Covid resources

I (still) do a lot of reading related to Covid-19, and at least some of it feels worth sharing.

State of affairs

Covid information sources: How to find out what’s actually going on with Covid now (2 minute read)

Protecting yourself and others

  • Gathering safely for the holidays: You can mitigate risk without missing out (1 minute read)
  • Mask buying guide: Drink while wearing a mask? Show your smile while masked? Gain 100% protection from a mask? Yes, it’s possible… (5 minute read)
  • Ventilation 101: Public health officials sometimes tell us to “optimize ventilation”, but how do you do that, exactly? (4 minute read)
  • Treatments: Paxlovid: Tested positive? You might be more eligible for Paxlovid than you think, especially if you live in Ontario! Added bonus: reduction in Long Covid risk. (1 minute read)
  • Treatments: Metformin? A preliminary study suggests a 42% reduction in Long Covid for participants who took metformin (a common diabetes drug) against a placebo.
  • Hope for a safe, mask-free future: Far-UV lights: Ventilation and filtration aren’t the only games in town. Far-UV lights disinfect the air without damaging human skin or eyes.

Psychology

These are all summaries of other people’s writing.

A behavioural psychologist explains why Canadians aren’t wearing masks: The mask messaging has really been bungled! An interesting podcast (3 minute summary of it here)

Why does protecting yourself against Covid upset others? Why people seem more upset about others visibly protecting themselves from Covid than they are about the death and disability that can result from infection (3 minute read)

Normalcy bias is a problem: Why the majority prefer to just “act normal” when things really aren’t fine at all (2 minute read)

No one seems to want to say the word COVID: Surprise election results, excessive flight cancellations, staff shortages, sudden deaths, medical systems being overrun—all of these can in large part be attribute to ongoing, widespread COVID infection. Why doesn’t the media say so? (3 minute)

Myths and facts

Immunity debt is not a thing: You don’t need to get sick with viruses to “exercise” your immune system. (2 minute read)

What if COVID reinfections wear down our immunity? (page pending): Public Health Ontario warned of this possibility in their July 2022 report. Yet the idea remains controversial.

Public Health

Pending