Covid-19: What does the new distinction between “positive” and “weak positive” correspond to in the result of PCR tests?

October 16, 2020 by drbyos

Question asked on 10/08/2020

Hello,

The analysis of the results of RT-PCR tests that measure the viral load of Sars-CoV-2 in a patient has been the subject of much debate in recent months. These tests make it possible to detect the RNA (molecule close to DNA) of the virus in the patient’s nasopharyngeal sample, thanks to a process of amplification of the genome by cycles. The techniques available make it possible to target between 1 and 3 viral genes. The more cycles it takes to make the RNA noticeable (this value is generally between 10 and 45) the less virus there is in the sample taken. This threshold cycle (CT) from which a result is positive has been at the heart of the debates for several weeks.

In the United States, an article from New York Times published at the end of August cast doubt on the usefulness of these tests practiced all over the world as part of the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic, as we explained in a previous answer. With a value of

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Emma Donada

How racist are the three kings?

October 13, 2020 by drbyos

Can the representation of the Magi with the black Melchior be racist? A debate has broken out on this question. It sparked a parish in Ulm. And the carol singers are now also being discussed.

Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar belong to the Christmas story like shepherds, like angels, like ox and donkey. But is that correct? Ever since a Protestant parish from Ulm wanted to banish the Three Kings from its Christmas crib as a precaution because of racist characteristics, there is a debate about how to depict the wise men from the Orient today. Even if it’s a long time until Christmas.

“Nonsense in Perfection”

“From today’s perspective, the wooden figure of Melchior with its thick lips and misshapen stature is clearly to be seen as racist”, the dean of the Protestant Münster community, Ernst-Wilhelm Gohl, explains the decision. That makes waves. While there is also a discussion in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, it is said from the Diocese of Passau: “At first, this topic left us speechless.” Opinions differ.

The spokesman for the diocese of Regensburg, Clemens Neck, cannot understand the decision. “It is clear that the portrayal of King Melchior as a black person has nothing in common with racist thinking. In this way, allegations deprive a long tradition of its impartiality and subject it to inadequate pressure to adapt.”

The “Passauer Neue Presse” published a whole special page on Friday with letters from outraged readers: “Nonsense in perfection” and “ridiculous kneeling before a presumed public opinion”. The Black People Initiative in Germany, on the other hand, found the decision to be correct. “It shows that there is now a more consistent approach to handling racism there, “says spokesman Tahir Della.” I see political leaders as having a duty. “With a view to basic values of society, they should also make decisions that would not be immediately supported by the majority.

“Very ambivalent situation”

Jürgen Bärsch, Vice Dean of the Theological Faculty of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, speaks of a “very mixed situation”. “In the Ulm case, it is very striking that stereotypes are used that are problematic.” It is true that it is an older representation that must be seen in the context of its time. “But in this discussion you have to keep in mind that we have a different sensitivity today – especially because of the current debate on racism in the USA.”

The art historian Stephan Hoppe from the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich is fundamentally critical of interventions in art. “You can add to the story and comment on it. But you can’t twist the story as you would like it to.”

For Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, Chairman of the Council of the Protestant Church in Germany, the Three Wise Men are above all “part of the fascination of the Christmas story”. “For me it is crucial whether the depiction of different skin colors implicitly or explicitly implies different values,” says the Bavarian regional bishop. “The Three Wise Men are about high-ranking personalities who come to the manger together with the poor shepherds. Different values are not ascribed here. On the contrary.”

“Is it appropriate that one of the carolers should be painted black?”

Carol singers: The sponsors of the Dreikönigssingen campaign recommend that children no longer wear black make-up. (Source: Future Image / imago images)

But the debate is not just about the representation of kings in cribs. “There is a similar discussion with regard to star singing,” says Bärsch. “Is it appropriate that one of the carolers should be painted black?” In Germany around the Epiphany on January 6, around 300,000 carol singers go from house to house to collect donations. The sponsors of the Dreikönigssingen campaign – Kindermissionswerk and Bund der Deutschen Katholischen Jugend – recommend that children no longer use black make-up.

The custom has nothing to do with racist “Blackfacing”, it says on the website of the Mission. It goes back to the fact that Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar represented the three previously known continents Asia, Africa and Europe. The black king stands for Africa. “Nonetheless, the equation of skin color and origin no longer works. We believe that the original meaning of tradition becomes clearer when children sing as carolers as they are: diverse in their appearance.”

