N95

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PHYSICIAN URGES CHICAGOANS TO WEAR MASKS/GET VACCINATED

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 16, 2024

"The latest variant, JN.1, is highly contagious and is driving transmissions, but the newest booster is helping to prevent the spread," Dr. Fletcher says.  "Yet only 20 percent of adults have received the latest vaccine.  It's important to get vaccinated -- especially high-risk patients who have underlying health conditions or are immunosuppressed."

Key Points: 
  • , public health specialist and CEO of SafeWorks Illinois , advises individuals and companies to take measures to prevent the spread of viruses and bacterial-related illnesses over the winter months.
    "
  • The latest variant, JN.1, is highly contagious and is driving transmissions, but the newest booster is helping to prevent the spread," Dr. Fletcher says.  "
  • It's important to get vaccinated -- especially high-risk patients who have underlying health conditions or are immunosuppressed."
  • SafeWorks Illinois offers worker's compensation, occupational health services and corporate programs to create safe, drug-free businesses and industries.

Bushfires in Victoria: how to protect yourself if the air is smoky where you live

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 14, 2024

While the air quality in Australia is generally good, events such as bushfires can have a significant effect.

Key Points: 
  • While the air quality in Australia is generally good, events such as bushfires can have a significant effect.
  • Smoke can travel long distances and reduce air quality throughout a city or region.
  • Ultimately, poor air quality can affect all of us, with even healthy people experiencing symptoms when exposed to high concentrations of bushfire smoke.
  • Read more:
    3 ways to prepare for bushfire season if you have asthma or another lung condition

Monitor the air quality

  • On air quality indexes lower numbers indicate higher air quality, and vice versa.
  • A number of websites provide air quality index information, for example IQAir for locations around Australia, or World’s Air Pollution for locations globally.
  • There are also apps such as AirRater which can provide useful information in addition to air quality values, such as pollen levels.
  • A growing number of air quality monitors are available to buy for home use, which measure single pollutants or a number of pollutants.
  • However, these instruments are not the same as those used in statutory air quality monitoring stations (which provide data for websites like those mentioned above).

Stay inside

  • For example, healthy people can generally continue outdoor activities when the air quality is “fair”.
  • However, someone with a respiratory condition might need to decrease or stop outdoor activities at this point.
  • If the air quality is “very poor”, everyone should stay indoors.
  • The Victorian government offers some advice on how to ascertain what sort of unit will be suitable for your space.

Wear a mask if going outside

  • If you need to go out when the air quality is poor, a P2 (or N95) mask provides protection from smoke particles in the air (but not gases such as carbon monoxide).
  • For effective protection, the mask should be fitted properly and worn for the duration of your time outdoors.


Ryan Mead-Hunter receives funding from NHMRC and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.

PolyBio Research Foundation receives $15M for extended Long COVID research and clinical trials

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 1, 2023

MEDFORD, Mass., Nov. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PolyBio Research Foundation has announced a $15M gift from Kanro: a philanthropic fund to support scientific research established by Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum. The funding will support a second phase of research and clinical trials via the LongCovid Research Consortium (LCRC): a global scientific collaboration to rapidly and openly study core biological drivers of Long COVID. This is Buterin's second $15M gift to the Consortium and will allow dozens of new projects to move forward.

Key Points: 
  • The funding will support a second phase of research and clinical trials via the LongCovid Research Consortium (LCRC): a global scientific collaboration to rapidly and openly study core biological drivers of Long COVID.
  • LCRC research thus far demonstrates that reservoirs of the virus can persist for months - or even years - in the tissue of Long COVID patients.
  • "Mechanisms underlying Long COVID are not a mystery," says Dr. Amy Proal PhD, PolyBio's Chief Scientific Officer.
  • "The persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in tissue is a major target for rapid research and clinical trials."

Long COVID symptoms can improve, but their resolution is slow and imperfect

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, September 3, 2023

Shortness of breath, brain fog, lethargy and tiredness, loss of smell or taste are common features of long COVID, as is the development of new conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, depression and dementia.

Key Points: 
  • Shortness of breath, brain fog, lethargy and tiredness, loss of smell or taste are common features of long COVID, as is the development of new conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, depression and dementia.
  • Read more:
    When does COVID become long COVID?
  • This and other recently published studies on long COVID show that while symptoms do resolve in many people, their resolution is slow and imperfect.

What did the study find?

    • The researchers followed 139,000 people with COVID and almost six million uninfected controls for two years, tracking deaths, hospitalisations and 80 long-term impacts of COVID, categorised into ten organ systems.
    • After two years, this “hospitalised” group remained at increased risk of 50 conditions.
    • This included a risk of clots and blood disorders, lung disease, fatigue, gut disorders, muscle and joint disorders and diabetes.

