone and wallet, and the keyboard and the mouse at the office. I clean them as often as possible.

[ageless-aislynn]

I woke up yesterday with a MONSTER cold, frens. So bad I kinda feared it was Something Worse. Thankfully the Covid test was negative and the symptoms have definitely developed as Standard Common Cold. However, Standard Common Cold is no fun.

*blows nose like a firetruck horn going off* Oh sorry about that. Here...

*sprays self with Lysol* Don’t worry, I completely disinfected my blog before I started typing. I loathe thinking I made somebody get sick.

I would, however, like to thank the person at the lab the other day who, by virtue of making the bathroom their personal waiting room, caused me to have to wait 15 minutes in a tiny room with a bunch of other people, which is the only place I’ve been in weeks and I was there 3 days prior to getting sick. 😡

My kidney function test came back improved, though, so that was something. 🥳

Anyway. Obviously, I’m not the most productive person at the moment but I’m still hoping to finish up editing the fics that were done during last month as well as pushing the unfinished ones across the finish line.

I’m pretending you’re all cheering for me like this right now... 😛

Love to you all. *germ free virtual hugs*