Smoke from Canadian fires has made our air quality challenging at times in the last several days, but wow—the sunsets!

#sunset #fourdaysofsunsets #smokeintheair #canadianfires

Canadian wildfire smoke has reached us :-(
I lived in California long enough that I'm used to dealing with the bad air from fires, but the people here generally are not and it scares me when I see people going about their normal days. Unlike last time, there's a visible haze so maybe folks will take more notice.
I can hope.
I weep for Canada. I hope the devastation brings acknowledgement, but I'm not holding my breath.
https://fire.airnow.gov

#CanadianFires
#ClimateChange
#Wildfires

Good Morning SARS2PAians!

I hope you're staying cool. Or at least dehumidified in this murky summer air. 😖

Reminder: I'll try to be better "approving" posts on Reddit in the future. I've approved of all previous posts so they should be more accessible now. I apologize not doing this sooner, I had a whole six months of family emergencies (not COVID) and those details kinda got lost along the way.

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VOCs

Nationally, the fastest mover so far, KP.3.1.1, has taken over the top slot in the variant leaderboard between Friday and today.

Friday: https://ibb.co/3Cx513s
Today: https://ibb.co/QCx4LPW

Genetic shift and waning immunity is causing a substantial uptick in ED visits in most States on the Eastern half of the contiguous US.: https://ibb.co/SncRcpj

There are still no new variants on the horizon that can compete with KP.3.x.y. so far, but it is blazing fast and immune resistant due to genetic mutations.

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Wastewater

Nationally, levels are now HIGH on every monitoring site, and in most States. They're actaully pretty much even with what is usually a winter outbreak.

The wastewater levels by HHS region keep rising, though the Northeast is the lowest of all regions.: https://ibb.co/hmYGbJ8

Please consider wearing a quality respirator in enclosed rooms and crowded areas so we can get these numbers down.

Compared to other areas though Pennsylvania is doing well, well below national averag: https://ibb.co/N9SM8Rb

but the Harrisburg area is getting hit particularly hard right now.: https://ibb.co/JnYLNVx

JN.1/KP.2 vaccines are supposed to be available starting late this month or September for all major manufacturers (Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax).

 PLEASE GET VACCINATED as soon as these are available.

__________
Other Issues

The fires in Canada and Western US are underway and spreading dangerous pollutants. PM2.5 levels are tolerable in PA right now, but remember respirators and Corsi-Rosenthal boxes will definitely help if things get out of control again.: https://ibb.co/ZhDFzvb

We are getting closer and closer to human-to-human transmission for H5N1, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI/H5N1).

 Please consider reducing dairy products in your diet and DO NOT drink or eat raw or undercooked animal products AT ALL.

  Consider moving up from "pasteurized" to "ultra-pasteurized" milk.

  Consider replacing meat with plant-based alternatives. (They can be delicious too!)

I hope we can cooperate NOW to make this winter healthy and safe for all of us.

We can prevent so much life, economic, and learning loss with jsut a little precaution and oding SOME form of source control.

Have a great (and dehumidified UGH) week! 🔥☀️🔥

#COVID19 #COVID #COVIDisNotOver #SARS2PA
#Pennsylvania #PA
#KP3 #S31Del

#HPAI #H5N1

#Wildfire #CanadianFires #FireMonitoring #PM2_5

#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #WashHands
#VaccinesSaveLives #StayHomeIfSick !

Good Morning/Afternoon SARS2PAians!

I apologize for not posting for a week or so. I'm taking care of a needy relative (not COVID) and honestly sometimes that absorbs A LOT of my time, entire mornings and sometimes entire days.

Again, also it's also harder to get accurate info about SARS2 as most virologists I follow are getting totally absorbed into the extremely concerning HPAI/H5N1/bird outbreak monitoring and advocacy.

I hope you're having a great Summer and have recovered from the heat waves! 🔥☀️🔥

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VOCs

KP.3.x.y is still making its way through the world, causing rising numbers wherever it goes.

Most of our current mutations travelling around are some form of KP.3.: https://ibb.co/R74xdfC

There are no upcoming mutations/lineages that can compete with it so far.

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Wastewater, +rate

WastewaterSCAN shows national levels as HIGH everywhere in the US.: https://ibb.co/n0Fgg28

🔴In fact, SARS2 is THE ONLY PATHOGEN right now on WWS that is considered at HIGH levels!!

