If you are looking for a MEDICAL BATTERY CHARGER, use our ordering page.

The Blog

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

It could be a bit of weekend effect, but reported new cases were down to 772, and deaths at 94. Active cases at 35,014.

More Indirect COVID-19 Deaths

B.C. sees spike in fatal overdoses during pandemic
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/05/28/news/bc-sees-spike-fatal-overdoses-during-pandemic

Scams and Disinformation

U.S. story, but more reason to ensure we can buy PPE within our own borders.
Coronavirus fraud: Foreign government wired $317M for millions of N95 masks that didn't exist.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/28/coronavirus-fraud-feds-bust-scheme-to-sell-imaginary-n95-masks.html
New WhatsApp Warning As Malicious Hackers Strike Again: Here’s What You Do.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/05/29/new-whatsapp-warning-as-malicious-hack-returns-heres-what-you-must-do-now/

Caremongering and PPE

Local company stepping up with PPE again; this time for area dentists.
https://www.baytoday.ca/local-news/local-company-stepping-up-with-ppe-again-this-time-for-area-dentists-2394186
N.S. company who pivoted to face shields sees future for local PPE
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/protective-equipment-mackenzie-atlantic-coronavirus-1.5586831
If they are looking for future markets, they may find one in Alberta with many doctors and clinics being cut off from provincial support and supplies.
Alberta's new PPE distribution plan unfair, doctors tell province
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/ppe-alberta-doctors-supply-cost-1.5588488

Face Shield Cleaning and Maintenance

While thinking about dentists, patients and COVID-19, this item came my way. If you are thinking about the value of a face shield for personal protection and reduction virus spread, it's probably useful reading for you. If your are a mask user, also note the advice on providing eye protection as part of infection prevention.
Understanding face shield maintenance—practical steps to insure cleanliness and optical clarity.
https://www.dentistryiq.com/dental-hygiene/infection-control/article/14176826/understanding-face-shield-maintenancepractical-steps-to-insure-cleanliness-and-optical-clarity

Cloth Masks Again (and again ... because data and evidence)

What does concern me is the cavalier attitude by some that equate DIY cloth masks with providing effective protection. In particular the messaging that implies wearing a mask is as good as isolation and physical distancing. I think Canada's senior health officials and other experts are delivering the right message on cloth masks, despite the drumbeat pressure from the loophole brigade and re-open-now faction.

Use of non-medical cloth masks or face coverings in community settings
http://www.phn-rsp.ca/sac-covid-ccs/wearing-masks-community-eng.php
In short, other measures are more effective. If you MUST enter a setting where transmission barriers are not in place and physical distancing is not possible, a cloth mask MAY provide some protection against you transmitting the virus to others.

Coronavirus: Which Mask Should You Wear?
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/health/coronavirus-best-face-masks.html
We don't have good information on the effectiveness of DIY cloth masks because there is no consistency in materials used, designs, build quality or fitting. No data at all that I can find on how frequently they are being sterilized by individual users, which is more important for cloth masks because they are intended to be re-used.

Here's a video on how to wash your cloth face mask.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajo_IwXsuFM
Note: cloth masks are supposed to be washed and dried after EVERY use. And you should wash your hands both before (because your hands are going near your face) and after you handle the mask (because the mask may have been contaminated).

A reader brought this article to my attention. (Thank you.)
Covid-19: face mask rules more political than scientific, says UK expert
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/may/21/face-mask-rules-more-political-than-scientific-says-expert
That led me to this study (still in pre-print form). Press release:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fvp131tsqxccqol/AACe8jA5iwrfsZTtCbTRKznSa?dl=0&preview=Press+release.pdf
Paper (pre-print):
https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/2005/2005.10720.pdf
I recommend going through the paper. Some of the images of leakage jets are striking.

From the study's abstract:
"Surgical and hand-made masks, and face shields, generate several leakage jets, including intense backward and downwards jets that may present major hazards."

In the body of the study:
"The other face covers (surgical and hand-made masks, and the shields) showed mixed performances, but the hand-made mask was the least effective in stopping air leakage. It is important to remark that there is a wide range of hand-made masks and thus care must be used in generalising these results. Figure 7b shows a frontal view of the manikin coughing while wearing the hand-made mask. While the travelled distance of the front through flow was effectively reduced as for the other masks (150 mm, Table 4), this mask led to multiple leaking jets that could extend upwards, downwards and backwards quiet [sic] significantly. The crown-ward leakage jets extended beyond the edge of the field of view, which is 155 mm above the head of the manikin [emphasis added] (Table 4)."

I also recommend reading the Expert Reaction to the pre-print.
https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-preprint-not-a-published-paper-looking-at-face-coverings-and-aerosol-dispersion/

Another study on effectiveness of surgical and cotton masks (April 2020)
Effectiveness of Surgical and Cotton Masks in Blocking SARS–CoV-2: A Controlled Comparison in 4 Patients
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-1342
"In conclusion, both surgical and cotton masks seem to be ineffective in preventing the dissemination of SARS–CoV-2 from the coughs of patients with COVID-19 to the environment and external mask surface."

Just because you can make a mask, doesn't mean it's good.
Sydney Morning Herald: Chemist Warehouse mask flunks independent testing.
Well, SMH dropped that one down the memory hole, so it's fortunate another Australian news organization did not (yet).
And there it went. [dead link: https://www.onenewspage.com/n/Australia/1zlrval53g/Chemist-Warehouse-mask-flunks-independent-testing.htm] https://www.onenewspage.com/n/Australia/1zlrval53g/Chemist-Warehouse-mask-flunks-independent-testing.htm

A Fun Story About N95 Mask Origin
True Story: A Former House Beautiful Editor Invented the N95 Mask While Designing Bras
https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/a32685798/n95-respirator-mask-design-history-sarah-little-turnbull/

;-) In case you needed a reminder of what nature looks like ...
     8 hours of video of water scenes.
       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gwglom4FeA

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

The grind goes on. On Friday, Canada reported 906 new cases and 102 deaths. A stat I have not reported before (as provincial data was unreliable, but now seems to be stabilizing) is active cases, reported yesterday at 34,921 - more than a third of the total cases count, and we're now two-and-a-half months from when the lockdowns started. That's fully 1/10th of 1 percent of the entire Canadian population.

Leadership

It looks like we're going to have to start fact checking the Ontario Premier now.

The day before yesterday was the misfire on having no evidence of issues about long-term care (LTC) facilities within his sphere of responsibility. Yesterday it was the report that it was not UNIONIZED employees that refused to personally inspect the LTCs, it was management direction. The latter accords with my peripheral knowledge of the sector, where LTC owners have long pushed for less oversight, and got their wish for no unannounced visits since this Premier took office. And the inspections that do occur are rare.
Union fires back after Ford says long-term care inspectors refused to go into infected homes
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/05/28/news/long-term-care-inspectors-refused-go-homes-hardest-hit-covid-19-ford
Ontario scaled back comprehensive, annual inspections of nursing homes to only a handful last year
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/seniors-homes-inspections-1.5532585

If this is Doug Ford's sense of keeping a close check on 'greedy' (his word) investors running LTC homes, well, the most generous comment I can offer is 'needs work'. But don't expect any substantive change from this government. Any investigation led by this government will be ideologically unable to find fault with private sector operators. And in a few months, most of us will forget about it. Again.
For-Profit Nursing Homes Hire Tory Insiders To Lobby Ford Government
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/for-profit-homes-conservative-insiders-coronavirus_ca_5ec5922cc5b63de4aabdd95f
Mike Harris expanded the privatization of long-term care. Doug Ford is discovering that wasn’t a magic cure
https://spon.ca/mike-harris-expanded-the-privatization-of-long-term-care-doug-ford-is-discovering-that-wasnt-a-magic-cure/2020/05/05/
In 2007, Howard Hampton went on a tirade about long-term care. We all moved on
https://macleans.ca/opinion/in-2007-howard-hampton-went-on-a-tirade-about-long-term-care-we-all-moved-on/

Was it just 48 hours ago that the Ontario Premier said he would not permit regional lifting of restrictions?

Never mind, yesterday, he reversed course on that, adding to his flip-flop record.
Ford says he is considering regional reopening of Ontario as new testing strategy rolled out
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-19-coronavirus-ontario-may-29-testing-strategy-1.5589813

Did the Alberta premier just forget to tell his chief medical officer he's about to end the province's public health emergency?
[dead link: https://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/alberta-diary/2020/05/did-alberta-premier-just-forget-tell-his-chief-medical-officer] https://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/alberta-diary/2020/05/did-alberta-premier-just-forget-tell-his-chief-medical-officer

A Different Kind of Information Spinning

Well, we do know who is bleating the loudest in the mainstream media. Businesses see this as a paradox. They claim they're having trouble finding enough people to come back to work in low-wage jobs, and the fault is entirely that of the federal government's wanton generosity for those who were let go by those same businesses a few weeks ago within minutes of being locked down.
Labour shortage amid Depression-level unemployment: Some businesses struggle to hire workers getting CERB
https://nationalpost.com/news/a-labour-shortage-amid-depression-level-unemployment-some-businesses-struggle-to-hire-back-employees-getting-cerb

A few things to note in this article. The target is specifically the CERB. The CERB is not available to most people who were employed before COVID-19 layoffs; they would have only qualified for EI. (Yes there were a few corner cases where a worker would not qualify for EI, but they should have been small in number.) The article finds one case to hang it's story on - one in the country. How is it that former employees who were not laid off but seem to have been expected to volunteer to show up for work during the pandemic ended up on CERB and not EI? Something is off, here. Are these business owners looking to find a lower-wage pool of workers than the ones they let go in March and April?

Letting my mind wander for a moment as to what else might possibly be at play here. First off, why aren't these businesses looking to bring back the workers they had before the COVID-19 lockdown and presumably qualified for EI? Have they managed to re-staff all those former workers and are now looking to create a bigger workforce than pre-COVID-19 times? Somehow, I think that would have been more newsworthy than this curious screed on behalf of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). It also seems odd to me that with the federal government job board for students open and apparently many tens of thousands of students looking for paid work right now, that these businesses can't manage to tap into that vast labour pool.

It could be there are other issues at play for potential workers during the COVID-19 era. Perhaps they got sick. Perhaps they are in isolation due to contact tracing. Perhaps they are having to tend to someone else who is sick. Perhaps they have kids who are not in school because they're all closed. Perhaps they have kids who can't go to a daycare because those are closed. Perhaps they recall how loyal their employer was to them in mid-March and have doubts about the likely working conditions if they should go back. Perhaps they are concerned they won't be supplied with effective PPE by their employer which has the responsibility to provide a safe work place.

But somehow, per the CFIB, it's about the workforce that did not qualify for EI but are allegedly living big on the CERB. But if it's about the money, then the employer may want to some math. I'm assuming we're talking about full-time, permanent workers who are actually on a documented payroll, not casual workers who get called in for a few hours on busy days and are paid off the books. Just for context, I'm a small business owner. In my experience, workers can do math when it comes to their pay.

The CERB pays out $2,000 a month - before taxes - and is not expected to continue indefinitely. My guess is that the top end for most Canadians under the CERB will be about $12,000, and after mid-September it will get curtailed. But suppose it actually continues indefinitely, the maximum anyone is likely to get from it is $24,000 in a year, and most will have to give some of that back in taxes, government health insurance premiums, government pension plan contributions, HST, and other government fees. Let's compare that to a worker putting in 40 hours a week and working 50 weeks a year (2000 hours) at a minimum wage of $11.32 (come on down Saskatchewan): $22,640. Toss on another 4% for vacation pay and the grand total is: $23,545.60. $450 dollars a year difference, in the lowest minimum-wage jurisdiction in the country, assuming the worker never qualifies for any paid overtime, or benefits, or bonuses, or any other work-related perks.

So, sure enough, if the CERB were to last forever, those workers in SK would be better off staying home. Still, with 3% of the national population, I don't think that's the CFIB's target audience. I'll go further and say it's also not likely MB, NS, NB, NL, PE or any of the northern territories with similar or smaller populations. Nope, the real players for the CFIB membership are in ON, QC, BC and AB which account for 87% of the Canadian population. The respective minimum wages in the big four are $14.00, $13.10, $13.85 and $15.00. I'm going to use $14.00, because it's roughly in the middle of the range, corresponds to the biggest provincial population, and it's a round number.

So, let's take our Ontario minimum wage full-time worker and figure out their take. 2000 hours at $14 plus 4% vacation pay gives us $29,120. Any benefits, paid overtime or bonuses on top of that. So, that's at least a $5,000 a year edge over the most generous interpretation of the CERB benefit. Frankly, most of us are really tired of staying home. My guess is that if you are offering people more money to go to work than they get for going stir-crazy stuck at home, other things being equal, most would be ready to go back to work. So, my conclusion is that for a lot of these people, if they actually exist, things aren't equal. Dear business owners, have a look at what you're really offering, and figure out why the workers you shed in the past couple of months really don't want to come back to work.

Practice What You Preach

This time the joke is on me. A few days ago, I suggested people go out and start and move their cars to make sure they're ready for service when needed. I didn't that day, though I had planned to - things got busy. Yesterday, I needed to take my car to run a couple of errands. But it wouldn't start - flat battery. (I have been driving to run errands the past few weeks, but using one of the electric cars in our household - because they're a lot less expensive to fuel than my 5.5 litres per 100 km Smart car.) Anyway, I had to dig out a battery charger and put the GAS car on charge. Some irony there.

If you have a gas or diesel car sitting around due to COVID-19 and are a candidate for the same issue, I can help you with that. (Shameless plug - pun intended - ahead.) I am a distributor for a line of compact, intelligent, designed in Canada battery chargers, including some which are great for maintaining 12-volt automotive batteries. If that's of interest, here's the link:
http://econogics.com/Soneil/sonorder.htm#12V
I recommend the 1206SX for this application.

;-) Recent studies show that electric vehicles made by BMW have
     a ten percent better battery life.
       Because they don't waste electricity by using their blinkers.
         (credit https://upjoke.com/)

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Premier Ford of Ontario is adamant that he will not permit regional reopening within the province.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-end-lockdown-physical-distancing-regional-1.5545600

That strikes me as a short-sighted approach if the objective is a return to normalcy in the short term. People need to see that progress is possible, if we work together to safely and cautiously lift restrictions.

Fortunately for Ontario residents, it appears Ontario's public health units are stepping up to fill the leadership void at the top of the Ontario government, which is now focused on getting the federal government to continue picking up the bills to fix its very broken long-term care fiasco, a fully provincial responsibility. It appears that 2 years of complaints on a public government website were unknown to the Premier during questions yesterday as he sputtered his government did not know about the problems before the report from the Canadian military on Wednesday. Fortunately for Ontario, the military are still in place in several long-term care homes in Ontario.

Risks of Pushing "Re-Opening" Hard in Outbreak Areas

Montreal Gazette: Saying they're 'dead tired,' Quebec nurses will take to the streets of Montreal.
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/saying-theyre-dead-tired-quebec-nurses-will-take-to-the-streets-of-montreal
We know health care workers have become sick in dealing with COVID-19 patients, be it due to inadequate PPE, just losing the statistical game of seeing so many infected patients, because guidance has not been properly implemented in their work places, or because they just made a mistake because they were rushed, pressured and tired. In the key break-out areas, it's only reasonable to expect these front-line workers are exhausted and have not yet had a chance to recovery their energy levels or their health, but our leadership is pushing forward with 're-opening' anyway.

COVID-19's Indirect Health Impacts

The Pandemic’s Hidden Victims: Sick or Dying, but Not From the Virus
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/health/treatment-delays-coronavirus.html

There are reports from many hospitals that visits to emergency departments are down dramatically. We have seen the disruption in clinics and doctor's offices, dentistry, optometrists, etc. People with chronic conditions are suffering, even if not infected by the coronavirus.

I have long been a fan of the innovative folks in the Renfrew County Paramedic service. They have a largely rural population, with a higher than average aged population. The Service has long been taking health care visits and treatment to the patients rather than making the patients make long trips to doctors' offices as appropriate. They have used drones to deliver medications and get eyes on the scene in remote areas before ground units can get there. They have now embraced a virtual triage capability and are doing COVID-19 virus testing in the home. Brilliant!
Renfrew County paramedics testing for COVID-19 at home
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/renfrew-paramedics-covid19-test-1.5498850

More Scams

Cyber defence agency found over 1,500 'malicious' fake Canadian government COVID-19 websites.
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/cyber-defence-agency-found-over-1500-malicious-fake-canadian-government-covid-19-websites
(For a list of genuine sites, see my post from May 17, #2020.05.17 near the bottom of the post.)

People are feeling the effects of isolation. This weekend, please take a few minutes to call or email someone you think might be feeling left behind.

;-) If you cannot find your dog, open the fridge door.
     He’s standing right behind you. (credit https://short-funny.com/new-jokes.php)

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Lockdown violators using Cummings as excuse, say police.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/may/27/lockdown-violators-using-cummings-as-excuse-say-police
What did the UK government think would happen? This has already cost them a minister, and it's probably not over yet. Remember the foreign-sponsored disinformation campaigns intended to undermine trust in elected democratic governments? Our leaders need to stop helping them by supplying their ammunition.
'IT's STAGGERING': Half of Canadians say governments hiding something about COVID-19, poll says
[dead link: https://canoe.com/news/national/its-staggering-half-of-canadians-say-governments-hiding-something-about-covid-19-poll-says] https://canoe.com/news/national/its-staggering-half-of-canadians-say-governments-hiding-something-about-covid-19-poll-says

PPE

We're finally starting to come to grips with how long the COVID-19 health emergency might last, and a sense of how much PPE we might need. Think well into 2021 at a minimum, and 100s of millions of pieces. This is an industry we need to create in Canada, starting 3 months ago.
How much protective equipment does Canada really need for COVID-19?
https://globalnews.ca/news/6990852/coronavirus-canada-ppe-supply/
Canada short billions of N95 masks: PPE contractor
https://torontosun.com/news/national/canada-short-billions-of-n95-masks-ppe-contractor
CTV News: PPE shortage a growing concern among dental professionals
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/ppe-shortage-a-growing-concern-among-dental-professionals-1.4928423

As much as we are trying to ration and re-use PPE, it's not a viable long-term solution unless those items were originally designed for re-use, like launderable isolation gowns or faceshields that can be sterilized via UV light, hydrogen-peroxide saturation, autoclaving ...
The Guardian - Reusing protective gear risks exposure to dangerous chemicals, experts say
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/17/protective-gear-coronavirus-chemicals

By now, we need to have grasped that we can't rely on China or the U.S. as suppliers ever again, and for the short term, all nations are going to be competing for supply. 'Free trade' was based on trust in greed, not nations weaponizing their manufacturing capability in time of global emergency.

