Background: Mask-wearing in public spaces has become ubiquitous for most people in developed countries due to the ongoing pandemic. One key aspect of the protectiveness of masks is how many times it is used before disposing of (in the case of surgical or disposable masks) or washed (a cloth or reusable mask). Assessing mask reuse levels in key demographics can help us identify which groups are reusing masks more, and targeted educational campaigns can be accomplished which would hopefully lead to reduced mask reuse.
Methods: The online self-administered survey was created using Survey Monkey and distributed via Reddit, Youtube, the front desk of a local community center, and to associates of personal contacts. The survey consists of 13 questions which consisted of demographic, behavioural and open ended questions. Chi-square statistical tests were used to analyze the data.
Results: Overall, 99.5% of the 185 respondents wore face masks: 51.8% wore reusable, 34.2% wore disposable, and 16.2% equally wore disposable and reusable masks. Regarding frequency of use, a higher proportion (27%) wore their masks 3 - 4 times before disposing or washing. Frequency of reuse at 0 - 1, twice and 5+ times were equally distributed at 24.3%. The main reason for reuse was a lack of time (53%) followed by environmental reasons (28%). More than 50% of those surveyed believed that msks could be washed indefinitely without having the performance affected. This study found no statistically significant associations between several major demographic categories and level of mask reuse: (i) gender, P = 0.253, (ii) age, P = 0.631, (iii) education level, P = 0.284, and (iv) occupational field, P = 0.395.
Conclusion: Most of the Canadian population are wearing masks during the COVID19 pandemic and most people dispose of, or wash, their masks after 2-4 uses. Demographic variables of age, gender, occupation and education do not affect mask reuse levels. This information can aid in education efforts in the future by widening the scope of target audiences., Not peer reviewed, text, published, mask, reuse, COVID19, pandemic, washing, safety, virus, SARS-COV-2
SARS-CoV-2, also known as COVID19, spread across the globe in 2020 and 2021impacting many people, their livelihood, and their mental health. Because of how the disease spread, certain controls were enacted such as community lockdowns, social distancing, working remotely, restricting one’s social contacts, and mask wearing. This caused unintended consequences where some people are left with psychological distress. While the media and the general public appear to be more focused on the physical health aspect of the virus, mental health has not received the same attention. This study examined the mental health of Canadians during the COVID19 pandemic. Results can be used to create policies and programs addressing mental health issues that have arisen from this global health crisis., COVID19
With the growing popularity of Kombucha, more people are beginning to either purchase or make their own Kombucha beverage. Due to the relatively recent rise in popularity, within the general public, not as much is known about the beverage compared to other beverages that have been on the market longer such as beer. This is important and relevant to public health because, due to the nature of the production method used to create Kombucha, the drink itself may contain alcohol. While at the time of production and distribution, the levels of alcohol are below the regulated maximum of 1%, these levels may increase on their own if measures were not put in place to stop the beverage from self-fermenting post-distribution. Kombucha is sold as a non-alcoholic beverage as they aren’t required to be defined as liquor (because it is <1% ethanol), when in reality, they may contain more than 1% ethanol due to the self-fermentation process. This poses as a potential health risks to people who do not consume alcohol for personal reasons or to adolescents who should not be consuming alcohol., kombucha, ethanol, fermentation, survey
As the interest in delivery and take-out meals increases, so too does the amount of food packaging that ends up in the landfill. Programs and incentives are already in place and continue to be adjusted to encourage the reduced reliance on these materials. This study focuses on returnable and recyclable container programs (RRCP) and British Columbian’s interest in these programs for Metro Vancouver., returnable recyclable container program, RRCP, Suppli, GoBox, Loop, waste, single-use, disposable
The purpose of this research was to determine, via an on-line survey, whether the general public in Canada, is aware of why certain ingredients, such as alcohol content is important to prevent transmission of disease-causing pathogens. The literature demonstrates the importance of hand sanitizers, the efficacy between different types of sand sanitizers, ingredient lists, and the public’s knowledge regarding the effectiveness of hand sanitizers., hand sanitizer, alcohol content, knowledge, efficacy
