Canadian COVID-19 News

[GordMay]

The Public Health Agency of Canada is now recommending Canadians choose three-layer non-medical masks, with a filter layer, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. According to recently updated guidelines*, two layers of the mask should be made of a tightly woven fabric, such as cotton or linen, and the middle layer should be a filter-type fabric, such as non-woven polypropylene fabric.
The World Health Organization has recommended three layers, for non-medical masks, since June.
* “Non-medical masks and face coverings: About” ➥ https://www.canada.ca/en/public-heal...coverings.html
DIY Instructions ➥ https://www.canada.ca/en/public-heal...coverings.html

[GordMay]

Ontario reports 1,328 new COVID-19 cases, marking new record for 2nd straight day
Ontario reported 1,328 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, marking a new single-day peak for a second day in a row.
The Ontario health ministry reported 1,132 new cases on Saturday, for a total of 2,460 cases over the weekend. Both totals surpassed the previous high of 1,050, which was reported on Tuesday.
➥ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...ov-8-1.5794404

Thunder Bay District Health Unit reports 11 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend
Ten of the 11 cases, reported Saturday and Sunday, have been identified as close contacts of existing cases, while one is related to travel. All
There have been 129 confirmed cases of COVID-19, within the Thunder Bay District, since the start of the pandemic. There are 12 currently active cases.
➥ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thund...ases-1.5794478

[gymrat]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

Ah. You're going to have to do the Coastal Navigation for BC Waters. Wicked tidal rapids and currents so they mostly insist on it. It's self study and not that hard and well worth it for any sailor.

I'd suggest Nanaimo as they have two almost new Lagoon 42s. Although I am a bit prejudiced but give them a call. I believe they are teaching IYT now but it makes very little difference imho. DM me if you need any details.

Thanks. I did email Nanaimo twice but they never responded. Not sure why.

[Montanan]

Explains a lot.

[TrentePieds]

Bravo, Montanan :-0)!!

TP

[JPA Cate]

This article was on this morning's ABC news, and I found it interesting: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-...id-19/12881444

Ann

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

This article was on this morning's ABC news, and I found it interesting: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-...id-19/12881444

Ann

Indeed Ann, the Covid-19 mitigation recommendations of all the HVAC associations is to discontinue the recirculation air systems and to maximize the fresh air ventilation / air exchange capabilities even to the point of diminishing the comfort level of the occupants, be that having a cold building in the winter or a hot / humid building in the summer. Those recommendations started in March 2020.

The air conditioning systems [heating, cooling and dehumidification] often can not adequately provide for much higher rates of ventilation intake. Opening doors and windows is an excellent method of enhancing the fresh air exchange rates.

Bring the outdoors inside, if you can't spend time outdoors.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Montanan

Indeed Ann, the Covid-19 mitigation recommendations of all the HVAC associations is to discontinue the recirculation air systems and to maximize the fresh air ventilation / air exchange capabilities ...
... The air conditioning systems [heating, cooling and dehumidification] often can not adequately provide for much higher rates of ventilation intake. Opening doors and windows is an excellent method of enhancing the fresh air exchange rates.
Bring the outdoors inside, if you can't spend time outdoors.

ASHRAE* recommends following CDC guidance on minimizing contact, wearing cloth face masksand creating a household plan.
ASHRAE’s residential building guidance supplements the CDC guidance with general recommendations for minimizing virus transmission through the air, using the home’s HVAC equipment and controls.
1 page ➥https://www.ashrae.org/file%20librar...-buildings.pdf

*ASHRAE was formed as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, with more than 54,000 members, from over 132 nations.

[Montanan]

SARS-CoV-2 appears to have emerged in Italy by September 2019. That predates the December 2019 outbreak in Wuhan, China.

The new coronavirus was circulating in Italy since September 2019, a study by the National Cancer Institute (INT) of the Italian city of Milan shows, signaling that COVID-19 might have spread beyond China earlier than previously thought.

