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It’s winter’s cruellest COVID-19 twist for those with glasses, the endless fogging up of them. Mask-wearing and colder weather will make the fogging up even worse.

Here are some solutions to the problem.


WHAT CAUSES IT?


Your warm breath.

When you have a mask on, your breath can only go out the side or straight up behind your glasses. Hot, humid air on cold glasses causes it to fog.


It’s even worse in the winter, when your glasses are extra chilly, leading to even more steam and fog.


QUICK FIXES


The easiest solution is to seal down your mask around your nose or cheeks. Use surgical tape or another bandage that won’t irritate the skin.


You can also opt for a mask that has a wire across the nose, so you can tighten the upper edge, moulding it to your face a bit more, meaning less air can escape. 


While these options work well if you’re keeping your mask on all day, they aren’t the best if it’s coming off and on.


LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS 


If you’re looking to kick the problem for good, you can invest in a pair of lenses with an anti-fog coating.


But if you’re not ready for a whole new pair of glasses, you can purchase anti-fog sprays and wipes that do the trick.


You wipe them in the morning, and they last for about 24 hours. So it’s a more inexpensive and convenient option.


You should also make sure your glasses are fitted properly and get them adjusted so they sit better on your nose or can go on top of your mask.


Of course, you could also ditch the glasses altogether and switch to contact lenses.


SKIP THE MYTHS


Heard that cleaning your glasses with soap or shaving cream will do the trick? Think again.


Do not put anything on your glasses that is not intended to go on them. It can eat away at the coatings, and your glasses could be ruined.


PREPARE FOR A LONG WINTER


We’ve yet to hit the coldest days, so the issue of glasses fog will likely get worse as the temperatures fall.

Read

How To Stay Mentally Healthy This Winter

The cold weather will put our mental fitness to the test this year, so here are some ways to prepare for the challenge. Waking up to several centimetres of snow or a grey raining day shows us that there is no doubt winter's on its way. 


With the days becoming colder and shorter, experts have been trying to get the message out that we all need to prioritize our mental health as the pandemic drags on. So what are the best ways to do that?


Do The 'Dance of Compassion'


What does this mean? It is Ok to be vulnerable right now. The only mask you should be wearing is a medical one. Discard the mask of not being vulnerable.


It's important for people who are used to performing at a high level — both at work and in their personal lives — to accept that might not be possible right now. 


What we know is that right now, is that life is full of uncertainty. COVID protocals are changes every two or three weeks, or even sometimes daily. So you really need to learn to have this dance of compassion and be flexible.


Grieve Your Losses


We need to give ourselves time to grieve our losses, whether it's the loss of a loved one, a job or a way of life. 


Part of coping with the pandemic is being able to have that Kleenex, acknowledge our losses and cry those tears. This is especially important for children, who need to be able to express their sadness at how life is right now. 


Oftentimes as parents, we don't want our kids to suffer. So we try to put a brave face on the situation and say things like, “It could be worse,” or, “Let's try and think some happy thoughts.” Instead acknowledge your child's disappointment then redirect them to look on the bright side of life. 


Get Better Sleep


In trying times it is important to be aware of your mental health. Try journalling in order to put your emotions or what is bothering you down somewhere. Thoughts and emotions can interfere with your sleep if they are not settled.  


If you write it down ... that's a way of processing it and putting it aside so then you can get to bed and get the rest you need.


It's so important to get enough sleep, exercise, and also to make an effort to eat properly.

 

Take Up A Hobby


You need to take time for yourself: go for a walk, take a five-minute break to stretch or breath deeply, read an inspirational book or take up a hobby. Schedule it in, just like you'd schedule other important activities. 


It's not about the end product. It's about the process. Finding creativity within yourself allows for mindfulness.


Embrace Winter Activities


Looking at winter through the eyes of a child can make it easier to accept some of the harsher realities of the season. Try to see the potential for fun. Go out and make our Canadian winter the best winter ever possible. Let's be brave and courageous around outdoor play, whether it's a walk, going to the rink, or organizing some games outdoors.