Is the continued supply of defective PPE by China really 'contractual issues', or is it a conscious policy of making Canadian workers distrust and fear the PPE they are provided by employers? Or to try to make more of Canada's health workers ill by supplying PPE which does not provide the advertised protection?

What will be the impact of the Meng Wanzhou court decision yesterday on China's bullying of Canada?

MarketWatch: U.S. FDA cuts the number of China mask makers approved for N95 masks: report.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-fda-cuts-the-number-of-china-mask-makers-approved-for-n95-masks-wsj-2020-05-07
Health Canada issues recall of some KN95 masks made in China
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/health-canada-issues-recall-of-some-kn95-masks-made-in-china-1.5568734
The Globe and Mail: Canada’s order for N95 masks drops by nearly 50 million due to supply issues.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canadas-order-for-n95-masks-drops-by-19-million-due-to-supply-issues/
Forbes: The Coming ‘Breaking’ Of The China Supply Chain
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2020/05/17/the-coming-breaking-of-the-china-supply-chain/
Canada needs to see the U.S. and its trade motives clearly
https://theconversation.com/canada-needs-to-see-the-u-s-and-its-trade-motives-clearly-136161

Is this another opportunity for a Canadian innovator to develop a new market at home and for export?
BBC News: PPE 'designed for women' needed on frontline
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52454741

They Evoke Darth Vader, but These Masks May Save Your Doctor's Life
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/us/coronavirus-masks-elastomeric-respirators.html
Perhaps our post-COVID economic recovery should include making these devices and exporting them, after filling whatever demand we have in Canada. (Not just for doctors, but all front-line health workers facing COVID-19.)

We can do it in Canada, if we choose to do so, with a long-term vision of re-establishing our manufacturing capacity (using modern approaches and automation). More examples.
Quick pivot to face shield manufacturing saves jobs at Oshawa and Bowmanville companies
https://www.durhamregion.com/news-story/9996664-quick-pivot-to-face-shield-manufacturing-saves-jobs-at-oshawa-and-bowmanville-companies/

It's not just PPE we need to think about here. It's medication and food and other items which are critical to Canada continuing to function as a sovereign nation.
Protecting our supply line so it can protect us
Coronavirus: Another chance to transform the global food trade
https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-another-chance-to-transform-the-global-food-trade-136561

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

May 27, 2020

We know what works to reduce community spread: the tedious, boring stuff. We know what happens when the 'yahoos' choose not to observe that guidance. Why is there such a push for 're-opening' on a massive scale when we know we're not ready for a new surge (treatments, PPE, staff)? Are we not learning from the tragedies in our long-term care homes as highlighted yesterday in the report from our military? The incidents are so egregious they have made international news.
Canada: neglected residents and rotten food found at care homes hit by Covid-19
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/26/canada-care-homes-military-report-coronavirus

Or is the lesson here that our elderly are disposable? (The following is a U.S. story, but the message seems to resonate for Canada.)
America's deadly ageism: How COVID-19 exposes prejudice against the elderly and dementia patients
https://www.salon.com/2020/05/15/covid-19-coronavirus-elderly-dementia-patients/

If you're looking for a 'silver-bullet' solution to COVID-19 in the short term, you're going to be disappointed.
Antibody tests for Covid-19 wrong half the time, CDC says https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/health/antibody-tests-cdc-coronavirus-wrong/index.html
Can antibody tests tell us who is immune to COVID-19?
https://theconversation.com/can-antibody-tests-tell-us-who-is-immune-to-covid-19-138240
Opinion: I just wanted my COVID test results. What I found was a disorganized mess.
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/opinion-i-just-wanted-my-covid-test-results-what-i-found-was-a-disorganized-mess

Still, the news isn't all bleak. The Tyee has a recent round-up of medical news related to COVID-19.
Good News on Immunity and Vaccines. And More Science Journal Findings.
https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/05/26/Science-Journals-Immunity-Vaccines/

Regional Decision-Making for Re-Opening

Apparently I'm not the only one who sees putting a cordon around the continuing big outbreak centres as a means to get most of the country back to lifting restrictions and increasing economic production.
Kingston asks province for 'local flexibility' on lifting COVID-19 restrictions
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/kingston-flexibility-parks-1.5543269
Reopening Ontario: Regional reopening framework being discussed.
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/regional-reopening-framework-being-discussed-by-provincial-officials-top-doc-in-eastern-ontario-says-1.4954810

The World isn't Winning on PPE Production

FDA signals PPE shortage, issues EUA for more.
https://www.massdevice.com/fda-signals-ppe-shortage-issues-eua-for-more/
40 flights carrying personal protective equipment have arrived in Canada, Trudeau says.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-ppe-covid-1.5584630
(silver lining in the above item, Canada is finally getting serious about domestic production)

Masks

Before the loophole brigade jumps on this headline (and barrages me with email), please read the actual article, where you will find this text: 'Homemade cloth masks aren’t perfect, they found, but may help provide a “modest reduction in transmission” ' if widely used, according to the opinion paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on May 22.
'Convincing' evidence suggests cloth masks may help reduce COVID-19 transmission
[dead link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/convincing-evidence-suggests-cloth-masks-may-help-reduce-covid-19-contamination/]
"'Convincing' and 'MAY help reduce' in the headline? You know that's not substantive.
Here's the actual paper, and a quote from it:
Cloth Masks May Prevent Transmission of COVID-19: An Evidence-Based, Risk-Based Approach
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-2567
"Cloth does not stop isolated virions. However, most virus transmission occurs via larger particles in secretions, whether aerosol (<5 µm) or droplets (>5 µm), which are generated directly by speaking, eating, coughing, and sneezing; aerosols are also created when water evaporates from smaller droplets, which become aerosol-sized droplet nuclei. The point is not that some particles can penetrate but that some particles are stopped, particularly in the outward direction. Every virus-laden particle retained in a mask is not available to hang in the air as an aerosol or fall to a surface to be later picked up by touch."
And I'll repeat some of my issues with cloth masks. They instill a false sense of security. At best, they provide very limited protection against virus spread from the wearer. They only work if worn correctly (which is rare in my personal experience when out in public in the past month). They provide no discernible protection for the wearer. They trap bacteria and viruses against the face of the wearer. They have to be washed after each use with soap and an antibacterial agent and dried thoroughly to reduce their health risk factors. They have to be donned and doffed correctly so as to not spread potential infection. They have to be stored in an airtight environment before and after use until laundering. They lead to people touching their face MORE, to constantly adjust them.

Here's a thought on making surgical (not DIY cloth) masks more effective against virus spread.
This ex-Apple designer has a simple solution to make masks more effective
https://www.fastcompany.com/90508168/this-ex-apple-designer-has-a-simple-solution-to-make-cloth-masks-more-effective
(Please note that while the article publisher has included 'cloth' in the link name, this article is not about cloth masks, it is about surgical masks. The text and images show surgical masks only.) Until we can catch up on N95 (or better) masks, this might be a reasonable approach to improve the effectiveness of the more easily made and acquired surgical masks.

More Computer Threats and Information on Disinformation

If computers (including smart phones, tablets and laptops) are your lifeline or work connection during the COVID-19 health emergency, you want to ensure they remain functional, and don't become a threat for your future via identity theft or other scams or simply leading you to bad decisions based on disinformation. These are now more virulent than the coronavirus.
Beware—100 Million Android Users Have Now Installed This Dangerous Chinese ‘Spyware’
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/05/26/android-users-beware-100-million-users-must-delete-this-dangerous-spyware-app-now/
More evidence that Facebook was, and still is, designed to misinform you and breed mistrust within its user community.
Facebook knew its algorithms divided users, execs killed fixes: report - Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-knew-algorithms-divided-users-execs-killed-fixes-report-2020-5
Canadians need to get smarter on computer threats, scams and disinformation
Canada still lacks cybersecurity ‘street smarts’ says CIRA director
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/canada-still-lacks-cybersecurity-street-smarts-says-cira-director/431107]
Some good news on the disinformation front
Canada co-leading effort to fight election disinformation
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/canada-co-leading-effort-to-fight-election-disinformation/431219]

;-) "What are imitation rhinestones?" (credit Steven Wright)

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Canada continues to grind along; 1012 new cases yesterday and 121 deaths.

Sigh. Many days lately it's no pleasure to be right. The Ontario government said yesterday that it now associates the recent rise in the daily new numbers counts with some Ontarians breaking with guidance in order to visit family members from outside the household for Mother's Day.
Mother’s Day gatherings boosted coronavirus cases in Ontario, health minister says
https://globalnews.ca/news/6984147/coronavirus-ontario-mothers-day-cases/
Just as the Premier did by breaking government guidance in allowing his daughters who live elsewhere to visit his house for Mother's Day. Just as he broke with government guidance for the rest of us to go check the plumbing at his cottage when others were told not to visit second homes and seasonal properties.

If these cases do result from Mother's Day (May 10th) as postulated by the Ontario Minister of Health, then we can expect even bigger increases in case counts from the Victoria Day long weekend, re-opening of non-essential businesses and situations like the Trinity-Bellwood gathering this past weekend in Toronto.

We're going to need all that PPE that's supposedly on order, now. Perhaps the federal government can rescue Ontario again on this, as it did by putting military personnel into long-term care homes with major outbreaks and now by ramping up contact tracing capacity, and providing all the funding for everything to try to keep many Canadians whole while much of the world is in chaos.

And yesterday, Premier Ford told everyone who was at Bellwood-Trinity to go get tested, which contradicted the advice from his own medical experts.
Doug Ford, public health at odds over Trinity Bellwoods advice; Toronto’s average rate of COVID-19 infections hits new high
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/05/25/coronavirus-covid-19-updates-virus-toronto-canada-may-25.html

Leadership is about living up to a higher standard than those who wield no authority, not about abusing the power accorded by holding a position of authority. The Ontario government's credibility on telling Ontarians what they should do for their safety and well-being is crumbling fast, if not already dissipated. It would be refreshing to see the Ontario government actually accomplishing something on COVID-19 (e.g., usefully hitting testing targets, securing PPE from within the province on a long-term basis, developing technology and practice to treat and suppress the virus) rather than spending its time and energy on reducing environmental regulation and reporting, and ordering up a few billion dollars worth of natural gas generating stations we don't need in the province, while leaving the heavy lifting on COVID-19 to others. If we want an economy when this is over, it's important to keep the consumers alive.

Quarantine Fatigue

I get it. At edition 72, the novelty of going through voluminous material, and so much of it wrong or misleading, wore out about 60 editions ago. You're tired of staying at home. News flash! It's not about you as one individual. It's about protecting all the people on the front lines, risking their health, perhaps their lives, their families, so you can get groceries and medications, your garbage is picked up, and the hundreds of other things you so take for granted you didn't even know somebody had the job of doing them. Remember them? The ones we were calling 'heroes' (and deservedly so). Or is that too 3-weeks-ago for you to remember? Stop whining, and get over yourself. Act like adults, even if your 'leadership' isn't up to the job.
Dominic Cummings Offers a Sorry-Not-Sorry for U.K. Lockdown Breach
[dead link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/25/world/europe/dominic-cummings-boris-johnson-coronavirus.html] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/25/world/europe/dominic-cummings-boris-johnson-coronavirus.html

Here's something else I'm tired of seeing.

COVID-19 Disinformation

The purveyors of disinformation are well funded. They have spent years developing and implementing a strategy which is clearly effective. Their pawns are legion and thoroughly indoctrinated. The 'infodemic' is a real problem. Sadly, if you don't believe that, it's likely just proof that it's true. In a better world, I would look to journalists and legacy media to be part of the remedy. Unfortunately, much of the western world's corporate media is also a disinformation machine, although with different objectives.
The epidemiology of misinformation
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/science-and-technology/epidemiology-misinformation-coronavirus-covid19-conspiracy-theory
EU Monitor Sees Drop In COVID-19 Disinformation, Urges Social Media To Take More Action
https://www.rferl.org/a/covid-19-disinformation-eu-decrease-kremlin-china-bill-5g-gates/30625483.html
(A reduction is a long way from elimination.)

When you repeat and relay this sort of specious material to others, remember who you are benefiting. In case I have been too subtle in the past, it is those who want to undermine democratic governments, particularly those in the 'West'. That would be China, Russia, Iran and their proxies.

Regional Decision-Making for Re-Opening

If we want to 're-open the economy' (note the language of our leaders is predominantly about the business side, not about people being allowed to increase the degree of normalcy in their lives), then we need to devolve the decision-making to the level where people live. We have seen some of this, where cottagers were told to stay at their primary residences and not travel to their seasonal properties. This is the proper level for this decision-making for COVID-19, because when we overwhelm the 'health care system', it will be at a hospital or at the city level which may have multiple hospitals. Today, as I'm looking at news stories and cases data, it appears that most of Canada has COVID-19 transmission under pretty good control. The exceptions are the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the larger community of urban Montreal, possibly Calgary and Brooks AB, and some construction camps. Nova Scotia's issues were in the Halifax-Dartmouth area, and the numbers were associated largely with one long-term care facility.

Perhaps we should be looking to let the regions make decisions on 're-opening' measures - in consultation with provincial authorities as appropriate. The key issues with this approach will be regional/municipal competence (as it has been at the provincial level in some cases) and perimeter controls. The latter is manageable; Quebec put up effective border checkpoints at the Ottawa-Gatineau border, and New Brunswick is managing access from Quebec. As regions lift restrictions, slowly with monitoring, testing and the ability to put restrictions back into force, they can also consider opening their 'bubbles' to neighbouring areas which are also doing well.

If cordoned cities want to make their decision-making more granular so they can focus resources on 'hot-spots' (education, testing, contact tracing, using empty hotels to create more physical isolation capacity, deploying health care professionals to those areas, setting up real quarantine quarters ...), that would make sense to me.

This will also require better tools for educating and informing the public, quickly and consistently (no mixed messaging due to lack of internal communication) with simple rule sets. Again, like a weather forecast with air quality and allergy information. The information has to be delivered to where people are listening (first languages, communications channels including social media, via informal community leaders with a following ...) Clearly, the Canada COVID-19 smartphone app isn't enough.

As waste water treatment is also generally done at a regional level, this idea might also be used to gather data to inform decision-making and serve as an early warning sign for lifting or lowering restriction levels.
Testing wastewater could help detect second wave of COVID-19
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/05/22/news/testing-wastewater-could-help-detect-second-wave-covid-19

;-) Why did Ozzy Osbourne retire from touring?
     He had metal fatigue. (credit upjoke.com)

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

For the past 4 reporting days, Canada continues to generate between 1100 and 1200 new cases. The number of deaths bounces around, but seems to be holding around 100 per day on average. We aren't beating COVID-19, and we don't have enough data to know how much of the population has been exposed. We don't have enough PPE or contact tracing resources in place (although it appears we are now going to create a national capacity for this to pick up for Ontario which is abjectly failing on this and testing).

In a 180-degree turn (flip-flop), the Premier of Ontario said that anyone who wants to be tested for COVID-19 now can be - just go to a testing centre - you won't be turned away. Let's see how that actually goes before we get excited. I wonder if anyone is still listening to the Ontario government's pronouncements. I hope it works, because I do expect more people are going to be showing symptoms in the next week or two after seeing news coverage of people not following guidance on physical distancing and maintaining isolation the past two weekends.

Does this sound like a province ready to deal with major new outbreaks or a 'second wave'?
Ontario's hospitals are filling up, hampering the resumption of surgeries
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-19-ontario-hospitals-elective-surgeries-1.5581177

I'm surprised by the number of stores advertising 're-opening' sales with reduced prices to increase sales floor traffic, but apparently with haphazard approaches to how infection risk is being reduced.

If you're living in Ontario, I recommend you keep up your own precautions against becoming infected. Before COVID-19, 'hallway medicine' and stacked up ambulances were the hallmark of the Ontario health care 'system'; understaffed, under-resourced and chronically underfunded. The general response appears to be miserly increases in funding (but mostly shifting budgets), and looking to bring in volunteers to deal with what is expected to be a 'long emergency'.

Learning from New Zealand

Some countries seem to have a handle on managing COVID-19, and are now moving ahead - carefully and cautiously - to a post-COVID economy. Consider New Zealand. In the past 2 weeks NZ has reported a total of seven new and suspected COVID-19 cases. Seven. No deaths in those 2 weeks. 21 deaths total through the entire pandemic. Testing has been available at supermarkets to anybody who wanted it, since before any 're-opening' initiatives.
Budget 2020: $1.1b towards saving environment while creating jobs
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12331721

Even with this track record for shutting COVID-19 down with a high level of success, New Zealand is taking a more cautious approach to 're-opening' than most Canadian provinces, and especially the two with the largest populations, the most reported cases and the most deaths.

PPE

Of course, if we had no cases of SARS-CoV-2 to treat, we wouldn't be as desperate for PPE as the world is. The key solution is breaking the transmission chain and getting to no new cases while getting our act together on required resources, doing more research, developing treatments, possibly a cure or vaccine.

I'm a broken record on this one, but Canada needs to create capacity to make critical items here.
As imports hit roadblock, when can Canada make its own N95 masks?
https://www.flamboroughreview.com/news-story/9995048-as-imports-hit-roadblock-when-can-canada-make-its-own-n95-masks-/
Canada’s order for N95 masks drops by nearly 50 million due to supply issues
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canadas-order-for-n95-masks-drops-by-19-million-due-to-supply-issues/
Vancouver Island pulp mill supplies materials for medical protective equipment in both Canada and U.S.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-vancouver-island-pulp-mill-supplies-materials-for-medical-protective/

But, this isn't it.
Lack of B.C. wood pulp is jeopardizing toilet paper supply
https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/op-ed/comment-lack-of-b-c-wood-pulp-is-jeopardizing-toilet-paper-supply-1.24140352
That one should be solved by increasing the amount of recycled paper in the pulp used for toilet paper. Let's use lumber for construction, furniture and other things that actually require wood, not fibre.

Niagara Falls MPP says province falls short in providing PPE for health care workers
https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news-story/9994731-niagara-falls-mpp-says-province-falls-short-in-providing-ppe-for-health-care-workers/
Protective equipment shortage slowing return of health-care services
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/covid19-surgery-ppe-1.5580080

The Ontario government has put up a Workplace PPE Supplier Directory
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/workplace-ppe-supplier-directory#no-back
Having agreed to their disclaimer, I had a quick look through the content. It's really just a list of suppliers with no indication of whether or not they have any stock. For that, you have to go through the hundreds of listings - one at a time - to check each supplier to see if they have a listing for the category (e.g. masks), then figure out what types they have, price (if listed), and then call to verify.