The World Health Organization has said the new coronavirus and COVID-19, the respiratory disease it causes, were unknown before the outbreak was first reported in Wuhan, in central China, in December.

Italy's first COVID-19 patient was detected on Feb. 21

Italian researchers' findings, published by the INT's scientific magazine Tumori Journal, show that 11,6% of 959 healthy volunteers enrolled in a lung cancer screening trial between September 2019 and March 2020, had developed coronavirus antibodies well before February.

A further specific SARS-CoV-2 antibodies test was carried out by the University of Siena for the same research titled "Unexpected detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the pre-pandemic period in Italy".

It showed that four cases dated back to the first week of October 2019 were also positive for antibodies neutralizing the virus, meaning they had got infected in September 2019.

Italian researchers told Reuters in March that they reported a higher than usual number of cases of severe pneumonia and flu in Lombardy in the last quarter of 2019 in a sign that the new coronavirus might have circulated earlier than previously thought.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/coronavir...171605993.html

[Montanan]

REHVA - Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations, April 3 update to the March 17 Covid-19 guidance.

Snipets:

In this document REHVA summarizes advice on the operation and use of building services in areas with a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 depending on HVAC or plumbing systems related factors. Please read the advice below as interim guidance;

. . .

Via air there are two exposure mechanisms:

1. Close contact transmission through large droplets (> 10 microns), which are released and fall to surfaces not further than about 1-2 m from the infected person. Droplets are formed from coughing and sneezing (sneezing forms many more particles typically). Most of these large
droplets fall on nearby surfaces and objects – such as desks and tables. People could catch the infection by touching those contaminated surfaces or objects; and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. If people are standing within 1-2 meter of an infected person, they can catch it directly
by breathing in droplets sneezed or coughed out or exhaled by them.

2. Airborne transmission through small particles (< 5 microns), which may stay airborne for hours and can be transported long distances. These are also generated by coughing and sneezing and talking. Small particles (droplet nuclei or residue) form from droplets which evaporate (10 microns droplets evaporate in 0.2 s) and desiccate. The size of a coronavirus particle is 80-160
nanometre2,viii and it remains active for many hours or couple of days (unless there is specific cleaning). SARS-CoV-2 remains active up to 3 hours in indoor air and 2-3 days on room surfaces at common indoor conditions. Such small virus particles stay airborne and can travel long distances carried by airflows in the rooms or in the extract air ducts of ventilation systems.
Airborne transmission has caused infections of SARS-CoV-1 in the past. For Corona disease (COVID-19) it is likely but not yet documented. There is also no reported data or studies to rule out the possibility of the airborne-particle route. One indication for this: Corona virus SARS-CoV2 has been isolated from swabs taken from exhaust vents in rooms occupied by infected patients.
This mechanism implies that keeping 1-2 m distance from infected persons might not be enough and increasing the ventilation is useful because of removal of more particles.

. . .

Conclusion in relation to the airborne transmission route:

At this date we need all efforts to manage this pandemic from all fronts. Therefore REHVA proposes, especially in ‘hot spot’ areas to use the ALARA principle (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) and to take a set of measures that help to also control the airborne route in buildings (apart from standard
hygiene measures as recommended by WHO, see the ‘Getting workplaces ready for COVID-19’ document).

. . .

Practical recommendations for building services operation

Increase air supply and exhaust ventilation.

In buildings with mechanical ventilation systems extended operation times are recommended. Change the clock times of system timers to start ventilation at nominal speed at least 2 hours before the building usage time and switch to lower speed 2 hours after the building usage time. In demand-
controlled ventilation systems change CO2 setpoint to lower, 400 ppm value, in order to assure the operation at nominal speed. Keep the ventilation on 24/7, with lowered (but not switched off) ventilation rates when people are absent. In buildings that have been vacated due to the pandemic
(some offices or educational buildings) it is not recommended to switch ventilation off, but to operate continuously at reduced speed. Considering a springtime with small heating and cooling needs, the recommendations above have limited energy penalties, while they help to remove virus particles out of the building and to remove released virus particles from surfaces.

