Those countries with the highest rates of severe infections also had the highest rates of reported cases

TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2023 鈥� A new analysis of COVID-19 cases in Africa shows that for most of the continent鈥檚 countries the rate of infection was likely much higher than reported in the initial stages, found 91亚色 researchers.

Case counts reported by most African countries suggest the virus spread slowly during the early part of the pandemic, but the researchers say those numbers likely didn鈥檛 capture the true extent of the spread.

鈥淭he low reporting numbers was likely due to a lack of public awareness, public health resources, monitoring practices, testing availability and stigma,鈥� says Faculty of Science Professor Jude Kong, senior author of the paper and director of the (AI4PEP).

To get a better handle on the real number of those infected, the researchers used an epidemiological mathematical model, along with observed data, for 54 countries in Africa to estimate the number of hidden infections. Data on cumulative number of cases and daily confirmed cases were used to build an epidemic profile for Africa of the initial stage of COVID-19.

What may be most surprising is the estimation that some 66 per cent of all infections in Africa were asymptomatic, while about five per cent were severe and about 27 per cent were mild.

鈥淎frica is primarily comprised of a young population so it鈥檚 possible there were fewer cases, less severe symptoms or more people with asymptomatic symptoms than in a population that has a higher percentage of seniors,鈥� says Postdoctoral Fellow Qing Han, lead researcher on the paper. 鈥淭his suggests the possibility of a lower rate of detection of the virus.鈥�

The researchers found that the basic reproduction number (R0) in each country was much higher than when only reported cases were used as the average overall case reporting rate was low 鈥� estimated at about five per cent continent-wide 鈥� in the early stages for each country. They estimate that the real mean R0 is 2.02 compared to the reported R0 of 0.17 and ranged from 1.12 in Zambia and 3.64 in Nigeria.

鈥淐ounties that showed a R0 of less than one, which basically means there was no outbreak, likely have a much higher true R0. Not investigating the underreported figures could cause an underestimation of the severity and magnitude of the epidemic locally in each country,鈥� says Han.

Those countries with the highest number of severe infections also tended to have the highest reported cases and those with the lowest severe infections generally had the lowest report rate. The researchers say the predicted true numbers of cumulative cases are high above what was reported for all countries with Sudan and Gambia reporting collectively most at 27 per cent and 22 per cent, while most countries reported less than five per cent.

Northern and southern African countries had higher reporting rates compared to central Africa, which could be explained in part by higher health-care spending in the north and south regions. Libya topped all the African countries for having the most nurses and physicians per 1,000 people.

鈥淭he estimated low reporting rates in most African countries point to a need for improved reporting and surveillance systems especially for central Africa,鈥� says Kong, co-executive director of the .

The paper, , was published today in the Royal Society Open Science Journal.

The work was funded by under the Global South AI4COVID Program.

The post Study finds COVID cases underreported in most African countries during initial stage appeared first on News@91亚色.

Covid in the House of Old Presents 鈥淪tories for a Revolution鈥� by Associate Professor Megan J. Davies at 91亚色 on September 14

TORONTO, Sept. 11, 2023 鈥� Giving voice to the tales of devastating loss, tragedy, hopes and aspirations, (CIHO) by 91亚色 Professor and historian Megan Davies will exhibit at four new GTA locations this fall.

The travelling, national exhibit will start at 91亚色 on Thursday, Sept. 14 with a presentation, Stories for a Revolution, by Davies鈥� of her latest work, including two new chairs 鈥� Kayley鈥檚 Chair and the Rainbow Chair. It is a commemoration of the COVID-19 pandemic through CIHO, an exhibit about the impacts of the pandemic on Canadian residential care homes.

Kayley鈥檚 Chair tells the story of a young woman who lived in two Saskatchewan care homes as a teenager and young adult before moving to her own house in 2019, while the Rainbow Chair, created with the help of the Senior Pride Network, highlights the stories of queer elders in long-term care during the pandemic.

Davies, of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, created the exhibit with the help of families, staff, and residents and their stories are represented through the wooden storytelling chairs that sit at the heart of the exhibit. The chairs feature powerful audio stories of frustration, outrage, care, love, and grief that trace the fault lines that COVID-19 revealed in this country鈥檚 eldercare system.

As one of the first public commemorations of the pandemic, CIHO brings stories from a national humanitarian crisis to Canadians and asks them to take action. CIHO remembers the thousands of Canadian care home residents and workers who died of COVID-19 or suffered extended periods of stress and isolation. Some 7,609 seniors in Canadian care homes died of COVID in the first seven months of the pandemic. The chairs in this exhibit represent some of the stories told by their daughters, sons, grandchildren and more.