It would make more sense for the local Chamber of Commerce to establish a preliminary list of needs for local businesses, and then try to create local production capacity (local jobs).

;-) “This life’s hard, but it’s harder if you’re stupid.”
       - George V. Higgins, The Friends of Eddie Coyle

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Ontario continues to record over 400 new cases a day (before re-opening impacts are evident), and continues to test well below the target range. Quebec reported roughly another 700 new cases today, and over 650 yesterday. The rest of the country seems to be doing better. Canada's death rate has ticked up to 7.6%.

Hydroxychloroquine Treatment for COVID-19

(the subject won't die, but those taking it might)
Trump’s Hydroxychloroquine Cocktail Connected to 45 Percent Increased Risk of Death
https://www.motherjones.com/coronavirus-updates/2020/05/hydroxychloroquine-death-study/
The full paper in The Lancet
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31180-6/fulltext

Immunity Passports

I have had some pushback about my coverage on 'immunity passports'. Essentially, the argument has been, what's the harm in trying this out, it might help. I disagree.
A) Resources spent on immunity passports are not available to be spent on developing and implementing better ideas.
B) Immunity passports will be based on unreliable and inadequate information. An immunity passport needs massive, accurate testing for live virus and antibodies with fast turn-around. We need those things anyway, so let's focus on that instead.
C) Immunity passports, like electronic contact tracing, requires immense amounts of personal identifying information and very high participation from the entire human population. That collection of data will be the target of identity theft thieves. Eventually that data will be breached. One thing we're learning about data repositories, especially during the sudden shift to information workers accessing systems from outside their usual work location, is that very little stored data is truly safe, and we already know there have been breaches of data in 'the cloud'.
D) Governments find it very hard to give up data on their populations when the original need or justification ends. 'Perhaps we should keep it for historical purposes. Perhaps we should keep updating it in case there's a future outbreak.'
E) The immunity passport will be worthless as a means of reducing virus spread as soon as we relax border access restrictions, because the passports will be based on a specific jurisdiction.

We really need better education, real comprehensive contact tracing and PPE, right now. Let's use whatever resources we have now to work on those issues instead of the delusion of immunity passports.

Coronavirus 'immunity passports' are a terrible idea that could backfire, experts warn.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/22/health/immunity-passport-coronavirus/index.html
Nature article on 'immunity passports' (Baylis and Kofler top ten list)
[dead link: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01451-0] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01451-0
"Four huge practical problems and six ethical objections add up to one very bad idea."

Additional coverage
Canada must not use immunity passports
https://www.halifaxtoday.ca/local-news/canada-must-not-use-immunity-passports-2368744
Halifax bioethicist questions COVID-19 ‘passport’ idea
https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/local/halifax-bioethicist-questions-covid-19-passport-idea-452479/

Another Computer Based Threat

Microsoft: Beware this massive phishing campaign using malicious Excel macros to hack PCs
https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-beware-this-massive-phishing-campaign-using-malicious-excel-macros-to-hack-pcs/

On a brighter note, it's been a beautiful day here which has kept me outdoors for much of the day. Thus, this edition is late getting out. I suspect there will be no post tomorrow, as the weather promises to be conducive to more outdoor activities. It feels a bit like whiplash, having snowfall earlier this month and suddenly summertime temperatures. Still, one thing that has not changed due to COVID-19 is that Ottawa summers are short and good weather is not to be taken for granted.

;-) I am now applying a test and quarantine approach to this
      year's dandelions. Each day I do a visual test of a population
      of about 10,000 green units (aka my yard). Those that show a
      yellow marker have tested positive. Those are moved to quarantine.
         As the quarantine involves days of sun-drying, the survival
         rate is low. A better quarantine method is recommended for
         humans (from the perspective of a human, not a dandelion).

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Canada had 1,030 new cases, and about 120 new deaths. These are still pre-re-opening outcomes. Not much change in recent days, the epicentres are still the Toronto and Montreal regions, small outbreaks appear elsewhere in the country.

This is What You Need to Know About Re-opening and Ontario Government Health Emergency Response

Even if you ignore the rest of today's post, please read this article:
Critical care doctor says the ‘inexcusable’ Ontario public health strategy is wasting the lockdown.
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/critical-care-doctor-says-the-inexcusable-ontario-public-health-strategy-is-wasting-the-lockdown/article_0fd815ff-0ee0-5bf7-99d8-018c2bb2abea.html

Caremongering and PPE

Mask shortage for most health-care workers extended into May, Post-Ipsos poll shows
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/mask-shortage-for-most-health-care-workers-extended-into-may-post-ipsos-poll-shows/2020/05/20/1ddbe588-9a21-11ea-ac72-3841fcc9b35f_story.html
As our senior governments seem unable to address the continuing PPE shortage, more communities are stepping up to solve the problem.
Face shields bring smiles back to Grimsby businesses.
https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-welland-tribune/20200520/281487868545301

We need to ensure that those stepping up now, and especially those taking entrepreneurial risks, are not penalized later. It's only this month that the Canadian government has shifted it's policy from seeking PPE overseas and the U.S. in preference to Canadian sources, finally recognizing that Canadians were way ahead on recognizing the problem and developing solutions.
Federal procurement shifts to made-in-Canada solutions for PPE
https://www.collingwoodtoday.ca/coronavirus-covid-19-local-news/federal-procurement-shifts-to-made-in-canada-solutions-for-ppe-2318082
With some provinces reopening, where does Canada's PPE supply chain stand?
https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/with-some-provinces-reopening-where-does-canadas-ppe-supply-chain-stand/
Delays are leaving workers waiting for PPE
https://www.healthing.ca/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus/delays-in-government-approval-is-leaving-workers-waiting-for-ppe
However, that appears to leave the federal government way ahead of the provinces - the governments actually responsible for health care provision, and health and safety in the work place - including health service providers.

Immunity

Smartphone Tracking Apps

B.C. health officer cool on COVID tracing apps as Google and Apple release their API
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/b-c-health-officer-cool-on-covid-tracing-apps-as-google-apple-release-their-api/431000]
Ten reasons why immunity passports are a bad idea
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01451-0

Combating COVID-19 Disinformation

5 ways to help stop the ‘infodemic,’ the increasing misinformation about coronavirus
https://theconversation.com/5-ways-to-help-stop-the-infodemic-the-increasing-misinformation-about-coronavirus-137561

Computer Security Issues

Fleeceware - a Threat to the Under-engaged
Top 5 things to know about fleeceware
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/top-5-things-to-know-about-fleeceware/
#1: YOU'RE the vulnerability.
WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger Users Targeted by WolfRAT Android Malware: Cisco Researchers
https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/wolfrat-whatsapp-facebook-messenger-line-wolf-research-2232314

;-) 'The World Health Organisation have just stated
      that dogs are immune to Covid-19.
         WHO let the dogs out (credit upjoke.com)

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Yesterday, Canada moved past 80,000 confirmed cases (over 1000 new cases), and we are undoubtedly still under-counting as who can be tested is still restricted due to lack of capacity. The number of deaths moved past 6,000 (increase of 70). Still grinding along at similar levels for some time now. Saskatchewan reported 21 new cases, up from 7 the day before. (One day bounces do not make a trend, but do warrant further attention.)

Canada and Ontario Flip on DIY Cloth Masks
Yesterday, both Ontario and Canada flipped their message on wearing DIY cloth masks (non-medical masks). Until yesterday, the message was wear them if you want, they MAY provide additional protection. As of yesterday, the message became people SHOULD wear cloth masks when out in public - even if physical distancing is being maintained. I was curious what new data we had on virus transmission to justify this new tax on citizens (because you have to make or buy your own). I listened to the announcements later in the day, and did some searching on the Internet. I found zero new information or discussion on the medical science. So far as I can see, that messaging change is not based on science. So why the change?

It's also worth noting that the Canada website on coronavirus does not provide guidance on using non-medical masks, e.g. how to wear them, how long they can be worn safely, how often they need to be washed, the health issues associated with their use. The Ontario COVID-19 site is also silent on the proper use and maintenance of reusable non-medical masks. This strikes me as curious when both have shifted to advising their use by citizens as a health measure.

Since May 17th, the number of new cases reported in Ontario has been rising each day, despite lower numbers of tests being completed. (From May 18-20, those numbers were 9155, 5813 and 7382; the target is 16,000 per day.) This is also too soon be be reflecting new infections from the Phase 1 re-opening which began on May 19th. Ontario does not report how much PPE it has in inventory for use by medical professionals. Reports of re-use of PPE designed for a single-use (e.g. N95 respirator masks) are still a daily event.

So why the flip on non-medical masks? The Ontario Premier and Health Minister were asked that question, and their answers were not convincing or reassuring. But a hint did slip out. Due to re-opening, there will be more exposures, so potentially more cases. I read that as, the bad news is coming. The political strategy is blame-shifting; the positioning will be it isn't the government's fault that the number of cases and deaths resulting from re-opening are going up, it's because some people aren't wearing masks. (Again, the data and studies say non-medical masks are not very effective at protecing the wearer - no eye protection - and they are not used or cleaned properly in the vast majority of cases. They provide some reduction in spread by those who are contagious, but effectiveness depends on the quality of the mask and proper use. Every report I have seen agrees that sheltering at home and physical distancing are more effective measures than non-medical masks at breaking the transmission chain, but re-opening essentially overrides that knowledge. Shortages of medical masks is certainly not within the control of individuals.)

This also isn't science, but I am talking to some people about why they're wearing non-medical masks. Definitely subject to my personal bias, but here's my sense of why people are wearing non-medical masks. They don't understand the minimal benefits of mask use, and have no idea of the associated risks. For some, it's a bit of a fashion statement (some of the masks really are personalized works of art and quite strikingly attractive). There's a little bit of superiority complex. But, for the most part, wearing the masks makes people feel like they have some small degree of control, and that they are making a contribution to reducing the spread of the virus, which helps rationalize going out in public rather than sheltering at home.

It will also be interesting to see how the public reacts to the change in stance. Will the reactance effect lead to resistance to using non-medical masks?
Coronavirus and cognitive bias: The surprising reasons people cheat at social distancing
https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-and-cognitive-bias-the-surprising-reasons-people-cheat-at-social-distancing-137987

Misusing CERB and EI Data
Having good data is important. Being smart enough to ask the right questions and not make baseless assumptions is more important.

In this article, the National Post juxtaposes 2 numbers and leaps to a bizarre conclusion. https://nationalpost.com/news/number-of-cerb-claimants-topped-number-of-jobless-by-a-million-last-month-statistics-show
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is not solely about people who lost their jobs - that would be the function of Employment Insurance (EI). Clearly the CERB is about more than that, it speaks to those with precarious incomes based on holding multiple part time gigs - and not a conventional job - to get by. We have known for years that EI unemployment statistics don't reflect the working population in Canada well. It completely misses those who have exhausted their EI benefits, self-employed, the opportunistically employed via informal and short contract arrangements, the labour 'grey-market', those making a living via illegal means, and those who would like to work, but have given up job-seeking. I'm sure I'm missing some categories.

So instead of assuming this variance in the numbers between EI and CERB numbers represents massive fraud, how about considering the possibility this represents the labour force which is available for work, but not counted by EI? The article states: "Others believe it's at least partly explained by Canadians taking advantage of a wide-open benefits scheme, legally or not." I don't doubt that some people will abuse the program; some are desperate, some aren't clear on the rules; and some, sadly, are just looking to beat the system despite the likelihood they will be caught later. Personally, I have great faith in CRA's ability to extract money from lower-income Canadians.

Indeed, personal assets are not part of the CERB eligibility criteria. Like EI, it's intended as an income bridge, not a means test.

Please stop assuming massive fraud until you have done some analysis to support that conjecture. A couple of anecdotes including one of proper use of the fund don't meet that bar. Is there something about the rich in Canada that makes them instantly suspect massive fraud where the data doesn't support that assumption? Perhaps their own personal behaviour?

Could a couple of things been done better? Undoubtedly, with the benefit of 2 months experience now. But, personally I'm in awe of how quickly this entire plan was developed, the mechanics put into place, and the funds moved into the hands of those who indicated they need it. Rather than the few who have gouged the system (and will likely be caught later), I'm still more concerned by those without the means or ability to apply for or receive the benefit. If you don't have a bank account or a home address, how would you receive the funds? There's a story worth covering, and social workers can provide you with data and anecdotes for multiple articles.

;-) 'An idiot with a computer is a faster, better idiot'
      -- Rich Julius

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of [dead site: https://www.synergytea.com/page2] content to entertain you.

Canada's death rate (related deaths to confirmed cases) has risen to about 7.5%. Our rates of new cases seem to grinding along on a plateau (1000-1200 per day), prior to major re-opening initiatives in most of the country, including the main infection epicentres of Ontario and Quebec. There are reports of many small businesses choosing not to re-open to the level permitted due to concerns about lack of guidance and PPE. That's an interesting counterpoint to Ontario reporting a jump in new cases (to 427), which is happening too early to be an outcome of its re-opening initiatives.

Hydro Ottawa confirms my electricity consumption shift analysis from March

CTV News Ottawa: Lack of energy: Ottawa's electricity consumption drops 10 per cent during pandemic.
[dead link: https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/lack-of-energy-ottawa-s-electricity-consumption-drops-10-per-cent-during-pandemic-1.4942007]
I commented on this on March 29th. (https://www.econogics.com/blog_2020_March.htm) Looking at the IESO Ontario electricity demand curve for May 19, we sure are flattening that curve; less than a 3 GW variance between the highest demand and lowest in the daily cycle - about 25%. A few years ago in warm weather, the peak demand value could be almost twice that of the lowest demand value.

COVID-19 Disinformation to support the re-opening agenda

It's a little hard to believe that all the 'errors' have worked in favour of downplaying counts just before 're-opening' plans and schedules are announced (as happened in Ontario last week).
Woman who designed Florida's COVID-19 dashboard has been removed from her position
https://cbs12.com/news/local/woman-who-designed-floridas-covid-19-dashboard-has-been-removed-from-her-position
FDLE releases list of COVID-19 deaths. Top medical examiner calls it a sham.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article242552796.html
States accused of fudging or bungling COVID-19 testing data
https://apnews.com/6dbd9ad370add2ba299c7da46c25004f
Texas May Be Overstating Its Ability To Test For The Coronavirus. But It's Not Clear How Much.
https://www.kut.org/post/texas-may-be-overstating-its-ability-test-coronavirus-its-not-clear-how-much
Canada is not necessarily pure in this regard. It wasn't so long ago that the Canadian federal government was known for suppressing reports and data related to climate change and muzzling its scientists.

I am seeing some opinions in the mainstream press to the effect that there may be over-counting of new cases or attributing deaths to COVID-19 that should not be. When I have tried to find the basis for these comments, there is no substance, only agenda-driven magical thinking. I'm now filing those statements as disinformation (at least until somebody provides a piece of supporting data or evidence).

Core item: Safe soil to nurture food and other plants

Without a means to produce food going forward, you can survive for a year or two, based on what you have previously grown, stored and preserved.

Grow the soil to feed the plants to feed us is not a new concept. We actually used to be much better at this, when ley farming was practised. A remnant of ley farming lives on in crop rotation. Having livestock as part of that rotation was important - it made the soil richer.

Today it is trendy to talk about the circular economy, in an industrial context. But the circular economy is implicit in sustainable farming, which we had done for millennia before we applied chemical warfare to soil to make room for industrial agriculture and mass mono-cropping.

Harvest the crop, cut down the stalks and leave them in the field over winter. Come spring, dig them in to decay in the soil and provide cover to retain moisture. No energy used to move the 'waste' long distances. Make compost from chaff and trimmings and manure. Let mature, then apply to fields a couple of seasons later. Rotate crops to nurture the soil, rather than mine the soil for nutrients.

Feed the soil, not the plant is a gardening/farming mantra. Here's an explanation.
https://harlequinsgardens.com/feed-the-soil-not-the-plant/
(Remind me to write about excessive nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizing another day.)

Feeding the soil helps promote biodiversity, particularly at the microbial level. Biodiversity is a sign of a healthy ecostructure. A healthy ecostructure is more resilient, adaptable and robust. It's better able to absorb shocks and keep you alive.

In addition to feeding the soil, we need to protect it from pollutants and toxins, so that the food we grow does not take up the pollutants in our food, and the intricate of web of life that is soil can survive and thrive. That means keeping out spills of chemicals like glyphosate, oil products, microplastics and so on.

Don't forget to feed the pollinators; a pretty flower or two can feed the soul as food feeds our bodies.

To learn more on small-scale sustainable farming and gardening, Journey to Forever (https://www.journeytoforever.org) is a great resource. A wealth of nearly-lost knowledge primarily from before the Internet, when these techniques were practised.
Organic gardening: http://journeytoforever.org/garden.html
Square foot garden: http://journeytoforever.org/garden_sqft.html
Container gardens: http://journeytoforever.org/garden_con.html
Composting: http://journeytoforever.org/compost.html
City farms: http://journeytoforever.org/cityfarm.html"
Small farms library (many of the concepts can translate to city gardens): http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library.html

For more on square foot gardening, visit this site: https://squarefootgardening.org/, and get Mel's book(s). Start small, so you aren't overwhelmed by the weeding when it's time for that. But do enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labours come harvest time.
Pro tip: grow things YOU want to eat; it's a motivator for going out and tending the garden.
Container gardens do have one additional advantage many people don't consider: when the frost time approaches, some plants can be moved indoors to continue production through the winter. This will generally require some grow-lights and more attention to watering. However, fresh, sweet cherry tomatoes in the winter are worth the effort.

Project Drawdown has a series of items related to food, agriculture and land use.
https://www.drawdown.org/sectors/food-agriculture-land-use
Some can be tailored to small scale food production, such as:
https://www.drawdown.org/solutions/sustainable-intensification-for-smallholders

The timing of this item was fortuitous. Yesterday I spent some time preparing a raised bed planter with leaf litter and compost to hold some plants I will put in today or tomorrow, and move some raspberry canes. Something of a silver lining I suppose. It's years since I have planted a real garden, but as COVID-19 has my clients too busy to work with me (health care) or hunkered down and not undertaking new projects until COVID-19 becomes a bit more stable, I have time at home for a change. (Hence, time to research and write 67 daily editions of this series, so far.)

;-) What do you get if you divide the
      circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter?
      Pumpkin pi.

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

There may be some long weekend lag reporting effects. On May 18th, Canada reported 1,070 new cases and only 80 additional deaths. Still grinding along at much the same levels for some time now.

