Covid-19

[Shwa Girl]

How to stop glasses from fogging when wearing a face mask

[Ciel]

Test rubbing a dot of dish detergent on the inside of the shield, @Granger . That's what I am reading online for those who use the face masks with clear plastic inserts to allow communication with deaf or hard of hearing persons. The detergent acts like an anti-fogger-no idea if whole shield or just area in front of your eyes would be enough.

[Ciel]

I would not soap my current eyewear as there's one screw from the temple arm that likes to escape too easily. I usually don't wear my glasses with a mask except maybe at dusk or night if necessary.

What surprises me is that healthcare professionals that have to have their eyewear on are not using those sports headbands to secure the arms of the eyewear to the head. Slippage is real for eyeglasses (even with silicone nose-pads). Maybe a few professionals have switched over to special sports eyewear to reduce the slippage issue.

[Ciel]

CUPW Twitter account posted that Canadians should be cleaning and disinfecting their mailboxes daily. I already do a once or twice weekly cleaning but other family members don't. Not keen or willing to clean that box 7x per week. Plus Bro keeps getting parcels at the front door and I don't see him wiping down the door handles. I get a lot of negative comments for using disinfectant wipes or moist towelettes. Imagine if I had a can of Lysol spray-I would not hear the end of it. I use rubbing alcohol when I don't have wet wipes around.

Though he was miffed recently that I put one small parcel on his bed but atop a piece of lettermail. He said he did not know where it had been, why put box on bed. Meanwhile I was laughing-he does not take precautions to wash hands before and after handling the box and so far he's upright.

[Ciel]

I saw this guest opinion column in the Sept. 8 Toronto Sun. Ontario has made legislation that helps businesses recover their losses but puts their unrecalled or reduced hours employees in dire financial straits (nope, they are not considered laid-off!). Read on:

https://torontosun.com/opinion/colum...-54a470e6952e/

[Ciel]

https://ca.yahoo.com/news/supercompu...115500793.html

Never heard of bradykinin before! Good to learn that Vitamin D might help against COVID-19.

Since the Toronto International Film Festival is digital this year, look at next Tuesday's 76 Days, a documentary filmed in Wuhan China. The button say $19 to rent-I assume that means that is the cost of the ticket to stream the film online.
https://tiff.net/events/76-days

[bhlombardy]

I dont intend to be objectionable or argumentative, but I need to say that there is no valid scientific proof that Vitamin D (or any other supplement for that matter) has any affect on warding off or preventing Covid-19.

Repeating what epidemiologists have been saying about such matters...

Saying that Vitamin D can help against Covid-19 is akin to saying Vitamin D can prevent you from getting a cold. While it's not completely inaccurate, it's a statement that doesnt hold any actual weight. That's simply because Vitamin D is (already) a key factor in boosting your immune system, and that's it. It's more of a broad statement that doesnt necessarily have any direct correlation with Covid-19 per-se.

Those who are deficient in Vitamin D are susceptible to ANY type of viral infection... Those who may be deficient may be those with a poor diet, or who lack sunlight exposure. Additionally those who smoke, are obese, have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, etc*, as those ailments affect the absorption of vitamin D in your system. So taking more of it, as supplements, may or may not do your body any good depending on your conditions.

That said, if you're already at a healthy level of Vitamin D, you're still just as prone to catching the virus as any average joe. Having a healthy immune system can help you in any number of ways, but adding more vitamin D via supplements wont likely reduce your risk. The only fact is that how Covid-19 works is that if you get it in your lungs, you're about as prone to develop it and get sick as the next person. It all depends on your lung condition and if you meet the proper conditions.


*and as for the bradykinn, that is what affects your ability to regulate your own blood pressure. Bradykinn production can also be affected by heart disease and diabetes -- which in turn can also have a direct affect your lungs -- again, virus or not. Weakened lungs are more prone to any kind of respiratory illness infection (covid-19 or otherwise) and could also be impacted by this same imbalance.

[couponmummy]

I would not soap my current eyewear as there's one screw from the temple arm that likes to escape too easily. I usually don't wear my glasses with a mask except maybe at dusk or night if necessary.

Unscrew the screw, dip it in nail polish, and screw it back on. Then add a drop of nail polish on top for added security.

[alex78]

I went to the dentist for the first time since The Plague and was charged $8 in 'Miscellaneous Charges' which were not covered by my plan. Turns out the charges were for additional PPE recovery costs. Certainly everything was great and clean and above board at the dentist but it still bites my bum to have to pay. Did get two dental flosses though...

[Shwa Girl]

The problem with vaccines is that they only protect against the version of a virus that scientists thinks will be still circulating but the vaccines won't necessarily work on the mutated or new strains of the virus that happen to be around in the same flu season. Remember, there is a long time frame in which vaccines need to be manufactured ahead of a flu season. They cannot just be cranked out on short notice. Recall how people in Canada were not thrilled to be restricted to 30 day supplies of prescription medicines in order to ensure that their provinces would not run out of key medicines? Supplies from other countries that also needed the medicines plus dispensing fees all added to the prescription order routines of March-June 2020.

The purpose of the vaccine is to help the body's immune system recognize a virus or bacteria that is harmful to the body.
As the immune system learns, it will have memory of the outer coat of the virus and the COVID 19 RNA.
As the immune system learns, it will be looking for large cues of the virus, rather than smaller mutated changes of the COVID 19 RNA.

I agree with you though about the flu: get the flu shot to get a fighting chance that you won't get the flu in the time of COVID.

IMHO, a good COVID 19 vaccine, for the general population, will not be available until 2021.

Just like with the H1N1 pandemic influenza, they have kept improving the flu vaccine against this strain and made many versions for small children, for people who are allergic to some of the vaccine ingredients, for seniors.

Stay healthy everyone!

[Ciel]

Noticed that my local Longos store has a front end cap display of face masks:

2packs of adult or child face masks by Stitch-It(most are black or blue polyester twill ones that are treated) for $11.97. There are a few pastel colours like light yellow, lilac or aqua blue)
Disposable 2 pack masks by Brant Medical for $4.97
Box of disposable masks (100s)-did not see price.

Was at my local Fortinos store a few days ago and the sanitizer in the one pump bottle was definitely scented like Old Spice aftershave. Prior sanitizers did not have a definite scent.

[heartgirl99]

here's a deep dive into the canadian data;

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/publi...tics-1.5733069

[Shwa Girl]

Saliva test now available in ON at Women's College, Mount Sinai hospital and Toronto Western Hospital

[Shwa Girl]

ON pharmacy nasal test available at 60 pharmacies starting on Friday
https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgroun...o-pharmacies-1

[heartgirl99]

this looks promising...

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...s-coronavirus/