The general advice is to supply as much outside air as reasonably possible. The key aspect is the amount of fresh air supplied per person. If, due to smart working utilization, the number of employees is reduced, do not concentrate the remaining employees in smaller areas but maintain or enlarge the social distancing (min physical distance 2-3 m between persons) among them in order to foster the ventilation cleaning effect.
Exhaust ventilation systems of toilets should always be kept on 24/7, and make sure that underpressure is created, especially to avoid the faecal-oral transmission.

Use more window airing

General recommendation is to stay away from crowded and poorly ventilated spaces. In buildings without mechanical ventilation systems it is recommended to actively use operable windows (much more than normally, even when this causes some thermal discomfort). Window airing then is the only way to boost air exchange rates. One could open windows for 15 min or so when entering the room (especially when the room was occupied by others beforehand). Also, in buildings with mechanical ventilation, window airing can be used to further boost ventilation

. . .

Humidification and air-conditioning have no practical effect

Relative humidity (RH) and temperature contribute to virus transmission indoors affecting virus viability, droplet nuclei forming and susceptibility of occupants’ mucous membranes. Transmission of some viruses in buildings can be limited by changing air temperatures and humidity levels. In the
case of COVID-19 this is unfortunately not an option as coronaviruses are quite resistant to environmental changes and are susceptible only for a very high relative humidity above 80% and a temperature above 30 ˚C, which are not attainable and acceptable in buildings for other reasons (e.g. thermal comfort and microbial growth).

. . .

No use of recirculation

Virus particles in return ducts can also re-enter a building when centralized air handling units are equipped with recirculation sectors. It is recommended to avoid central recirculation during SARSCoV-2 episodes: close the recirculation dampers (via the Building Management System or manually).
In case this leads to problems with cooling or heating capacity, this has to be accepted because it is more important to prevent contamination and protect public health than to guarantee thermal comfort.

Sometimes air handling units and recirculation sections are equipped with return air filters. This should not be a reason to keep recirculation dampers open as these filters normally do not filter out particles with viruses effectively since they have standard efficiencies (G4/M5 or ISO coarse/ePM10
filter class) and not HEPA efficiencies.

. . .

Summary of practical measures for building services operation

1. Secure ventilation of spaces with outdoor air
2. Switch ventilation to nominal speed at least 2 hours before the building usage time and switch
to lower speed 2 hours after the building usage time
3. At nights and weekends, do not switch ventilation off, but keep systems running at lower speed
4. Ensure regular airing with windows (even in mechanically ventilated buildings)
5. Keep toilet ventilation 24/7 in operation
6. Avoid open windows in toilets to assure the right direction of ventilation
7. Instruct building occupants to flush toilets with closed lid
8. Switch air handling units with recirculation to 100% outdoor air
9. Inspect heat recovery equipment to be sure that leakages are under control
10. Switch fan coils either off or operate so that fans are continuously on
11. Do not change heating, cooling and possible humidification setpoints
12. Do not plan duct cleaning for this period
13. Replace central outdoor air and extract air filters as usually, according to maintenance schedule
14. Regular filter replacement and maintenance works shall be performed with common protective measures including respiratory protection

https://www.rehva.eu/fileadmin/user_...20200403_1.pdf

[Montanan]

Me in March:

Hopefully we will be back to normal in six months.

Me now:

Might book a fully cancelable, two week, bareboat yacht charter in 2025, but don't wanna be unrealistic, you know?

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Montanan

SARS-CoV-2 appears to have emerged in Italy by September 2019. That predates the December 2019 outbreak in Wuhan, China.

The new coronavirus was circulating in Italy since September 2019, a study by the National Cancer Institute (INT) of the Italian city of Milan shows, signaling that COVID-19 might have spread beyond China earlier than previously thought.
...
Italian researchers' findings, published by the INT's scientific magazine Tumori Journal, show that 11,6% of 959 healthy volunteers enrolled in a lung cancer screening trial between September 2019 and March 2020, had developed coronavirus antibodies well before February.