U.S. Article on Immunity Passports

'Immunity passports' won't reopen America
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/18/immunity-passports-reopen-america-264392
(I covered 'immunity passports' on May 14th.)

Preparing for 'Re-opening' - as an individual

Understand the threat risk - consequences and probability

COVID-19 is the manifestation of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in the world-wide human population. The original name 'novel coronavirus' meant it is new in our medical and science knowledge. We're still learning about it, just 5 months after its initial identification.

In the long term, there is essentially a 100% chance you will be exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. It is already present in pretty much every country on the planet. It's rippling out across populations at varying rates depending mostly on the preventive measures being implemented and followed.

Today, there is no preventative treatment or cure. We don't know if infection and recovery confer any immunity, and if it does, for how long. We know it is contagious, primarily from coughing, sneezing and speaking loudly - anything that propels mucous or saliva containing the live virus from an infected individual. As a result, it tends to fall to the ground within a couple of metres from the infected individual. That's why the 2-metre (6-feet) physical distancing rule. It is unlikely that the virus is airborne over long distances, or we would see more cases.

There are articles which suggest the virus is more contagious than we have thought until recently.
COVID-19 May Be Much More Contagious Than We Thought
[link has invalid SSL certificate (2024.03.05): https://harvardmagazine.com/2020/05/r-nought"] https://harvardmagazine.com/2020/05/r-nought
Dying to go out to eat? Here's how viruses like Covid-19 spread in a restaurant
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/15/how-coronavirus-spreads-in-restaurant-video

The virus can survive outside the body for hours to days. It has been shown to survive on surgical masks for 7 days. Generally it dies within 3 days on plastic surfaces, 1 day on paper or cardboard, and within 4 hours on a copper surface. This is why we are advised to disinfect commonly used surfaces frequently. Soap kills the coronavirus. That's why washing your hands is generally at the top of the list of measures to break the transmission chain.

Why Gloves May NOT Be a Significant Part of Your Solution Set

PPE Made Outside of Canada

Unless I know a medical mask or other PPE has been tested and certified by a known, trusted testing body, I will avoid it. There's simply too much counterfeit and sub-standard material being produced and sold, feeding on panic and desperation. What are the consequences if you are using gear you think is protecting you, and it is not?

Face Shields vs DIY Masks

I have been saying for some time cloth masks don't provide much protection against infection and raise other issues. (Read previous posts for that.) I think face shields are likely a better option, as they cover all of nose, mouth and eyes, and make it harder to touch your face. Face shields are simple enough that they can be made in the community, as something of a cottage industry. I would like to see more of this collaborative spirit being rewarded when we get to 'after'.
Community space transforms into PPE workshop, filling AHS order for 12,000 face shields
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/face-shields-calgary-alberta-health-volunteers-1.5574704
You made these?': Riverview man delivers homemade visors to E.R. doctors & nurses
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/louis-kierstead-moncton-hospital-visors-ppe-trena-brown-health-1.5569518
There are multiple face shield designs on the Internet. I have not used any of them, so I have no recommendation.

If you are going to use a DIY cloth mask for public encounters, follow the washing and use guidelines for the masks, and then act as though you are not wearing one. Find some safety goggles and add that to your mask so that your eyes are covered as well. If you can't find safety goggles, but have an empty, clear 2-litre soft drink bottle available, you can make this hyper-simple shield (not proper PPE) to use with your mask.
https://www.econogics.com/DIY_Face_Shields.html
If this is your safety gear, you are still better off staying home.

If you are planning to embrace re-opening in a big way, consider that doctors are advising otherwise.
Ontario doctors call for some public health measures to stay in place as province reopens.
https://www.cp24.com/news/ontario-doctors-call-for-some-public-health-measures-to-stay-in-place-as-province-reopens-1.4942557

Play for Time

We are learning more about the SARS-CoV-2 virus everyday, including how to treat the infected with serious symptoms. We are increasing testing capacity. We are working on developing treatments and preventive solutions like vaccines and virus blockers and antibodies. Each day you put off getting infected, the better your chances we'll have medical preventive measures or better treatments. Perhaps even clean zones protected by perimeter controls and sterilizing of goods crossing checkpoints. A range of solutions are possible that we don't have yet. We should be increasing our local tracking response capacity and our production of PPE and other critical items within our borders. I think we're going to need those things for a long time. We have seen we cannot rely on China or the U.S. to respect legal agreements on PPE supply, nor should we expect other countries facing the same global shortages to come to our aid in the short-term. The risk the health care 'system' is focused on is avoiding being overwhelmed. The risk individuals are facing are illness, serious chronic health impacts and death. Those are not the same.

Situations to avoid

Canada is slowly reopening — and new research reveals where you're most at risk of COVID-19
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/coronavirus-canada-spread-risk-covid-1.5572505
US lockdown protests may have spread virus widely, cellphone data suggests (ironic, but instructive)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/lockdown-protests-spread-coronavirus-cellphone-data

;-) If you haven't been exposed to COVID-19 parody songs, you have
      missed one of the few treats on offer these past couple of months.
      Here's a collection with some commentary.
      https://theconversation.com/covid-19-parody-songs-are-the-spoonful-of-sugar-we-need-right-now-135763

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Canada moved past the 77,000 mark for confirmed cases (increase about 1100), and close to 5800 deaths (increase more than 100) as of May 17th.

Contact Tracing Apps - Polls

Two polls on public acceptance of Contact Tracing apps by Canadians. One says slightly against (57-43).
https://ipolitics.ca/2020/05/12/majority-of-canadians-do-not-approve-of-a-mandatory-contact-tracing-app-mainstreet-poll/
I am discounting the other poll commissioned by Canadian senators, as the key question was likely not worded neutrally.
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/surveys-show-conflicting-support-by-canadians-for-covid-19-tracing-app/430751]

Regarding surveys about the acceptability of a contact tracing app, here are some questions I would like to see on any future surveys on this topic.
1) Is there any information on your smart phone which you would not want to fall into the hands of an unscrupulous party?
2) Would you agree to have a contact tracing app on your smart phone if government officials, police or company CEOs are exempted?
3) Do you pay for data use on your smart phone, or does someone else?

Hygiene - How Long Does the Virus Survive Outside the Body?

"Viruses can linger on surfaces, from cafe counters to water fountains to bathroom sinks, and coronavirus is no exception. For instance, preliminary research published in the New England Journal of Medicine in April, suggests viable coronavirus can stay on plastic and stainless steel for 72 hours, cardboard for 24 hours, and copper for four hours. Research in The Lancet published around the same time found that infectious virus survived on the outer layer of a surgical mask for a week."
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-accurate-are-tests-to-detect-coronavirus-on-surfaces-180974885/
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2004973
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(20)30003-3/fulltext

Cloth Masks

CityNews Vancouver: When not cleaned properly, cloth masks can be a risk: epidemiologist.
https://www.citynews1130.com/video/2020/05/15/when-not-cleaned-properly-cloth-masks-can-be-a-risk-epidemiologist/
Takeaway, if you're using a mask for protection, note it supports live virus for up to a week! Learn how to use it properly, don't touch it except by the straps, store properly, wash and double rinse after EVERY use. Wash your hands each time before and after you handle a mask. Then avoid touching your mask and face while wearing it.

The 'Re-opening' Disinformation Meme

I'm seeing rather a lot of this agenda-driven meme lately: COVID-19 isn't as bad as you think, it's harmless for the vast majority, seems safe for non-essential businesses to re-open and for people to start disregarding the physical distancing measures, homemade cloth masks or scarves are plenty of protection, there are no new outbreaks a couple of days after some places have re-opened. Things are going OK in Sweden, where they didn't 'lock down', and put less emphasis on testing. Let's dig into this drumbeat messaging from specific individuals (some choosing to remain anonymous) and the mainstream media.

What the researchers are telling us is we still lack a lot of desired knowledge that we need for informed decision-making. I'm also seeing we have reports of burnout in our front-line medical staff and dire shortages of PPE with no resolution in sight, but growing quantities of substandard and counterfeit PPE being offered for sale. I assume the profits of those sellers will soar with mass 're-opening' from sales to people who can't verify if the PPE meets standards.

Cloth masks and sub-standard PPE don't confer great protection. If they did, health care workers would be happy to use them. That's not the case. Even with proper PPE, the chances of becoming infected are non-zero, and with multiple exposures, the odds increase each day. The 'gold standard' is the N95 mask. The '95' means it should stop 95% of the viruses; in other words, 5% will get through. Best case.
Nurses, lab workers, physicians among 'alarming' number of health-care workers with COVID-19
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/health-care-workers-covid-19-alarming-rate-1.5568711
If people with training and proper PPE are getting infected, do you think cloth masks with no eye protection is really good enough for retail front-line workers to embrace 're-opening'?

There is a fair bit of data now which seems to keep coming to roughly the same number. Based on tens to hundreds of millions of tests, of those confirmed to have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, 7% will die.

Stats from the WHO (May 16, 2020): 4,425,485 confirmed cases. 302,059 deaths. Death rate: 6.8% (so far, death is a lagging indicator). (The Canadian national data comes to about the same rate.)

But let's look at the re-open now brigade's poster country - Sweden. Sweden's death rate is something of a global outlier, but not in a good way. Per https://public.tableau.com/profile/covid.19.data.resource.hub#!/vizhome/COVID-19Cases_15840488375320/COVID-19Cases yesterday (May 17, 2020), selecting for Sweden, the confirmed and presumptive total reported cases count is 26,322. The related deaths count is 3,225. Again, it's just math. Sweden's COVID-19 death rate is 12.25% (up slightly from a few days ago, probably because death is a lagging indicator). From my perspective, a 12% death rate is not better than a 7% death rate. Perhaps it is better if you're an advocate for early re-opening without good PPE available.

Yes, the majority (93%) world-wide don't die from SARS-CoV-2 infections. Based on anecdotal reports (I can't find anyone gathering real data on this), a higher percentage are 'recovering' with new long-term chronic health issues. We also have reports of some individuals who have multiple relapses and many positive tests over a period of more than six weeks.
CTV News: Waterloo Region woman says she's tested positive for COVID-19 seven times over 47 days.
[dead link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article/you-dont-know-what-its-like-ontario-woman-says-shes-had-seven-positive-covid-19-tests-in-47-days/]
7% death rate. Higher rate for long-term health issues. Others will simply be ill for a week or two. Still others will be impacted by those deaths or injuries to friends, colleagues and family members. That doesn't fit my sense of 'harmless to the vast majority'.

Then there is the supposition that those who 'recover' will have long-term immunity. That is simple wishful thinking and speculation, because most people who survive most infectious diseases develop immunity. That's a survival bias. Those that don't develop immunity die or get chronically ill. But for SARS-CoV-2, there is NO such evidence of long-term immunity. That's because nobody has had the chance to live long enough after recovery to know if they have immunity for any duration. More troubling is that there is growing evidence of relapses and weeks of positive tests after supposed recovery.
https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/14/fit-healthy-dad-died-way-hospital-suffering-sudden-coronavirus-relapse-12557262/
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-why-are-some-south-koreans-who-recovered-from-the-coronavirus-testing/

That's not immunity. It's magical thinking.

I fully expect that 2-3 days after re-opening in an area, we won't see new related outbreaks. That's because the incubation period is longer than 3 days, and up to 2-3 weeks before serious symptoms may appear. If you want to know the impact of re-opening on virus transmission and new cases, start looking 7-21 days after the re-opening happens, not a couple of days.

In short, you're being lied to by people with an agenda, and it's being condoned and amplified by some media outlets.

Here's the challenge I would like to offer up to all those publicly advocating for re-opening now while staying safely at home or in other safe bubbles themselves.

There are human-challenge trials starting up in various parts of the world. That entails being intentionally infected with the virus (or if in the control group, injected with a placebo). If these commentators believe the risk from COVID-19 today is trivial, they should sign up for these trials, and publicly announce they have done so. I mean, from the perspective of the re-open now brigade, the risk is about zero, right? Based on presumably less than 1 in 10 odds of dying or suffering a long-term chronic health condition ((7% death + 10% chronic issues[guess]) / 2 [half of participants will get the placebo]), which they are promoting as a trivial risk in return for the opportunity to prove they are right and a great story to publish. Really, what are they waiting for? In Canada, there is 1DaySooner, currently seeking volunteers.
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/05/07/theyve-pledged-to-receive-a-live-coronavirus-to-test-a-vaccine-can-human-challenge-trials-be-ethical.html

;-) “The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people
      will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.”
       - Terry Pratchett, Diggers

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Saturday's data shows almost another 1200 new cases and over 100 deaths in Canada.

'Re-opening' of businesses is clearly underway, with varying rules by province and municipality, which is clearly leading to confusion and frustration, combined with lack of information on what measures are required by the re-opeining businesses and where to get safe PPE. And people are looking for loopholes.
Mixed messages, frustration with lockdowns fuel some skepticism about pandemic
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/psychology-covid-19-1.5561847

There's a song snippet playing in my head. The refrain lyric is:
"How can I be sure? In a world that's constantly changing,
How can I be sure, where I stand with you?".
(The rest of the lyrics don't really work for my purposes today, but you can still enjoy Dusty Springfield's 1970 cover:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVPHsqJKMSY)

Our knowledge, capability, tactics, research projects, statistics and messaging - the world of COVID-19 is constantly changing. How can I be sure, today, what the rules and guidance are?

While the COVID-19 pandemic is global, the responses and conditions which inform an effective response are local. The messaging channels are national and provincial, and much weaker at the community level. But it is the community level that matters most for defining acceptable daily behaviour in the face of the pandemic. 'Overwhelming the system' will happen at the community level. We can't move hospitals to where the outbreaks happen.

The messaging to the public needs to be boiled down to the level of the local weather forecast, in the same way we provide local air quality reports for pollutants and allergens. Something like this on the local radio station:
"It's 14 degrees, with a high of 18 today, with light winds from the west. The UV index is 7 or high, tree pollen counts are moderate and the local outbreak at Joe Blztsflk High School is still growing, so extra COVID caution is advised today",
with something comparable on the Web-based reports. This has to be available early in the morning each day as a growing number of people are gearing up to go to work. Even those working from home, or sheltering at home, could benefit from this information (is today a good day for my weekly grocery shopping?) Not just weekdays - retail is open weekends and the virus doesn't take days off.

That's going to require effort by local governments, but perhaps provinces could provide a template. Better still would be a tiered message system which can be accessed from one, consistent, frequently updated point which includes the world situation, the national status, provincial messaging and usable local information about what's open today and coming soon, what remains closed, local sources for real (certified to meet standards) PPE, and current local COVID-19 etiquette (how many can congregate indoors, outdoors, isolation and distancing protocols, all the hygiene advice - including authoritative information on use of DIY cloth masks, and what we know about the virus on several levels. Disinformation moves fast and the reliable information void is giving it a huge head-start.
(If you cannot tell businesses in your area what PPE they should be providing to staff, how it should be used (and preferably why) and where they can obtain it, do you have any moral authority to be advising or supporting re-openings?)

All the official messaging has to be open about what we don't know, and to say that information will change. There should also be a 'track changes' record so people who are so inclined can see how the messaging has evolved, when and why. That's open and transparent. And very important, the officials have to walk the talk, and be reading from the same page. Where the message is different from different levels, highlight it and explain it. Mixed messaging is a killer here, figuratively and possibly literally.

I have looked at a couple of municipal sites, and while they provide links to most of what I am seeking (national, provincial info sources and local updates), the set-up is bureaucrat hierarchical. It needs to be structured so it is more approachable by people seeking specific information. For example, a page with information for local businesses should include who is allowed to re-open and when, rules for physical distancing on premises and where to acquire PPE for workers, new obligations and potential liabilities, local sources for more information and guidance.

Dear local officials, here are your key words for your COVID-19 communications: do it, daily or more frequently, put the message where the people are - physically, channels, current beliefs, language level, spoken/read languages understood, reinforcing, agility, history, honesty, transparency, local case counts, local trends, etiquette, rules and guidance.

It appears we now have fake websites in Canada purporting to be COVID-19 relief information, but are really phishing campaigns to enable identity theft.
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/fake-canada-website-among-many-using-covid-19-relief-offers-to-phish-for-credentials/430809]

In the interests of good information sharing, this is where to start for Canadian financial relief related to COVID-19 (and yes, the information there seems to change daily). Hint: for your safety, look for the domain name to end in 'canada.ca'.
[dead link: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html] https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html

And until we get the health version of one-stop information source(s), here are your not-one-stop-shopping information sources.
Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html
NL: https://www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19/
NS: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/
PE: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/topic/covid-19
NB: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/corporate/promo/covid-19.html
QC: https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/2019-coronavirus/situation-coronavirus-in-quebec/
ON: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/
NU: https://www.gov.nu.ca/health/information/covid-19-novel-coronavirus
MB: https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/index.html
SK: [dead link: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus]
NT: https://www.gov.nt.ca/covid-19/
AB: https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx
BC: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/
YK: https://yukon.ca/COVID-19

There may also be local and regional status web pages.

Wikipedia also has a number of pages for COVID-19 information by jurisdiction, e.g.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Canada

;-) The Department of Unfinished Statistics concluded...
     ... that 9 out of 13 ... ± 5%, 19 times out of 20.

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

On Friday we learned that on Thursday, Ontario under-counted its new cases count, reporting just 258, just in time to be the 'good-news' backdrop for Premier Ford's 're-opening plan' announcement. Convenient, and once again damages the credibility of the testing and reporting system. On Friday, the new cases count was back on the trend-line at 428, too late to impact the multiple re-openings scheduled for the long weekend. Canada, again, reported about 1200 new cases on Friday. As for our readiness to lift restrictions, just read my post from yesterday again.

The demise of the bitumen-based oil industry in Canada

I know the mainstream media wants to blame the current woes of Canada's oil industry on COVID-19. However, there is a more to this story than reprinting the talking points provided by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and the Canadian Energy Pipelines Association (CEPA). I know, because I was digging into the fundamentals of bitumen extraction more than a decade ago, and long ago concluded that the industry could not be profitable on a level playing field; it only worked financially if it got massive financial and non-financial subsidies and incentives. As an analogy, blaming the dire straits of the oil industry in Canada today on COVID-19 is like blaming the player who removed the last piece from the Jenga tower, when the real cause of the Jenga tower collapse was that the table beneath it broke. This posting can't do the topic justice, but it can cover some key points.

