COVID19 and Me: A Telling of my Personal Experience with the Coronavirus - Update 04/02/2021

I wrote a piece called “COVID19 and Me: A telling of my personal experience with the coronavirus” on the 16th of September, two months post-diagnosis. In the weeks that followed my recovery, I was extremely lucky. An increasing concern in the medical field has been a series of symptoms that can present after a person has contracted the coronavirus, which has since coined the term “Post-COVID Syndrome.” These symptoms can range from mild to debilitating, from brain fog to difficulty breathing. Decreased lung capacity has also been studied since the pandemics' rise. A group of scientists in southeastern China studied lung function in individuals who had contracted the coronavirus and came to the conclusion that, “of the 40 non-severe and 17 severe cases, 31 patients (54.4%) still had abnormal findings on chest computed tomography (CT). The rate of abnormalities was much higher in severe (16 or 17, or 94.1%) than in mild illness (15/ 31, 37.5%).” Although I now have no known lasting impacts from the coronavirus, I did experience difficulty breathing at times, largely when lying down. This lasted for approximately two months after my recovery. Again, I’d like to reiterate that I have been extremely fortunate to have recovered swiftly, and I’d like to end this update off with the current death count. 2 280 000 individuals have lost their lives due to this virus.

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 Huang, Y., Tan, C., Wu, J. et al. Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on pulmonary function in early convalescence phase. Respir Res 21, 163 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-020-01429-6

COVID Awareness: COVID Health and Safety Precautions: How To Manage in COVID Times By Logan Steggall

COVID Health and Safety Precautions: How To Manage in COVID Times By Logan Steggall 

Here is my advice on how to stay safe in COVID Times. Follow this well researched advice and stay safe!

COVID Health and Safety Precautions: How to Manage In COVID Times

Science related career report:

Erin Fletcher  

SCH4U – Energy changes and Rates of Reactions (Unit D)   

Title of job: Environmental engineer 

Job duties:  

In their work, environmental engineers assess the environmental impact of governmental and  private sector projects. They help design and build water systems in urban areas as well as  water treatment and sewage treatment plants. They may also advise companies about laws and  regulations concerning the impact of their projects on the natural environment. They prevent  the release of toxic materials by applying their knowledge of chemistry and bio.  

Skill Sets:  

-Logical  

-Strong math and computer skills  

-Problem solving skills  

-Have an understanding of modern day humans’ impact on the environment. -Understand the laws, regulations and policies related to the environmental impact. 

Personality/ Aptitude Requirements: 

-Enjoy working outside  

-Interested in the natural environment  

-Enjoy working as part of a team  

-Enjoys and is able to travel  

-Enjoy learning new things; environmental engineers will always need to update their  knowledge depending on what project they are working on. 

Education requirements: 

In order to become an environmental engineer you need at least a bachelor’s degree in  chemical, civil or environmental engineering. An Ontario high school student wanting to get  into University of Waterloo for Environmental Engineering would need to take grade 12  chemistry, physics, English, advanced functions and calculus and vectors and obtain a minimum 

grade of 70% in each course. To become a professional engineer (A P.Eng) and work they have  to take a licensing test. This test can be only taken after completing a recognizable bachelor’s  degree (like one in engineering) as well as two to four years of supervised work as an  environmental engineer. 

Potential employers: 

Potential employers include governments, environmental consulting firms, and engineering  companies. 

Salary Range:  

Environmental engineers can make between $50 000 and $135 000. This salary typically  depends on the engineer’s level of experience and education. For example an engineer may be  promoted to a more senior position and make more money if they have a graduate degree or if  they have worked a long time as an engineer.  

Sites used: 

“Welcome to Career Cruising 2.0.” Career Cruising,  

https://www2.careercruising.com/careers/profile-at-a-glance/166 

Lucas, Jim. “What Is Environmental Engineering?” LiveScience, Purch, 22 Oct. 2014,  www.livescience.com/48390-environmental 

engineering.html#:~:text=The%20work%20of%20environmental%20engineers,water%20i s%20safe%20to%20drink.&text=Environmental%20engineering%20is%20the%20branch, well%20as%20improving%20environmental%20quality

What are the benefits of installing solar panels and how do they impact the environment? What conditions maximize the production of solar power?

Solar panels have many economic and environmental benefits. While they currently account for only two percent of Canada’s energy supply, it’s estimated that solar power will become the main global source of energy by 2050. They are a renewable energy source that converts solar energy into power that can be used as electricity. They are a benefit to the environment, as unlike nonrenewable energy, they do not emit the greenhouse gases, which are feeding the climate emergency. Their size and modularity means that they can be scaled up or down depending on how much space is available, unlike other forms of power like hydroelectric dams. They are also cheaper than non-renewables, which require a continuous supply of fossil fuels like natural gas or coal. In addition, once they are installed and payed for, solar panels will continue to produce energy and provide a return on the investment.

Solar panels consist of two types of silicon (n-type above and p-type below). When photons hit the panel they transfer their energy to electrons in the p-type and cause them to move from the p-type to the n-type. This generates electricity.

