Virus bomb in a can. Is this a COVID killer?

 We’re all familiar with the concept of a flea or cockroach bomb to exterminate a critter infestation, but did you know it’s possible to ‘bomb’ a space in a similar fashion with ‘sanitisation in a can’ thanks to a new Aussie innovation?

With the push of a button, the ViroCLEAR Sanitiser & Protectant Fogger dispenses a fine mist of anti-microbial sanitiser that gets into every crack and crevice to create a protective layer covering up to 40m2.

The fogger is a game-changer for travel, hospitality, aged care, medical, education, real estate, automotive, gyms – basically any indoor space.

Powered by botanical extracts of chamomile and native lemon bush and devoid of harsh chemicals that can lead to skin sensitisation, the formulation kills 99.99% of germs and bacteria, including rhinovirus – the main culprit behind the common cold.

Daniel Seldon from Aussie Pharma Direct who distribute the fogger, says it’s perfect for our times.

Inventor Ross Macdougald

“The pandemic has created a heightened awareness of the need for good sanitisation, so this is another tool in our protective armoury to keep everyone safe and healthy,” says Seldon. “Not every indoor space lends itself to good ventilation, so the ViroCLEAR fogger offers an effective solution to kill airborne ‘nasties.’ And it can also be dispersed via air conditioning systems to help spread the protection even further.”

ViroCLEAR is an Australian-owned and -made invention of Ross Macdougald, who initially created it for his wife Lucy, who suffers from eczema and is unable to use standard ethanol and alcohol-based sanitisers. His passion project resulted in a hospital-grade surface disinfectant that kills Covid within 90 seconds of surface contact.

“Once I ‘cracked the code’ I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be great if we could put this formulation into an easy-to-use fogger anyone could use to help reinvigorate businesses and livelihoods after this awful Covid period we’ve all been experiencing?’” says Macdougald. “There is nothing quite like this on the market that provides a super low chemical sanitiser that really works.”

Five other things you can do with hand sanitiser

 Hand sanitiser is, after all, mostly isopropyl alcohol (CH₃CHOHCH₃) which you can also buy in liquid form as Isocol. There are others types of non-alchohol sanitisers, but these tips do not apply.

The gel can make the sanitiser easier to handle as there isn't the spillage you get with Isocol liquid. And, let's face it, hand sanitiser is everywhere and usually free every time you walk into a store or office. It is also almost non-toxic, especially when compared to its nasty cousin, ethanol. And it drys to nothing, leaving no residue or harmful oxidants to damage your electronics.

So, all those jobs you kept expensive Isocol solvent around for can be just as easily completed with corner store sanitiser. Here are five quick and handy tasks you can complete. Add your ideas in the comments.

1. Clean your whiteboard. Dab a squirt of hand sanitiser on a tissue or soft cloth and go crazy. It works a treat, especially for those stubborn marks.

2. Soothe insect bites. When those pesky mosquitoes start biting, slap a liberal dose of sanitiser on the bite to instantly ease itching. If the skin is slightly broken, it will also help disinfect - even if it stings a bit at first.

3. Clean your spectacles. Hand sanitiser makes a great lens cleaner. Smear the lens with liquid sanitiser and rub gently with tissue paper to remove grubby finger marks and grease. You can also use on your camera lenses, binoculars etc too but use ONLY tissue paper or microfibre cloth to avoid damage to lens coatings. A bonus benefit is sanitiser (achohol) works as an anti-fogging compound. True.

4. Disinfect your devices. Cellphones, iPods, tablets, keyboards, mice and so many more peripherals all get a lot of handling during the course of a day and we know how germs spread. Again, a tissue paper or microfibre cloth is ideal. HINT: clean your keyboard when the computer is OFF. (duh!)

5. Works as a deodorant and aftershave substitute. Rushing to that first date and forgot the Brut 33? Never fear, sanitiser will quickly soothe razor rash (you too girls!) with the added benefit of disinfecting. Body odour is caused by the bacteria on our skin, so a quick lather of sanitiser under your arms will quell most odours quickly.

So there you have it. Do you have you your own tips for unusual uses of hand sanitiser? Let's hear them.

Walford School for Girls supports women

Established in 1883, Walford Anglican School for Girls has a 128-year history in Unley. Lydia Adamson opened the school in her family's home and educated girls on Fisher Street and the school relocated to the present site on Unley Road in 1917.

Director of Marketing and Community Engagement aid the school's beginnings set the values that continue to be held today.

Mandy Hore - Deputy Principal

"The school began in the front room of a family home and I think that is evident as you get a family feeling when you walk through Walford," Karin said.

"We're a strong connected community, caring community and an extended family."

In 1912 Ellen Benham became the second headmistress of Walford. She was also a science pioneer.

The Walford Science Centre was named in recognition of her scientific achievements.

"It was radical at the time for girls to learn science and Ellen used to teach girls in the centre," Karin said.

"For women to have a career in science was extraordinary. They were living in history.

Ellen Ida Benham
(1871 - 1917)

"It is important for the current students to know the history of the school- to know where the previous women have been, where they came from and the pioneers they became."

Karin said old scholars of Walford mentor and support current students.

"Women support each other," Karin said.

"It is about appreciating that you are a part of something unique and creating a successful future which comes after you."

The current headmistress Rebecca Clarke is supportive and determined to continue the tradition for her students into the future.

