Tag Archives: media

SARS-CoV-2 & Back-To-School (Part 2). Ventilation & cleaning concerns

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SARS-CoV-2 and Back-to-School Part 2: Transmission through air and surfaces

In Part 2 of this series we discuss the relative risk of infection through circulating air and on surfaces and some easy examples of how to break up air circulation patterns in schools.
Major points include:
1) Risks from circulating air versus surfaces
2) How masks, outside time (especially during meal time and when shouting/singing/playing music) and opening windows and doors can help reduce risk.
3) What to clean and when.
4) Beware of the break room! Occupational transmission often comes from colleagues – reduce the risk.

To download the slides, click here.

Dr. Bowdish talks with the CBC about whether we should worry about the coronovirus.

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Canada is repatriating citizens from Wuhan, China. Should we be worried that this will bring the coronovirus to Canada?
Dr. Bowdish talks to CBC about the risks of bringing Canadians home, what we can do to protect ourselves from infection, and reveals that there is a virus circulating in Canada right now with similar symptoms that has killed hundreds of Canadians and is expected to kill hundreds more (it’s influenza and you should get your flu shot).

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-82-here-and-now-toronto/clip/15758125-canada-is-going-to-try-and-repatriate-citizens-stuck-in-wuhan.-what-happens-next

Bowdish lab research on the evolution of MARCO featured in the New York Times

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Our research on the scavenger receptor MARCO was featured in an article “Air Pollution, Evolution, and the Fate of Billions of Humans” by Carl Zimmer in the New York Times. In this manuscript we collaborated with Dr. Brian Golding, an expert in evolutionary biology in order to understand the evolution of this macrophage receptor. MARCO (or macrophage receptor with collagenous structure) is expressed on macrophages where it binds bacteria and particles such as those found in dust and air pollution. We had hypothesized that because it is the receptor for two pathogens, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, that have played a major part in driving human evolution, that we might find evidence of areas of the receptor that were undergoing rapid evolution to protect us from this pathogen.

In order to determine which regions of the protein were changing we performed a phylogenetic analysis of the sequence of MARCO from humans, our close ancestors, the Denisovians and Neanderthals, and primates. We found a few interesting things. There was one mutation, which we call F282S (282 refers to the 282nd amino acid in the protein, the F = phenylalanine and the S= serine), had changed very rapidly. All our primate, Denisovian and Neanderthal relatives had a serine residue in that position but fully 83% of the human genomes we analyzed had a phenylalanine. The fact that this mutation spread so quickly through the population means that there must have been very strong selection pressure. We cloned both variants and found that the human specific variant was indeed better at binding inert particles and bacteria. There were a few other interesting mutations we characterized (see article below) but the take home message is that some of the evolutionary adaptations we have made to deal with pathogens may have influenced our ability to handle air pollution or, since the savannah was predicted to be a dry and dusty place, the adaptations we’ve made to deal with particulates in the air may have changed our response to pathogens.

To read the full article, see below.

Human-specific mutations and positively-selected sites in MARCO confer functional changes. Novakowski KE, Yap NVL, Yin C, Sakamoto K, Heit B, Golding GB, Bowdish DME. Mol Biol Evol. 2017 Nov 20. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msx298.
PMID: 2916561

Why does the public mistrust science? Radio interview with CHML.

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Dr Bowdish talks to Scott Thompson on  CHML radio about a recent survey suggesting that more Canadians have lost their trust in science. Are scientists elitist? What can scientists do to regain the public’s trust ? Listen to this clip to hear more….

November is Lung Month – what do older adults need to know about pneumonia?

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Dr Bowdish is the Canadian Lung Association’s spokesperson for World Pneumonia Day (November 12, 2018). Here she discusses the importance of being vaccinated for pneumonia….

She also speaks to Zoomer Magazine about pneumonia, vaccinations and the aging immune system here…

To get a sense of the other lung research going on in the Bowdish lab, see our Instagram page: house.macrophage

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Dr. Bowdish talks to Zoomer Radio about how older adults can protect themselves from pneumonia.