There are many factors that influence how much energy gets produced from solar panels. For example, solar cells work better at lower temperatures, as higher temperatures cause a decrease in voltage and a decrease in the amount of energy generated. Furthermore in the winter months the sun is in the sky for a shorter period of time so solar panels are tipped forward, however in the summer the sun is in the sky for a longer period of time so the panels are tipped back to allow for more sun exposure. People also need to clean the snow off the panels in the winter for it to generate more electricity.  

We installed solar panels at our house in the backyard almost ten years ago. We sell the power to the grid under the microFIT program, but this program is no longer available for new applicants with solar panels due to it having been canceled by the Ontario government. This will lead to fewer people installing solar panels and will therefore have a negative effect on the environment as more nonrenewable fuels will be used instead. 

Sources used:

Government of Canada, Canada Energy Regulator. “Canada Energy Regulator / Régie De L'énergie Du Canada.” CER, Canada Energy Regulator / Régie De L'énergie Du Canada, 29 Jan. 2021, www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles-ontario.html#:~:text=In%202018%2C%20about%2096%25%20of,natural%20gas%2C%20with%20some%20biomass

 “7 Benefits of Using Solar Energy.” United Kingdom, www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2014/09/7-benefits-of-using-solar-energy 

“Solar Performance and Efficiency.” Energy.gov, www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-performance-and-efficiency#:~:text=Temperature%E2%80%94Solar%20cells%20generally%20work,much%20larger%20decrease%20in%20voltage

Woodford, Chris. “How Do Solar Cells Work?” Explain That Stuff, 15 Aug. 2020, www.explainthatstuff.com/solarcells.html#howd

What is the chemical process of hydraulic fracking? How does fracking affect the environment, specifically waterways and human health?

Hydraulic fracking (fracking) is a process used to produce oil and natural gas by drilling down into the earth and pushing a high pressure water, sand and chemical mixture into sedimentary rocks, which causes them to crack and allows shale gas to be extracted. The water mixture contains chemicals, such as acids like hydrochloric acid, which helps dissolve the rock so that the gas can be extracted more easily. Once they are done, the waste water is dumped deep beneath the ground. It’s estimated that 1.5-16 million gallons of water are used for a single fracking well.

Fracking does a lot of damage to the environment in multiple different ways. Drilling into rock formations and dumping thousands of gallons of wastewater into the ground puts pressure on the faults and cause them to move which can trigger earthquakes. Since fracking began in Oklahoma, there has been a 900% increase in earthquakes in the state, where there is now an average of two earthquakes per day.

Fracking generates air pollution, when gas and other chemicals extracted leak out from wells. Waterways and ecosystems can also be contaminated when waste water is dumped below ground and moves through semi permeable rocks into aquifers and into waterways. Due to these negative effects, provinces like Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador have temporally banned fracking until the health and environmental consequences are fully understood.

These environmental contaminates could affect people in nearby communities and increase risks for cancer, neurological problems and birth defects. In view of these concerns and growing evidence about the risks, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) have called on the federal government to completely ban fracking in Canada.    

Sources used:

April 19, 2019 Melissa Denchak. “Fracking 101.” NRDC, 4 Nov. 2020, www.nrdc.org/stories/fracking-101#whatis  

“Do Fracking Activities Cause Earthquakes?” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/do-fracking-activities-cause-earthquakes-1.3556524  

Vogel, Lauren. “Fracking Tied to Cancer-Causing Chemicals.” CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De L'Association Medicale Canadienne, Joule Inc., 16 Jan. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5235941/  

NBV3E First Nations, Metis, Inuit Beliefs, Values, and Aspirations in a Contemporary Society

 NBV3E CV Course Assignments

How have scientists utilized nanotechnology as lipid nanoparticles in the Covid-19 vaccine? How does this technology help the vaccine carry out its function of immunizing the public to the virus?

 

Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of atoms and molecules in order to make something function and used in sectors such as electronics, textile and energy storage. In the case of nanotechnology in the Covid-19 vaccine lipid nanoparticles (LNP) are used to help strands of mRNA (used to code for proteins) reach their target cell without them being degraded by enzymes in the body such as ribonucleases. LNPs are typically 30-180 nanometers long and their structure consists of an aqueous core with a lipid bilayer made up of different kinds of lipids, most commonly phospholipids, cholesterol and polyethylene glycol. They are formed by condensing lipids in an ethanol-water solution with the mRNA dissolved in solution so that the lipids form around the solution. The mRNA strands along with the cell membranes have negative like charges, however the LNPs have a positive charge which allows the mRNA to get into the cell. If the LNPs were not there, the mRNA would be broken down and would not be able to get inside the cell and code for spike proteins to train the antibodies in the immune system and allow it to create memory B-cells.    

This benefits society because this type of vaccine which uses mRNA, could not have been developed without LNPs. Developing vaccines that don’t use mRNA may have taken a longer time, resulting in more people contracting and dying from the virus.    

Bibliography:

Reichmuth, Andreas M, et al. “MRNA Vaccine Delivery Using Lipid Nanoparticles.” Therapeutic Delivery, Future Science Ltd, 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5439223/

Thomas, Dr. Liji. “Design of an MRNA SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Encapsulated in Lipid Nanoparticles.” News, 20 Oct. 2020, www.news-medical.net/news/20201019/Design-of-an-mRNA-SARS-CoV-2-vaccine-encapsulated-in-lipid-nanoparticles.aspx