Findings from other recent research were similar

    • The risk of death was concentrated in the first six months after infection.
    • A third, not yet peer-reviewed and smaller cohort study of 341 people with long COVID from Spain, found only 7.6% of them recovered at two years.
    • An Australian (not yet peer-reviewed) study followed 31 people who developed long COVID and 31 matched controls who recovered from COVID for two years.
    • Finally, a recent whole-body positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and biopsy study showed prolonged tissue level immune-activation and viral persistence in the gut for up to a remarkable two years after COVID.

These studies have some limitations

    • It’s important to note the observational studies have some inherent limitations.
    • The US veterans cohort studied by Al-Aly is nearly 90% men, with an average age of 61 years, which is different to groups most at risk of long COVID.

We still don’t have treatments for long COVID

    • In July 2023, the White House established the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice.
    • Two randomised trials are testing whether the antiviral nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) can treat long COVID are currently recruiting patients.

But it’s still important to prevent COVID (re)infections

    • Taken together, these studies on the longevity of long COVID add substantially to the case to fast-track the development of interventions and therapies to prevent and/or cure the condition.
    • In the meantime, it’s crucially important to prevent (re)infections in the first place to reduce the future burden of long COVID, already estimated to be greater than 65 million people globally.
    • If you suspect you have long COVID, discuss this with your GP, who may refer you to specialised services or multidisciplinary care.

North America’s summer of wildfire smoke: 2023 was only the beginning

Retrieved on: 
Friday, September 1, 2023

Canada’s seemingly endless wildfires in 2023 introduced millions of people across North America to the health hazards of wildfire smoke.

Key Points: 
  • Canada’s seemingly endless wildfires in 2023 introduced millions of people across North America to the health hazards of wildfire smoke.
  • While Western states have contended with smoky fire seasons for years, the air quality alerts across the U.S. Midwest and Northeast this summer reached levels never seen there before.
  • The smoke left the air so unhealthy in Philadelphia on June 7, 2023, that the Phillies-Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball game was postponed.

Global warming means more fires

    • But wildfires’ contribution to air pollution is increasing again, resulting in flat or rising levels of air pollution in much of the country.
    • Climate models predicted this reality as global temperatures rise.
    • Computer simulations of the future in a warming climate show more smoky days, higher smoke concentrations, larger burned areas and higher emissions – which further fuel climate change.

Preparing for smoky days

    • Think of smoke waves like heat waves: They’re easier to face if you’re prepared and know they’re coming.
    • That means paying attention to forecasts and having face masks, air monitors and clean-air shelters available.
    • Living with wildfire smoke may mean using air filtration devices, wearing N95 or KN95 masks on bad air days, modifying outdoor commuting patterns and activity schedules and changing household ventilation choices.

What schools and communities can do

    • Schools can start with setting a threshold for canceling outdoor activities and making sure staff are ready to meet the needs of kids with asthma.
    • Communities will also need contingency plans for festivals and recreation venues, as well as rules for business to protect outdoor workers.

Improving smoke monitoring and forecasting

    • The U.S. has an extensive air quality monitoring and forecasting system to help provide some early warning.
    • It uses ground-based air quality monitors, satellite remote sensing systems to detect smoke and fires and computer systems that tie observations together with wind, chemistry and weather.
    • This is especially true when smoke blows in from fires far away, or when rapidly changing smoke emission rates and complex wind patterns lead to conflicting forecasts and advisories.


    Maintaining a strong air quality monitoring network is also important. State and local government agencies have reduced the number of ground monitors by about 10% from its peak in 2001. Smoke estimates from satellites and low-cost portable sensors can help, but they work best when they can be cross-calibrated to a well-maintained network of high-accuracy monitors.

We still have a lot to learn

    • A 2023 Government Accountability Office report called for better coordination to help target resources where they can be most effective.
    • Next-generation tools need to be both clear and resilient to the compound hazards that develop when smoke hits simultaneously with other challenges, such as extreme heat.
    • Gregory Carmichael receives funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Wildfire smoke is an increasing threat to Canadians' health

Retrieved on: 
Monday, August 28, 2023

Air quality in Canada has improved over the past several decades, and Canada’s air is among the cleanest in the world.

Key Points: 
  • Air quality in Canada has improved over the past several decades, and Canada’s air is among the cleanest in the world.
  • But that progress is threatened by smoke from wildfires, which are becoming more frequent and more intense with climate change.
  • Canada’s 2023 wildfire season is the worst on record, with more than 5,800 reported fires and over 15 million hectares burned to date.
  • Wildfire smoke can travel long distances, exposing large populations — both close to and far away from fires — to very high concentrations of pollution.

