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Question 1: What are your feelings about wearing masks? Do you feel that masks should be mandated by government officials? Why or why not? Are these measures effective against the spread of COVID-19?
Should not be mandated.
Assuming masks help prevent the spread of covid, if you're wearing a mask you're assuming you yourself has covid. You wear the mask to prevent yourself from spreading covid to someone else. If you're assuming you yourself has covid, you should be isolated and quarantined. If you don't have covid, you wouldn't need the mask at all. If you wear the mask because you need to go out and want to be considerate to others because you *might* have covid, then the problem is people not being able to access resources from home which should be the actual focus and not masks.
Should not be mandated.
Assuming masks help prevent the spread of covid, if you're wearing a mask you're assuming you yourself has covid. You wear the mask to prevent yourself from spreading covid to someone else. If you're assuming you yourself has covid, you should be isolated and quarantined. If you don't have covid, you wouldn't need the mask at all. If you wear the mask because you need to go out and want to be considerate to others because you *might* have covid, then the problem is people not being able to access resources from home which should be the actual focus and not masks.
Question 2: The Canadian - U.S. border continues to be closed to non-essential travel. Is this a good or bad decision for Canada? When should the border be reopened fully?
Canadians have the right to leave and return to Canada. The border should be reopened for Canadians to leave and enter. As for Americans entering Canada, I would not be opposed to continuing to shut the borders from the US for US citizens until their cases get figured out.
Canadians have the right to leave and return to Canada. The border should be reopened for Canadians to leave and enter. As for Americans entering Canada, I would not be opposed to continuing to shut the borders from the US for US citizens until their cases get figured out.
Question 3: Niagara has seen a large number of visitors from other regions of Ontario on weekends and holidays. This has helped businesses and tourism. But it has also led to crowded venues and the potential spread of COVID-19. What can be done to balance safety and economics?
Encourage social distancing, frequent hand washing. For those that are experiencing symptoms, and those who are at risk should be isolated as much as possible.
We should be allowing all not at risk people to get back to living life and developing antibodies against covid and implementing services for those that are unable to go out.
Stores can implement "at risk" only hours where elderly people and those with compromised immune systems can shop while the "healthy" population is asked to shop during other hours.
Move and promote delivery services like instacart for people to get necessities delivered to them.
Encourage social distancing, frequent hand washing. For those that are experiencing symptoms, and those who are at risk should be isolated as much as possible.
We should be allowing all not at risk people to get back to living life and developing antibodies against covid and implementing services for those that are unable to go out.
Stores can implement "at risk" only hours where elderly people and those with compromised immune systems can shop while the "healthy" population is asked to shop during other hours.
Move and promote delivery services like instacart for people to get necessities delivered to them.
Question 4: Schools from kindergarten through university/college have reopened. How has the Ontario government handled the return to school? Are schools safe for students, teachers and staff? Is online learning a good alternative?
The majority of students (those that do not have some sort of compromised immune system) are not at risk of spreading, catching, or dying from covid. Teachers and Staff however might be if they are older (50+) or have a compromised immune system.
So, teachers should have a say on whether or not they want to teach at the school in person because they feel like they are at risk. They should all be required to have an online plan (if I was in high school, I'd be bummed to have to show up for one class)" but an in person option should be optional.
For on hands courses like auto mechanics or culinary, you could have reduced class sizes for specific days that is optional to both the teacher and the student if the student would like to get some hands on experience and the teacher is comfortable showing up to teach students. Maybe have it be registration based so teachers don't have to set everything up for an empty class and so class sizes can be monitored. This is not ideal but we're in a "pandemic."
The majority of students (those that do not have some sort of compromised immune system) are not at risk of spreading, catching, or dying from covid. Teachers and Staff however might be if they are older (50+) or have a compromised immune system.
So, teachers should have a say on whether or not they want to teach at the school in person because they feel like they are at risk. They should all be required to have an online plan (if I was in high school, I'd be bummed to have to show up for one class)" but an in person option should be optional.
For on hands courses like auto mechanics or culinary, you could have reduced class sizes for specific days that is optional to both the teacher and the student if the student would like to get some hands on experience and the teacher is comfortable showing up to teach students. Maybe have it be registration based so teachers don't have to set everything up for an empty class and so class sizes can be monitored. This is not ideal but we're in a "pandemic."
Question 5: Do you think that there will be a significant second wave in Canada? Why?
Cases will go up along with the Flu season. This is not a "second wave" this is just how it is and always will be. Cases will go up (potentially drastically), deaths might go up a bit, and everything will come back down.
All of the above still applies. Masks will not help. Contact tracing will not help. vulnerable people will still be at risk while the vast majority is unaffected. Services should still be available to those who shouldn't go out. Businesses should be willing to offer modified hours for the at risk population.
Cases will go up along with the Flu season. This is not a "second wave" this is just how it is and always will be. Cases will go up (potentially drastically), deaths might go up a bit, and everything will come back down.