Visitors can share their own stories about COVID-19 in residential facilities and their thoughts about the future of eldercare at the exhibit鈥檚 Story Space. Story contributions will be uploaded to the and preserved in Montreal's Archives Passe-M茅moire, creating a permanent national collection of these thoughts, feelings, and memories.

91亚色 graduate and undergraduate students have been integral to creating and sustaining the exhibit and Story Space.

Davies, of 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, will present on Sept. 14, from 3 to 4 p.m., in the 7th floor lounge of the Kaneff Tower on 91亚色鈥檚 Keele Campus.

Davies, exhibit curator, will be in Toronto and available for interviews.

Additional exhibit dates for COVID in the House of Old:

• Thursday, Sept. 28 to Saturday, Sept. 30: Buddies in Bad Times Cabaret, 12 Alexander St, Toronto. Exhibit hours: Sept. 28, 2 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Sept. 29 to 30, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 3 to Tuesday, Oct. 10: Christie Gardens Apartments & Care, 600 Melita Cres, Toronto. Exhibit hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Story Space hours: Oct. 3 to 9, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 12 to Wednesday, Oct. 18: Active Adult Centre, 377 Burnhamthorpe Rd. E., Suite 116, Mississauga

• Friday, Oct. 27 to Monday, Oct. 30: Castleview Wychwood Towers, 351 Christie St., Toronto, ON

The post New exhibit explores stories of loss, tragedy in long-term care homes appeared first on News@91亚色.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the . Although , especially with the possibility of new variants, experts are urging that we move forward to prepare for the next pandemic.

The pandemic caused significant suffering. The WHO estimates that around , although the true death toll is . Added to that is the loss and pain experienced by many around the world.

But the pandemic also created the circumstances for a type of global, national and local solidarity that has rarely been seen before. In Canada, we saw this unique solidarity in the homegrown 鈥渃aremongering鈥� movement, where volunteers organized online to offer a helping hand to neighbours and strangers.

During the height of the pandemic, there were at least . The movement showcased the goodwill of 鈥溾�� and was praised worldwide.

Caremongering

 on caremongering Facebook groups found that the majority of posts were to request or offer materials like personal protective equipment, food and clothes or services like picking up groceries and prescriptions.

There was also a lot of information-sharing about COVID-19, community updates, inspiration and advice. News reports covered these heartwarming stories from coast to coast. From  to  and , many caremongers called this help 鈥�.鈥�

This was especially the case for vulnerable populations such as the elderly, people with disabilities and immunocompromized individuals.

Pandemic unveiled systemic issues

It seems that during those early days, people forgot about their differences and banded together in unity  against the common enemy of COVID-19.

But crises and disasters can also 鈥�.鈥� They can be transformative or confirmatory, generate new ways of thinking or reinforce prevailing structures of power.

Disasters like the pandemic provide an opportunity to  and to expose the unequal social structures that are often hidden in everyday life.

A  found that in 2020, as the reality of the pandemic set in, discussions in caremonger groups turned towards difficult topics of social justice, inequality and colonization.

One group organizer who took part in the study shared that she felt COVID-19 unveiled the challenges faced by marginalized people.

鈥淸It] pulled a mask off of this but once COVID goes away, these problems do not go away 鈥� so right now is the time that we have to keep that mask off so that we make sure that whatever it looks like on the other side of COVID, there is more equity, there鈥檚 more justice, there鈥檚 more support and nurturing and recognition that we have been hiding people away and ignoring problems for far too long.鈥�

For example, the inequitable rollout of vaccines unveiled how governments have historically . It galvanized doctors, public health experts and community advocates to .

Many people saw the injustice in how the most affected neighbourhoods, , had the lowest vaccination rates while high-income neighbourhoods filled with white collar and remote workers had the .

A more equitable post-pandemic world

As the global emergency ends, we need to ask ourselves how a post-pandemic world could be more equitable, just and nurturing.

To begin, we can bring the energy of caring for others to our politics. The pandemic allowed people to connect with strangers in their neighbourhoods and country through the development of community good will across different geographies. This is what political scientist  called socially-constructed 鈥渋magined communities.鈥�

During the pandemic, a light was shone on the needs of those rarely prioritized in politics such as seniors in long-term care, children, low-income households and immunocompromised individuals.

 and we saw that in action throughout the pandemic.