However, the last word on how to deal with the crib figures has not yet been spoken in Ulm. The community wants to make the final decision “calmly” in the New Year, says Dean Gohl. He could imagine that the figure would still be shown – but with classifications and explanations.

The Canadian forests hide a unique village as if cut from the Czech Republic. Today she is abandoned

October 12, 2020 by drbyos

David Těšínský

Updated 10. 10. 2020 12:24

A “Czech” village is hiding in the woods of Quebec, Canada. It was built by the ancestors of John Anthony, who emigrated here in 1846. He himself lives in the only house in which anyone still lives. The buildings are inspired by Czech architecture, there is also a vineyard and a church. The old owners even had old lamps brought from Prague and an infant from Tábor to the church.

The village was visited by photographer David Tešínský. His You can find the official website HERE.

Is the red fluid from the flesh blood?

September 30, 2020 by drbyos

When roasting or grilling, fresh meat is often used, which is only seasoned with a few spices. It is noticeable that a red juice often remains in the pack. What’s this?

You unpack a piece of meat, a red liquid remains. Sometimes it also comes out of the meat when it is cooked. Is this blood?

What is the red liquid?

The juice that comes out of fresh meat is not blood. It is a liquid that contains the molecule myoglobin, explains the online magazine “twentytwowords.com”. Although myoglobin looks similar to the blood pigment hemoglobin, it ensures that oxygen can be stored in the muscles. So the more active the animal was, the more oxygen its muscles needed. As a result, meat from animals with high levels of movement contains more myoglobin and is easily identified by its distinctive red color.

If the meat is cooked, the liquid appears more intensely. The heat releases water from the meat, which combines with the oxygen-binding molecule and turns the brew red. The “blood” effect is thereby intensified.

Why is it called “bloody” when it comes to steaks?

Animals have to bleed completely after slaughter before their meat can be processed further. A piece of meat that was not properly bled would spoil quickly and thus become inedible.

A “bloody” Steak is actually a “watery” steak. It still contains sufficient liquid and is therefore soft and tender. However, the longer it is cooked, the more water evaporates. It becomes solid. The expression “watery” steak would be correct, this sounds like it but less appetizing.

Report: 38 million lives protected from HIV, tuberculosis and malaria

September 30, 2020 by drbyos

GENEVA, May 23 / PRNewswire / – The COVID-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on the containment of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, threatening the advances that have been made in the past few decades. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has issued a new report urgently calling for this progress to be maintained by all means necessary.

According to the report published today, the Global Fund and its partners have saved the lives of around 38 million people since 2002 – six million in 2019 alone. This is 20 percent more than in 2018. This positive development is primarily due to the more efficient provision of health services , a higher success rate in identifying and treating the sick, lower costs for health products and improved collaboration between the partners of the Global Fund. In the Global Fund’s partner countries, overall deaths from AIDS, TB and malaria have decreased by almost 50 percent since the peak of the epidemics.

However, the report also shows that these advances could be largely lost due to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic: deaths and infection numbers related to HIV, TB and malaria could skyrocket in the next 12 months.

“This year’s earnings report shows that we as a global community, led by committed local people, are able to drive disease back,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “We have made remarkable progress, but now COVID-19 threatens to destroy the results of our hard work. We must not allow that, we must fight it together.”

The most important results from the partner countries in 2019:

– 20.1 million people received HIV antiretroviral therapy
– 718,000 HIV-positive mothers were given medication to protect their own lives and prevent the transmission of HIV to their babies
– 5.7 million people have been tested and treated for tuberculosis
– 160 million mosquito nets were distributed to protect 320 million people – mostly children – from malaria over the next three years The results presented in the report are the result of the joint work of a wide range of actors within the Global Fund partnership, including governments, multilateral organizations, bilateral partners, civil society groups, people affected by the diseases and the private sector.

In 2019, the Global Fund made great progress in various areas: Although girls are still disproportionately more likely than boys to be infected with HIV, the infection rate among adolescent girls and young women in 13 focus countries of the Global Fund south of the Sahara is year on year 2010 down 51 percent. The Global Fund also supported the procurement of 3.7 million self-diagnostic tests for HIV. Having access to a variety of testing methods is critical to eliminating the threat of HIV.

