Low-quality masks
On March 21, the Netherlands received almost 1.3 million face masks from China. Upon inspection, it was found that these masks did not meet the necessary standards. As a consequence, the government not only recalled the hundreds of thousands of masks handed over to healthcare providers, it also decided to stop using the entire shipment. Canada recently revealed that almost 1 million face masks purchased from China had failed in meeting their health standards. As such, they were not distributed to provinces. In Pakistan, some of the Chinese face masks were apparently found to be made from underwear.

The situation is not limited to face masks. Even testing kits from China have come under criticism. After the Spanish government bought hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 testing kits from a Chinese company, almost 60,000 were found to be incapable of determining whether a patient was infected with the virus or not. Turkey also declared that some of the testing kits it received were faulty.

Alarmed by the damage to its reputation, the Chinese government has started implementing stricter rules and checks to ensure quality. Recently, the administration confiscated more than 89 million masks and 418,000 pieces of protective gear from local businesses, claiming that their quality is too poor. However, this begs the question as to why it is mostly Chinese companies that are manufacturing low-quality masks and testing kits.

This might largely be due to the fact that Chinese businesses are trying to recoup losses suffered during the lockdown by using cheaper, low-quality raw materials and processes to get better profit margins. This is clearly a bad way to do business and the Chinese manufacturers do not seem to have any idea about the long-term consequences their actions will have.

Dan Harris, a lawyer whose firm Harris Bricken has advised companies on sourcing from China, calls the current situation “unprecedented.” “It’s a complete mess… A year ago, Chinese companies were fine. Now they’re desperate… A lot of them know they’re going to be bankrupt in a week. A lot are going to be bankrupt already. So they’re selling bad product, fake product,” he said to the Los Angeles Times.

Improving face masks
Many people choose not to buy face masks. Instead, they make their own. If you are such a person, you should know that there is an item that can boost the protective qualities of your face masks — pantyhose! Researchers from Northeastern University in Boston have found that having pantyhose fabric on the outer layer of the face mask will ensure that more airborne particles are filtered out, thereby increasing your chances of not being infected by the coronavirus.

On its own, a homemade face mask could block only 30 percent or less of the particles in the air. However, when a layer of pantyhose was placed on the mask, its particle-blocking abilities increased by 15 to 50 percent. People opting for homemade face masks should ideally use thick-weave cotton. The thicker the cotton is, the better it will be at filtering out particles. Combined with the pantyhose layer, your homemade mask will give you the best possible protection in its class.

Forward from Visiontimes

1. Take off your shoes
The bottom of your shoes is the dirtiest part. You may step on something infected with the CCP virus, so it is a good habit to change your shoes when you go home. Put the shoes outside and wear clean slippers or sandals in the house.

2. Take off your coat
You may change your face mask frequently, but it’s not practical to change your winter coat each time you wear one. Actually, there are different ways to clean it depending on the conditions. If you go to a spacious area with few people, you only need to hang the coat outside of the closet to allow airflow, preferably in the sun. If you travel on public transport, take off your coat gently without shaking it after you get home, and gently clean the coat with 75 percent alcohol or a disinfectant. After cleaning it, hang it outside the closet to dry.

3. Take off your face mask
A face mask is your major means of protection. Change it when needed, wear it the correct way up, and do not wear it on both sides. If you encounter people on a regular basis, it is suggested that the mask be removed according to the recommended method and thrown into the trash. The protective quality of the mask will decrease and the possibility of being infected will increase after several hours of use.

4. Wash your hands
It is crucial to wash both hands including these seven areas; inner side, outer side, finger joints, fist, thumb, nail seam, and wrist. This method is effective in preventing the spread of viruses and bacteria. Wash your hands frequently every day.

5. Open the windows
Opening the window helps recirculate the indoor air, and disperses the CCP virus if it is in the room. On average, 5-10 minutes will allow enough air circulation. The air outside will not bring in the virus as its concentration is insignificant to warrant concern.