We can apply our newly gained political awareness in the upcoming elections   and aim to achieve a politics that strives for a more equitable, just and nurturing approach to the distribution of resources through .

Second, the pandemic provided citizens with the time and motivation to think intentionally about life. Some have argued that the pandemic is an opportunity to 鈥溾�� with a focus on reimagining the way we want to live going forward. Indeed, many people have adapted  and more sustainable lifestyles.

In the U.K.,  during the pandemic.

Pandemic travel restrictions also produced some  around the world.  and raised people鈥檚 thresholds for what justifies their carbon emissions.

Others have become more  as part of the . More than  reported a desire to support local small businesses during the 2021 holiday season.

All this symbolizes a shift in thinking. As we reflect on the last three years, let us seize the opportunity to use the experience to create a more equitable, just and nurturing post-pandemic world.

By 91亚色 Assistant Professor of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.

This article is republished from .

The post We can uphold the solidarity created by COVID-19 even though WHO ended the international emergency appeared first on News@91亚色.

Between March 2020 and June 2022, families in Toronto experienced . Ontario schools closed for in-person , longer than , and government . Parents were left to figure out how to manage work, child care and virtual school.

We interviewed mothers of young children to reflect on how they managed their children鈥檚 screen media practices during this tumultuous time.

Our study is part of a larger collaborative research study, with researchers in , the United States, China, Colombia, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

 consumption and production can .

Our interviews suggest there is never-ending pressure on mothers to negotiate kids鈥� technology use. Mothers need support managing these new realities.

Constant re-negotiation of media use

Between January and July 2022, we interviewed 15 mothers in the Greater Toronto Area over Zoom. We recruited parents and caregivers through 10 neighbourhood parenting groups on Facebook. Only mothers responded. Participants had children between the ages of four to 12, with people based in downtown and midtown Toronto and North 91亚色, as well as Burlington and Niagara.

All mothers were in two-parent families, although one was solo parenting with the other parent overseas. Most were middle class. When asked to self-identify racial and ethnic backgrounds of both parents, a range of answers included southeast Asian, Chinese, Jewish, white, Chinese Canadian, Scottish, 鈥渂orn in India now Canadian鈥� and Canadian.

Mothers shared that for most of the pandemic, they were reassessing and re-negotiating their children鈥檚 technology use. Negotiations were focused on screen time and home spaces where children used technology.

These negotiations and decisions were loaded with moral implications. They were also refracted through families鈥� values and practices, mixed with anxieties about children as future adults 鈥� and nostalgia for mothers鈥� own childhoods in less technologically complex times.

Balancing time

Mothers鈥� reflections on screen time .

For example, mothers constructed some screen time as 鈥済ood鈥� if it involved skill-building, educational opportunities, communication with friends or family or was a family activity (like watching movies or playing with video consoles or online games together).

Mothers positioned video games played alone or with peers as more concerning. They worried about isolation and addiction. Families adopted strategies for monitoring screen time by using timers, scheduling screen time and limiting children鈥檚 access to WiFi or devices.

Guilt for letting someone down

Several mothers cited  around screen time, and many felt that these guidelines placed immense pressure and expectations on them as parents during the pandemic. While they cited these guidelines as ideal, following them was more complicated.

One mother stated: 鈥淚鈥檓 pretty sure we鈥檝e broken all those rules.鈥� She described parenting during the pandemic as 鈥渁n impossible balance鈥� of being in a 鈥渟urvival mode鈥� where sometimes 鈥渢he TV is [the] parent now, because I have to get work done so that I can, you know, generate an income.鈥�

This increased presence of technology in the home and her children鈥檚 increased screen time was connected to 鈥渇eelings of guilt鈥� of either letting her kids down by not being able to interact with them, or letting work down by 鈥渋gnoring tasks.鈥�

Balancing space

It was not just that time on screens was an 鈥渋mpossible balance鈥� but which screens were being used, where and for what (leisure or school). Families鈥� domestic spaces changed drastically with the lockdowns.

Open-concept houses made it easier to see what kids were doing with technology for leisure, but was distracting when kids and parents were trying to work and learn from home.

Parents who let their kids use the technology in the bedrooms found this allowed more focus for both the kids during school time and parents during the workday. However, this arrangement made it difficult to know what children were really doing online.

It took a toll

For some, reliable WiFi access wasn鈥檛 available in all spaces in the home, and  meant the digital encroached into spaces that parents had previously designated as tech free.