In the 13 countries with the highest tuberculosis burden, the Global Fund, in collaboration with the Stop TB Partnership and the WHO, succeeded in narrowing the gap between actual and reported tuberculosis cases from 49 percent in 2014 to 33 percent in 2018. The aim here is to find people with undiagnosed TB who have not yet been treated and reported as a result. Without treatment, the disease can be fatal and infected people can spread it further.

To protect people from malaria, the Global Fund worked successfully with partners to reduce the cost of insecticide-treated mosquito nets to under $ 2 each. The cost of a malaria treatment fell to $ 0.58 in 2019. Also thanks to these cost savings, 14 million additional mosquito nets were purchased and 24 million more people were treated for malaria.

Now these achievements are acutely threatened by COVID-19. The report shows that the number of HIV tests in some locations has decreased by 50 percent. There has been a decrease of up to 75 percent in reported TB cases. This could lead to an increase in new infections, as people who are unaware of their disease could infect others. In many countries campaigns to distribute mosquito nets have had to be postponed due to the current pandemic, so that vulnerable people – most of them children – are not protected.

The Global Fund has responded quickly to help countries address these challenges. As of March 2020, he has funded more than $ 700 million for 103 country and 11 cross-country programs, including to contain COVID-19 through more testing and follow-up, and protecting healthcare workers with patient exposure. The Global Fund also supports its partner countries in adapting HIV, TB and malaria programs to the new situation and in strengthening their health systems so that they do not collapse under the additional burden and are prepared for the introduction of COVID-19 treatments and vaccinations as soon as they are available.

“We are at a turning point,” said Sands. “We could allow the successes we made in combating HIV, TB and malaria to be undone and let us fall significantly behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Or we can act quickly and comprehensively and do a lot more Provide funds than previously promised to minimize both the direct effects of COVID-19 and its sequelae on HIV, TB and malaria. ”

The Global Fund is a partnership that aims to end the epidemic spread of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria faster. As an international organization, the Global Fund mobilizes and invests more than $ 4 billion each year in supporting programs for local professionals in over 100 countries. Together with governments, civil society, technical institutions, the private sector and those affected, we are working to overcome existing obstacles and advance innovative approaches.

PDF – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1273079/The_Global_Fund.pdf
Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sEQdJ99huc
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1273072/The_Global_Fund_Aminat_Laketu.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1273073/The_Global_Fund_Kamate_Muhindo.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1273074/The_Global_Fund_Nombasa_Krune_Dumile.jpg Press contact:

Ibon Villelabeitia
Communications Department
The Global Fund

Ibon.Villelabeitia@theglobalfund.org | T: +41 79 292 5426

Maike sculptor
mail@maikebildhauer.com | +49 176 21 23 26 12

Original content by: The Global Fund, transmitted by news aktuell
Original message: https://www.presseportal.de/pm/51139/4718982

The Life is Strange team working on a new project in the new Montreal studio

September 28, 2020 by drbyos

Some key members of Life is Strange They are working on a new project in the studio that Dontnod has opened in Montreal, Canada. Among these creators we find executive producer Luc Baghadoust and co-creator of the series published by Square Enix Michel Koch, along with other workers “from the world famous team of Life is Strange“Although months ago this new study was talked about It is the first time that it is confirmed that a large part of those responsible for Life is Strange They have moved to these offices and to work on something that is not another sequel.

In statements to Eurogamer Baghadoust and Koch have not ruled out returning to the studio’s best-known game in the future, but they make it clear that they are currently preparing something with a new idea, although designed for a similar audience. “The Dontnod teams and ourselves are grateful to have had the opportunity to bring the games of Life is Strange, with stories that we hold in our hearts and that have created a beloved community of players around the world. This does not mean that we will not continue working on Life is Strane coming soon but we also have exciting new ideas that we want to explore and that we hope the community of Life is Strange“.