Tijana Birdjan - Adelaide East Herald 

Staying safe from the Romance Scam

Anne had only been on a dating app for a short time before she met her perfect partner. Her partner had come across as kind, thoughtful and although Anne had not met them in person, she knew they were the one. Anne and her partner had already talked of the future and Anne really trusted this individual. Three months into the relationship, Anne’s partner asked for a small amount of money. Due to COVID-19 Anne’s partner had been unable to find a well-paid role due to job cuts and Anne knows her partner only asked as a last resort. Anne made the payment without hesitation as her partner assured her they will pay her back as soon as they can. This progressed over time and a year later Anne had sent over $50,000 with the requests for money becoming more regular. If Anne questioned her partner they would get upset and sometimes won’t talk to Anne for days so she stopped asking questions. When Anne finally mentioned the situation to a close friend they suggested it could be a scam, this was later confirmed by the Police after she approached them.

Image source: Norton Internet Security

TIPS TO STAY SAFE

- Before you send money to someone you have only met online, talk to a trusted friend or family member and pay attention if they are concerned about your new love interest.

- Always consider the possibility that the approach may be a scam, particularly if there are warning signs and if the individual asks for money or recommends an investment opportunity.

- Be cautious when sharing information about your financial status or photos and videos with prospective partners.

More: https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-online-scams-online-dating-scam-statistics.html

Not guilty verdict – 131 years later

 Abandoned by her mother at four, brutally raped and beaten at seven and orphaned at nine – Elizabeth Woolcock might also have gone to her hanging death an innocent woman.

The execution platform loomed atop 13 heavy, wooden steps. Elizabeth Lillian Woolcock – barely 25 and shivering in a flimsy, white government-issue gown – waited below.

Then came the order to climb the steps. Woolcock complied and, at exactly 8am on December 30, 1873, a masked executioner slipped a dense, black hood over her head, and a noose around her neck. Before she could finish a prayer, the floor beneath her suddenly snapped open.

Woolcock – sentenced to death for the wilful murder of her husband, Thomas – hung by the rope convulsing violently for several minutes until she finally died. As custom required, authorities left her dead body suspended for one hour. She was the only woman ever hanged in the Adelaide Gaol.

Debate has raged over Woolcock’s sentence for 131 years. For her conviction - which arose out of circumstantial evidence - did she deserve to hang?

From her very beginnings, Elizabeth Lillian Woolcock (née Oliver), lived a harsh life. She and her family fell victims to a flash-flood, which left them with nothing.

Sylvania Waters: Watering Down the Truth. How real is reality TV?

How will the English chattering classes handle warts and Oz reality - or is it?

 By JOHN LONIE from The Alliance, November 1992

SYLVANIA Waters was made, claim the English producers, to see if Australian life was more complicated than Neighbours although I've yet to read if they came to a conclusion.

The point is however. that they feel able to claim SW to be some sort of acid test of the reality of Australian life unlike poor old Neighbours which manages to infuriate the English chattering classes so much. 

Doctor exposes the wellness quacks and cons costing us our health

 We all want to live healthier, happier and longer lives, but too many of us are charmed by charlatans, misled by marketing or scammed by sciencey-sounding salespeople. Dr Brad McKay, GP and experienced Australian science communicator, has watched how misinformation and 'alternative facts' have come to permeate every facet of our lives, causing many of us to turn away from academic expertise and instead look to social media influencers and dodgy websites to guide our health choices. Fake Medicine looks at the danger of Wellness Warriors and – in the wash of celebrity influencers and miracle cures – is an essential work that examines scam marketing in the modern health landscape.

Fake Medicine is also a personal account of Brad’s own health journey. It’s about his flirtation with alternative medicine from the perspective of being both doctor and patient as Brad has been living and breathing Fake Medicine his entire life. As a teenager, Brad suffered severe back pain and turned to many different therapies until he was finally diagnosed with a rare bone tumour. This experience kicked off his journey to become a doctor and made him realise how easily people can delay or even totally avoid appropriate medical treatment by seeking alternative cures. Brad has sat on both sides of the clinic room. As a patient he know what it’s like to face uncertainty and can understand the appeal of alternative treatments, but as a doctor he now has a low tolerance for fake medicine.

Dr Brad McKay

“Fake Medicine is absolutely everywhere - it’s sitting on your pharmacy shelves, integrated into your family traditions and even mixed up with modern medicine. It’s difficult to distinguish truth from fiction - sometimes even for doctors. I wrote this book to help draw back the curtain surrounding alternative healthcare and encourage everyone to think a little more critically about the pills, potions, and therapies they might already be taking for granted. Fake news and alternative facts were already a problem prior to the COVID-19 pandemic but now it’s just ridiculous. This book helps you step back and take a deep breath - giving you the chance to really examine the charlatans selling you empty promises. It’s time to fold up your meridians, pack away your chakras, and take a truth pill of Fake Medicine.” – Dr Brad McKay

Some key points that Fake Medicine uncovers are:

•          How the COVID-19 pandemic has taught humanity the devastating impact the spread of misinformation can have on our health

•          The rise of vaccine hesitancy and it’s promotion by celebrities

•          The mythbusting of alternative therapies – acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping; vitamins; and ‘food as medicine’ – actual health benefits of garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, raw milk etc.

•          Brad’s own journey with Fake Medicine as a patient and experiences with alternative therapies first-hand

•          Promotional of wellness trends by influencers e.g. organic foods to cure cancer

Dr Brad McKay is an Australian science communicator, TV host and GP at his clinic in Sydney. He is an experienced broadcaster, interviewer and public commentator, appearing regularly on TV and radio, including as a host of ABC's Catalyst and a regular commentator on The Today Show, and presenting several medical podcasts for health professionals. He is also on the editorial board for The Medical Republic magazine.  Brad has hosted the Logie-nominated Embarrassing Bodies Down Under, a show dedicated to decreasing stigma and raising awareness of traditionally 'taboo' health topics. He is a member of the Immunisation Coalition, an Ambassador for the Immunisation Foundation and the Stroke Foundation.