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 Listen to the interview here.

#TakeABreather at the Lung Association’s Pop-up Park.

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On average, everyone takes an astonishing 22,000 breaths per day – something we’re not conscious of doing.  And, although breathing is fundamental to life, lung research doesn’t get the attention it truly needs.

November is Lung Month, the perfect time to reinforce and remind Canadians how important it is to #TakeABreather. To capture attention, invite participation and help raise donations for lung research, The Lung Association is launching interactive pop-up parks across Canada.

Joseph Neale is a "Breathing Ambassador" who survived lung cancer when he was only 20 years old. Despite having surgery he got his voice back and is hoping to win a "Grammy for Lung Cancer Research". Together we answered questions at the #TakeABreather pop-up park at Sherway Gardens. Stories like his remind me that I need to be the best scientist that I can be to make the discoveries that will improve the lives of those living with lung disease.

Joseph Neale is a “Breathing Ambassador” who survived lung cancer when he was only 20 years old. Despite having surgery he got his voice back and is hoping to win a “Grammy for Lung Cancer Research”. Together we answered questions at the #TakeABreather pop-up park at Sherway Gardens. Stories like his remind me that I need to be the best scientist that I can be to make the discoveries that will improve the lives of those living with lung disease.

Highlight’s of the kick off were livestreamed on Breathing as One’s Facebook Page – be sure to check them out!

It was such an honour to hear Joseph's story of overcoming lung cancer and to share what the research community is working on. We all agreed - more money for lung research!

It was such an honour to hear Joseph’s story of overcoming lung cancer and to share what the research community is working on. We all agreed – more money for lung research!

Remember, everything shared with #takeabreather is being curated at breathingasone.ca – take a look and make your contribution today!

Don’t forget, there are three ways that you can get involved:

VISIT THE POP-UP PARK

  • Pop in and take a breather and a selfie, and share it on social

    Nuno Lourenço (Balanced Heart Being) led us through a yoga practice at the pop-up park.

    Nuno Lourenço (Balanced Heart Being) led us through a yoga practice at the pop-up park.

    media with #takeabreather

  • We even have our very own custom #takeabreather Snapchat filter – but you’ll have to visit to see it!
  • Location: Sherway Gardens (25 The West Mall)
  • When: Thursday, Nov. 3 (11:00-8:00); Friday, Nov. 4 (11:00-8:00); Saturday, Nov. 5 (10:30-8:00); Sunday, Nov. 6 (12:00-5:00)

SHARE #TAKEABREATHER ON SOCIAL MEDIA

  • Can’t visit the park? Instead, show us your favourite time and place to take a breather with #takeabreather
  • It could be anywhere, anytime – in a field, on a hillside, at dawn or sunset, at the gym, or watching your kids play
  • Tell us why you love breathing, why you love this particular breathing moment, what your breath does for you, and any other breathing thoughts you want to share
  • Don’t forget #takeabreather
  • All contributions will be curated at BreathingasOne.ca

    It was great to meet the health and wellness bloggers who supported the #TakeABreather event! Darlene Anderson (The New Girl), Cory Lee (The Fashion Set), Joseph Neale (Take a Breather & Breathing as One Ambassador), Dr. Dawn Bowdish (Board Member), Marybeth DeSantos (Life in Rouge)

    It was great to meet the health and wellness bloggers who supported the #TakeABreather event! Darlene Anderson (The New Girl), Cory Lee (The Fashion Set), Joseph Neale (Take a Breather & Breathing as One Ambassador), Dr. Dawn Bowdish (Board Member), Marybeth DeSantos (Life in Rouge)

SPREAD THE WORD

  • Challenge your friends, family, and extended networks to #takeabreather by forwarding the information above!

It’s time Canadians stop taking our breath for granted. Through Breathing as One and the #TakeABreather campaign, together, we can lead the conversation, and radically change the way we think about breathing.