Here's some reality on the 'Canadian' oil scene. As a starting point, the oil industry operates world-wide, and generally shows little regard for national boundaries or sovereign governments. From the days of John D. Rockefeller, it is an industry which has worked by bullying, intimidation, corrupting officials and evading its obligations. (I recommend Kevin Taft's book Oil's Deep State to get a solid grounding on this.) On the other hand, the oil industry's technical accomplishments are astonishing, and much of our state of economic and societal progress (for better and worse) has been built on the low cost energy which coal, oil and natural gas have put at our disposal.

The real crisis the oil industry faces today isn't about saving the environment; it's about financial viability. There are two pincers closing in on it.

1) Most of the easily accessible, high quality, inexpensive crude has been found, extracted and burned now. That was 'peak oil' as we understood the term in the 1970s (and we have passed it). What remains (off-shore, heavy oils, bitumen, the Arctic) is harder to access, more expensive to extract or lower quality, and referred to by experts as 'extreme oil'. To be clear, the Deepwater Horizon disaster was an 'extreme oil' event.

2) Less expensive options are now available, notably thermal and electric power generated by renewables like solar and wind energy, especially when coupled with increasingly less expensive storage like advanced batteries. And those advanced batteries are making electric cars more capable year over year, and less expensive to operate than gas and diesel vehicles because the electric vehicles are 4 times as efficient and use a less expensive fuel. Note, these 2 items are purely about financial competitiveness; they have nothing to do with reducing pollution or GHG emissions. Investors don't care about your health or quality of life; they care about profits, and money is the crux of the oil industry's current crisis.

Some years back, it was suggested that the Canadian oil industry, and bitumen extraction and pipelines in particular, should try some grace and innovation on oil spill response and remediation under the banner of 'social licence', e.g.
https://restco.ca/McMahon_and_Stewart_SLO.pdf
CAPP and CEPA would have none of it; they knew they set the rules in Canada. After all, the oil industry TMX proponents promised to pay for new investment in oil spill clean-up technology in their application for TMX, and then once they had the approval, presto-change-o, that tab went to taxpayers under the shiny, new Oceans Protection Plan.

But in recent days, the world oil industry has encountered headwinds. Unfortunately for bitumen, it is a higher-cost, lower-quality product than U.S. shale, competing on the same continent. Bitumen prices have been in serious trouble for a few years due to the U.S. shale competition. Falling demand in 2018 and 2019 met growing Canadian bitumen production, and the prices went lower as supply outpaced demand. In early 2020, the Russians and Saudis took aim at U.S. shale oil, and Canadian bitumen became collateral damage. Prices fell below US$40 per barrel routinely from 2016 onward, diving below $20 in November 2018.

Teck withdrew its application for the Frontier mine - which would have been the largest bitumen mine in history - because the company could not see a financial future that included profitability, ever.

But, without regard for reality, when the COVID-19 crisis squeezed the real Canadian economy, CAPP and its chief cheerleaders in the Alberta government Cabinet, simply told the federal government they needed a $30 billion bailout, despite declaring big profits in 2019 (and many years before that). No justification for this bailout demand, just the expectation that - like the $20 billion or so spent and committed for the TMX pipeline when the U.S. private sector wanted out - this amount would simply be deposited to the oil industry account from public coffers without questions or conditions. The amounts were publicly announced by the Alberta Energy Minister, with dates, before the rest of us even knew another federal bailout to foreign investors was in the works.

It turns out the 'Canadian' oil industry isn't even really owned by Canadians.
Who Benefits From the Oil Sands?
https://www.stand.earth/latest/Canada-climate-energy/canadas-tar-sands/who-benefits-oil-sands
That over 70% figure for foreign ownership is up from 2012, when it was only about 56%.
Majority of oilsands ownership and profits are foreign, says analysis
[dead link: http://www.canada.com/business/Majority+oilsands+ownership+profits+foreign+says+analysis/6599547/story.html] http://www.canada.com/business/Majority+oilsands+ownership+profits+foreign+says+analysis/6599547/story.html>BR> Here's a substitute: Majority of oilsands ownership and profits are foreign, says analysis (Global News)

Major players in the Alberta oil sector are shutting in production, reducing supply dramatically, because the market price doesn't cover production costs.

The world's largest wealth fund, which was built on oil money, has determined that the Alberta contribution to the oil industry is so financially toxic, it has actually blacklisted 4 of the major players.
World's largest wealth fund for first time blacklists four Canadian oil and gas companies for emissions
https://business.financialpost.com/commodities/energy/worlds-largest-wealth-fund-blacklists-four-canadian-firms-for-emissions

On Monday, April 25th, as COVID-19 gloom piled on, the price of oil - including WCS (Western Canadian Select - the label for bitumen-based crude on commodities markets) - went negative. Even with all the subsidies and freebies Canadian and Alberta governments heap on the oil industry, it can't satisfy shareholders if the price of their core product is negative.

When the federal Liberals decided they were going to use Canadian taxpayer money to rescue Canadians rather than foreign-owned multi-nationals, it was a sea-change in the Canadian political power dynamic. Given the oil sector had shed thousands of jobs while increasing production volumes in the previous decade, and the Alberta government had sacked 30,000 or more provincial workers in the past year, neither were credible candidates for protecting citizens or creating jobs. Instead, the federal government chose to bail out people, and target specific activities in the oil sector to be funded (such as cleaning up abandoned and orphaned well sites). The oil industry, the Alberta government, its taxpayer-funded propaganda 'war room' and mainstream media cheerleaders chose to double down on bluster, and made up numbers on how many people they employed and how big a part of the economy they were, and declared the economy would crumble if the oil industry wasn't given their ginormous corporate welfare handout.

Then, a funny thing happened. One Green MP responded with data and facts. This was not a playing field where the oil industry performs well.
Elizabeth May responds to John Ivison: The oilsands are not worth investing in
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/elizabeth-may-responds-to-john-ivison-the-oilsands-are-not-worth-investing-in

The illusion of oil industry competence evaporated within a couple of days. Financial viability was already gone, despite existing subsidies.

Even the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), which many have seen as the archetype of the industry-captured regulator, has suddenly called a halt to the decades-old Shell game where oil companies hive off depleted wells and related assets into small companies with no other assets, but including the clean-up liability as part of the sale, and then bankrupt the small company leaving property owners, municipalities or taxpayers on the hook for the clean-up - anybody but the original oil company.
Alberta Energy Regulator blocks sale of Shell assets over clean-up concerns
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/aer-alberta-energy-regulator-pieridae-shell-canada-1.5570875
I sincerely believed I would never see this happen.

That's why the 'Canadian' bitumen oil industry is doomed - even with massive on-going subsidies, it can't compete financially with other off-the-shelf energy options; and, the industry has burned its bridges to a place in 'after'. With that realization digested, we can start thinking rationally about how to move ahead in a post-bitumen-focused Canada.

Our use of refined oil products in Canada won't end overnight, just as our use of coal is still ramping down. But when you are looking at making big investment decisions which need 4-5 decades to pay off, you better get your foresight honed to 20/20. The financial 'stress test' imposed on the Canadian oil sector by COVID-19 has provided the impetus to shift to a more financially viable energy regime. If we seize the opportunity, we may also achieve cleaner air and water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions as desirable outcomes, even if that's not the fundamental reason for the shift away from bitumen and other extreme oil sources.

;-) How many South Americans does it take to change a light-bulb?
     A Brazilian!

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Yesterday, Canada reported it had surpassed 73,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections. That's about 0.2% of our population. If you're thinking we can get to herd immunity quickly this way, consider we are at about 3 months since the first cases reported in Canada. If we lift restrictions to maintain the current rate so as to not overwhelm hospitals, it will take us about 120 years to reach enough exposures to approach herd immunity. And about 2 million related deaths (based on the current deaths to confirmed cases ratio). That's not an analysis, just extrapolation based on the data we have today. If we go faster, the death rate will likely rise as outbreaks overwhelm the 'system' regionally.

Travel Restrictions and Controls

This is why restricting travel matters as we are in the early stages of containing COVID-19 and still not doing enough testing, and not having enough contact tracking resources or information sources on inter-region travel. As we 're-open', we need to start putting resources at airports to screen passengers for domestic flights, when they are ready to board, and again when they deplane. The arrivals need to be tested for the virus and questioned for symptoms, and told they are expected to self-isolate for 14 days. This is because the local officials in the arrival jurisdiction don't know the situation on the ground recently experienced by the individual arriving from elsewhere in Canada.
'Alberta didn’t contain it': COVID-19 outbreak at oilsands camp has spread across the country
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/05/13/news/alberta-didnt-contain-it-covid-19-outbreak-oilsands-camp-has-spread-across-country

We don't have the contact tracking resources we need in the heaviest hit parts of the country. When we talk about not overwhelming the system, this is at least as important as front-line acute (hospital) care. We clearly failed on long-term care facilities. I suspect we also failed on home-based health care, but that's going to be a lot harder to document in numbers in the short term, because nobody is looking.

'Re-opening'

It's almost psychotic, this desperation to get back to a 'normal' we're simply not going to see again. Perhaps not even 'almost'. Since I started writing this piece, I have come across this article. It's from the U.S., not Canada. However, the differences between us are largely of degree, not fundamental approach, so I think this is instructive, and from a source far more credible than me.
Don't let governors fool you about reopening
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/12/opinions/governors-reopen-states-opinion-bar-yam/

In Canada, we are continuing to confirm over 1000 new cases a day in our fake 'lockdown' state. We don't have enough PPE or any assurance that significantly more is coming in the near future of certified quality. Counterfeits are being offered in increasing numbers, especially from China, feeding off desperation elsewhere (like here).
Canadian-approved N95 mask targeted by Chinese counterfeiters
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/chinese-masks-counterfeit-pandemic-covid-1.5568246

We aren't ramping up our own production in sufficient quantity. If we don't develop a viable vaccine (and there is no guarantee we will), 120 years (+/- 50%) of demand should constitute a market worth preparing for, just within Canada.

We don't have enough contact tracking capacity in place to deal with new major outbreaks. We should be staffing and training more now, and creating the ability to share resources across jurisdictions on the assumption the skills are transferable, but the outbreaks will be uneven geographically. We don't have enough testing capacity, though there is positive news on that front from Ontario and Quebec - where it matters most right now - in the past 48 hours. Finally.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister urged Canadians to buy more from other Canadians as part of our economic recovery strategy for the short term. I agree, except for the part about the short term. (Also, getting small packages across the Canadian border is taking longer and longer as the health emergency continues.) As I have said before, I think we need to re-think our reliance on other countries for the supply of critical items, as some (notably China and the U.S.) have not been reliable 'partners' for the past 2 months. As our leaders are standing before the cameras and providing daily updates (the most accountable most of them have been for years), and as they are cheer-leading for 're-opening the economy' by putting citizens at increased risk of contracting the virus, I would like them to add 2 new stats to their daily updates:
1) how many people who have nominally recovered from SARS-CoV-2 are leaving care with new compromised health issues (vs. the 'recovered' count); and,
2) how many days supply of PPE do they have on hand for their jurisdiction without having to re-use gear which was considered disposable after a single use last November.
Those 2 numbers (or sets of numbers) will go a long way towards informing individuals how safe it is for them to head back out to 'normal'.

Also, from those provinces pushing re-opening of customer-facing businesses, a list of suppliers with PPE stock on hand for sale for businesses that are re-opening would be useful information.

We're not going back to the old normal. It's not just COVID-19's direct impacts. It's what we're learning about how we do work which is going to change. The number of service jobs is going to remain reduced. People are going to travel less for pleasure and business. People are not going to spend 40-60 hours a week at the office in the numbers they did before. Different countries are running different experiments on how to come out of the short term version of the pandemic health emergency; we'll be learning a lot about what has worked and what has not in months and years to come. I expect there will be failed states due to COVID-19. International trust relationships have been damaged; trade isolation will grow to reflect people's travel isolation. We're going to be adjusting for a while. We might not be able to accurately predict the scale of the coming changes, but we can make some decent guesses at the direction of the coming shifts.

If you have a car which hasn't been used for a while, it's time to make sure it will start and drive it a bit to knock rust off the brakes.

;-) I once saw a camel with NO humps.
     His name was Humphrey.

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of [dead link: https://thewonderfuloutdoors.com/10-strange-mind-blowing-facts-about-nature/] content to entertain you.

New cases in Canada continue to grind along at about 1100 per day. Deaths around 150-160 per day.

Assuming the desired strategy is to start consciously increasing exposures without adequate testing capacity or quantities of quality PPE, we're at the stage where specific regions can give it a go. Remember, response capacity is regional, not national or provincial. We don't have official local perimeter controls, but reduced travel is conferring some of the same benefits. Follow stats and local daily briefings to assess your own risk.

Immunity (continued from May 12th post)

Assuming that people really will have immunity after they have survived a SARS-CoV-2 infection, given how many people are believed to have very mild symptoms, or even no recognizable symptoms, how will we know who is actually immune?

At this stage, the assumption is that we can test them for the presence of antibodies. However, to date, some of the antibody tests are providing false positive results as they respond to antibodies to coronaviruses other than SARS-CoV-2. Further, the presence of antibodies means that you have been exposed to the virus and your immune system has mounted a response, but not that you have fully recovered from the infection. You could have the antibodies and still be infected and contagious. You need the live-virus test as well to actually know your status - assuming both tests are accurate and administered at an appropriate time in the course of your particular progress with the virus. (Again, the basis of living with the virus 'after', and 'herd immunity', is that we ALL will be exposed to the virus eventually.)

On a positive note, Canada has just approved the use of a test which is supposed to identify SARS-CoV-2 antibodies accurately in blood samples.
Health Canada authorizes serological test for COVID-19 antibodies
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/covid-19-coronavirus-serological-test-1.5567243

The basis of 'herd immunity' is that enough of us have immune systems primed and ready to kill off the SARS-CoV-2 virus when we encounter it (due to vaccination, previous exposure, antibody donation or some other means), that we will not become infectious and spread the virus to others. If enough of us have that immunity, then when someone contagious is encountered in public, they will not be able to spread the virus because the vast majority of people they encounter will be immune, and that breaks the transmission chain. Wikipedia has a longer version:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_immunity

This was the premise of keeping measles at bay for decades in Canada and the U.S. and Europe. It worked, until there were enough pockets where enough people did not get the measles vaccination (MMR), and then the infectious disease could spread. In short, herd immunity via vaccination works, so long as people keep getting vaccinated.
Herd Immunity And Measles: Why We Should Aim For 100% Vaccination Coverage
[dead link: https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/herd-immunity-and-measles-why-we-should-aim-100-vaccination-coverage/]

More useful information on 'herd immunity' as it relates to COVID-19.
Maclean's: Everything you need to know about herd immunity. Hint: we’re a long way off.
https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/everything-you-need-to-know-about-herd-immunity-hint-were-a-long-way-off/
COVID-19 and the long road to herd immunity
https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/04/30/herd-immunity-covid-19-coronavirus/

Without a lot more testing for both live virus and antibodies, we simply don't have the knowledge to figure out if we're anywhere close to the numbers required for 'herd immunity'. We just don't have a handle at all on how much of the population has been exposed or demonstrated they had minor symptoms or developed immunity. We also still don't know just how infectious this virus actually is, because we don't know how many people have actually contracted it. That would take widespread random testing, not targeted testing.

There is still so much we don't actually know regarding immunity related to COVID-19.
CTV News: Coronavirus found in patients' semen in small Chinese study.
[dead link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/coronavirus-found-in-patients-semen-in-small-chinese-study/]
Will we also be able to pass along immunity to our newborns? It doesn't work for measles, mumps or chicken pox. Will it have other possible effects on the fetus? Too soon to know, I expect.

I am seeing some chatter about 'Immunity Passports'. In my opinion, at this stage, the idea is pointless. What will create real immunity is an effective vaccine, or ensuring everyone is exposed to the virus and take our chances. I'm not in favour of the latter - the downside consequences are too high.

Here are some questions I have developed, which make me think we're not ready to seriously contemplate an 'immunity passport'.
What evidence will be used to determine that an individual is immune to the SARS-CoV-2 virus?
What evidence will be used to determine that an individual cannot ever again become contagious to spread the SARS-CoV-2 virus?
(The 2 questions above are actually very different questions, and should not be treated as synonymous.)
If immunity is not 'forever', how does the system determine and implement an 'expiry date'?
Who would administer such a system? If we are going to allow international travel again for non-essential purposes, the system has to be accepted across national borders. Today, would you trust a national system administered by the Chinese, Russians or Americans?
What benefit accrues to the passport holder? They don't have to wear a mask when it becomes mandatory for others? (Immunity is not a benefit for the individual in this analysis; they already have that without the record system.)
What benefit accrues to society? Do these people get moved to higher-risk roles until we have COVID-19 fully controlled?
Will it have any value if and when vaccinations are available?
If mass immunity turns out to be based on vaccinations, does the 'immunity passport' consist of more than proof of date when the individual was vaccinated? I already have that card in my wallet for my other vaccinations.

Notes on Testing

We need to do a lot more to get a sense of how (if) immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus works, both for the virus and the antibodies.
A significant increase in testing is necessary to restart the economy
https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/a-significant-increase-in-testing-is-necessary-to-restart-the-economy/
Doing a lot of tests doesn't provide value if the tests are low quality. We need quality data to make quality decisions. The following example isn't that.
Accuracy of rapid coronavirus test called into question by NYU study
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/13/rapid-coronavirus-test-accuracy-nyu-study-256351

For now, there is no vaccine. Testing is inadequate, and in some cases of such low quality as to be of questionable value for individuals or forecasting for the herd. Where there are outbreaks, we overwhelm our contract tracking capacity. The 'game' is to expose more people to the virus - gradually, so as to not overwhelm the 'system'. The definition of risk here is different for the individual than it is for society.

My take today: why take unnecessary risks? When observed, the measures we are advising (isolation, hygiene, distancing) are working and buying us time, at the price of inconvenience. (Yesterday, I had my first doctor's appointment by telephone. It's not all less convenient, though I acknowledge this was not as thorough an event as the in-office appointments.) With that time, we are learning better treatments to increase survival rates and reduce health impacts, developing better testing techniques and ramping up their distribution and reducing time to results, establishing more sources (reliable and quality) of PPE, and advancing work on vaccines or other treatments to reduce incidence and risk.