The team is hiring and with it they hope “write a new page in the history of Dontnod. It is also the beginning of new characters and original stories that we hope will excite and inspire players around the world. Each of our projects has taught us more about our creative strengths and weaknesses but in the end, our community is the best reflection of the work. We want to keep progressing and give our fans new interactive experiences that are more inclusive, impactful and full of empathy. “

De Remember Me a Twin Mirror

Dontnod became known in 2013 with Remember Me, a sci-fi adventure published by Capcom, but hethey surprised her with Life is Strange, a story by episodes that has marked the rest of the studio’s projects. Since then they have also worked on Vampire, The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, Life Is Strange 2, the recent Tell Me Why and the next Twin Mirror for Bandai Namco.

Hedgehog and Miss Casual: An Overview of Lucie Vondráčková’s Most Bizarre Hairstyles

September 27, 2020 by drbyos

Lucie Vondráčková has been singing since childhood. It took her a while to find herself and decide on one image. During her career, she changed countless hairstyles and some of them are really worth it.

The singer had short hair for a while and was not afraid to experiment with it. In 2005, she was strikingly reminiscent of a hedgehog as she tucked her hair up. Two years later, she was making one casual wave out of them, which she elegantly glued to her forehead.

As a child, she was not afraid of braided braids. When she turned into a woman, she began wearing more modest hairstyles. She still wears gently wavy hair of the most ordinary cut to this day. She knows that shoulder length is best for her. She wore it when she met Plekance.

She also chose a very simple hairstyle for the wedding. Although the ceremony was very romantic, their relationship did not work out. Vondráčková has two sons with Plekance – Matyáš and Adam. They both see their father, but otherwise live with Vondráčková in a newly acquired house in Libuš, Prague. So she bought two houses, but only has one in one of them.

She ended up with crazy hairstyles before the wedding

She could afford to buy them for one simple reason. After the divorce, Vondráčková stayed in a luxury apartment in Kavčí hory. She subsequently sold it and collected 28 and a half million crowns for it. She later bought two houses for 24 million.

Obviously, the money is flowing from the pocket of her ex-husband, who has more than enough money. In the past, the hockey player has partially subsidized the film The perfect kiss, where Vondráčková plays. The desperately unsuccessful film was supposed to resemble an American comedy. It takes place in Canada and the singer plays the lead role there.

Plekanec lent 3.4 million crowns to director Adamcová. So it has a huge part to play in the fact that this failed romance has seen the light of day. It can be assumed that Vondráčková earns more with music, which is probably closer to her heart than acting. Recently, however, she received two offers for series, from which she could really have a lot of money.

She bought houses for tens of millions

“About half a year ago, Lucce made an offer, but she refused with thanks,” he told the portal eXtra source from the Sunny series. It was the same on Nova. “We wanted her in the surgery, but they say she doesn’t have time for such a demanding project because of the children,” said a Nova employee.

Lucie simply wants to focus mainly on her sons. “I have two sons to take care of. I’m with them at every school event every night, every morning. I’m such an addict mom. And that is enough for me now, “Lucie told the website expres.cz.

At present, in addition to children, she is mainly employed in shooting clips. The latest to come out is the song Růže. “Thanks to everyone at the castle in Mikulov. The shooting of the video clip Roses, the Dress is by Dominika Sedláčková, “she wrote about the film where the shooting took place. It is interesting that he marries in it. Does he want to tell someone sweet again?

There’s too much nickel in these oatmeal

September 26, 2020 by drbyos

Many Germans have oatmeal on the breakfast table. However, there are some products that you shouldn’t consume. They contain high levels of nickel or mold toxins, as a current study by “Öko-Test” shows.

Oatmeal is often contaminated with nickel. In a study for the magazine “Öko-Test” (10/2020), a laboratory proved the metal in all tested products. The exposure was particularly pronounced in six brands of oatmeal.

Nickel is often found in soil and rock. Like corn and soybeans, for example, oats are one of the plants that absorb nickel particularly strongly. Nickel is problematic because animal experiments have shown it to be detrimental to development and reproduction.

“Öko-Test” had a total of 24 oat flake brands of the “tender” variety tested for pesticides, heavy metals and mineral oil components. Ten products scored “very good”, four “good”. Six received the judgment “satisfactory”, one “sufficient”. Three were “unsatisfactory”.

Lots of nickel in two brands of oatmeal

According to the test, the highest levels of nickel were in the “Good & Cheap Oat Flakes Extra Tender” from Edeka (overall rating “unsatisfactory”) and in the “Oat Tender Flakes” from the organic headquarters (“unsatisfactory”). The European Food Safety Authority EFSA has set a maximum daily limit for nickel. An adult who weighs 60 kilograms will exceed this if they ingested 50 grams of either of the two affected products. The other oat flakes with a lot of nickel each used more than half of the daily maximum amount.