With online school, many mothers found they had to sit near their children to keep them focused and help with the technology. This was even more challenging for those who had two or more young children in school.

One mother described supporting two children online as constantly 鈥減ing ponging鈥� between them. Trying to work from home while supporting children took a toll. Many mothers described feeling frustrated as short lockdowns morphed into long months with no sense of returning to normal.

Some parents were able to transcend the school-home binary in a way that they were never able to before. These parents who closely supervised and supported their children with online school had a much greater sense of classroom dynamics between teachers, students and the curriculum.

Tech use changed a lot for families

As the pandemic wore on, decisions and negotiations around screen time and where that screen time happened in the home were ongoing, and perhaps impossible to get completely 鈥渞ight.鈥�

Technology use changed a lot for families during the pandemic. . Instead of one family computer for example, with online school, each child had access to their own device. This affected how mothers managed children鈥檚 and families鈥� time and space.

Mothers鈥� decisions around children鈥檚 screen media use are wrapped in worries about being a 鈥済ood parent,鈥� concerns around children鈥檚 childhood and futures and work-from-home realities.

There is no returning to the pre-pandemic realities of tech in the home. Many kids have new devices, spaces to use those devices 鈥� and expectations to use technology for activities that previously were offline.

Must accept shared responsibility

It鈥檚 not enough to think our society can manage families鈥� changed home tech use and the burden of responsibility it brings to mothers just by having medical professionals offer screen time guidelines. One-size-fits-all solutions like .

We need broader discussions that include the responsibilities of  and educational technology companies,  and , to name a few, to support families in navigating these new realities.

Co-written by 91亚色 Associate Professor Natalie Coulter and PhD student Lindsay C. Sheppard of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies

This article is republished from .

The post 鈥楴ever-ending pressure鈥�: Mothers need support managing kids鈥� technology use appeared first on News@91亚色.

Researchers find the face processing system in adults is rigidly fixed

TORONTO, September 13, 2022 鈥� More than two years after the start of the pandemic, adults still have difficulty recognizing people when their face is obscured by a mask, found a new study out of 91亚色.

Many people might have assumed their ability to recognize people鈥檚 faces despite their mask would improve over time, but not according to the latest research by scientists from 91亚色 and Ben-Gurion University in Israel. The research, , was published today in the journal Psychological Science.

Researchers found repeated exposure of masked faces throughout the pandemic has made zero difference in adults鈥� ability to recognize these half-hidden faces.

鈥淣either time nor experience with masked faces changed or improved the face mask effect,鈥� says 91亚色 Assistant Professor of Faculty of Health, the study鈥檚 senior author. 鈥淭his tells us that the adult brain doesn鈥檛 not seem to have the ability to change how it processes faces, even when presented with masked faces over an extended period of time.鈥�

The ongoing pandemic provided an unprecedented opportunity for the researchers to examine the plasticity of the mature face processing system.

The researchers repeatedly tested more than 2,000 adults by show them a series of faces, upright and inverted, with and without masks. Different groups of adults were tested at six different points in time during the pandemic. In addition, the researchers tested the same group near the start of the pandemic and 12-months later. In both the cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, adults showed absolutely no increase in their ability to recognize masked faces.

Previous research showed that adults鈥� facial recognition abilities decreased by about 15 per cent when the person wore a mask using the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT), which as considered as the standard to tap face recognition abilities. Face masks also interfere with how unmasked faces are processed 鈥� which is normally made in a holistic manner, rather than by the individual parts of the face. This new study not only used the CFMT, but also the Glasgow Face Match Test, an additional measure of face perception, to determine if anything changed since the last study.

鈥淭his shows that face processing in humans, at least in adults, is rigid even after prolonged real-life exposure to partially covered faces,鈥� says Freud.

Face sensitivity first shows up in newborns who exhibit a preference for faces or things that look similar to a face, and especially to familiar faces. In contrast to the mature face processing system, repeated exposure to faces as a child plays an important role in refining the face processing system, which continues to develop until the end of puberty.

Freud says it would be interesting to see if children鈥檚 ability to recognize masked faces changes over time with exposure, and whether the pandemic has interfered with their normal ability to recognize faces.

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91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:
Sandra McLean, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-272-6317, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Adults don鈥檛 get better at recognizing masked faces as time goes on, new study finds appeared first on News@91亚色.