;-) In Greek mythology, Chiron was known for his knowledge and skill
     with medicine.
     One could even call him the Centaur for Disease Control.
     He was a big believer in herd immunity.
       (yes, groan, now get over it and move on)

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

If you thought that the quasi-lockdowns were going to make a big difference to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, you will be disappointed by this story.
Atmospheric CO2 soars to record heights in spite of global pandemic
https://newatlas.com/environment/atmospheric-co2-record-heights-global-pandemic/

There are likely a few factors at play here.
1) there's inertia between our CO2 production, and the recording at Mauna Loa - probably causing a lag of weeks or months
2) even while we see coal-fired generation being reduced in some places, it is being replaced by natural gas as well as renewables
3) some of the CO2 is produced by the breakdown of methane emissions in the atmosphere, and those emissions are bigger than industry has reported for years
4) not everybody locked down, and there are a lot of people driving a lot now doing deliveries of online purchases, groceries, medications and other necessities
5) a lot of our emissions are from industrial activity, commercial cargo transport and buildings - the majority are not based on our personal short-haul driving (though it is still a substantial amount and as one of the things under our direct personal control, worth reducing)
If we really want to make a habitable planet 'after', we're going to actually do that work ourselves - COVID-19 is not going to do the heavy lifting for us.

Disinformation

I don't use Facebook as it is a disinformation engine, by design and through the history of its operation. So, I'm only aware of this item due to media coverage and having a reader bring it to my attention. There are agents who are downplaying the severity of COVID-19, and trying to erode the public's confidence in their leadership in western nations. This is just one example.
This Woman Says Her Photos Were Stolen To Spread A Fake Viral Story About Her Uncle’s “Coronavirus Death”
https://www.buzzfeed.com/joeydurso/photos-stolen-coronavirus-death-certificates-misinformation

Contact Tracing Poll (see also my May 6th entry)

Majority of Canadians do not approve of a mandatory contact tracing app: Mainstreet poll
https://ipolitics.ca/2020/05/12/majority-of-canadians-do-not-approve-of-a-mandatory-contact-tracing-app-mainstreet-poll/

Ontario Premier Ford and COVID-19

We need our elected leaders to be credible so that the public feel they can trust the guidance that they and their elected and unelected officials are providing. This is recognized as important in other countries.
Transparency is key in a crisis - so why isn't the British government being straight with us?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/13/british-people-lockdown-coronavirus-crisis

Why is the Ontario government so determined to throw away the good will the federal government is buying for them, and eroding the trust they need to be building?

Ontario and national Canadian mainstream media have been flogging a few pieces recently on how Doug Ford has morphed from a truly ineffective premier plagued by own goals, unforced errors, flip-flop-flip 'decisions' (e.g. new licence plate design) and general foot-in-mouth disease backed by a weak cabinet, into 'the Premier Ontario needs' to deal with COVID-19. But the actions so far don't live up to that billing. The COVID-19 response needs to be open about what we don't know, and show prompt, appropriate action and compassion, and honesty to admit mistakes with commitment to fix them, based on evidence over ideology.

Health care is a provincial jurisdiction, including long-term care and providing a safe work environment for ALL health care workers. For Ontario, that makes it Doug Ford's responsibility. Yet, each time there's a tough call forced by COVID-19, Premier Ford has punted to the feds or laid blame instead of accepting responsibility. Hazard pay for front-line workers: let the feds pay. Obtaining PPE: let the feds do the heavy lifting. Need workers in the devastated long-term care homes the Ontario government has given a pass to on inspections for years (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/care-home-inspections-1.5558410): let the feds send in the military. Not living up to your rhetoric on testing: blame officials in or which report to your government. A wage top-up for the chronically underpaid shadow health care heroes: send the bill to Ottawa. Need money to bail out your provincial economy, small businesses, renters, landlords, newly unemployed ... : Let Ottawa pay for it. Can't source enough PPE for health care workers, tell private businesses that want to re-open per the Premier's guidance to find their own. Day after day, it just goes on and on.

I know a lot of Canadians can't distinguish municipal from provincial from federal governments, let alone who has primary responsiblities for which areas, or which politicians operate at which level. Heck, some don't know the difference between Canadian senators, U.S. federal and state senators, and the Ottawa Senators (hint: the last one is a hockey team). So, perhaps this won't do much damage to Premier Ford's re-election chances in a couple of years. But right now we need leadership that inspires trust and confidence.

On top of that, these headlines give a sense of how this is the gang that couldn't message straight.

Using the COVID-19 health emergency to provide cover for really bad decisions if Ontario citizens are your real concern.

Ontario suspends environmental oversight rules, citing COVID-19
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/04/08/news/ontario-suspends-environmental-oversight-rules-citing-covid-19

Ontario Builds Natural Gas-Fired Generation with TC Energy Purchase
[dead link: https://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/121847-ontario-builds-natural-gas-fired-generation-with-tc-energy-purchase] https://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/121847-ontario-builds-natural-gas-fired-generation-with-tc-energy-purchase
That's a lot of money Ontarians could use to rebuild their post-COVID-19 economy, for generation capacity Ontario doesn't need. (Ontario electricity demand is falling year over year for the past 11 years; we are already spending over $30 billion to put multiple gigawatts of nuclear capacity back online; natural gas generating stations already accounts for 30% of Ontario's generating capacity, but only produces 6% of the actual electricity; this government recently spent about a quarter-billion dollars - that we know of so far - to tear up contracts for generation from renewables because they said we don't need additional generating capacity, and that doesn't even consider the air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions which will result.)

Since COVID-19 emerged, how many people have died in Ontario? They won’t tell us.
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/05/07/its-a-pandemic-and-we-dont-know-how-many-people-are-dying-its-being-called-ontarios-crisis-inside-a-crisis.html

After telling Ontarians they should not visit their cottages for the foreseeable future as a measure to reduce virus transmission spread, and committing he would not do so himself, he promptly did exactly that.
https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2020/05/08/premier-doug-ford-made-quick-visit-to-muskoka-cottage-over-easter-despite-vow-he-wouldnt-due-to-covid-19.html

After telling Ontarians that the emergency orders including self-isolation are still in force late last week, Doug Ford had his daughters - who do not reside with him - come over on Mother's Day. No information was provided as to whether or not provincial government guidance about maintaining 2-metres physical distancing was observed.
https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/doug-ford-appears-to-contradict-official-health-advice-by-having-daughters-over

In my view, "We're all in this together" doesn't align well with "Do as I say, not as I do". There's so much distrust of government and disinformation circulating to reinforce it, that it's a real effort to get massive public cooperation when they desperately want to do something other than follow government guidance. It does real damage when you want the masses to not act like 'yahoos' (Ford's term), but then you do. It's offering up a loophole on a platter. Dear Premier, please stop feeding the yahoos. COVID-19 is hard enough without undesired behaviour.

;-) I'm a really good multi-tasker.
     I can simultaneously ignore up to twenty major problems.

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Canada's numbers continue to grind along, not getting worse, but not really getting better. However, we are now rolling the dice on gradual 're-opening' and hoping people are smart and cautious about it. Our current rate of deaths to confirmed cases is just over 7%. If you're feeling smug about how we're doing better than the U.S., consider that the U.S. rate of deaths to cases is under 6%. The good news in Canada is that we do seem to be doing a better job of keeping the number of exposures and new cases to a lower rate than the U.S. That's due to doing the boring stuff: isolation (reducing number of contacts); physical distancing; washing your hands with soap; cough/sneeze into your elbow; disinfect common-use surfaces ...

The catch is that 're-opening the economy' means we're reducing the benefits of isolation, and it will increase the number of people infected, whether or not we're ready with enough testing capacity (we're not) or contact tracking (which takes people; again, we're not ready) or treatments (still in development).

The basis for this strategy is that we will build up immunity in the population eventually (whether we try to manage it or not) via exposure or treatments (which aren't in place yet), without overwhelming our acute health care system (hospitals). That's at the national level, and it's a numbers game. The ability to respond to case load is regional because it's based on hospitals.

Actual cases are individual people. Remember, if you get infected with COVID-19 in Canada, there is a more than 7% chance it will kill you. Anecdotal evidence suggests that if you survive, there is a greater than 7% chance (no really good data on this yet) you will have some other long-term negative health effect as a result of the infection. The longer you put off being exposed to the virus, the better the chances are we will have developed a vaccine, another preventative treatment, or at least have more knowledge of how to treat you if serious symptoms develop. In my opinion, as an individual, your best strategy is to try to outwait the virus in hopes that medical immunization will be available within some period of time.

Immunity

One of the rationalizations I'm reading for a faster 're-opening of the economy', is that we can't get back to 'normal' until we have 'herd immunity' in our population. So many things about this meme bother me. For today, I'm going let the idea of a return to the old 'normal' pass, and the nonsense which implies the 'economy' was 'closed'. Let's dig into 'herd immunity'. What does that actually mean? What I think the proponents of this so-called strategy are seeking is full-on delusional for COVID-19 in the short term. We need to unpack this concept a bit, and back up a couple of steps.

We need to start with the idea of immunity at the individual level. That means that once you have survived an encounter with an infectious disease, your immune system is primed with antibodies so it can mount a rapid response to a new encounter with the same virus so that you don't suffer the symptoms again. This generally works for things like the mumps and chicken pox. The other route to producing this sort of primed-and-ready immune system response is through vaccinations.

Vaccinations vs. Intentional Exposure

When I was a child, one of the functions of kindergarten was to expose 5-year-olds to a range of relatively non-severe infectious diseases. For me, that was 1962-3, and I got nailed by several. It was also a practice for mothers (most were stay-at-home in the late 1950s and early 1960s in my experience) to take their pre-schoolers to visit neighbours who had a child contagious with measles, mumps or chicken pox, on the basis that the symptoms were milder in children than if exposed when an adult. This was before most vaccines we know today existed (smallpox, polio and DTP were available). The common measles vaccine was developed in 1963, and others followed in the 1960s. By the time my kids were starting school, those vaccinations were routine, and since then have become mandatory. A lot of people reading this won't be able to remember a time before many of the common vaccines today were not a thing. Just note, it wasn't so long ago. Now, there are multiple vaccines which are common and have improved childhood health immensely (DTP, MMR, polio, varicella, Hep A & B, etc.). Based on centuries of experience, parents knew that intentional exposure of children to mumps and chicken pox was fairly low risk. It would not be the same if the disease going around was bubonic plague. Even so, the MMR vaccine is an even lower risk for children than intentional exposure to measles, mumps and rubella. So now, the vaccination is the preferred option.

Intentional exposure makes sense if 2 things are true: 1) there is no vaccine; and, 2) the consequences of the illness are short-lived and relatively benign for the entire population (or at least causing significant issues for well below 1 in 100,000 doses administered). By comparison, as of May 10, 2020, death rates for those confirmed to have the SARS-CoV-2 virus is roughly 7,000 per 100,000 infected - and still rising as death is a lagging indicator. We don't have data on people who have recovered, but suffered significant issues such as pneumonia, scarring of lung tissue, other organ injuries, blood clots, etc. Limited data does suggest that those who have recovered but with significant health effects and injuries is greater than the number who have died. In my opinion, a 7% death rate and higher rates of serious injury in survivors is not justification for intentional exposure to speed up 're-opening the economy'. I'll go farther and suggest that reducing the population of consumers by 7% (or more) will do real irrecoverable harm to 'the economy'.

Here's the next problem with COVID-19 immunity for survivors. We don't know if it actually happens.

There are very limited reports of people who are ill with COVID-19 responding well to plasma treatments where antibodies of survivors are present in the plasma.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2020/04/16/central-florida-covid-19-patient-in-recovery-after-plasma-treatment/
Still, it holds enough promise that the American Red Cross is organizing for plasma donations from COVID-19 survivors.

Using antibodies from a donor to promote recovery is not synonymous with individual immunity for a useful period of time. We don't have the experience with the NOVEL coronavirus to know if immunity is conferred, and if it is, how long it lasts. Our past experience suggests years of immunity for influenza coronaviruses (per strain), but we don't know with SARS-CoV-2, yet.

In some cases, there does not seem to be immunity resulting from surviving a first COVID-19 infection.
Coronavirus: ‘False Dawn’ recovery haunts virus survivors who fall sick again
https://www.hindustantimes.com/more-lifestyle/coronavirus-false-dawn-recovery-haunts-virus-survivors-who-fall-sick-again/story-YOw2vD7TPkZOYOyAPVLtzN.html
Coronavirus survivors are testing positive again and showing symptoms
https://bgr.com/2020/04/19/coronavirus-symptoms-some-recovered-covid-19-patients-retest-positive/
We don't know the answer to fundamental questions on how we need to defend against virus transmission.
Do survirors have immunity? If so, for how long? When do they cease being contagious? [dead link: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/are-people-who-recovered-from-covid-19-still-infectious.htm] https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/are-people-who-recovered-from-covid-19-still-infectious.html

I'll come back to immunity in the next few days. Already in TLDR territory for today.

;-) Stages of working from home
     - Yay, I get to work from home
     - It would be nice to talk to people
     - I hope that pigeon sits in the window today

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Sunday's report of below 1200 new cases is likely a weekend data reporting effect. Even so, it only puts us back in the range where we were a week ago with a bump up 3-5 days ago. Alberta reported almost 100 new cases on Sunday alone. BC now has fewer cases per capita than Saskatchewan. It's a marathon, and the slow, tedious adherence to isolation, distancing, caution and hygiene measures does pay off, eventually. Deaths continue to grind along around 200 per day nationally.

Virus spread

In the face of so much unsourced speculation (possibly disinformation) that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is aerosolized in typical conditions, here is a sourced, on-the-record, blunt rebuttal. We don't know everything about this virus, but this assessment by experts fits the available, sourced, credible data.

"Our current assessment of the evidence: COVID-19 is almost exclusively spread via droplets. When there is risk of droplet aerosolization, such as with certain medical procedures, spread can be airborne.
"But the evidence shows that COVID-19 is primarily spread via droplet, with clear protection offered by distance, physical barriers to hands and face, and hand hygiene.
"Approaching the infection this way, and instituting public protocols on the basis of that understanding, will end up protecting millions of Canadians.
"We are acutely aware of the well-advertised studies asserting artificially manufactured aerosol spread. They are not reflective of real life.
"If COVID-19 were an airborne infection, physical distancing rules would not be effective and we would see large and widespread outbreaks in places adhering to droplet prevention, including hospitals. We have not."
Signed:
Drs. Ari Bitnun, Isaac I. Bogoch, Sumon Chakrabarti, David Fisman, Kevin Gough, Shahid Husain, Jennie Johnstone, Kevin Kain, Larissa Matukas, Janine McCready, Andrew Morris, Shaun Morris, Jeya Nadarajah, Dan Petrescu, Irving Salit, Kevin Schwartz, Abdu Sharkawy, Andrew Simor and Darrell Tan,
University of Toronto infectious diseases community
Read the whole letter here:
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editors/2020/05/09/evidence-shows-covid-19-is-almost-exclusively-spread-by-droplets.html

'Re-opening' and the Individual

The experts acknowledge they are still learning about the virus itself, how it behaves and impacts us, and how to beat it medically. 'Re-openings' are a gamble where officials are trying to move us back to 'normal' (as we used to understand it), while still not overwhelming our acute health care capacity.

There are solid reasons for trying to restore some normalcy related to mental health, physical health, social and cultural values, restoring long-term production of necessities, and economic. We don't want to stay in our 'bubbles' indefinitely, nor can we afford to. The real gamble is, how do we develop 'immunity' to COVID-19 in the short term?

Based on what I can find on that topic, we just don't know enough about developing immunity to this virus to answer that question yet. Which means we - as individuals - are being set up to take our own set of gambles. Will I get infected by increasing my exposure? If so, how seriously ill will I become? Will I die from this disease? If I recover, will I have long-term health consequences? Will I infect others, especially those important to me? If I feel I have to increase my personal exposure, are there measures I can take to improve my chances of not being infected and becoming contagious? What are my risk factors?

The evidence shows physical barriers, isolation, hand-washing, cleaning surfaces, etc. works to break the transmission chain. Masks are less effective because they don't stop all the small particles, and don't protect the eyes. N95 masks do help, but have their own issues, and are hard to obtain now. Medical masks which meet the quality standard and are properly fitted provide less protection against the virus and are also hard to obtain. Both N95 and medical masks are being reused due to shortages. To my knowledge no level of government is giving daily updates on their PPE 'stockpiles'. There are no standards for DIY cloth masks, so the degree of protection is like playing the lottery.

If you have to face the public at close quarters, erect solid barriers which block air flow. If you are wearing a mask, learn how to put it on, wear it, take it off and sterilize it / dispose of it properly. It you don't wear it correctly, it isn't helping. If you aren't cleaning and sterilizing it frequently and correctly, it can cause other health issues. Seriously consider getting a face shield or other eye protection as well, and using it as a matter of routine. In my opinion, a face shield is better because it really interferes with the unconscious face-touching.

In the short term, 're-opening' means more people are going to get sick from COVID-19. So far, about 0.2% of the population in Canada are confirmed cases. You are really much better off not getting infected. There is no proof of immunity from COVID-19 after surviving it, just assumptions and speculation based on what we know about years of experience with other coronaviruses.

;-) “I love deadlines.
     I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”
     - Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Alberta has overtaken Ontario for 2nd place in the highest number of confirmed cases per capita, and Nova Scotia is in 4th position. The three combined don't match Quebec. Nationally, over 1500 new cases confirmed on Friday, taking the rate up above the 1400s of the previous few days. It's a bit concerning as the effects of very limited ' re-openings' aren't a factor yet in these numbers.

It's going to be a tricky balancing act, and hospital-based acute care is not geographically flexible. In my opinion, 're-openings' should be based on availability of preventative measures in place, including adequate supplies of PPE for everyone, and the area served by a coherent local acute care capacity - probably on a municipal level with perimeter traffic controls (such as being enforced by Quebec at the Ottawa-Gatineau bridge crossings).

Start and Spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic

There are plenty of conspiracy theories going around, almost certainly abetted by the disinformation machines of all the superpower nations. This article is one of the best lay audience versions I have seen of the topic.
https://www.macleans.ca/society/health/footprints-of-the-coronavirus-how-it-came-to-canada-and-went-around-the-world/

DIY Cloth Masks (again)

I remain of the opinion that these masks create as many health issues as they may resolve, and increasingly look like blame shifting from governments which can't source enough real PPE to individuals who are still looking for loopholes. The data says these masks help reduce spread from people who are infected, but not much protecting of the wearer. They don't cover your eyes, an important virus entry point.