Mold toxins were another problem in the test. At this test point the “Grain Mill Extra Tender Oat Flakes” from Netto (“insufficient”) received negative results. The laboratory found so many mold toxins in them that the tolerable daily intake is exceeded with a 50-gram serving of oatmeal. The net product contained T2 and HT2 toxins. They are considered to be cell-toxic and can weaken the immune system. Four other brands of oat flakes showed increased levels of mold toxins, which more than half the daily tolerance value. And the other products were not entirely free of it either, traces were found in them.

There are also residues of mineral oil in some products

The testers criticized six brands of oat flakes for contamination with mineral oil. They found the highest values in the oat flakes from Bio-Zentrale and in “Bauckhof oat flakes Zartblatt, Demeter” from Bauck (“satisfactory”). Mineral oil components can accumulate in the fatty tissue of the human body. In animal experiments, they have caused damage to the liver. According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, what this means for human health has not yet been clarified.

The laboratory also examined the products for residues of the questionable weed killer glyphosate. They only found what they were looking for in the “Yes! Tender Oatmeal” from Rewe. There were small amounts in these, so that the product overall was still rated “good”.

You can read the detailed test result in the October edition of “Öko-Test”.

Covid-19: do antibodies disappear over time?

September 17, 2020 by drbyos

Question asked by Céline on 09/09/2020

Hello,

You ask us whether it is true that former infected people can present a negative serological test. We now know that the vast majority of people infected with Sars-Cov-2 produce specific antibodies against the virus. These antibodies (IgM and IgG) are detectable using serological tests. But let’s point out right away that the minimum amount of neutralizing antibodies necessary to be protected against reinfection is not yet known.

“With serological tests, you test the antibodies produced by the body against the virus, this is adaptive humoral immunity, one of the three components of the immune response. Since this immunity is adaptive, it takes some time. Between five and six days. It is detectable from around the seventh day, but it is recommended to measure it from the fourteenth day to be sure to spot everyone, because the production of antibodies varies enormously from one individual to another ”, explains Cédric Carbonneil, head of the evaluation service for professional acts of the Haute Autorité de santé. He also recalls that, for the time being, the serological test is considered “A diagnostic supplement”, for which the RT-PCR test is preferred. This type of examination should therefore not be carried out too soon after contamination, at the risk of obtaining a false negative.

“Decrease in neutralizers within two to four months”

As for the lifespan of antibodies in the blood, it varies greatly depending on the virus. For measles, for example, neutralizing antibodies (which help fight infection) are produced throughout life after infection or vaccination, compared with a few months for influenza. “From the outset, we had some concerns with the Sars-Cov-2, because with its cousins the Sars-Cov-1 and the Mers, we had immunity from a few months to a few years. Furthermore, coronaviruses and those responsible for rhinitis and winter viral infections do not provide long-term immune protection ”, continues Cédric Carbonneil.

So there was more chance that the amount of antibody would decrease rapidly. However, several studies published since the start of the pandemic only reinforce these fears. “To date, we know that the Sars-Cov-2 infection is capable of inducing the production of neutralizing antibodies in most patients. We are starting to have some controversial elements regarding the potential term of protection. Several studies have shown a decrease in neutralizers two to four months after infection. An article indicates that there is a drop in antibodies after two months. Another more recent indicated that the lifespan of neutralizing antibodies would be two months and disappearance after four months. There was also the case of a re-infected patient. The prevailing global hypothesis is that we would still be producing antibodies in the fairly short term ”, always indicates the head of HAS.

“Reactivated antibody production”

In France, the Institut Pasteur and the Strasbourg University Hospital are studying the evolution of the level of antibodies from former contaminants. A first study of 160 hospital staff was published in July 2020 and another is still ongoing. “In the first study, we knew that from the date of the first symptoms, in a period between twenty and forty days, we still saw a phase of increase. Antibody production corresponds to a bell-shaped curve. We studied the first phase of growth, there we study the second ”, explains Olivier Schwartz, head of the virus and immunity unit at the Institut Pasteur.

