This is an excerpt from Second Opinion, a weekly roundup of eclectic and under-the-radar health and medical science news emailed to subscribers every Saturday morning. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here.
A growing chorus of experts is calling for the widespread use of masks to slow the spread of COVID-19 and suggesting it may be a key factor in why some countries seemingly have their outbreaks under control while others are completely overwhelmed.
The World Health Organization does not officially recommend the general public use masks as a way to reduce spreading the virus, only saying that if they do decide to use masks, they should do so “safely and properly.”
“We encourage countries that are considering the use of masks for the general population to study their effectiveness, so we can all learn from their experience,” a spokesperson for WHO said in a statement to CBC News.
“Currently, there is insufficient evidence for or against the use of any type of mask among healthy people in public settings. As new information and evidence about masks and non-medical masks emerges, WHO will update existing guidance.”
WHO does recommend medical masks, respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE) in health care settings, but says only people who are sick or caring for a sick person at home should use them in the community.
WATCH | An epidemiologist explains why masks are effective for asymptomatic carriers
‘The point of the mask,’ says Christopher Labos, ‘is to protect others from you,’ especially if you are an asymptomatic carrier of the virus. 2:58
“Masks alone cannot stop the pandemic. Countries must continue to find, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this month.
“Mask or no mask, there are proven things all of us can do to protect ourselves and others: keep your distance, clean your hands, cough or sneeze into your elbow, and avoid touching your face.”
WHO’s recommendations on masks not ‘logical’
But the specific language WHO uses has come under fire from experts who suggest that even non-medical masks could be beneficial in curbing the spread of the virus — or, at the very least, couldn’t hurt.
Babak Javid, a professor at the Tsinghua University School of Medicine in Beijing and a consultant in infectious diseases at Cambridge University Hospitals in the U.K., thinks there’s a double standard in WHO’s messaging.
Yes, he says, “there’s no direct evidence that masks can prevent transmission.”
“But there’s no direct evidence that hand-washing can prevent the transmission of COVID or lockdowns can prevent the transmission of COVID because none of those trials have ever been done in the context of COVID.”
One infectious disease expert says WHO’s recommendation on masks doesn’t take into account the significant number of asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic carriers of the virus in the general population. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Javid said there is a “logical gap” in WHO’s recommendation, because it doesn’t take into account the significant number of asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic carriers of the virus in the general population, also known as “silent spreaders.”
Asymptomatic carriers are those who show no symptoms, while pre-symptomatic carriers are people who have not yet displayed symptoms — usually in the first few days of infection.
“What I think is indisputable is that the face covering can reduce the amount of both droplets and virus that we can transmit,” he said.
Research on virus’s spread suggests masks could help
Emerging research has revealed more about how the virus spreads from person to person, suggesting it doesn’t just transmit through coughing but also through simply talking.
A U.S. National Institutes of Health study published as a research letter in the New England Journal of Medicine this week provided visual evidence that “speech-generated droplets” can become suspended in the air and inhaled by other people, potentially exposing them to viruses like the one responsible for COVID-19.
That provides some preliminary evidence that the potentially deadly coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2, could be transmitted between people just by speaking normally.
Emerging research has revealed more about how the virus spreads from person to person, suggesting it doesn’t just transmit through coughing but also through simply talking. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
“There’s plenty of research showing that even just when we talk and breathe, we release these very small respiratory droplets, smaller than we can see,” said Dr. Linsey Marr, an expert in the transmission of viruses by aerosol at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
“Masks really could help make a difference because they will — if you are sick without knowing it — block those droplets from flying into the air and then staying in the air or contaminating surfaces.”
A paper by researchers in China set to be published in July in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, found an infected individual without symptoms was apparently able to spread the virus to nine others at a restaurant in Guangzhou, China.
The direction the air-conditioning system was blowing may have helped transport the virus particles to other diners, who otherwise had no contact with one another, while those elsewhere in the restaurant who weren’t near the airflow didn’t get sick.
The study has limitations because the findings were not corroborated with experiments to simulate the airborne transmission. Still, the research is raising concern.
“That was pretty strong evidence for the potential that transmission is happening through these microscopic respiratory droplets that can stay floating in the air for a long enough time to kind of go back and forth over the tables,” Marr said.
Should masks be mandatory in public?
Last week, Transport Canada made it mandatory for all air passengers to wear non-medical masks or face coverings over their mouth and nose during travel.