91亚色 U motherhood expert available to discuss cracks in caregiving, women鈥檚 rights and gender equality policies

TORONTO, May 3, 2022 鈥� As families get ready to celebrate mothers this Mother鈥檚 Day with most COVID-19 pandemic related public health restrictions lifted, one 91亚色 motherhood expert says the pandemic has acted as a beacon to expose longstanding cracks in systems of caregiving, women鈥檚 rights and gender equality.

With the pandemic in its sixth wave, we are seeing the full extent of what mothers have lost and the real costs of the pandemic on them economically, culturally, socially, and psychologically, says Professor of the School of Gender, Sexuality, and Women鈥檚 Studies at 91亚色.

Citing a recent study by that reveals women were more likely to lose their jobs, did more unpaid care work and suffered worse during the pandemic, she says:  鈥淎s we recover from the pandemic, while it is important to recognize their labour, it is also crucial that public, social, medical and workplace policies that support and empower mothers are improved.

鈥淲hat mothers want for this Mother鈥檚 Day is this recognition, as they continue this necessary labour to allow all of us to heal and recover.鈥�

According to O鈥橰eilly, conversations and actions toward empowered social change are only possible with a matricentric approach that recognizes and supports the crucial work mothers did as frontline workers to keep families functioning throughout the pandemic and as we begin to "return to normal."

O鈥橰eilly, who is available for media interviews to discuss topics relating to mothers and motherhood, is a key organizer of a three-day global conference 鈥溾�� from May 5 to 7.

鈥淐ombining multidisciplinary and intersectional perspectives, we will examine the impact of the pandemic on mothers鈥� wellbeing, and care and wage labour in the context of employment, schooling, resettlement, and family relationships,鈥� O鈥橰eilly notes.

As the title suggests, the conference will bring together scholars, practitioners, and activists to explore the impact of the pandemic on mothers and families around the world while considering strategies for the post-COVID climb-out.

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91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-272-6317, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Pandemic, a beacon exposing systemic issues facing mothers appeared first on News@91亚色.

91亚色 researchers find meteorology played an important and unaccounted role

TORONTO, Nov. 16, 2021 鈥� Observational data shows air pollution in India decreased drastically in the first COVID-19 lockdown when emissions from vehicles naturally declined, but 91亚色 researchers say those numbers only tell part of the story 鈥� blue skies and an absence of visible smog can be deceiving and hide pollutants that could potentially cause health issues.

Air pollution results from a complex mix of interactions between emissions, meteorology, such as wind direction and rain, as well as chemistry, but looking only at observational data as many recent studies have done without take meteorology into account, skews the numbers.

The researchers found that some air pollutants didn鈥檛 drop nearly as much as first thought and even more surprising was that ozone levels increased even as other pollutants decreased. The air looked much cleaner, but that allowed more sunshine to get through, creating conditions for ozone (0₃) to increase up to 30 per cent.

鈥淭o accurately quantify the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on air pollutant levels, meteorology and atmospheric chemistry needs to be considered in addition to emissions,鈥� says 91亚色 postdoctoral researcher Leigh Crilley, who led the Faculty of Science research along with 91亚色 Associate Professor and team. 鈥淥ur research shows the decline in local emissions had less influence on the decrease in air pollutants than first thought.鈥�

Cora Young

As the national lockdown in India reduced major urban sources of air pollution, such as traffic, industry and construction, it gave the researchers an opportunity to study the contribution of local sources of air pollutants during normal meteorological conditions.

To get a clearer picture of potential decreases in air pollution, Crilley and Young focussed their study on nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and 0₃, as well as what was happening meteorologically at multiple locations within two cities in India 鈥� Delhi and Hyderabad 鈥� during the start of the first lockdown, from March 24 to April 24, 2020.

Air pollution is a known health risk and India has some of the worst air pollution globally resulting in a disproportionally high level of mortality and disease. It is estimated that air pollution exposure, particularly PM_2.5, resulted in the death of 1.27 million people in 2017.

Cities in India also have some of the highest 0₃ levels in the world, which can be formed from a complexity of sources and chemistry, either NOx-limited or volatile organic compounds (VOC)-limited.

The researchers used hourly data from air quality monitoring stations for levels of PM_2.5, NOx and 0_3, and hourly meteorological and visibility data. They compared that data to the same dates from the previous three years to evaluate changes due to the lockdown. A boosted regression tree model was built to account for the influence of meteorology on observed levels.