According to the preliminary results of the second study, the amount of antibody decreases on average by 50% after three months. “We have observed a drop in anti-Sars-Cov-2 antibodies, or even a complete negativation of the serology. This means that in these people, the antibodies are in very low quantities, and that they become undetectable by certain tests. On the other hand, this does not mean that they are no longer protected, because when they encounter the virus again, the body should reactivate the production of antibodies ”, explains Samira Fafi-Kremer, director of the Strasbourg Institute of Virology. A negative serological test would therefore not necessarily mean that the person is no longer protected.

“Antibodies are produced by cells [les lymphocytes B et T, ndlr] which can activate or reactivate and “produce” again in the event of another encounter with the virus, but this remains for a limited time. And this is the concern: from an antibody response towards one microbe to that towards another microbe, the durations of this memory vary enormously ”, summarizes Frédéric Altare, immunologist and research director at the National Institute of Health (Inserm). This is called cellular immunity. Another aspect of the immune response whose effectiveness against Sars-Cov-2, still unknown, and which does not appear in the serological tests currently carried out.

Emma Donada

Breathing hard in hot weather can make it more contagious

September 14, 2020 by drbyos

WEARING THE MASK – With the heat, you drip under your mask. In transport, enclosed spaces or even outside in public spaces in certain municipalities, it is mandatory. And with the return of the strong heat expected from this Sunday, September 13, this will not help.

The more he does hot, the harder you breathe, the more you sweat. And you have to prepare for it. On Monday September 14 the temperatures will exceed 30 ° C and could reach 35 ° C in places, from the southwest to central France.

With the mask, drops of sweat run down the face and chin. However, sweating, unlike intense breathing, would not be a vector of contagion of the coronavirus.

Perspiration is not considered a vector

“For sweat, I do not know if the study (on the transmission of Covid-19, Editor’s note) has been done but we do not see how it would be possible, because the virus is transmitted by the respiratory route, detailed the door -inter-federal speech Yves Van Laethem on RTL Luxembourg. To my knowledge, for no virus, even Ebola, dengue or influenza, sweating was not a vector. ”

“Sweat cannot be passed on, but we should all be careful,” recommends Juan Gestal, professor of preventive medicine and public health at the University of Santiago de Compostela, to the Spanish newspaper The voice of Galicia. As a preventive measure, we should wash our hands after use and avoid touching our eyes, mouth or nose during use. ”

However, if sweating does not allow the transmission of the virus, she “risks sliding the mask off and putting it back on constantly with her hands is not recommended”, explained to the HuffPost Doctor Roland Krzentowski, president of Mon Stade, a center of expertise in health, sport and performance in Paris, in this article.

The filtering capacities of the mask reduced

At the same time, breathing harder (without or under your mask) constitutes an additional factor of contamination, because the number of droplets ejected by the mouth and the nose increases. With heat, breathing quickens and becomes more intense, as when practicing a sport. And “the surgical mask would quickly lose its filtering capacities due to the humidity generated by hyperventilation”.

“When you inhale hard, you realize that the mask fits in your mouth and you feel discomfort,” says the hygienist and infectious disease specialist Stéphane Gayet, from the Strasbourg University Hospital, at Parisian. The risk of oxygen starvation increases and with it the temptation to remove the mask or lift it to breathe more easily.

However, respect for barrier gestures is essential for the mask to be effective. You should therefore avoid touching it or putting it back with your hands. It is also not recommended to touch your face with your fingers, even to wipe away perspiration. Choose a disposable handkerchief, which you then throw in a trash can, or use a Mist to cool your forehead or neck. No more sharing of water bottles.

Change your mask more often

Be careful, however, do not moisten the mask, because if it “is wet, the static electricity of the fibers of the fabric which stops the droplets of the postilions disappears and the droplets pass more easily”, explains the French Association for Standardization (Afnor). It is therefore advisable to change your mask more regularly than every 4 hours, to prevent it from getting too wet due to intense breathing.

Since the heat is felt under the mask, the Robert-Sauvé Canadian Research Institute in Occupational Health and Safety recommended to “promote” as much as possible “breathing through the nose (closed mouth) when wearing the mask”, as this “generates less heat and humidity which will be retained in the mask”.

See also on The HuffPost: Why playing sports with a mask is not recommended