If you need help, please do not hesitate to get the help you need.

Read

How To Self-Isolate If Household Member is Waiting For COVID Test Results

With COVID-19 cases on the rise in Canada, new guidelines for isolation have been released.


Anyone who is symptomatic, or has a household member who is symptomatic, should self-isolate pending COVID-19 test results. 


The individual who is showing symptoms must stay in his/her own room and use his/her own bathroom — if possible. Individuals should not use common areas such as the living room or kitchen. If for some reason the symptomatic person has to enter an area where other people are, or will be, the individual must wear a mask.


If the test results come back negative, then all asymptomatic people in the home no longer need to self-isolate.


This change is to help stop the transmission of the virus. This means no one in the household goes to school or work until the test results come back. The only people this excludes is health-care workers and first responders; other essential workers maybe exempt as well.


How To Properly Self-Isolate


Self-isolating individuals should use their own dedicated washroom. If that cannot happen, then the isolated individual must wear a mask to the washroom, flush with the lid down and wash their hands with hand sanitizer or soap and water for at least 15 seconds. The area should be disinfected after use.


People who live in a condo or apartment building must stay in their suite. If a person has a private balcony, they're allowed to use it as long as it is two metres away from their neighbour's balcony.


People living alone, or with someone who is self-isolating, must have groceries and other supplies dropped off at their door.


A person self-isolating should cancel or notify any service providers.


How To Care For Someone Who Is Self-Isolating


In the event that a child or dependent is symptomatic or contracts COVID-19, then only one person should be a caregiver.


The person providing care should not be someone who is at greater risk of contracting COVID-19, such as people who are 60 years old or older, immunocompromised or have underlying health issues.


Caregivers can lower their risk of getting sick by washing their hands, wearing a mask and other personal protective equipment including eye protection. Eyeglasses are not enough.

When handling the person's laundry, the caregiver should wear disposable gloves and a mask. Dirty laundry should be put in a laundry bag or basket lined with a plastic bag.

Use regular laundry soap and set the washing machine to "sanitize or hot," then thoroughly dry the clothes.


Reducing Household Cases


The new regualtions are meant to cut down on additional cases within households.

Once a person tests positive for COVID-19, then investigators need to track down who may have been a close contact with that person — someone who was less than two metres away from the case for more than 15 minutes. Close contacts are then advised to self-isolate.


Many household members are also becoming cases, because the person who tested positive is unable to successfully self-isolate from others.


So please do your part to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 if a household member is suspected of having the virus stay home until you know for sure.

Read

In this time of Covid-19 there has been lots of information about what we should and shouldn’t be doing. Now many people are upset about wearing a mask as it “takes away their civil rights.” Some areas in Canada are deciding whether to make wearing masks mandatory inside public spaces. 


Maybe we should be looking at Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea, just to name a few countries, that brought in manditory mask wearing as soon as Covid-19 hit. None of these countries had to shut down due to Covid-19. So maybe we should think about doing the greater good. Wearing a mask might not be comfortable, but it protects us all and really isn’t a sacrifice.



Dr. Catherine Clase a nephrologist and epidemiologist and an associate professor of medicine at McMaster University tells us why wearing a mask is a good idea. 


Should Masks Be Mandatory in Public Indoor Spaces?

My feelings about this and my thoughts about this have evolved over the last couple of weeks. Initially, I was very hopeful that voluntary mask-wearing would be adequate and would get mask use up to where it needs to be. But, for some people the fact that it's voluntary is misunderstood. So it will probably be simpler and more effective for it to become mandatory.


How Effective Are Masks?

We're very convinced that maks are effective for preventing transmission of a whole variety of pathogens. If you are near somebody with COVID and they are generating aerosols — tiny little particles — then you want a N95 masks. In the hospital, staff are wearing surgical masks or medical masks, the disposable mask that is often blue or yellow in colour. When you look at the material that those are made from — that material is going to filter at least 95% of the aerosol sized particles. A cloth mask on the other hand is giving you a 50% reduction, that halves your risk.