Kombucha products are now a common, and popular beverage. Increasingly, Kombucha beverages are outpacing popularity of other carbonated beverages on the market, such as soda pop. This increase is seen by many as a positive change of consumer interests, as Kombucha has much less sugar content than many soda pop alternatives. However, Kombucha products are fermented beverages, and therefore are apt to contain ethanol, which may be a hazard for certain at risk populations. This study aims to investigate how information provided on product labels may or may not allow for increased consumer control by making an educated guess about potential ethanol content., kombucha, product labels, secondary fermentation, functional beverage, temperature abuse
Background: Lead is a systemic toxin that affects multiple organs and impairs physical and mental development. Although lead is ubiquitous in the environment, majority of exposures to lead is through drinking water. Lead-based plumbing components are the primary reason. Flushing is a lead reduction technique commonly used to reduce lead in drinking water, but the efficacy of the technique has been questioned. The purpose of this research project was to determine if there were significant levels of lead found in the drinking water of 12 buildings (sites) owned and operated by a Health Authority before and after 30-second flush and to determine if flushing is an effective measure to reduce lead concentrations. Materials and Methods: Lead in drinking water data was provided by Dr. Tom Kosatsky in an Excel spreadsheet. The data contained 184 pre-flush (≥ 8-hour stagnation period) samples paired to 184 post-flush (30-second duration) samples collected at locations within the 12 different sites. The sites were labelled A to L due to confidentiality. This data was then exported to NCSS, and statistical analysis in the forms of a two tailed t-test, one tailed one sample t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA was performed to determine if a statistically significant relationship between flushing and reduced lead concentrations exists. Results: Out of 368 samples, 28% of stagnation samples contained lead concentrations greater than the MAC (n = 103) whereas, 9% of post 30-second flush samples contained lead concentration greater than the MAC (n = 33). Lead concentrations in the drinking water samples after flushing were significantly reduced below the MAC (p = 0.00000). However, lead concentrations from samples collected at sites A, C, and G were equal to or greater than the MAC. Statistical analysis failed to reject the null hypothesis that post-flush lead concentrations for samples collected at sites A, C, and G is greater to or equal to the MAC (A: p = 0.22708, C: p = 0.06866, and G: p = 0.70589). Conclusion: Flushing is an effective measure in reducing lead concentrations at the tap to safe levels. However, the effectiveness of flushing and flushing duration is dependent on numerous factors such as the stagnation period, amount of lead-based plumbing supplying the drinking water and building size. Longer stagnation periods, increased lead-based plumbing, and large buildings all require longer flushing times to reduce lead concentrations to below 0.005 mg/L. The results of this can study can aid governments in developing polices that will eliminate existing lead infrastructure in British Columbia and Canada. Flushing is not a long-term solution in reducing lead concentrations at the tap to below 0.005 mg/L., Lead, Drinking water, Lead in drinking water, Health effects, Flushing, Effectiveness
New trends in raw based diets are putting people at a higher risk for becoming ill from pathogens. An outbreak investigation of pig ears containing Salmonella found over 50% of the tested pig ears were positive for the bacteria and 38% of pet treats contained Salmonella. At the time of the outbreak, pet owners became ill with Salmonella which was believed to be from handling the pig ears or from their ill pets that were carrying the bacteria. An outbreak in Italy involving kibble demonstrates there is a risk when feeding raw and non-raw diets., Pet food, raw meat-based diet, non-raw meat-based diet, survey, hygiene
The COVID-19 global pandemic has demanded many individuals remain indoors and isolate from friends and family to keep safe. These long periods of isolation have led to loneliness and an overall shift in the way individuals communicate with each other. Digital media sources have become predominant forms of interaction and entertainment – but how are different age groups, specifically older adults managing this major digital media shift?, older adult(s), digital literacy, COVID-19, pandemic, comfort, internet
