Opinion: There's more you can do to fight COVID

In July, more people I know Seems to be infected COVID than at any time since the Omicron wave in January. From both sewerage and hospitalization data, we appear to be on the verge of the first summer wave since 2020. If you're at the mercy of luck and they choose to do so, one-way masking.

Most of the problems are that our politicians and officials "live with the virus" without making the necessary investments to make it safe. It is recommended to. This was a frustrating experience for us as we pursued science through this pandemic. If only the necessary infrastructure investment is made, there are innovations that may help us to live a better and safer life,.

China first warned the world that COVID was floating in the air in early 2020. The West was slow to catch up, but by the end of2021, scientists around the worldwere almost in agreement. After putting all the eggs in the vaccination basket, public health is slow to respond and the government is slow. Vaccination was needed to reduce the burden on our hospital system and reduce the severity of the disease, but not enough, but we all wanted to minimize infection. It's less than it was.

When you notice that COVID spreads like smoke instead of spitting, the mental model can better assess risk. Would you like to spend your time in a small, poorly ventilated room, 6 feet away from the person smoking the cigar? Do you think it's safer to be 6 feet away in the park?

However, the most powerful solution made possible by this knowledge remains in the hands of politicians who want to pretend that the pandemic is over. Building codes can be updated to require appropriate indoor air quality standards (investments that improve our health and well-being, even in the absence of COVID). The landlord does not make these investments himself. Why they are. It is a cost that has little benefit to them and only to society. ASHRAE publishes air quality standards that are rarely met except for new construction. (In Quebec, our government says CO2 is okay at school as long as the average, including overnight while free, is 1.5 times worse than suggesting that professional engineers need to allow it.

Scientists use UV sterilization (UVGI) in the upper room, where the upper part of the room is filled with UV light so that it is not radiated to the lower part of the room. I tested it. UV light can kill the virusin seconds and exposes only the top of the room to prevent people from being exposed. This can be a powerful intervention in places where people gather without masks, such as restaurants and nightclubs.

Far UVC is another promising field of study, using a series of UV light that kills viruses without harming humans, even where there is no UVGI ceiling space in the upper room. It can provide similar benefits.

Finally, a portable air purifier with a low cost DIY equivalent called a HEPA filter or Corsi-Rosenthal box can safely improve air quality in the short term.

What all these risk mitigations have in common is that they do not require blockades or changes in personal behavior. What they need is regulatory changes and infrastructure investment.

In the short term, taking personal responsibility and wearing a mask (ideally N95 or equivalent) will continue to be an important way to protect yourself. In the long run, we are more likely to get sick until we demand better. As a society, we do not have to choose between blockade and "tear it."

Dave MacFarlane is a software developer working in brain imaging. He lives in Montreal.

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