Studies have shown when looking at mouth bacteria, a mask prevents 99% from getting into the environment and about 90%  of those bacteria are in the aerosol sized particles. So, if mouth bacteria is contaminating the environment then a surgical/medical mask is preventing more than 90% contamination of the environment and a cloth mask is halving the risk beyond that. So for those wearing masks, the risk is reduced significantly.


Single Use Disposable Masks Or Reusable Masks?

Disposable masks isn’t feasible for the general public. Disposable masks should be kept for those who need them, health care workers and othe high risk occupations. 

We need to use reusable PPE whether that's a mask you buy or you make yourself, they need to be made of cloth. We want the mask to be at least two layers, maybe three layers — see what you can tolerate.


Make sure you wash the mask every time you use it. So, when you take it off, fold it dirty side to dirty side and put it in a brown paper bag and then when you put it back on do hand hygiene. Consider the outside surface of the mask contaminated and if you do touch it inadvertently do hand hygiene. At the end of the day, when you're back home and you're in your safe place put the mask in the washing machine and wash it on a warm or hot cycle.


What About People with Physical Limitations Which Prevents Them From Wearing a Mask?

This is an issues where we need to be kind and compassionate. Canadian are generally rule-abiding, so if it is mandatory to wear a mask in public spaces, then Canadians will hopefully recognize that those who are not wearing masks are probably not wearing them because they can't. And we need to be kind about that.


And if all of us who can wear a mask, wear a mask that will be the majority of the population. We'll be protecting the people who can't wear a mask.


What Do You Say To People Who Are Angry About Required Mandatory Masks?

Unfortuantely, in early June mask wearing in Canada was only at 58%, that is just not high enough. People would prefer that mask wearing not be manditory, but it doesn’t look like we will get to the 95% range necessary voluntarily. Therefore, it needs to be made mandatory to show the public how important mask wearing really is.

 

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Cleaning Your Home Amid COVID-19
Spring cleaning this year takes on a whole different meaning with the COVID-19 virus creating a world wide lockdown and social distancing. We all know we should be washing our hands frequently, coughing into our elbows and stop touching our faces. Now we are at home and everyone in your household is touching everything all the time. So what is the best way to clean your house to reduce the risk of infection?

Deciding to clean your entire house out of boredom or if you are really worried someone has brought COVID-19 inside; here are some tips to make sure your place is squeaky clean.

Cleaning gets rid of dirt and impurities like germs from surfaces but it doesn’t kill them (not all germs are harmful and can help us strengthen our immune systems). Disinfecting on the other hand uses chemicals to kill the germs.
So where do we start? Clean first, then disinfect. Start with the objects you touch all the time like cellphones, computer keyboards, door and cabinet handles, keys, taps remotes, toilets, light switches etc. These should be cleaned regularly. According to microbiologist Francesca Tomasi, “Cellphones are sort of like extensions of our hands. We pick them up, put them down on random surfaces, pass them to other people, and press them against our ears. Dare I say we sometimes cough or sneeze on them too? We don’t wash our hands every time we pick up our phone or put it down, and studies have shown – long before this pandemic – that our phones are anything but sterile.”

Even if no one in your household is sick, it’s a good idea to make a habit of cleaning your home throughly. If someone is sick and you must share a bathroom, you should disinfect it after each use.

Shoes see a lot of stuff; therefore, keep them outside or in a designated area.

What should I clean with? An all purpose cleaner is a good place to start or just good old fashioned soap and water. You could also use a antimicrobial product but remember these kill bacteria - and not all - but they don’t kill viruses.

If you want to disinfect then you need to use products that include bleach or alcohol. Usually with at least 70% alcohol. You can find a list of disinfectants and their effectiveness from the CDC’s website (https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/disinfection-methods/chemical.html).

Your hands touching something contaminated and then touching your face it the vector for spread as the virus needs a way in.

Happy Spring Cleaning and Disinfecting we are all in this together! Stay safe and be healthy.
 
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