Translated by Audrey Wang and edited by Helen

According to a report by the National Taiwan University, red-meat lovers can benefit from taking 5-15 g (1-3 cloves) raw garlic daily to effectively lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Garlic has a low heat-resistance; cooking and heating greatly breaks down and diminishes its germicidal properties. Eating raw garlic is the best way to utilize its allicin. Another good choice is soaking it in vinegar.

Garlic vinegar

The CCP virus has rapidly spread around the world in recent months. Many diverse sorts of folk remedies for boosting immunity have appeared on the scene to combat the pandemic. Garlic vinegar is one of them. According to traditional Chinese medical studies, vinegar itself can detoxify and kill germs. When combined together, both garlic and vinegar not only boost the immune system, they also remove fishy smells and grease, promote digestion, and prevent arteriosclerosis and infections.

Peel off the skin of 500 g fresh garlic, rinse, and dry. Put the garlic in a clean glass container. Add some stevioside or rock sugar, a bit of salt, and about 67 ounces of rice vinegar. Seal tightly and store for at least one month before use. Like wine, the longer the storage time, the more potent the vinegar tastes.

The garlic vinegar cannot be drunk as is. It needs to be diluted with 10 parts water for drinking: 1 part garlic vinegar, 10 parts water. It should not be consumed on an empty stomach. People with a deficient, cold-type constitution, can drink it warm to balance their system and health.

Alcohol lovers can soak the garlic in wine as well, and drink a small amount daily before sleep. People who like a sweet taste can make honeyed garlic and eat 2-3 cloves on an empty stomach daily; this helps to prevent high blood pressure. Whichever way you prefer, traditionally, they are all used to boost immunity and health.

Translated by Cecilia and edited by Michael Segarty
Forward from “Vision times”

A few days later when the two armies once again clashed, the emperor’s men beat the drums, the powerful sound shaking the world. As the angel had promised, Chiyou and his men were shocked to death, at last ending the war. The emperor was overjoyed, but when he turned back to see his own soldiers dying, he quickly gathered a couple of musicians in hopes of coming up with a cure. The musicians used the string from the bows of the wounded soldiers and tied them to pieces of wood. They began to play. Once the melodious music reached the soldiers’ ears, the wounds were healed and they miraculously awakened. At that time, the emperor’s historian, Cangjie, saw the miracle happen and created the word ‘music’. The character became a symbol of the sound that can be used to heal. Decades later, people also found out that many natural plants and herbs can also be used to heal or treat illnesses, so they combined the characters ‘music’ and ‘herbs’ to create a new character: medicine.

The ancestors of ‘medicine’ equals to ‘music’ and ‘herb’

We all know that the character ‘medicine’ is made up of ‘herb’ and ‘music’. ‘Herb’ includes all the important foods essential to human health, such as wheat, rice, fruits, vegetables, and so on. ‘Music’ accounts for most of the character, so it plays a pivotal role. The ancients believed that each music note had a natural effect on the corresponding organs. For example, the note ‘Do (1)’ is melodious and invigorating. ‘Re (2)’ is deep and resonant, and can bring tranquility. ‘Mi (3)’ is smooth and can enhance slumber, while ‘So (5)’ is full of energy and can repress stress. ‘La ( 6)’ is soft and thorough and can enlighten the mind. Different types of music bring different feelings. Pure, bright music can cultivate people’s sentiments, purify the mind, and achieve the effect of treatment. Wild, passionate music will only trigger people’s impulsive, hysterical urges and indulge lust. So the real music is the magic, it is a good mood, giving benefits, giving health, giving the right energy! The character ‘music’ can also be read as ‘happiness’. The ancients said, ‘A good heart works like herbs.’ Those who are happiest always hold a good heart. On the contrary, a person filled with hate will never be happy or healthy, as their hearts are not kind.

Spiritual and substance are one in same

In traditional Chinese, the characters ‘music’ and ‘herb’ combine together to make the character for ‘medicine’. ‘Music’ can soothe people’s spirits, and ‘herbs’ can provide humans nutrition. Chinese culture is broad and profound – behind every traditional character is a museum with rich connotations and Divine culture. Through examining the character ‘medicine’, we have found a revelation: health from human body , mind and spirit.

Translated and edited by Ireen Chau