The health impact of wildfire smoke

    • The toxicity of wildfire smoke also depends on the type of vegetation and burning conditions and may change as the smoke “ages” in the atmosphere.
    • This underscores the need to distinguish the health impacts of wildfire smoke from the impacts of other pollution sources.
    • Evidence linking wildfire smoke with adverse health effects has been accumulating for years and the notion that wildfire smoke is “natural,” and therefore less harmful than other types of air pollution, is not supported by the evidence.
    • The health effects of wildfire smoke likely extend beyond the lungs and heart.

Strategies to protect health

    • But there are strategies that individuals and communities can use to reduce exposure and health risks.
    • Before fires begin, those with chronic conditions can discuss strategies for managing their health with their health-care providers, and ensure access to necessary medications.
    • The Air Quality Health Index and smoke forecasts can help Canadians decide when these strategies are needed.
    • Multiple overlapping strategies are needed to mitigate the health impacts of Canada’s worsening wildfires.

After Maui fires, human health risks linger in the air, water and even surviving buildings

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, August 12, 2023

The fires also left lingering health risks for humans and wildlife.

Key Points: 
  • The fires also left lingering health risks for humans and wildlife.
  • When fires spread through communities, as we’ve seen more often in recent years, they burn structures that contain treated wood, plastics, paints and hazardous household wastes.
  • Lahaina and other Maui communities face similar risks ahead.

Chemical hazards in fire debris

    • Less obvious are the chemical hazards that can reach well beyond the fire zone.
    • State health officials recommended that residents wear close-toed shoes, N95 respirators, chemical resistant gloves and other protective equipment while looking through property debris.
    • When disaster debris is eventually removed by professionals, the contractors will be wearing Tyvek suits and possibly respirators to protect their health.

Buildings that didn’t burn can still have hazards

    • Particles and vapors can enter buildings through cracks, doors, windows and other portals.
    • Some of these pollutants settle onto surfaces, while others penetrate fabrics, stick to walls and enter air ducts.

Drinking water risks and soil testing

    • My colleagues and I have documented benzene levels that exceeded hazardous limits for drinking water after several previous fires.
    • These and other chemicals pose an immediate health risk to water users, even if the water smells fine.
    • Proper inspections and testing in buildings and for private wells and larger water systems are important.

Protecting waterways and aquatic life

    • Lahaina stretches along Maui’s west coast and has long been a popular site for seeing sea turtles and other marine life.
    • That sea life may now be at risk from pollutants from burned coastal buildings and runoff.
    • Communities can avoid more harmful runoff during the cleanup process by placing pollution-control barriers near storm drains, around properties and near waterways.

What happens to all the debris?

    • After the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado, where about 1,200 structures were destroyed, the cleanup generated 300,000 tons of waste.
    • In the process, I recommend residents reach out to public health departments for advice to help them stay healthy and safe.

Global N95 Mask Market Thrives Amid COVID-19 Crisis and Rising Workplace Safety Standards - ResearchAndMarkets.com

Retrieved on: 
Friday, July 21, 2023

The global N95 mask market size is anticipated to reach USD 5.66 billion by 2030.

Key Points: 
  • The global N95 mask market size is anticipated to reach USD 5.66 billion by 2030.
  • The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.2% from 2023 to 2030.
  • The market is primarily driven by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, increased regulatory mandates to wear masks in public settings, and the rising awareness regarding respiratory protection at the workplace.
  • The product demand is high in the healthcare sector since it offers good fluid resistance, breathability, and high filtration efficiency.

Government of Canada Provides Update on 2023 Wildland Fire Season Forecast

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 6, 2023

Today, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, Government of Canada officials held a technical briefing to provide an updated forecast for the remainder of the 2023 wildfire season.

Key Points: 
  • Today, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, Government of Canada officials held a technical briefing to provide an updated forecast for the remainder of the 2023 wildfire season.
  • Most recent projections indicate a continued potential for higher-than-normal fire activity across most of the country throughout the 2023 Wildland fire season.
  • From response to recovery, the Government of Canada will be there as we navigate the remainder of the season."
  • Canada has also provided aid to international partners when they have been faced with intense wildland fire seasons.

The PPE Category in APAC to Witnesses Enhanced Demand as Small and Medium-sized Organizations Look Forward to Procuring from low-cost Independent Manufacturers in the Region - Grand View Research, Inc.

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 5, 2023

SAN FRANCISCO, July 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The personal protective equipment (PPE) category is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2022 to 2030. In 2022, North America accounted for 30% of the market share followed by Europe and APAC. Many small and medium-sized organizations are procuring protective clothing and equipment from low-cost independent manufacturers located in the APAC region. The APAC market is projected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.

Key Points: 
  • In 2022, North America accounted for 30% of the market share followed by Europe and APAC.
  • Many small and medium-sized organizations are procuring protective clothing and equipment from low-cost independent manufacturers located in the APAC region.
  • The APAC market is projected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.
  • The major cost components are raw materials, equipment and manufacturing, testing and labor, along with facilities and maintenance.