(posted 05/25/06)
Besides the MRSA infection that killed Moneta, Va., teenager Ashton Bonds this week, there have been other recent outbreaks or suspected outbreaks of the strain in schools across the USA:
Connecticut: At least two high school students one in Weston, another in Newtown have been diagnosed, school officials say.
Indiana: Crews disinfected Richmond High School's locker rooms and gym after a student got a staph infection that officials fear is MRSA.
Maryland: Schools in Montgomery County have reported 14 cases of MRSA infection and two dozen other suspected cases. Those with confirmed infections are doing fine after treatment, officials say. Anne Arundel County schools have recorded one infection; Howard County has confirmed two cases in a high school.
Michigan: A Troy High School football player has MRSA.
North Carolina: At least six football players at East Forsyth High School have MRSA infections. East Forsyth officials are sanitizing locker rooms and equipment.
Virginia: Six reported cases in Fairfax County high schools.
West Virginia: Seven cases reported in Berkeley, Boone and Logan county schools this week. Students and staff have been advised to wash their hands frequently. Schools across the state are being disinfected.
From the Associated Press and USA Today
Avoiding MRSA
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Be sure to keep cuts and scrapes clean and bandaged.
- Avoid contact with other people's cuts, scrapes and bandages.
- Do not share personal items like bath towels.
RISKS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
Risk factors for MRSA infection:
- Hospitalization within the last 12 months, nursing-home residency, surgery or catheterization.
- Those who have crowded living spaces (homeless shelters, camps, boarding schools, day care centers).
- Those taking drugs by injection.
- People who are incarcerated.
- Participants in contact sports.
- Those who recently or frequently use antibiotics.
Reducing the risk of infection:
MRSA in community settings is most often transmitted through direct physical contact with an infected person. But it can also be transmitted by contact with contaminated surfaces or items.
- Wash hands often, using soap or an alcohol gel.
- Use air blowers or paper towels rather than shared towels.
- Don't share personal items such as soap, razors or clippers.
- Wash linens and clothing in detergent and water (at least 160 degrees) for 25 minutes or more.
- While exercising, cover legs and arms to protect skin from abrasions. Keeping the skin intact is one of the most important ways to guard against infection. If the skin is injured, wash immediately with soap and warm water, dry and cover with a clean bandage.
- In the home, regularly clean commonly touched areas, such as doorknobs and light switches, with a disinfectant. Mixing one tablespoon of bleach to one quart of water is an inexpensive disinfectant.
Source: USA TODAY research
Surviving the New Killer Bug
Jewaun Smith, a 9-year-old boy from Chicago, is lucky to be alive. A scrape on his left knee that he picked up riding his bike last October turned into a runaway infection…
(posted 05/25/06)
Get your pipes prepared to be joined and to be able to create an airtight seal between two PVC pipes by using CINCH AERO-PRIMER. Using this primer before you use the CINCH AERO-CEMENT, helps to soften and clean the plastic.
CINCH AERO-PRIMER is a purple PVC (polyvinyl chloride) primer ideal for use with both white and gray schedule 40 and schedule 80 PVC and CPVC piping up to 3 inches in diameter.
This convenient and easy-to-use aerosol product allows the user to apply the product with one hand, while supporting the work with the other. By packaging the product in a smaller aerosol can the user is able to easily carry the product in tool bags and boxes. This unique spray-on primer eliminates the waste and mess associated with dauber type applicators.
Designed specifically for use with CINCH AERO-CEMENT, this primer is fast acting, has a low VOC formulation, and meets or exceeds ASTM F-656, “Standard Specification for Primers for Use in Solvent Cement Joints of PVC Plastic Pipe and Fittings.”
(posted 05/25/06)
Before there was PVC (polyvinyl chloride) most of the pipes that were used, were made of cast iron or other metals, and these were bonded together using molten lead. PVC came along and became one of the most used piping for drain pipes.
All PVC pipes, no matter what they are used for are “welded” together. They produce this “welding bond” or such a strong bond but using a chemical solvent. When this chemical is applied to both of the PVC pieces that are to be joined together, it melts a thin layer of PVC which will the re-solidify and fuse the pipes together, when the pieces are joined together. This will create a strong, tight, seamless bond. The chemical to use to achieve this would be the new product from Share, CINCH AERO-CEMENT.
CINCH AERO-CEMENT is a multi-purpose cement ideal for use with both white and gray schedule 40 and schedule 80 PVC and CPVC piping up to 3 inches in diameter.
This convenient and easy-to-use aerosol product allows the user to apply the product with one hand, while supporting the work with the other. By packaging the product in a smaller aerosol can the user is able to easily carry the product in tool bags and boxes. This unique spray-on cement eliminates the waste and mess associated with dauber type applicators.
Designed specifically for use with CINCH AERO-PRIMER, this medium body cement is fast acting, will not run off when applied, and dries quickly. Formulated to meet ASTM F-493, “Standard Specification for Solvent Cements for PVC Plastic Pipe and Fittings.”
(posted 05/25/06)
EZ THREAD SEALER is a simple to use, PTFE (Teflon®) based sealer designed for use on piping of all types.
By packaging the product in a small aerosol can, it’s easy-to-use and is able to be carried effortlessly in tool bags and boxes. The small size and the use of the extension nozzle allows the user to lay a bead of sealant quickly and easily around the ends of threaded pipe.
Once the adjoining fittings are put into place, EZ THREAD SEALER seals even the smallest of voids in pipe threads, cures to a flexible coating, and prevents leaks and the creeping of fluids.
This innovative product is more convenient to use than brushed on sealers or hard-to-work-with tapes.
(posted 05/25/06)
FLEXIPAIR is a self-adhesive, fiberglass reinforced flexible repair patch that makes repairs to almost any surface.
This self-curing patch fixes leaks, cracks, and holes in everything from tool handles, pipes, pond and pool liners, and even bus, tractor, boat and RV bodies.
FLEXIPAIR cures in sunlight (5 to 10 minutes) or UV light (10 to 15 minutes) to a durable, hard surface that can be dilled, sanded, and painted. Before curing, FLEXIPAIR can easily be cut to size allowing just a single patch to be used for making multiple repairs.
This 3” x 6” patch is packaged in a protective pouch. Simply open the pouch, cut the patch to size, place the remaining patch back in the pouch then fold over and seal to keep FLEXIPAIR usable for months to come.
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