But let's talk some statistics (this won't hurt much). The '95' in N95 respirator masks means the device should stop about 95% of things a bit bigger than coronaviruses from getting through. That means about 5% (or a bit more) are EXPECTED to get through. If you're a front-line worker facing more than 20 COVID-95 positive patients over a couple of days, do you like the odds that means at least 1 of those has a high probability of transmitting the SARS-CoV-2 virus to you? Right, me either. Now, if it's a medical (surgical or procedure mask), the odds drop to about 50% protection, if the mask fits well and is worn correctly. That means, with the medical mask, 10 of those 20 patients have a shot at transmitting to you. Not better. With DIY cloth masks, the key inner filter layer is not present, so the effectiveness rate is less than 50%, meaning the chances of being infected by someone carrying the virus despite the mask is even higher. That's why health workers don't want DIY masks. And without a face-shield, still no protection for the eyes. Understand what masks can and cannot do for you. Stay safe.

Note these recent articles:
Too many Burnaby residents wearing face masks all wrong.
https://www.burnabynow.com/opinion/blogs/opinion-too-many-burnaby-residents-wearing-face-masks-all-wrong-1.24131515
How to Clean Face Masks at Home
https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/cleaning-tips/a32392735/how-to-clean-cloth-face-masks/

Isolation (staying at home, physical distancing) is still better than any mask.

If you do have to go back to work, face the public, and especially if you don't have solid barriers as protection, please get yourself a face shield, and get your employer to provide quality medical masks, and learn how to put them on, wear them, take them off and store them correctly. Otherwise, they're essentially pointless and giving you a false sense of security.

I don't expect to do a post tomorrow, as it will be Mother's Day.

;-) My Mom always told me I would never accomplish anything by lying in
     the bed all day, but look at me now! I’m saving the world!

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of [dead site: http://writers-deadline.ca/] content to entertain you.

The new cases count was above 1400 again, still based in insufficient testing. We are in the lull before the storm I'm expecting due to the 're-openings'. Montreal remains close to its capacity, with new outbreaks occurring. The lagging indicator, deaths, rose by 10% in a single day, from about 4,000 to 4,400. We aren't bothering with good stats on the outcomes of the 'recovered'.

As governments seem to be competing on which can 're-open' biggest and fastest, cautionary information is in plain sight. Businesses continue to indicate they cannot source all the PPE they want in order to protect their workers - and possibly customers - sufficiently. That's not surprising as front-line health care workers are still reporting the need to re-use multiple times PPE which was considered one-time-use-only and disposable three months ago. I am sure those responsible for acquiring PPE for Canadians, and the unexpected function of preparing it for re-use or repairing ventilators, are doing the best they can, while understanding that so far it isn't enough. They have my respect and admiration. They will have important things to tell us 'after'.

But they're going to be busy for some time to come.
This Is the Future of the Pandemic
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/08/health/coronavirus-pandemic-curve-scenarios.html

COVID-19 and children

One of the barriers to some people returning to work is the lack of open day-care facilities for children. Children younger than school-age are not naturally inclined to observe physical distancing rules, and may not be fond of ill-fitting masks. (In fact, masks are not recommended for children aged 2 or younger.)
Twelve children infected with COVID-19 in Quebec's first daycare outbreak
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/twelve-children-infected-with-covid-19-in-quebecs-first-daycare-outbreak

Are they more immune? Are they superspreaders? Is a new upsurge in symptoms similar to Kawasaki Disease related to COVID-19? As I read the material available, we simply don't know yet all the ways this virus is affecting us physically, let alone how it's impacting children differently from adults, and certainly not even fielding good guesses as to the long-term effects of COVID-19 infections in children. In adults we see significant impacts on organs. The strategy may be to gradually allow the mass population to be exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus so as to keep the acute health care system functional, but exposure does bring a range of risks, not just deaths of the elderly.

COVID-19 and blod clots

Again, SARS-CoV-2 is a NOVEL coronavirus, so we're going to be learning about it for some time to come.
Covid-19's Scary Blood Clots Aren't That Surprising
https://www.wired.com/story/covid-19s-scary-blood-clots-arent-that-surprising/
Still, a couple of sentences like these make me stop and reflect.
"This [blood clotting in COVID-19 patients] was known as far back as February, when doctors in Wuhan, China, reported that among 183 people hospitalized with the disease, more than two-thirds of those who died had abnormal clotting. That’s compared with less than 1 percent of those who survived."

Loss of Sense of Smell as Indicator

Anosmia, hyposmia, and dysgeusia as indicators for positive SARS-CoV-2 infection
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7164874/
(Anosmia is the loss or impairment of the sense of smell; hyposmia is impairment of the sense of smell; and, dysgeusia is the dysfunction of the sense of taste.)
"Recommendation
"With limited information and what has been reported in the literature, we propose that the current management of patients that present with anosmia, that cannot be evaluated otherwise, should be advised to self-isolate, social distance, or warrant testing of SARS-CoV-2. If for any reason, a patient with anosmia may need evaluation, it is essential that the otolaryngologist employ full personal protective equipment. Additionally, we support the recommendations of the AAO-HNS guidelines that the reported symptoms of anosmia, hyposmia, or dysgeusia are symptoms that should be used for screening of SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic patients. As healthcare workers depend on their administration and respective societies for guidance, we are anticipating these recommendations may aid in the action to mitigate the spread of this novel virus."

Leadership - Gender and COVID-19 response

Something which had not occurred to me has been raised by Ann Jones and published in TomDispatch. Of eight countries she has selected as having a pretty effective national response to the COVID-19 pandemic, seven have women as their national leaders. Here's her article, following an introduction by Nick Turse (associate editor at TomDispatch):
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176698/tomgram%3A_ann_jones%2C_getting_trumped_by_covid-19/

For comparison, here's a list of the eight countries doing the worst on COVID-19 cases.
(Data as of May 7, 2020 per https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus-data. Expect changes in rankings with time.)
Spain (4,712 cases per million population)
United States (3,712 cases per million population)
Italy (3,547 cases per million population)
United Kingdom (2,964 cases per million population)
France (2,100 cases per million population)
Germany (1,982 cases per million population)
Turkey (1,562 cases per million population)
Russia (1,065 cases per million population) *widely believed to be under-reporting
*China should probably be in that list, but they stopped credible reporting in mid-February
I leave it to the reader to figure out the gender of their senior elected official for the countries listed above.
Anyone else for more women in elected office?
https://www.equalvoice.ca/
File that under A, for 'after'.

Learning from Other Jurisdictions - Sweden

Sweden has been touted in the past by the 're-open everything' faction as the shining example of how COVID-19 is more an attack on personal freedom to be infected than a viral attack on us. To give facts their due, that wasn't Sweden's approach, but tyhey did not lockdown to the extent their neighbours did. Sweden's death rate is now (2020.05.08) over 300 per million, and rising. Still better than the worst countries, but not as good as its neighbours.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-sweden-nears-horrifying-deaths-coronavirus.html
The head of Sweden's no-lockdown coronavirus plan said the country's heavy death toll 'came as a surprise'
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-sweden-lockdown-chief-says-high-death-toll-was-surprise-2020-5

;-) Coronavirus prevention tip:
     wash your hands like you just finished a bag of hot Cheetos
     con limón and you need to remove your contact lenses

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Yesterday's national new confirmed cases grind rate moved up from the 1200s range to over 1400. Reports of insufficient PPE for businesses are coming from across the entire country. Hospitals in Montreal are at capacity and moving patients out of the region to make room for growing numbers of COVID-19 patients with symptoms which require hospitalization.

As I watch elected leaders speaking, and the tone of media coverage, I feel the complacency setting in, despite moving past the 4,000 deaths count - over 0.01% of our total population. That's in a month, from a single cause, with rates still rising, and probably under-counting.

That's not the count of hospitalizations or those who have survived with long-term health impacts. I don't know how our front-line health workers could be ready for a second wave when we still have the military stationed at over a dozen outbreak sites in Ontario and Quebec, and PPE for them remains a day-to-day issue.

Coming back to the core items for 'after'. Today, we'll look at food.

Core item: Safe food to eat

You can survive with food for a week or a bit more.

Food security, food waste, food safety, food hazards, and nutritional value; today I'll try to cover the first 2 parts lightly - these are complex topics.

Food security is not universal in Canada. We have food banks in our major cities to small towns, including church 'pantries' in small communities. Remote communities are seeing traditional local foods threatened by encroachment of industrial projects on migration paths, over-fishing, etc. Climate change is impacting the normal range of plant and animal species. Diminishing biodiversity is impacting the food web which affects even top predators. We have breakfast programs in schools because hungry children don't learn as well as those who are well nourished. Today, they're not in school.

Our physical supply lines were not cut off by COVID-19, but they were impacted, and we have learned they are finely-tuned to a routine, and also fragile. This has led to the paradox of farmers dumping product (milk and potatoes have made headlines), while there are empty shelves in grocery stores and food banks are facing reduced supplies while demand escalates. Not so much connected by the supply chain as bound by it. It takes time to grow food, many food products are based on an annual cycle, or longer time frames (fruit trees, raising livestock). That requires stability and investment of funds and time to be successful.

Climate change threatens the environmental stability, and the neoliberal boom-and-bust economic model threatens financial stability. Shifting to more local production and dispersed supply lines will take a conscious plan, real effort and time. Spring planting season, coupled with people idled by COVID-19 and an expectation of disruption effects which will last for months, or possibly years, make for an opportunity to support local farmers, community gardens and growing food at home - even if its a couple of tomato plants in containers on a balcony. The hardest part is the decision to start.

There have always been informal networks to connect surplus to those in need. Undoubtedly that's how food banks got started. We can support those networks by praising them and using them. We can learn to be creative and supportive.

If we have the necessary information, we can shift our consumption patterns to adjust to the bumps and grinds in our food supply. As spring grudgingly crawls north (but not today), we'll be barbecuing more potatoes and dusting off old potato salad recipes. To the extent it may help the dairy industry use more of their industrial milk surplus in the short term, I'm growing our inventory of butter (it freezes well), and shifting from aged cheddars to cheeses that take less time to produce (e.g., cream cheese, mozzarella, ricotta, curds, cottage cheese, brie, camembert styles, Monterey Jack). This can apply to other foods, such as cabbage. The following seems like an encouraging story line.

CBC.ca: Coleslaw anyone? P.E.I. farmer left with mountain of cabbage due to slow sales.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-cabbage-coleslaw-slow-sales-1.5553595

CBC.ca: Cabbage Love: Surplus prompts P.E.I. woman to stand up for the humble vegetable.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-cabbage-love-facebook-surplus-1.5557416

COVID-19: Trudeau pledges $252M to help Canada's agriculture and food industries.
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/covid-19-trudeau-pledges-252-million-to-help-canadas-agriculture-and-food-industries

Cutting food waste should aid us on food security. As humans, we're omnivores, so we are designed to eat a diverse diet, adjusting to the seasons, scarcity and plenty. If there are going to be disruptions in the supply of specific food items, we can adjust. With better information, we can adjust more effectively.

Reducing food waste is in Project Drawdown's top 100 projects.
https://www.drawdown.org/solutions/reduced-food-waste

;-) How do you eat an elephant?
     One bite at a time.

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

I'll let Wikipedia do the heavy lifting on explaining what a 'contact tracing app' is and does.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_apps

Experience to date

The U.K.’s Coronavirus Contact Tracing App Is a Complete Mess
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/y3zmg7/the-uks-coronavirus-contact-tracing-app-is-a-complete-mess
COVIDSafe coronavirus contact-tracing app faces software bugs and lingering iPhone issues
[dead link: https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/covidsafe-coronavirus-contact-tracing-app-faces-software-bugs-and-lingering-iphone-issues/ar-BB13rzpc] https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/covidsafe-coronavirus-contact-tracing-app-faces-software-bugs-and-lingering-iphone-issues/ar-BB13rzpc
Apple And Google Contact-Tracing Surprise: 2.5 Billion Users Will Miss Out
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/04/20/apple-and-google-major-contact-tracing-surprise-25-billion-users-lose-out/#237e7e2b190a
Forget Apple And Google—Here’s The Real Challenge For COVID-19 Contact-Tracing
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/04/12/forget-apple-and-google-heres-the-real-challenge-for-covid-19-contact-tracing/#122026572709
Why Bluetooth apps are bad at discovering new cases of COVID-19
https://www.theverge.com/interface/2020/4/10/21215267/covid-19-contact-tracing-apps-bluetooth-coronavirus-flaws-public-health
Contact-tracing apps have a trust problem, even if they do protect your privacy
https://www.cnet.com/health/contact-tracing-apps-have-a-trust-problem-even-if-they-do-protect-your-privacy/
Beyond trusting 'Big Tech', do you trust the government's (mostly provincial) intentions and with access to your personal data?

Let's not hand out 'free' apps believing they are a solution until we meet some pre-conditions (I assure you, taxpayers and consumers are paying for this).
A) we have resources in place to actually contact people who may have been exposed and track status
B) we have background systems which can actually track and report on the cases once identified
C) we have excess testing capacity located everywhere in the jurisdiction to enable convenient testing with fast return of results
D) 'contacts' are sufficiently close and of sufficient duration that transmission is somewhat likely
E) the app actually works, universally, because if both people in the contact event aren't traced, the app is useless
F) the app cannot be easily defeated accidentally or intentionally (controlling the 'yahoo factor')
Without the above, the tracing is largely useless.

G) the status of all cases is integrated into provincial health reporting systems with daily (or more frequent) updates
H) the apps don't require geolocation tracking of app users
I) we have a clear definition of what the app does, and how, and how it ABSOLUTELY does not violate right to privacy laws and Charter rights
J) all data stored and transmitted will be strongly encrypted - it is personal information
K) an iron-clad system that data will be deleted from the phone, Google, Apple and all other systems 21 days after current date, on a rolling daily basis, including backups
L) certification from privacy experts and officials
M) ALL related, called, embedded code must be open-source and published for a week before downloads are permitted with a code freeze during this period
N) if issues are found during the open evaluation period, the code must be fixed, and the evaluation cycle is repeated
O) certification from white-hat computer / mobile device security experts that the code base is clean
P) the full code base will be supplied to a trusted third party for compiling and returned to the app developer for downloads
Q) the third party will supply an authentication process to app users so they can verify the object code on their device is based on the open source code
Without the above, it's just a surveillance app, and could provide an entry point for malware or computer viruses.

The app is also useless if any of the following conditions hold:
a) you stay at home and follow isolation guidelines
b) your cell phone is not with you
c) the battery in your cell phone is discharged or the phone is not functional for another reason
d) the Bluetooth feature on your phone is switched off
e) the Bluetooth signal to/from your phone is blocked
f) your cell phone doesn't support the app

Others have voiced concerns. They should be taken seriously. We want people to cooperate massively in the COVID-19 response. We don't want to give them reasons to mistrust the initiatives of formal leadership.
Consumer group asks CRTC to protect privacy and regulate contact-tracing apps
https://www.thestar.com/business/2020/05/05/consumer-group-asks-crtc-to-protect-privacy-and-regulate-contact-tracing-apps.html
'ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL': Ford calls for national strategy on contact tracing
https://torontosun.com/news/provincial/absolutely-critical-ford-calls-for-national-strategy-on-contact-tracing

ABTraceTogether

Privacy expert says flawed Alberta COVID-19 contact tracking app shouldn’t have been released
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/privacy-expert-says-flawed-alberta-covid-19-contact-tracking-app-shouldnt-have-been-released/430252]
I'll leave it to you to read the article and digest it. I have one over-riding concern.
Why was the app released for download BEFORE the provincial privacy commissioner has completed their analysis, issued their report and approved the app? I can only think of one reason: the Alberta government doesn't care what the Privacy Commissioner's analysis says.

Process

If everything goes right with the app, and somebody who was within 10-100 metres (depending on conditions, e.g. line-of-sight in clear air) of you at some point for several minutes, you will be notified on your cell phone (because the government/agent has your cell phone number), after that person tests positive for COVID-19 and enters that information in the app. If they don't put that information into the app, the whole thing is pointless. And we're still dependent on having enough contact tracing response capacity to have a conversation with you about your status in a short time.

The first person may have contracted the virus after they were within 10-100 metres of you, and therefore were not infectious at the time that matters to you. (false positive)
But suppose they were infectious when within 10-100 metres of you for several minutes. It's still possible they were not close enough to you to transmit the virus. (false positive)

Let's play out the timeline.
It will likely take days after infection before person-one displays symptoms, and then they will take time to decide to get tested (let's say 2 days), more hours to days (let's say 2 days) to get an appointment to be tested and travel to the test site during operating hours, and still more days before they get results (let's say 4 days), and more time for that result to be communicated to ABTraceTogether (let's say 1 day). Potentially 8-9 days since your possible transmission contact. Presumably, at that point it will take minutes for the automated application to text you or send you an automated voice call/ message. Then it will be your turn to book an appointment to be tested and travel to the testing location.

However, after 8-9 days, if you were infected by that contact event, you could be displaying symptoms yourself and be looking to be tested anyway. Even if the phone app is flawless, if we don't have fast access to testing and fast turn-around on results, it likely adds little benefit to addressing disease spread. For the phone app to have value, we need more and faster testing. Without the phone app, we need more and faster testing. Perhaps our focus should be on enabling more and faster testing.

If you want to use your cell phone to support contact tracing, here are a couple of approaches that can work.
a) Use a calendar app, and enter your appointments and other trips into it as a record of where you have been and in proximity with. Also, just useful to you anyway. Keep records going back 21 days. Does not require geolocation feature to be turned on.
b) Turn on location tracking. Yes, Google or Apple will still know where you have been (same as with the tracing apps), but the government/agent won't automatically get the data, whether you were infected or not.
Both of these approaches will work on phones which don't support the contact tracing apps.

If you don't have a cell-phone, use a paper-based method (agenda book, loose paper) to keep that record.
Templates for loose paper format:
Spreadsheet version (.XLS) https://www.econogics.com/COVID-19EventLog.xls
Spreadsheet (.CSV) https://www.econogics.com/COVID-19EventLog.csv
Word processor version (.DOC) https://www.econogics.com/COVID-19EventLog.doc
Paper version (.PDF) https://www.econogics.com/COVID-19EventLog.pdf
Simple text version (.TXT) https://www.econogics.com/COVID-19EventLog.txt
(Remember to remove the example from the template once you have entered a record, and keep at least the most recent 3 weeks of information.)

;-) I finally realized that people are prisoners of their phones...
     that's why it's called a "cell" phone.

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

CTV News: With some provinces reopening, where does Canada's PPE supply chain stand?
[dead link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/article/with-some-provinces-reopening-where-does-canadas-ppe-supply-chain-stand/]
Winnipeg Free Press: PPE procurement contract lands with Winnipeg-based Mondetta Clothing.
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/ppe-procurement-contract-lands-with-winnipeg-based-mondetta-clothing-570161962.html

Another voice on 'after' regarding increased Canadian self-sufficiency
https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-shows-why-canada-must-reduce-its-dependence-on-the-u-s-136357

Can Canadians be trusted with a gradual lifing of restrictions, or will the 'yahoos' overwhelm us?
CBC.ca: 'Honestly, it's a little bit worrying': Haggie concerned after 1st double bubble weekend.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/haggie-concerned-double-bubble-1.5554265

    “In the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity”
       - Albert Einstein
Perhaps even an opportunity to make things better. Let's continue unpacking those core items for 'after' from April 29th.

