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Hi there. Does anyone nearby in Papamoa have a spare Kombucha scoby that I could have as a starter? We took a break for a bit and now need a new starter.
Thanks in advance.
What is cat allergen?
An allergen is a material that is capable of provoking an allergic reaction, such as pollen grains, dust mites or foods. Cat allergen is not cat hair, but a protein present in the dander and saliva of cats. These allergens become airborne as microscopic particles that can … View moreWhat is cat allergen?
An allergen is a material that is capable of provoking an allergic reaction, such as pollen grains, dust mites or foods. Cat allergen is not cat hair, but a protein present in the dander and saliva of cats. These allergens become airborne as microscopic particles that can produce allergic symptoms when inhaled into the nose or lungs.
Although individual cats may produce more or less allergen, there is no relationship between the pet’s hair length and allergen production, and no such thing as a non-allergenic breed.
Where is cat allergen found?
Cat allergen is present in the largest amounts in homes with cats, but has also been found in homes where cats have never been present, and in offices or public spaces where animals are not allowed. Cat allergen is particularly sticky and is carried on clothing to other locations. It is almost impossible to not be exposed to some level of cat allergen. Of course, levels of exposure will be much higher where cats are present, and these levels are more likely to cause allergic symptoms.
Because cat allergen particles are particularly small (1/10 the size of dust mite allergen), they remain airborne for prolonged periods of time. Cat allergic individuals are more likely to have a rapid onset of symptoms when entering a room with cats, because the allergen will be in the air and can be easily inhaled. Opening windows, using exhaust fans and using high-efficiency air cleaners can decrease airborne allergen levels.
Soft furnishings, such as carpets, sofas, and mattresses, will hold cat allergen even after a cat is removed from the home or banished from the bedroom. It has been shown that it can take as long as 20 weeks for levels of allergen in carpets to decrease to the levels found in a home without a cat, and up to five years for cat allergen levels in mattresses to decrease to such levels. Removal or treatment of the carpet and sofa, and encasing of the mattress, will reduce the continued exposure to these reservoirs of allergen.
Cat allergen is also found on vertical surfaces such as walls. Attempts to decrease cat allergen exposure in a home should include wall cleaning. If the cat is removed to a restricted area of the home, it is important to realise that airflow through the duct system in a hot air heated home could spread the allergen. Efficient vent and furnace filters could help trap the allergens and reduce this spread.
Step 1: Use Allergen Wash. To get all the cat saliva and dander off your clothing and bedding, use a special detergent that removes all allergens. Use the warmest water setting possible for the fabrics to get all of the saliva and dander out.
Step 2: Use a vacuum with a high efficiency air filter. These filters remove more allergens from the carpeting and upholstery than regular vacuums. Vacuum all the floors and furniture thoroughly to get everything out. Wait several hours after the first vacuuming and go over everything again. This allows the dust you stir up the first time to settle, and you get the remnants of that dust on the second vacuuming. Make sure to empty the vacuum or change the bag outside to prevent everything you vacuumed from coming back in.
Step 3: Steam clean. After vacuuming everything completely, go over the whole area with a steam cleaner. The steam cleaner gets more of the allergens out of the carpet than the vacuum, picking up the cat saliva and dander deeper in the fibres.
Step 4: Take it to the cleaners. Take things you can't wash, such as curtains, to the cleaners. Cleaning will remove the cat saliva and dander from the fabrics. Curtain Clean has a special product used to remove cat allergen. You should advise your curtain or dry cleaners of your allergy so they may apply the correct product.
Step 5: Keep the cats off your fabrics. As soon as the cats get close to any of the fabrics, the dander and saliva will return. Studies have demonstrated that washing of cats with water removes much of their surface allergen, and significantly reduces the amount of future cat allergen produced.
The Historic Village is under review. Tell us what you like, what improvements we could make and how you see it in the future.