My wife, whose job often put her in contact with people who travel often, came down with an uncharacteristically harsh bout of 'flu' in late November. I was all set to take her to Emerg, when the fever finally broke. She recovered fully, thanks for asking.

We continue to wonder whether that was COVID (or a predecessor) or not. It's not impossible that what we currently know as COVID-19 is a more contagious mutation of something that was circulating earlier.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by Montanan

Me in March:

Hopefully we will be back to normal in six months.

Me now:

Might book a fully cancelable, two week, bareboat yacht charter in 2025, but don't wanna be unrealistic, you know?

Yeah. We are on about the same trajectory here. Then - It will he done by August by the latest. Now - Booked 3 months in a marina, through March. We will see what things look like then.

What a frigging mess.

[Montanan]

Continued good news regarding the COVID vaccine developments.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/second-br...140452280.html

Both Pfizer and Moderna's interim Phase 3 data look promising for very effective vaccines.

US biotech firm Moderna on Monday announced its experimental vaccine against Covid-19 was almost 95 percent effective, marking a second major breakthrough in the quest to end the pandemic.

Moderna released early results from a clinical trial with more than 30,000 participants, after American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech last week said their vaccine was 90 percent effective.

The Moderna vaccine, which was co-developed by the US National Institutes of Health, is given in two doses 28 days apart, and the preliminary results are based on the 95 of the 30,000 volunteers who fell ill with Covid-19.

Of the 95, 90 had been in the trial's placebo group, and five in the group that received the drug, called mRNA-1273, translating to an efficacy rate of 94.5 percent.

There were 11 people who fell severely ill, all of whom were in the placebo group.

A small fraction of people experienced severe symptoms such as fatigue, muscle and joint pains, or redness at the injection site, but these side-effects were short lasting.

"The light at the end of the tunnel just got even brighter," tweeted Atul Gawande, a member of Biden's coronavirus advisory board and a surgeon at a Harvard-affiliated hospital.

Crucially, Moderna also announced that its vaccine can remain stable at standard refrigerator temperatures of 2 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit to 46 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 days.

The company added it could be kept in long-term storage at standard freezer temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to six months.

Pfizer's vaccine, on the other hand, needs to be stored in deep-freezer conditions of -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit) which could complicate supply chain logistics, particularly in less developed countries.

On the downside, Moderna's vaccine has about three times more genetic material per dose than its Pfizer counterpart, Zoltan Kis, a research associate at Imperial College's Future Vaccine Manufacturing Hub, said.

This would raise production costs and make it harder to scale-up.

- Questions remain -

The promising results of both vaccines are seen as a validation for mRNA technology, which has never before been brought to regulatory approval.

It works by providing human cells with the genetic instructions to make a surface protein of the coronavirus, which trains the immune system to recognize the real virus.

Making a traditional vaccine is a longer process that normally involves developing a weakened form of a pathogen.

It is not yet clear how long lasting the protection will be from either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, nor how well they work for the elderly, the age-group at highest risk from Covid-19.

Another open question is whether they stop people who are exposed to the virus from transmitting it on to the other people, even though they may be themselves protected from the disease.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Montanan

SARS-CoV-2 appears to have emerged in Italy by September 2019. That predates the December 2019 outbreak in Wuhan, China.
The new coronavirus was circulating in Italy since September 2019, a study by the National Cancer Institute (INT) of the Italian city of Milan shows, signaling that COVID-19 might have spread beyond China earlier than previously thought...l

“Unexpected detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the prepandemic period in Italy" ~ by Giovanni Apolone et al
“... Our results indicate that SARS-CoV-2 circulated in Italy earlier than the first official COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in Lombardy, even long before the first official reports from the Chinese authorities, casting new light on the onset and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic ...”
➥ https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ful...00891620974755