Levels are increasing in our HHS region (Region 5, and in fact PA has some of the highest levels tested here.: https://ibb.co/phrHxDD

The PA Wastewater dashboard has levels increasing substantially in McKean County and West Chester.: https://ibb.co/Nngwjt2

The National +rate, despite abysmal levels of testing, is very high right now and is in fact higher than it was IN JANUARY this year.: https://ibb.co/1dxn41F

PA's rate continues to upwardly climb as KP.3's shifted mutations are highly capable of immune escape.: https://ibb.co/Jn1MJs4

🔴Vaccines should be out by the major manufacturers (Moderna, Pfizer, Novavax) very soon, either next month or September. PLEASE get vaccinated as soon as possible.

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H5N1

These are outbreaks continuing almost daily in US cattle and bird farms.

A cluster of poultry workers with H5N1 symptoms is being monitored in Colorado. This is the first time a CLUSTER of H5N1 has occurred. Ten cases in one month...compare this to 880 cases in the entire world over 21 years.

51 herds so far affected in Colorado, which is also the only the state that seems to care enough to start some methods of mandatory testing and developing a tracker tool for outbreaks.: https://ag.colorado.gov/animal-health/reportable-diseases/avian-influenza/hpai-in-dairy-cattle

There have been 173 nationwide herds affected with H5N1 so far.

There is sufficient evidence that H5N1 is now travelling mammal-to-mammal. This is really really very bad.: https://ibb.co/9wnP7vp

🔴PAians might want to consider some increased food safety practices:

Move up from "pasteurized" milk to "ultra-pasteurized".

Consider non-dairy food sources such as plant beverages and tofu.

Do not consume meat that is NOT fully cooked. Have steaks medium insread of rare or medium rare.

🔴DO NOT🔴 consume raw/unpasteurized dairy products.

Just don't.

Don't be That Guy™.

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Fire Monitoring

Fire season is very much underway. So far, we are not in the path of dangerous PM2.5 levels.: https://ibb.co/HXscYcF

As fires spread in Canada and Western US it's just as important to watch these levels as they have a detrimental effect on air quality and long-term respiratory health!

The same precautions work against SARS2, H5N1, and wildfore smoke. Wearing a quality respirator (at least a very well-fitted KN95/N95 and making sure fllters are a high enough grade help control all these potential respiratory hazards.

🔴If you MUST keep doors/windows closed due to fire, oppressive humidity or a heatwave, PLEASE get yourself some MERV filters, a box fan, and go build a Corsi-Rosenthal box. Controlling oppressive weather hazards and PM2.5 smoke by keeping houses tightly closed is totally antithetical to controlling SARS2.

__________

Between PM2.5 monitoring, COVID and H5N1, that's....a lot going on.😳

But the methods of prevention and source control are all THE SAME: quality respirators and MERV13 filters.  

If we can keep SARS2 controlled enough during the summer, it will make for a much better, not-terrible Fall and Winter. But we must start controlling it NOW.

Hope you have a great weekend and again I apologize for dropping updates lately. ☀️☀️☀️

#COVID19 #COVID #COVIDisNotOver #SARS2PA
#Pennsylvania #PA
#KP3 #S31Del

#HPAI #H5N1

#Wildfire #CanadianFires #FireMonitoring #PM2_5

#WearAMask #CleanTheAir #WashHands
#VaccinesSaveLives #StayHomeIfSick !

Blessed are the remnants of a hurricane.

#CanadianFires #BCWildfires #ClimateCrisis

Blaming Canada...Again...

La Luna
24JUL23

42.1% #WaxingCrescent

#AstroPhotography
#FotografiaAstral
#CanadianFires
#SmokeyMoon
#fotografia
#photography
#fotografie
#ShotOnCanon

Much of the mid-Atlantic, NE and some of the south in the #US are seeing particularly poor #AQI right now. We just hit 160, our high for the day here in #Asheville, I think.

https://map.purpleair.com

#CanadianFires

Went out on a limb today as this was #PicnicDay even with the lousy #AQI here in #Asheville area in #WNC in the #US. Went to one of our favorite parks, a converted golf course with many walking trails, and grabbed a table rather than a walk. #TheParkAtFlatRock

It was very smoky and definitely not my favorite visit. Looking forward to the fall, darn it. #AQI #CanadianFires #Smoke