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We’re planning to upgrade the Kulim Park playground 🌈
Fill out our short survey and tell us what you think it should look like 🤸
www.tauranga.govt.nz...
A talented group of residents and staff (inspirees) from three retirement villages (Bert Sutcliffe Village, Logan Campbell Village and Murray Halberg Village) in Auckland, New Zealand have recreated the Music Video "Can't Stop the Feeling" by Justin Timberlake. With an average age of… View moreA talented group of residents and staff (inspirees) from three retirement villages (Bert Sutcliffe Village, Logan Campbell Village and Murray Halberg Village) in Auckland, New Zealand have recreated the Music Video "Can't Stop the Feeling" by Justin Timberlake. With an average age of 80 years and a combined age of more than 2800 years it shows you can't stop the feeling!
Hi neighbours,
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📲 Call Mike, Tracy and Phil today to replace old handles in your property to ensure you have more … View moreHi neighbours,
ARE YOUR WINDOW HANDLES BROKEN, SEIZED OR LOOSE? 🤔
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For this Nelson collector, houseplants help her cope with health challenges. "It’s been proven that distraction is a really good pain relief and the plants gave me something to focus on and interrupt the pain pathways.”
Realistically, the Govt had two options: either try to constrain the virus, or try to continue as normal in the (forlorn) hope of keeping the economy ticking along, while hoping that our immune systems would develop antibodies leading to herd immunity. The first option has so far, shown itself … View moreRealistically, the Govt had two options: either try to constrain the virus, or try to continue as normal in the (forlorn) hope of keeping the economy ticking along, while hoping that our immune systems would develop antibodies leading to herd immunity. The first option has so far, shown itself (Worldwide) to be the most sensible. The Countries that went down this path have had the best outcomes to date, even though some have struggled even with this approach.
The problems with the latter approach were:
a) no-one knew for certain that natural immunity would develop
b) the infection fatality rate was unknown and unpredictable
c) there could be a high to very high number of dead before the necessary 60% of the population had been infected for 'herd immunity' to effectively control the virus.
d) there was no guarantee that herd immunity could develop nor how long it might take.
e) the rapid spread of the virus indicated that its contagion rate was dramatic, and it was evolving very, very rapidly, making it much harder to predict, control, or develop a vaccine against.
f) it was/is closely related to two previous viral diseases for which there is still no vaccine nor treatment, and both of which have very high IFR's.
*a) Even as I write, there is no positivity about immunity. There are signs (which are to be expected) that some of the recovered persons have developed antibodies, but there are also indications that these antibodies may be quite short lived. Thus any vaccines developed may need to be supported with an ongoing revaccination program to be effective. And while there is one drug (Remdesivir) which has been shown to be of some assistance in the recovery of some of those in intensive care, there is no drug available which gives certainty to recovery. Furthermore, at the time of our lock-down, there was no known beneficial drug available at any level.
*b) Even now, the IFR varies wildly across the Globe. The US, for instance, has an IFR of 3.4%, the UK's IFR is 13.1%. Brazil is 3.2%. China is 5.5%, Spain 6.4%, Italy 13.4% Ours is currently 1.3%. And while considering & digesting these numbers, keep in mind also that there have been many deaths (in the USA in particular) where the suspected cause is Corvid, but because of a shortage of tests & testing facilities available (testing the dead uses a test which can be better used among the living) to confirm positivity, these have not been recorded as Covid deaths. So the real figure is in fact, relatively actually unknown. covid19info.live...
*c) Professor William Hanage is a professor of the evolution and epidemiology of infectious disease at Harvard University and wrote an article published in The Guardian on April 16th 2020 about the UK path of herd immunity, estimating that at least 600,000 (out of a population of almost 68,000,000) in the UK would probably have to die in order to reach a realistic Herd Immunity level that might succeed. Using the same percentages, we would be looking at around 38,000 deaths in NZ to achieve a similar result. I suspect that the cacophony of screams would be so loud, we'd all need ear protection. www.theguardian.com...
