Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 (nCoV-2019)

[Videodrome]

It is a good thing that liquid soap is cheap, as we go through a lot of it at home.

 

[Admiral Beez]

We dropped off the kids at university today. They had strict rules requiring double vax for anyone staying on or visiting campus. Hopefully the universities can stay open this time around.

 

[slickpete83]

Tim Hortons announces its start to pumpkin spice season ​

 

[Bayer]

It is a good thing that liquid soap is cheap, as we go through a lot of it at home.

I realized what was likely to happen and installed Purell hands-free dispensers at home and in my office a few weeks before the pandemic was declared.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I realized what was likely to happen and installed Purell hands-free dispensers at home and in my office a few weeks before the pandemic was declared.

Some people try to use a HEPA filter or a filter with high MERV rating. However, you need to make your furnace's fan can handle the increase "resistance" with the filters.

From link.

While the highest MERV ratings are the most effective for air quality, they can harm your HVAC system.

A higher MERV rating means a higher resistance, which means less airflow. When researching HVAC systems, airflow will come up a lot. That’s because it’s very important for the performance and longevity of your furnace or your air handler. Airflow is also the key to a comfortable home.

If the MERV rating on your furnace is too high, it may force your furnace to work too hard and leave it vulnerable to damages. In addition, you may not get the air velocity required to reach all parts of your home leaving inconsistencies in temperature.

The ratings for MERV range from 1-20. As the rating increases, the minimum size of the particles filtered out gets lower, meaning more particles are captured. The ratings can be grouped together in the size of particles they filter, see below for a chart listing those groupings:

MERV	Minimum Particle Size
1–4	> 10.0 μm
5–8	10.0–3.0 μm
9–12	3.0–1.0 μm
13–16	1.0–0.3 μm
17–20	< 0.3 μm

A μm is a micrometre, which is one millionth of a metre. At the very lowest MERV rating (1-4), your filter will still capture pollen, dust mites, cockroach debris, sanding dust, spray paint dust, textile fibers and carpet fibers. Filters within a MERV rating of 17-20 are almost never necessary in a residential home.

A MERV rating of 13-16 is considered hospital level air quality, so it is unlikely your home needs any more than that. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, filters from the 7-13 range often have little difference from the higher MERV ratings, but they will allow your system to run much more efficiently.

What MERV rating you choose between 7 and 13 depends on what level of filtration you require. If your family has allergies or asthma, a higher MERV rating will be good for you. If your family doesn’t suffer from any breathing difficulties, a lower filter like a 7 will save you some money on your energy bill.

You should also remember to replace your filter every month, three months, six months or year depending on the filter. If you don’t replace your filter according to its recommendations, it gathers dirt and dust, making it more restrictive and less effective at filtering

You may have to change your filter more often with a higher MERV rating, if you furnace fan cannot handle the resistance. Getting a new furnace? Best time to make sure your furnace fan can handle the higher MERV rating.

 

[Bayer]

Some people try to use a HEPA filter or a filter with high MERV rating. However, you need to make your furnace's fan can handle the increase "resistance" with the filters.

I already had a stand-alone HEPA filter in my apartment, but I got a second , more powerful one once it was confirmed COVID is airborne, considering hallways are pressurized and air comes in continuously from them.

 

[W. K. Lis]

See link,

Reactions to Plague in the Ancient & Medieval World.​

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[gabe]

581 cases were recorded on Monday and 564 cases were recorded today. Last year on those dates we had 158 and 190.

Nearly 1,200 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Ontario over two days

Ontario is reporting close to 1,200 COVID-19 infections in the last 48 hours.

toronto.ctvnews.ca

 

[DSC]

Here's the monthly chart

 

[tiffer24]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1435939851824680963

 

[zang]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1435939851824680963

Compared to the costs of care in the US and the number of still-uninsured, I'm surprise *this* hasn't spurred on a new kind of covid-tourism.

 

[DSC]

As of September 9 at 8 a.m., 4,617,463 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered in Toronto. In the last seven days alone, a total of 43,520 doses were administered. This includes 20,023 first doses and 23,497 second doses. This is 5,066 more doses than the total doses administered for the previous seven days when 38,454 doses were administered between August 26 and September 1 including 15,386 first doses and 23,068 second doses.

According to TPH’s vaccine dashboard updated this morning, 77.9 per cent of residents 12 and older are fully vaccinated and 83.9 per cent of eligible residents have at least their first dose.

 

[Jonny5]

Compared to the costs of care in the US and the number of still-uninsured, I'm surprise *this* hasn't spurred on a new kind of covid-tourism.

Do you mean Americans coming here? They would definitely make them pay up front, so you would need that cash, or sufficient credit, available immediately, and I suspect their uninsured workers don't have that much cash or credit available. I haven't seen any examples about COVID, but my understanding from reading about other procedures for Americans in Canada is that our hospitals run an estimate through their insurance provider immediately, and if it's declined, or you don't have insurance coverage, our hospitals will ask for pre-payment up front before doing anything.

If you can't pay, and it's not an emergency, they will put you in an ambulance and transport you to a hospital in Buffalo, and still bill you for that trip.

 

[DSC]

A handy resource for where NOT to shop! https://www.blogto.com/city/2021/09/ontario-businesses-site-wont-enforce-vaccine-passports/

 

[Jonny5]

Press release from the Ottawa Senators

It is the organization's expectation, based upon its full compliance with provincial requirements, that Canadian Tire Centre will have the ability to welcome full capacity for opening night on Oct. 14. In anticipation of this possibility, the Senators will launch a 2021-22 season on-sale campaign next week. A pre-sale will begin on Monday for season seat members and will extend to Sens Insiders on Tuesday. Single game tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 10 a.m. via senators.com/tickets or by visiting Ticketmaster.ca.

I am assuming that Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment will announce the same soon, as they both would have received guidance from the government on this, and both already said they will use a vaccine passport system for entrance to any on-site events.