When only taking observational data into account, NOx and PM_2.5 fell by up to 57 per cent and 75 per cent respectively, but when meteorology was factored in, those percentages fell to less than eight per cent for PM_2.5 and between five and 30 per cent in both cities, while 0₃ increased.

They found that local sources of emissions, such as vehicles and the burning of fuels, had less influence on air pollution levels than regional emissions sources, while weather events and atmospheric chemical processes contributed independently to air pollutant levels.

鈥淲e demonstrate that regional sources, such as rural and agriculturally based emissions, that may have been less affected by the lockdown, have a significant influence on PM_2.5 levels in Delhi and Hyderabad after weather-normalization. This indicates that future PM_2.5 mitigation strategies should focus on national-scale, as well as local sources,鈥� says Young.

鈥淥verall, this study highlights the impact of emissions, meteorology and chemistry on air pollution and that all three should be considered when assessing the effects of any short-term intervention on air pollutants.鈥�

In addition, the research team found that ozone production in Delhi is likely VOC-limited and, as such, attempts to mitigate it should focus on dominant VOC sources.

The researchers say this really points to the need regulators to understand the complex factors involved in air pollution if they are going to make policies to reduce pollutants and ozone.

The paper, , was published in the journal Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts.

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91亚色听is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-272-6317,听sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Air pollution decrease in India during COVID-19 lockdown not as high as originally thought appeared first on News@91亚色.

91亚色 researchers find meteorology played an important and unaccounted role

TORONTO, Nov. 16, 2021 鈥� Observational data shows air pollution in India decreased drastically in the first COVID-19 lockdown when emissions from vehicles naturally declined, but 91亚色 researchers say those numbers only tell part of the story 鈥� blue skies and an absence of visible smog can be deceiving and hide pollutants that could potentially cause health issues.

Air pollution results from a complex mix of interactions between emissions, meteorology, such as wind direction and rain, as well as chemistry, but looking only at observational data as many recent studies have done without take meteorology into account, skews the numbers.

The researchers found that some air pollutants didn鈥檛 drop nearly as much as first thought and even more surprising was that ozone levels increased even as other pollutants decreased. The air looked much cleaner, but that allowed more sunshine to get through, creating conditions for ozone (0₃) to increase up to 30 per cent.

鈥淭o accurately quantify the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on air pollutant levels, meteorology and atmospheric chemistry needs to be considered in addition to emissions,鈥� says 91亚色 postdoctoral researcher Leigh Crilley, who led the Faculty of Science research along with 91亚色 Associate Professor and team. 鈥淥ur research shows the decline in local emissions had less influence on the decrease in air pollutants than first thought.鈥�

Cora Young

As the national lockdown in India reduced major urban sources of air pollution, such as traffic, industry and construction, it gave the researchers an opportunity to study the contribution of local sources of air pollutants during normal meteorological conditions.

To get a clearer picture of potential decreases in air pollution, Crilley and Young focussed their study on nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and 0₃, as well as what was happening meteorologically at multiple locations within two cities in India 鈥� Delhi and Hyderabad 鈥� during the start of the first lockdown, from March 24 to April 24, 2020.

Air pollution is a known health risk and India has some of the worst air pollution globally resulting in a disproportionally high level of mortality and disease. It is estimated that air pollution exposure, particularly PM_2.5, resulted in the death of 1.27 million people in 2017.

Cities in India also have some of the highest 0₃ levels in the world, which can be formed from a complexity of sources and chemistry, either NOx-limited or volatile organic compounds (VOC)-limited.

The researchers used hourly data from air quality monitoring stations for levels of PM_2.5, NOx and 0_3, and hourly meteorological and visibility data. They compared that data to the same dates from the previous three years to evaluate changes due to the lockdown. A boosted regression tree model was built to account for the influence of meteorology on observed levels.

When only taking observational data into account, NOx and PM_2.5 fell by up to 57 per cent and 75 per cent respectively, but when meteorology was factored in, those percentages fell to less than eight per cent for PM_2.5 and between five and 30 per cent in both cities, while 0₃ increased.

They found that local sources of emissions, such as vehicles and the burning of fuels, had less influence on air pollution levels than regional emissions sources, while weather events and atmospheric chemical processes contributed independently to air pollutant levels.

鈥淲e demonstrate that regional sources, such as rural and agriculturally based emissions, that may have been less affected by the lockdown, have a significant influence on PM_2.5 levels in Delhi and Hyderabad after weather-normalization. This indicates that future PM_2.5 mitigation strategies should focus on national-scale, as well as local sources,鈥� says Young.