*d) Because the virus is so novel, there is no guarantee of Herd Immunity, and because of its close relationship to SARS & Mers (78.9%), for which there is still no vaccine nor efficacious treatment, there may never be such a Utopia.
*e) Our current resurgence has two quite different strains of the same virus, and that is only from two other countries.
*f) SARS, from 2003-2004, had an IFR of about 9.56%, Mers has demonstrated an IFR of between 20% & 44% in the two countries that have had the most appreciable outbreaks. Fortunately, these two variations of Corona Virus have shown relatively low rates of infection transfer. But at the time of our lock-down, no-one knew with any degree of certainty, what the IFR for Covid-19 would be, other than that it was abundantly clear that its infection transfer rate was dramatically higher than that of its cousins.
The bottom line is therefore, that in the light of what was (and still is) known about Covid, our Govt did the most practicable & sensible thing by instituting a lock-down. The World's Nations Economies have all 'taken a bath' because of this pandemic: who will come out in better economic shape when the pandemic is finally behind us (which, incidentally, could be several years), is more a matter for the Gods than it is for Mortal Man. But on the face of it, we, as a Nation are doing better than most right now.
The 'Black Death of the 14th Century in England almost halved the population. They didn't have any “White Knights' in the form of Scientists & Pharmaceutical Giants able to throw massive resources at trying to solve the problem. All they had was horses & carts to haul away the dead. Imagine what that would do to our Society & our Economy. The influenza outbreak of 1918, commonly known as the Spanish flu, also came before there were any remedies or vaccines available. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this pandemic infected about a third of the world’s population and killed at least 50 million people even though by then there were Pharmaceuticals & Scientists (as infant industries). Rather than bandying around (ridiculous, for the most part) conspiracy theories about 'Big Pharma' and business tycoons & Govts wanting to 'control' us, we should be bloody grateful that there are people and businesses willing to gamble huge amounts of money in an extremely chancy exercise hoping to find either a vaccine or a treatment. Hopefully, both, but the odds are not wonderful as the common cold has been around for a very long time and still no real cure, let alone a prevention.
In the final analysis, it is not just New Zealand's Society & Economy; the World's economy and its Societies are all suffering. When it is all over, we will be living in a Brave New World. Hopefully, wiser and better prepared, and without doubt under a new World Order. Particularly as far as World Economics are concerned.
Meantime, all the people moaning & complaining about 'restrictions on their freedom' should reflect upon the dire situations in Countries such as the USA & Brazil, and thank their lucky stars that our current Govt had sufficient sense to listen to some experts and act upon those experts advice. Mull over the situation that we might have been in had the previous Govts idiot of a Health Minister still been in charge.
It's that time of year again! ?
Chat to us about how we can help your child manage exam block.
Key tips for a warmer, drier home, Mould, 8 of 9, 2015.
Use bleach or white vinegar to remove mould from ceilings and walls.
Created by New Zealand's Ministry of Health.
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Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is urging the 620,000 motorists with temporary Warrant of Fitness extensions to get their vehicles checked before October 10.
The NZTA issued an extension to WoFs during COVID-19 Alert Level 4, allowing motorists to operate their vehicles during this time.
What you need to … View moreWaka Kotahi (NZTA) is urging the 620,000 motorists with temporary Warrant of Fitness extensions to get their vehicles checked before October 10.
The NZTA issued an extension to WoFs during COVID-19 Alert Level 4, allowing motorists to operate their vehicles during this time.
What you need to know:
- Book a WoF as soon as possible with your local mechanics to avoid delay.
- In a statement, MTA reported that there here may be a higher fail rate with some vehicles not been checked for over 12 months.
- Other documents with temporary extensions: CoFs, regos, vehicle certifications, and driver licenses.
- MTA reports that a total of 1.62 million inspections need to be completed between now and October 31.
For more information on temporary documentation extensions, see the NZTA Website.
Click here for more information on the WoF inspection process.
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