Passengers on boats are “encouraged to wear non-medical masks or face coverings whenever possible,” while train or bus riders are also “strongly encouraged” to do the same.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says non-medical masks are ‘not a substitute for physical distancing and hand-washing,’ but can protect those nearby ‘even if you have no symptoms.’ (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
But the Public Health Agency of Canada only recently changed course on its recommendations to Canadians on the effectiveness of non-medical masks, previously saying masks should only be worn by health care workers.
“Wearing a non-medical mask is an additional measure that you can take to protect others around you,” Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said on April 6 — while warning that a non-medical mask doesn’t necessarily protect the person wearing it.
“A non-medical mask can reduce the chance of your respiratory droplets coming into contact with others or landing on surfaces,” Tam said. “The science is not certain, but we need to do everything that we can and it seems a sensible thing to do.”
PHAC also says non-medical masks are “not a substitute for physical distancing and hand-washing,” but can protect those nearby “even if you have no symptoms.”
Last week, Transport Canada made it mandatory for all air passengers to wear non-medical masks or face coverings during travel and ‘strongly encouraged’ passengers on boats, trains and buses to do the same. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
But some experts say that given that significant role asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic carriers of the virus play in the spread of the virus, Canada should be mandating the use of non-medical masks in public, the way other countries have.
“Public health officials are saying there’s no evidence that the mask is going to keep you from getting the disease, but I also think it’s important to recognize that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence,” said Dr. Joe Vipond, a Calgary emergency department physician.
“Even a small decrease in the risk of me getting the disease is still really important from a population level.”
Evidence from other countries
Asian countries that have successfully dropped their curve of new COVID-19 cases, like South Korea, Taiwan and China, all have widespread mask usage, while the Czech Republic recently implemented mandatory mask measures and saw case fatality rates drop, Vipond wrote in a recent op-ed for Maclean’s magazine.
There are numerous factors as to why a given country can become overwhelmed by the virus, including the onset of outbreaks, the accuracy of reporting, backlogs in testing, the age of the population and the effectiveness of containment measures.
But Javid said that while this is still just correlative evidence, it could be one reason why countries like Taiwan, which doesn’t have total lockdown measures in place but does have widespread mask usage, has a much lower incidence of COVID-19 than other countries like Sweden, for example, where masks are less commonly used.
Jeremy Howard, a University of San Francisco researcher and the co-founder of Masks 4 All, said Japan is another example of a densely populated region with widespread public mask wearing and low levels of COVID-19 despite not prioritizing physical distancing or testing compared with a place like New York.
“There’s all this evidence, which strongly suggests, as part of the suite of tools we have available, wearing a mask appears to be astonishingly powerful, and the cost is nearly zero,” he said.
“And when we compare the level of evidence we have to something like washing hands, it’s vastly, vastly, vastly, vastly higher.”
While masks are not a “magic bullet” in curbing the spread of the virus and more research still needs to be done on their effectiveness, Javid said they can be used in conjunction with other measures like physical distancing and widespread testing to slow the spread.
“To get over the COVID problem we’re going to need a multi-pronged approach. To me, what’s attractive about masks is that they’re cheap, they’re probably effective and they allow economic activity,” he said.
“We can’t stay in lockdown forever, so to me, the downsides are so minimal compared to the potential upsides.”
Skinstitut Holiday Gift Kits take the stress out of gifting
Toronto, October 31, 2024 – Beauty gifts are at the top of holiday wish lists this year, and Laser Clinics Canada, a leader in advanced beauty treatments and skincare, is taking the pressure out of seasonal shopping. Today, Laser Clincs Canada announces the arrival of its 2024 Holiday Gift Kits, courtesy of Skinstitut, the exclusive skincare line of Laser Clinics Group.
In time for the busy shopping season, the limited-edition Holiday Gifts Kits are available in Laser Clinics locations in the GTA and Ottawa. Clinics are conveniently located in popular shopping centers, including Hillcrest Mall, Square One, CF Sherway Gardens, Scarborough Town Centre, Rideau Centre, Union Station and CF Markville. These limited-edition Kits are available on a first come, first served basis.
“These kits combine our best-selling products, bundled to address the most relevant skin concerns we’re seeing among our clients,” says Christina Ho, Senior Brand & LAM Manager at Laser Clinics Canada. “With several price points available, the kits offer excellent value and suit a variety of gift-giving needs, from those new to cosmeceuticals to those looking to level up their skincare routine. What’s more, these kits are priced with a savings of up to 33 per cent so gift givers can save during the holiday season.