鈥淥verall, this study highlights the impact of emissions, meteorology and chemistry on air pollution and that all three should be considered when assessing the effects of any short-term intervention on air pollutants.鈥�

In addition, the research team found that ozone production in Delhi is likely VOC-limited and, as such, attempts to mitigate it should focus on dominant VOC sources.

The researchers say this really points to the need regulators to understand the complex factors involved in air pollution if they are going to make policies to reduce pollutants and ozone.

The paper, , was published in the journal Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts.

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91亚色听is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-272-6317,听sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Air pollution decrease in India during COVID-19 lockdown not as high as originally thought appeared first on News@91亚色.

TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2020 鈥� Multi-jurisdictional, multi-municipality and diverse cities, while especially vulnerable to emerging infectious disease, can play a significant role in the public health response to pandemics like COVID-19.

An upcoming webinar, 鈥淲hy Pandemics, Such as COVID-19, Require a Metropolitan Response,鈥� hosted by 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC) and NYU鈥檚 Marron Institute of Urban Management, will look at emerging evidence from New 91亚色, Wuhan, Paris, and Johannesburg. The webinar will take place on Thursday, Dec. 3, from 11 am to 12:30 pm.

Much of the world鈥檚 urban population is now part of an interconnected and extended metropolitan area across multiple local and regional jurisdictions.

鈥淚t is precisely this interconnectedness, in combination with socioeconomic diversity and inequality, that makes these metropolitan agglomerations both more vulnerable to pandemics and ultimately better able to confront them,鈥� says EUC Professor , panel moderator.

The panellists are calling for the empowerment of metropolitan governmental structures to deal with the challenges of the current pandemic and future emerging infectious disease threats.

Professor , director of the NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management, will open the webinar, while Keil will introduce the topic, featuring his work in Toronto.

Panellists will give 10-minute presentations focused on four metropolitan areas:

• New 91亚色: 笔谤辞蹿别蝉蝉辞谤听, director of Urban Expansion at the听NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management;
• Wuhan: 笔谤辞蹿别蝉蝉辞谤听, Department of Sociology, Michigan State University;
• Paris: Eric Huybrechts,听Urban and Environmental planning Agency of Greater Paris Region;
• Johannesburg: 笔谤辞蹿别蝉蝉辞谤听, School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

笔谤辞蹿别蝉蝉辞谤听 of the Department of Sociology, University of Chicago, will present a commentary followed by a Q&A session.

RSVP here:

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91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-272-6317, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Cities are best positioned to respond to pandemics, COVID-19 appeared first on News@91亚色.

What you need to know working from home during this pandemic

TORONTO, Monday, March 30, 2020 鈥� Millions of people around the world are staying home to follow听rules around social distancing听as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As many听adjust moving from听their听office space to听their听work-from-home space, how can they prevent听muscles and joints听from stiffening and deteriorating?

础蝉蝉颈蝉迟补苍迟听笔谤辞蹿别蝉蝉辞谤 , in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science program at 91亚色, has this advice for anyone working from home: 鈥渂e sure to get up and move.鈥� As a Certified Athletic Therapist, Kinesiologist and Physiotherapist as well as a faculty member in the Faculty of Health, his clinical treatment expertise is in the field of manual and exercise therapy, focusing on neck, shoulder and back pain. He educates and mentors Athletic Therapists, Physiotherapists, and Kinesiology students.

Boni offers key insight on what our muscles, joints and back may need during the next few weeks and months, during different phases of the new norm.

Many people听are听adjusting听to the new reality of听working from home in different workspaces听than they are used to.听听What should people do to look after their muscles and joints听during this time?

With the increased sedentary activity, people are likely sitting longer at this point in time just because they're avoiding their听commute component to the going in and out of work, be it听walking from the car to their office and less movement in general,听that may create more stiffness in our muscles and in our joints.听It's important to recognize that and to do something to counteract that.听One simple strategy to counteract this, can simply be to increase your water intake, which forces your body to have to get up and go to the bathroom. This means that you're moving and getting out of a seated position. Drinking more water also helps to hydrate your muscles and joints further helping to prevent some of that stiffness.

The increasing stiffness and the stagnation of blood flow may lead you to feeling a little bit colder. If you have been sitting for a long period of time 鈥� people may recognize this by feeling听a little bit colder 鈥� your hands and feet specifically will feel cold, that鈥檚 due to a lack of听proper circulation to your extremities.