Core Item: Safe water

I'm going to make a distinction between drinking water and water which can sustain life in it (wild water).

You can survive for a couple of days without water. No point in long-term planning if you don't have a safe, reliable water supply.

Safe drinking water is pretty straightforward. It is sufficiently clean or pure that you can drink it, and it will neither kill you nor sicken you, even a little. When we're talking about municipal drinking water, it does not require boiling to be safe, nor does it have a pungent odour, nor easily discerned colouring.

The COVID-19 health guidance which says wash your hands frequently using soap and water presumes you have access to safe, clean water. No point washing with the water if it is going to make you sick.

However, safe drinking water in Canadian municipalities isn't something we can take for granted. It takes planning, infrastructure, maintenance and support. Or building simpler, more resilient systems. Water can be made safe to drink by means other than chlorination.

As of May 4, 2020 there are the following warnings in effect in Canada:
 713 - Boil Water orders (yes, seven hundred and thirteen)
     1 - Cyanobacteria Bloom
   38 - Do Not Consume
Source: http://www.watertoday.ca/map-graphic.asp

That's actually an improvement over a few years ago. We have work to do here, still. Green jobs kind of work.

Wild water needs to be safe for fish, seabirds, aquatic mammals and aquatic plants to thrive. That means eliminating the toxins from that water, including oil and plastic and traces of our medications and long-lived toxic chemicals and nuclear waste and sewage and other pollution from our planetary flows and stores of water, fresh or salt. It isn't enough just to stop dumping our garbage into our waters starting tomorrow. We have a huge inventory of existing pollution and contamination we need to resolve as well.

Together with a number of committed, bright and talented people, I have spent some years looking at some of those issues (and continue to do so). If you would like to look at issues about how we deal with oil spills which reach wild water, I recommend these as starting points.
http://www.restco.ca/Oil_Spill_Response.shtml
http://www.restco.ca/BSP_Reprints.shtml
http://www.restco.ca/Inuvik_RT_Ottawa.shtml

If you are seeking better solutions which are available to clean up oil spills, look here.
https://www.econogics.com/ROSCUE/Solutions.shtml

If you are interested in the issues around plastic pollution (and a focus on cleaning up microplastic pollution), start here.
http://www.restco.ca/Plastic_Pollution.shtml

If you want better, safer water, you just have to decide to stop making it worse and enable real solutions.

;-) Not funny, but beautiful. Just enjoy. (5 minutes 15 seconds)
     [dead link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vFTuHxsEkc]

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

New numbers out of SK (12) and QC (over 2000) are cause for concern as these are two of the provinces with aggressive 're-opening' schedules. The QC data has 2 components, actual new cases (nearly 900) and over 1300 previously unreported cases (undercounting). Slightly lower new case counts in some jurisdictions are likely a Monday effect, but in my opinion the weekly trend lines in NS, QC, ON, MB, Sk, AB and BC do not argue for aggressive 're-opening'. I believe recent news on multiple COVID-19-related fronts also argue for caution in 're-opening' plans.

Testing
Health Canada pauses regulatory approval for COVID-19 rapid test
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/spartan-recall-test-1.5553947

PPE - no secure adequate safe supply line in sight
CTV News: Suppliers facing 'wild west' of PPE procurement.
[dead link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/suppliers-facing-wild-west-of-ppe-procurement-1.4922236]

Immunity
Bloomberg: ‘False Dawn’ Recovery Haunts Virus Survivors Who Fall Sick Again
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-01/-false-dawn-recovery-haunts-virus-survivors-who-fall-sick-again

Kawasaki Disease and COVD-19 - not proven, but needs watching
WHO investigating link between coronavirus and rare inflammatory syndrome in children
https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/495741-who-investigating-link-between-coronavirus-and
Italy, UK explore possible COVID-19 link to child inflammatory disease
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-syndrome/italy-uk-explore-possible-covid-19-link-to-child-inflammatory-disease-idUSKCN2292JM

New N95 Mask Risk
New Jersey driver wearing an N95 mask for hours crashes after passing out behind the wheel from lack of oxygen
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8256631/New-Jersey-driver-wearing-N95-mask-hours-crashes-passing-out.html

Data
Undercounting and the need for more extensive testing before declaring victory
No cough, no fever: Symptoms of some COVID-19 patients don't line up with conventional wisdom.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/covid-19-symptoms-variable-1.5548532

As Many as 9,000 Early COVID-19 Deaths May Not Have Been Counted (U.S. data, but same effect could have happened in Canada)
https://truthout.org/articles/as-many-as-9000-early-covid-19-deaths-may-not-have-been-counted/

Why a flatter curve does not mean we've won the COVID-19 battle (the S-I-R model)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/opinion-covid-19-sir-model-1.5508215

Vaccines
What happens if a coronavirus vaccine is never developed? It has happened before.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/what-happens-if-a-coronavirus-vaccine-is-never-developed-it-has-happened-before-1.4922689

Disinformation
Canada has taken down over 1,500 coronavirus-related scam sites
[dead site: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/canada-has-taken-down-over-1500-coronavirus-related-scam-sites/430089"]
Coronavirus skeptic Rush Limbaugh thinks COVID-19 means there were 18 other COVIDS
https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-rush-limbaugh-coronavirus-covid-19-thinks-nineteen-20200313-7rpnlxvaljhyribh6sxgg5f6ja-story.html

Threats to your computer
Have you been downloading movies via torrent to fill in your stay-at-home entertainment quotient? Be aware that some sites are carrying malware and ransomware in their datastream. Be careful which sites you use to obtain movies.
https://www.hackread.com/hackers-using-torrents-files-movies-spread-malware/
Android devices: Nasty malware steals banking passwords and 2FA codes
[dead link: https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/nasty-malware-steals-banking-passwords/737608/]

At this point, I could use some good news. Some Canadian provinces do seem to have wrestled COVID-19 to a standstill, and they are mature enough to not be claiming victory (NL, NB, PE).

Silver Lining - Air Quality
An update from NASA showing New York City satellite imaging data - March averages 2015 to 2020
https://www.space.com/nasa-satellites-track-fossil-fuel-emissions-from-space-coronavirus.html

;-) A bedtime story from the future - not so much funny as thought-
     provoking. 4 minutes run time.
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw5KQMXDiM4

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, stay home if you can.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

Congratulations to New Brunswick! NB announced on Saturday that they no longer have any active cases of COVID-19. Quebec reported 1,008 new confirmed cases in the preceding 24 hours, while Ontario reported 511. Neither is doing enough testing to have great faith that those numbers reflect reality; they are likely still undercounting. Alberta also continues to miss its testing targets, has growing outbreaks, but still plans an aggressive 're-opening' schedule. Leaders in northern SK fear La Loche is a new hot spot with 75 confirmed cases.

Re-opening Schools

We're still learning about the COVID-19 outbreak
https://zoonosen.charite.de/fileadmin/user_upload/microsites/m_cc05/virologie-ccm/dateien_upload/Weitere_Dateien/analysis-of-SARS-CoV-2-viral-load-by-patient-age.pdf
"Data on viral load, as estimated by real-time RT-PCR threshold cycle values from 3,712 COVID-19 patients were analysed to examine the relationship between patient age and SARS-CoV-2 viral load. Analysis of variance of viral loads in patients of different age categories found no significant difference between any pair of age categories including children. In particular, these data indicate that viral loads in the very young do not differ significantly from those of adults. Based on these results, we have to caution against an unlimited re-opening of schools and kindergartens in the present situation. Children may be as infectious as adults."

Re-opening Businesses

There may be an additional delay in businesses re-opening even after provinces lift restrictions - no PPE available.
Lack of PPE leaves some Manitoba businesses unable to reopen.
https://globalnews.ca/news/6893237/ppe-shortage-manitoba-businesses-reopen-coronavirus/

Domestic PPE Production

Again, I want to make the case for developing a long-term strategy for sourcing critical equipment within Canada's borders. To the extent it is practical, distributed across provinces to provide a spread of new jobs, distributed inventories, and redundant production capacity. If we develop too much capacity, there will be export markets for certified quality PPE for years to come. China will no longer be a trusted source of supply. We cannot be left at the mercy of other governments again. Even with an Antonov-225 of PPE landed in Montreal yesterday, there are no indications that Quebec has enough PPE to end re-use policies, fully equip shadow health care system workers or provide PPE to workers in businesses which may be re-opening this month.
Largest cargo plane touches down with COVID-19 supplies in Quebec.
https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/largest-cargo-plane-touches-down-with-covid-19-supplies-in-quebec-1.4922002
This is what can be done with even a little encouragement from government, which is also the biggest customer.
Ford produces 10 million face shields for health care workers (U.S.)
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/04/30/ford-produces-10-million-face-shields-for-health-care-workers/

Canadian examples
Harco Enterprises licensed by Health Canada to produce face shields.
https://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/news-story/9968067-harco-enterprises-licensed-by-health-canada-to-produce-face-shields/
Here's a partial list of other Canadian companies stepping up.
Manufacturing companies pivot to produce PPE, medical devices for COVID-19 fight
https://www.automationmag.com/manufacturing-companies-pivot-to-produce-ppe-medical-devices-for-covid-19-fight/
Manufacturers stepping up to deal with the pandemic
https://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/manufacturing/manufacturers-stepping-up-to-deal-with-the-pandemic-249875/
Canadian Companies Are Using Their Facilities to Make Protective Equipment During COVID-19 Crisis
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/canada-manufacturing-ppe-covid19/

The federal government is still looking for more businesses to become providers for critical equipment.
https://buyandsell.gc.ca/calling-all-suppliers-help-canada-combat-covid-19
Ontario Together: help fight coronavirus
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/how-your-organization-can-help-fight-coronavirus

However we do need some incentives - it's a high risk environment for starting a new business, or even re-organizing or sustaining an existing one. It's always been hard for small businesses in Canada to get financing from traditional Canadian financial institutions. The biggest incentive is that government will continue to buy from these sources when we get to 'after'. Without that revenue stream, the capitalist system cannot justify the initial investment.

Scams - Capitalism At Work

Canadians have lost more than $1.2 million to COVID-19 scams
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/covid-scams-fraud-crime-1.5551294

Big Business is Feasting on COVID-19

On top of taking bailouts to absolve them of long-standing liabilities, resetting rules for profit.
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/05/01/news/ontario-allowing-secret-lobbying-amid-covid-19-critic
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/04/30/news/bc-says-firms-can-chop-down-whole-trees-pellet-fuel-if-they-are-inferior

Scarcity-mongering

;-) September 17th, 2050:
     John opened the last package of toilet paper bought by his parents in 2020.

Spread knowledge, not the virus.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

On Friday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose by 1825. If this is not related to increased testing (and there is no such indication in the numbers), this shows a new upward trend over the past 7 days. Provincial trend lines are the same as reported yesterday.

New Zealand Report (from National Geographic)

New Zealand has ‘effectively eliminated’ coronavirus. Here’s what they did right.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/2020/04/what-new-zealand-did-right-in-battling-coronavirus/

Let's start unpacking those core items for 'after' from April 29th.

Core Item: Safe air to breathe

You can survive without oxygen for about 5 minutes. Seems fairly critical to me.

Air pollutants can cause respiratory illness. We have known this since the days of coal mining and 'black lung'. We know that days with bad air quality lead to more hospital visits for respiratory conditions, like asthma.

Diminishing air quality was one of driving forces behind the first Earth Day, just over half-a-century ago.

We know that areas with heavy air pollution have lower life expectancy and more negative health impacts than areas with better air quality.

Improving air quality reduces health system costs and improves quality of life.

Yahoo Canada Finance: In Global Electricity Slump, Coal Is the Big Loser
[dead link because Yahoo: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/global-electricity-slump-coal-big-120003929.html] https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/global-electricity-slump-coal-big-120003929.html

But air quality and our health are big winners. Along with utilities able to shift away from expensive coal generation.
"It comes down to cost. Coal power is more expensive than gas and renewables in many places and, hence, is the first fuel priced out of the market when demand falls. Its plunging use amid the lockdowns is a boon for efforts to fight climate change, hastening a shift that was already underway to weed out the dirtiest fossil fuel."
Note: "a shift that was already underway".

Take note of this fact (which I have pointed out so many times): for-profit industry doesn't care about your health or quality of life; it cares about profits. In many jurisdictions, corporations are required by law to focus only on profits (returns to shareholders) and explicitly ignore any impacts they have on the environment, quality of life, democratic institutions ...

That's why putting a price on producing and releasing air pollutants GHG emissions (aka the misleading term 'carbon tax') works. It takes those 'externalities' (pollution and other damage done without cost borne by the polluter), and puts a price on them, which the for-profit mechanism has to take into account. If you want cleaner air, put a price on polluting it. If you want cleaner air faster, put a higher price on polluting it. For-profit businesses will get the price-signal message.

Many economists espousing 'free-market' ideologies have stated the capitalist system is a survival-of-the-fittest model; adapt or die. That's where coal has been for a couple of years now; not adapting. I expect oil will be there next month. Unless we continue to support oil production with tax dollars and long-standing subsidies, and forgiving their obligations (job creation in return for past gifts, cleaning up their own messes in our air, land and water).

'Now' is showing us how to get to cleaner air. If you want cleaner air 'after', you just have to choose to take it by making dirty air more expensive for the polluters. Then those businesses can choose - for business reasons - to take the less expensive options going forward. Clean air solutions (photovoltaics, wind turbines, hydro, electric vehicles, energy storage) are all affordable, off-the-shelf commercial offerings today. On a lifetime financial analysis, they are financially attractive options. A sampling:
Bloomberg: Solar and Wind Cheapest Sources of Power in Most of the World
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-28/solar-and-wind-cheapest-sources-of-power-in-most-of-the-world
UK blown away as huge new wind farm will soon power 170,000 homes
https://www.euronews.com/living/2020/04/28/uk-blown-away-as-huge-new-wind-farm-will-soon-power-170-000-homes
"The deal agreed by Vattenfall and Greencoat UK Wind will cost £320 million. While this is a substantial amount, according to renewable UK, investments such as these pay off as “onshore wind offers the most cost-effective choice for new electricity in the UK, bar none - it is cheaper than gas, nuclear, coal and other renewables.”"

In spite of that, Ontario just signed up for $2.8 billion dollars worth of new natural gas (NG) generating capacity (https://boereport.com/2020/04/29/tc-energy-completes-the-sale-of-ontario-natural-gas-fired-power-plants-for-proceeds-of-2-8-billion/), despite having a massive surplus of NG generating capacity today. (About 30% of Ontario's current generating capacity is natural gas, but in 2019 it actually produced about 6% of the electricity, per the IESO.) With demand dropping rapidly in 2020, we will have even less need for NG generation in Ontario in the future. Before COVID-19, Ontario electricity demand had been dropping by about 1% a year for more than a decade, despite a growing population.

Safer air, less expensive. It seems so simple.

;-) As a lifelong hypochondriac, watching everyone freak out over
     coronavirus makes me feel so seen.

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, STAY HOME. Take some time to think.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

Warning: these posts are for 'adults'; people with the ability to think for themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and prepared to work for the greater good. If that isn't you, remember to wash your hands and face with soap regularly and don't touch anything. Stay home. The Internet has plenty of content to entertain you.

May Day parties may be subdued today due to distancing and physical distancing guidelines in place. But we made it to May. Keep calm and stay home.

Nunavut reported its first confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2. This is why experts said early that borders really don't have much effect in the long-term. Eventually, this virus will be everywhere. That's why isolation measures (like 'border' controls, which are more likely to be regional perimeter controls) are seen as short-term suppression measures, while we need to continue working to find a treatment. The rest of the jurisdictions in Canada seem to as before: AB, BC, SK, ON, QC and NS continue to report new cases at similar rates; MB, NB, PE, NL, YT and NT really seem to have 'flattened the curve'.

Scam Warning

Anyone who is offering to loan you money, but requires a payment upfront, is running a scam. This is not legal in Canada. Apparently this scam is seeing a lot of new life in Canada now courtesy of COVID-19 disruptions to income.
Don't fall for this loan scam targeting Canadians during COVID-19
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1732173891736

Coronavirus is significant, but is it a true black swan event?

https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-is-significant-but-is-it-a-true-black-swan-event-136675
"But the danger of making an occurrence like the COVID-19 outbreak appear to be astronomically rare is that we will treat it as such and fail to prepare for the next pandemic. What’s more, those accountable for this preparation will dismiss their blatant failures because of the perceived exceptional nature of the event."
Having read The Black Swan, I do recommend it as general reading to anyone.

This is 'now'

On Wednesday this week, oil company stock values rose on North American markets despite continuing hews of growing crude oil inventory builds from the American Petroleum Institute, and continuing concerns about a lack of storage capacity anywhere on the continent. Saudi VLCC tankers are sitting off both U.S. coasts, full of crude oil, about 2 million barrels per ship.

Why would this be good news for the oil industry? Perhaps it's other news which is attracting new investors into oil and gas. Such as:
Alberta suspends environmental reporting requirements over COVID crisis
[dead link: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/alberta-suspends-environmental-reporting-requirements-over-covid-crisis/ar-BB125bm9] https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/alberta-suspends-environmental-reporting-requirements-over-covid-crisis/ar-BB125bm9
8 environmental responsibilities Alberta’s oil and gas companies can skip because of coronavirus
https://thenarwhal.ca/8-environmental-responsibilities-albertas-oil-and-gas-companies-skip-covid-coronavirus/
Multiple governments rolling back environmental regulaations under cover of COVID-19
https://canadians.org/analysis/covid-19-not-opportunity-roll-back-environmental-regulations

Note for 'after' - we need governments prepared to work in our interests, not the foreign-owned oil industry.

;-) Breaking news: CBSA just seized 2 tons of toilet paper hidden in cocaine     

Spread knowledge, not the virus.
Stay well, stay safe, stay sane, STAY HOME.
We're not done yet. Not nearly.

For earlier entries, see earlier blog file.
For the current blog, see the Econogics Blog.

This website is powered by renewable energy.
All material on this Web site is copyrighted by Econogics, Inc. (unless otherwise noted).
This Web site created, maintained and sponsored by Econogics, Inc. Comments to: Webmaster are welcomed.