There are two kits to select from, each designed to address key skin concerns and each with a unique theme — Brightening Basics and Hydration Heroes.
Brightening Basics is a mix of everyday essentials for glowing skin for all skin types. The bundle comes in a sleek pink, reusable case and includes three full-sized products: 200ml gentle cleanser, 50ml Moisture Defence (normal skin) and 30ml1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum. The Brightening Basics kit is available at $129, a saving of 33 per cent.
Hydration Heroes is a mix of hydration essentials and active heroes that cater to a wide variety of clients. A perfect stocking stuffer, this bundle includes four deluxe products: Moisture 15 15 ml Defence for normal skin, 10 ml 1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum, 10 ml Retinol Serum and 50 ml Expert Squalane Cleansing Oil. The kit retails at $59.
In addition to the 2024 Holiday Gifts Kits, gift givers can easily add a Laser Clinic Canada gift card to the mix. Offering flexibility, recipients can choose from a wide range of treatments offered by Laser Clinics Canada, or they can expand their collection of exclusive Skinstitut products.
Brightening Basics 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut, available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.
Hydration Heroes 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut – available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
___
Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
The Canadian Paediatric Society says doctors should regularly screen children for reading difficulties and dyslexia, calling low literacy a “serious public health concern” that can increase the risk of other problems including anxiety, low self-esteem and behavioural issues, with lifelong consequences.
New guidance issued Wednesday says family doctors, nurses, pediatricians and other medical professionals who care for school-aged kids are in a unique position to help struggling readers access educational and specialty supports, noting that identifying problems early couldhelp kids sooner — when it’s more effective — as well as reveal other possible learning or developmental issues.
The 10 recommendations include regular screening for kids aged four to seven, especially if they belong to groups at higher risk of low literacy, including newcomers to Canada, racialized Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. The society says this can be done in a two-to-three-minute office-based assessment.
Other tips encourage doctors to look for conditions often seen among poor readers such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; to advocate for early literacy training for pediatric and family medicine residents; to liaise with schools on behalf of families seeking help; and to push provincial and territorial education ministries to integrate evidence-based phonics instruction into curriculums, starting in kindergarten.
Dr. Scott McLeod, one of the authors and chair of the society’s mental health and developmental disabilities committee, said a key goal is to catch kids who may be falling through the cracks and to better connect families to resources, including quicker targeted help from schools.
“Collaboration in this area is so key because we need to move away from the silos of: everything educational must exist within the educational portfolio,” McLeod said in an interview from Calgary, where he is a developmental pediatrician at Alberta Children’s Hospital.
“Reading, yes, it’s education, but it’s also health because we know that literacy impacts health. So I think that a statement like this opens the window to say: Yes, parents can come to their health-care provider to get advice, get recommendations, hopefully start a collaboration with school teachers.”
McLeod noted that pediatricians already look for signs of low literacy in young children by way of a commonly used tool known as the Rourke Baby Record, which offers a checklist of key topics, such as nutrition and developmental benchmarks, to cover in a well-child appointment.
But he said questions about reading could be “a standing item” in checkups and he hoped the society’s statement to medical professionals who care for children “enhances their confidence in being a strong advocate for the child” while spurring partnerships with others involved in a child’s life such as teachers and psychologists.
The guidance said pediatricians also play a key role in detecting and monitoring conditions that often coexist with difficulty reading such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but McLeod noted that getting such specific diagnoses typically involves a referral to a specialist, during which time a child continues to struggle.
He also acknowledged that some schools can be slow to act without a specific diagnosis from a specialist, and even then a child may end up on a wait list for school interventions.
“Evidence-based reading instruction shouldn’t have to wait for some of that access to specialized assessments to occur,” he said.
“My hope is that (by) having an existing statement or document written by the Canadian Paediatric Society … we’re able to skip a few steps or have some of the early interventions present,” he said.
McLeod added that obtaining specific assessments from medical specialists is “definitely beneficial and advantageous” to know where a child is at, “but having that sort of clear, thorough assessment shouldn’t be a barrier to intervention starting.”
McLeod said the society was partly spurred to act by 2022’s “Right to Read Inquiry Report” from the Ontario Human Rights Commission, which made 157 recommendations to address inequities related to reading instruction in that province.
He called the new guidelines “a big reminder” to pediatric providers, family doctors, school teachers and psychologists of the importance of literacy.
“Early identification of reading difficulty can truly change the trajectory of a child’s life.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.