For those who regularly go to the gym or physiotherapy, but cannot due to social distancing now, what can we incorporate into our schedule to manage the gap?

I think it's imperative that people create a schedule for themselves to include some aerobic or cardiovascular fitness component into their daily routine. Obviously, for the person that's not used to going to the gym, it can be as simple as going for a walk.

Here are some tips:

• Create a schedule for exercise, either morning or lunchtime.
• Include听a听cardiovascular fitness component into your听daily routine.
• If you don鈥檛 normally go to the gym, include a walk in your day, or if you do normally go to the听gym, stair听climbing, home seated rowing, stationary bike are good options.
• Try to get听outside听to do some of your conditioning outside听such as riding a bike,听running,听walking, which can be done still while practicing the social distancing.
• For those people who are used to doing strength training, it's still important to maintain some strength and if you don't have the exercise equipment to help maintain some of that you can do a lot of body-based type of exercises. These can be simple old-fashioned calisthenic exercises like a push-up, a pull-up sit-up, body squats or lunges, if you have the ability to do that.
• Getting some form of strengthening at least three times a week to maintain the gains听that听you听may have听achieved through听a听gym听routine is an important strategy.

Watch Professor Boni explain quick things you can do at your desk below:

How can we prevent back strain in our new work-from-home routines?

Back strain or what's known as lumbago,听(low back pain) or neck and shoulder pain,听is commonly seen in an office worker regardless,听and perhaps more so with a person now being in a different workspace environment that your body is not accustomed to,听you may find that your muscles may become a little bit听more sore. To prevent this, it becomes even more important to get up physically and move out of that position.

Tips for your workspace:

• Be听mindful of the setup of your workspace so听that it has听a 90-90-90听type of position where your hips are flexed or听bent to 90 degrees,听your knees are bent to 90 degrees and your elbows are bent to 90 degrees.
• The top of your computer screen should basically be at eye level.
• If you don't have that set up then you need to modify your workstation at home.
• Keep听a simple roll in the small of your back to help prevent the excessive prolonged flexed position听to avoid听a lot of stress and strain on your intervertebral discs.
• And simply try to get up and move听out of听stagnant positions.

Given this pandemic is fluid and will likely have different phases,听what should we know about the impact on our muscles听during the different stages听and how听迟辞听补诲箩耻蝉迟听our听exercise routines?听

"As we go through the phases of the pandemic our muscles and joints will actually start to adapt to the new stresses that our bodies are being placed on. That means that while you鈥檙e sitting in a new environment for the first week or two, you may start to feel those aches and pains but within the third and fourth week, your muscles may start to adjust. Your body still needs movement to occur and you must recognize the need for some kind of an exercise routine."

It's no different than the bus driver who sits all day long. Although over time the driver鈥檚 body starts to adapt and adjust, the body is being strained and the driver may just not be feeling it. Over the duration of the next few weeks, it will be important to keep a schedule for exercise. Maybe after lunch, you go for a 30-minute walk or you schedule your workout routine during the morning. It's still important to maintain that schedule so that your body comes to recognize that it's going to have some component of exercise. And during your workday, getting up out of the seated position twice an hour may help counteract some of that body stress and strain.

For听people听looking to use online videos or apps to听exercise, what advice do you have on how they should pick the best one?听

It can get very confusing for the public on what exercise they can do. It comes down to individual need. This is where a Certified Athletic Therapist, Physiotherapist or Fitness professional can really evaluate what your individual strengths and deficits that need to be worked on are, and then prescribe a specific exercise routine. If it鈥檚 cardiovascular that you need to increase in your routine, then exercises like yoga and Pilates won鈥檛 provide that so much, therefore you should be looking at more of an upbeat tempo type of exercise or video. But each person鈥檚 need is individualized and there is no one size fits all with respect to the exercise routines that are out there. Having said that, generally most people should be incorporating three key elements in their exercise routine: 1) Something that increases their heart rate, so a cardiovascular-based activity, 2) something that promotes maintenance or gain of muscle strength which may also promote bone health, and 3) exercise that improves flexibility or mobility. Varying amounts of these elements should be incorporated into an exercise routine. Find out where your need or deficits lie to create a balanced approach.

91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

For interviews with Professor Boni contact:听Anjum Nayyar, 91亚色 Media Relations, cell 437-242-1547,听anayyar@yorku.ca

The post Why joints and muscles need attention while working from home appeared first on News@91亚色.