Coronavirus DK: Gearing up for the long haul

In a question session yesterday, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that it was unwise and untenable that Denmark did not have a secure source of personal protection equipment (PPE) (DK) and testing equipment for an epidemic. Until a few years ago, Statens Serum Institut, the agency responsible for preparing for infectious diseases, had a unit that produced vaccine. It was sold to a Saudi Arabian firm for DKK 15 million ($2.2 million). When asked whether that was not a mistake, Frederiksen answered simply that Denmark should not be in such a vulnerable position regarding supplies again. It was not clear that it was economical for the Danish state to produce all the necessary equipment, she said. She favored shared production with other, like-minded European countries, and she would raise the subject at a meeting of EU this week.

Beware cheap PPE

The Danish Safety Technology Authority issued a warning about sales of protective equipment (DK) that does not satisfy security standards and named specific companies. The firm Hifling Labels, for example, was ordered to stop the sale of “corona masks” to nursing homes in Copenhagen. It must also inform customers that purchased the masks that there was no documentation that masks complied with the relevant standards or provided any protection against the Covid-19 virus. The agency is investigating 11 other companies that sell equipment. The demand for masks and other PPE has increased now that small businesses such as dentists and hairdressers have reopened. Sisse Marie Welling, Deputy Mayor for Health, said it was reprehensible that private companies try to earn money by putting vulnerable elderly persons at risk. In any case, individual nursing homes are not supposed to purchase equipment themselves. Such equipment is purchased centrally by the municipality, which ensures that it fulfills the security requirements.

Substitutes for hugging 

The prime minister was also asked how long people will have to practice social distancing. She responded that the authorities don’t know yet, but she didn’t think that anyone could stand not being able to hug their grandfather in a year, for example. This prompted a journalist to ask a brain researcher what people can do if they have withdrawal symptoms from lack of hugging (DK). Professor Troels Kjær of Zealand University Hospital and the University of Copenhagen, explained about the benefits of oxytocin, the famous “hugging hormone,” and gave a few suggestions. 1) Take a warm shower. It activates the sensors in the skin for touch and heat, widens the blood vessels, and triggers a release of oxytocin. 2) Lie under a heavy comforter or wear tight clothing. The steady pressure on the skin also releases oxytocin. 3) Lay a vibrating phone against your body. It stimulates cells sensitive to touch in a way similar to a shower. 4) Self-massage. Sex of course releases large dose of oxytocin. But if that or a massage from a quarantine partner isn’t an option, you can always give yourself what Kjær calls a “self-hug.” But none of these substitutes can beat a good hug, he concludes, because of all the positive feelings and associations you get from your relation to other person.

Still aiming for more testing

Yesterday, the Danish Regions offered some more information about those tents that were set up in Fælledparken (DK) in Copenhagen. They are called TestCenter Danmark, and they are intended to enable authorities to test more people than before for both coronavirus infection and antibodies. The objective is test everyone with mild symptoms, everyone who is hospitalized, and personnel in healthcare facilities and nursing homes. Testing will take place on two tracks. The healthcare system will manage one of them, and the Test Center will manage the “society track.” The TestCenter will allow testing of an additional 20,000 per day. Thus far fewer than 6,000 people have been tested in a single day.