Should I go back to traditional reg set-up? (vs. primary donate)

[Chavodel8en]

For now, this is largely an academic question, as I cant dive for the time being (my county is on lockdown).

A few years back I swapped out my regs to a primary donate set-up. I had not done so previously, frankly, out of laziness, but finally decided the small amount of reduced risk was worth it. Also, I had never found an octo-holder that worked properly.

Should I go back? Are folks more worried about taking a reg from someones mouth now? I've never had to donate before, but we're talking about the weighing of small risks anyways.

I dont know whether the coronavirus can survive underwater the second it takes to donate. Nobody may know about this, since its a novel virus.

Speaking for myself, right now, I think I'd rather take the reg that wasnt in your mouth.

What do you all think?

 

[Southside]

If I run out of air underwater I would accept any reg that was offered to me. It is better to be alive with any Virus than to drown.

 

[Chavodel8en]

Food and water
We are not aware of any published information on the survival of coronaviruses in food. Recent studies have shown SARS-CoV to survive in water to a very limited degree [20]. There is no evidence to suggest the spread of coronaviruses through food or water.

From
Environmental survival and microbicide inactivation of coronaviruses
Manfred H. Wolff,1 Syed A. Sattar,2 Olusola Adegbunrin2 and Jason Tetro2
1Faculty of Bioscience, Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Stockumer Str. 10, D-58453
Witten, Germany
2Centre for Research on Environmental Microbiology (CREM), Faculty of Medicine,
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1H 8M5
http://eknygos.lsmuni.lt/springer/106/201-212.pdf

This is re coronaviruses in general. Still does not really give me any answers re - can COVID 19 survive the second underwater it takes to donate.

 

[Ripley]

Food and water
We are not aware of any published information on the survival of coronaviruses in food. Recent studies have shown SARS-CoV to survive in water to a very limited degree [20]. There is no evidence to suggest the spread of coronaviruses through food or water.

From
Environmental survival and microbicide inactivation of coronaviruses
Manfred H. Wolff,1 Syed A. Sattar,2 Olusola Adegbunrin2 and Jason Tetro2
1Faculty of Bioscience, Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Stockumer Str. 10, D-58453
Witten, Germany
2Centre for Research on Environmental Microbiology (CREM), Faculty of Medicine,
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1H 8M5
http://eknygos.lsmuni.lt/springer/106/201-212.pdf

This is re coronaviruses in general. Still does not really give me any answers re - can COVID 19 survive the second underwater it takes to donate.

A virus, any virus, can be survived (if your health is of normal standards) and there are vaccins.
An OOA situation... well... no vaccin.
I'll take any reg if I'm OOA. Surfacing alive is much more important to me. And at least I know I get a working reg stuffed in my mouth.

 

[AdivingBel]

You're already caught up in the minutiae risk factor...might as well go for the gold. The world is still in information gathering mode. IMHO measuring the risk factors between the two would be pure speculation though I'm sure you can find a few SBers who would like to argue about it (i.e. self iso at their keyboards).

Dive how you like.

 

[rddvet]

I think this is a really silly question. You are much more likely to get exposed to the coronavirus living your life than you are from donating a reg underwater. Based on my knowledge of coroinaviruses (as a veterinarian), it is highly unlikely to survive underwater for extended periods, especially salt water.
If someone is out of air and panicking and refuse your primary donate due to coronavirus, then they deserve the Darwin treatment. Even if someone did contract it, death from being out of air is much more likely than death from corona if healthy. And I don't know a ton of debilitated elderly divers.

 

[lowwall]

I don't think this is a realistic concern. However, you can avoid it by bringing some disinfecting wipes or sanitizer in your bag and staying with your octo until you get a chance to clean your primary.

 

[Chavodel8en]

Y'all: If anyone is truly OOA, they will take any reg offered. I would take a reg even if it was labeled "COVID 19"

But that's neither here nor there. That particular scenario -- being OOA, would you take a reg from someones mouth? (of course you would) -- isnt really relevant to the discussion, Im not sure why people keep bringing it up.

Im talking about switching from primary donate to traditional.

I know we are talking about weighing of very small risks. The reason I wear my alternate on a necklace is to address a very small risk -- that if someone on my rec dive needs a reg, we wouldnt be able to access it from an octo-holder (or hanging loose). I should add I am rec only, but since this in Basic Scuba, that could be assumed.

I view the decision to use primary donate or traditional set-up to be a very close decision for a rec diver, based on very small degrees of risk. The very small risk of possibly spreading the Rona may be enough to tilt this decision the other way.

re the Rona surviving underwater for extended periods -- it would only be a second to donate.

Again, we are talking about very small risks -- Ive never had to donate air, and I dont believe I or my buddy is likely to have the Rona -- but for myself, I think Id prefer to see my potential air source not in your mouth.

In my county we are staying 6 feet away from EVERYBODY. This is obviously overkill, but in place to mitigate small risks. Switching back to traditional reg set up might also be overkill, but may be appropriate.

 

[lowwall]

In my county we are staying 6 feet away from EVERYBODY.

Well, there's your answer. Switch to a long hose, dive your octo, and donate the primary.

 

[Chavodel8en]

I don't think this is a realistic concern. However, you can avoid it by bringing some disinfecting wipes or sanitizer in your bag and staying with your octo until you get a chance to clean your primary.

Frankly, this doesnt address my question. Im not concerned about my own regs being infected just by being out in the air.

Basically Im asking - in the off-chance that you need air - would you prefer to take a reg from someone's mouth, or hanging in the water on an octo-holder? I frankly would prefer the latter. And I know we're talking about a small risk.