All of the above still applies. Masks will not help. Contact tracing will not help. vulnerable people will still be at risk while the vast majority is unaffected. Services should still be available to those who shouldn't go out. Businesses should be willing to offer modified hours for the at risk population.
Question 6: Most people had to cancel plans for a special event, vacation, or activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What did you miss out on? Would you be comfortable returning to these within the next year?
I missed out on my University graduation. I would be comfortable having it as long as I wasn't forced to wear a mask whenever that would be.
I missed out on my University graduation. I would be comfortable having it as long as I wasn't forced to wear a mask whenever that would be.
Question 7: Where do you get your news and information about the pandemic? What sources do you find trustworthy?
I'm open and willing to trust any site I can find as long as things are sourced, sited, and include the actual tests and studies. I learn towards looking at the stats and events and coming up with my own conclusions.
Unfortunately, a lot of the information going around doesn't include citations, or is misleading and doesn't provide perspective.
The WHO has released a report at the beginning of June detailing their mask recommendations for the public. Under The section for "Advice to decision makers on the use of masks for the general public" they state "At the present time, the widespread use of masks by healthy people in the community setting is not yet supported by high quality or direct scientific evidence and there are potential benefits and harms to consider (see below)."
https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1279750/retrieve
They recommend the general public to wear masks knowing that there is no valid science behind their recommendation.
On the Niagara Region site, they state that "Deceased cases are individuals who died while infected with COVID-19. This does not mean that COVID-19 was the cause of death..."
https://www.niagararegion.ca/health/covid-19/statistics/cases.aspx
While deaths are not high (64) they still state that some of these deaths may have been due to external causes and not covid. (If it was pneumonia which is caused by covid, they should list pneumonia deaths).
The CDC (mostly American stats but better statistically as theres more to work with) shows that the majority of deaths involving covid are over the age of 45.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm?fbclid=IwAR3-wrg3tTKK5-9tOHPGAHWFVO3DfslkJ0KsDEPQpWmPbKtp6EsoVV2Qs1Q#AgeAndSex
However, they fail to mention the number of deaths that usually happen annually from influenza and pneumonia. There have been 205,000 covid 19 deaths in the states. Normally, 49,000 would die from pneumonia, 29000-61000 would die from influenza. 205000 - 49000 - 29000 = 127000 deaths from covid 19 (and something other than pneumonia or influenza, on a good influenza year). With 7.16 million cases, the death rate is closer to 1.8% than 2.8%. This doesn't even consider age. If someone has died from/with covid in the states there's a 97% chance that they are over 45 and a 79% chance they are over 65.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/pneumonia.htm
And these are the big sites.
I'm open and willing to trust any site I can find as long as things are sourced, sited, and include the actual tests and studies. I learn towards looking at the stats and events and coming up with my own conclusions.
Unfortunately, a lot of the information going around doesn't include citations, or is misleading and doesn't provide perspective.
The WHO has released a report at the beginning of June detailing their mask recommendations for the public. Under The section for "Advice to decision makers on the use of masks for the general public" they state "At the present time, the widespread use of masks by healthy people in the community setting is not yet supported by high quality or direct scientific evidence and there are potential benefits and harms to consider (see below)."
https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1279750/retrieve
They recommend the general public to wear masks knowing that there is no valid science behind their recommendation.
On the Niagara Region site, they state that "Deceased cases are individuals who died while infected with COVID-19. This does not mean that COVID-19 was the cause of death..."
https://www.niagararegion.ca/health/covid-19/statistics/cases.aspx
While deaths are not high (64) they still state that some of these deaths may have been due to external causes and not covid. (If it was pneumonia which is caused by covid, they should list pneumonia deaths).
The CDC (mostly American stats but better statistically as theres more to work with) shows that the majority of deaths involving covid are over the age of 45.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm?fbclid=IwAR3-wrg3tTKK5-9tOHPGAHWFVO3DfslkJ0KsDEPQpWmPbKtp6EsoVV2Qs1Q#AgeAndSex
However, they fail to mention the number of deaths that usually happen annually from influenza and pneumonia. There have been 205,000 covid 19 deaths in the states. Normally, 49,000 would die from pneumonia, 29000-61000 would die from influenza. 205000 - 49000 - 29000 = 127000 deaths from covid 19 (and something other than pneumonia or influenza, on a good influenza year). With 7.16 million cases, the death rate is closer to 1.8% than 2.8%. This doesn't even consider age. If someone has died from/with covid in the states there's a 97% chance that they are over 45 and a 79% chance they are over 65.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/pneumonia.htm
And these are the big sites.
Question 8: When do you think the pandemic will subside and we can return to some kind of normal life?
Life should have returned to normal at the end of May. Word on the street is the pandemic is only political and will disappear when the election happens in November.
Life should have returned to normal at the end of May. Word on the street is the pandemic is only political and will disappear when the election happens in November.
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This item was submitted on September 29, 2020 by [anonymous user] using the form “Questions and Answers 3” on the site “Documenting COVID-19 in Niagara”: https://exhibits.library.brocku.ca/s/COVID-Niagara
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