Tracy Casavant Oh, BASc (Chml), MES Profile picture
Always do the right thing, even if it's the hard thing. #COVIDisAirborne. #SafeSchools. #CircularEconomy #BioEconomy - intersections where I can find them!
Apr 5 10 tweets 5 min read
1/ So, I got curious about hybrid immunity, which seems to have been discovered only for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID).

I asked a bunch of experts - can we acquire measles hybrid immunity? If so, is that then a good public health goal?

🧵 2/ Text of my inquiry (1)

I understand that two doses of the measles vaccine are very effective; in fact, even one dose seems fairly protective. Nonetheless, the US CDC indicates about “3 out of 100 people with two doses of MMR vaccine will get measles if exposed to the virus”,
Mar 12 5 tweets 2 min read
1/ NEW from an excellent team inc @DavidElfstrom!

COVID-19 outbreak at a residential apartment building in Northern Ontario, Canada

#COVIDisAirborne

cambridge.org/core/journals/… 2/ "A professional engineer assessed the building’s HVAC systems. Whole genome sequencing and an in-depth genomic analysis were performed. Forty-five outbreak confirmed cases were identified."
cambridge.org/core/services/…
Jan 27, 2023 18 tweets 7 min read
So, if VSB doesn't ref the Ventilation Guidance developed by Min of Ed Ventilation Technical Advisory Panel, what does it reference?

This thread will provide a quick overview of the, um, ecosystem of references shown below: image showing which how doc... VSB Ventilation Page
vsb.bc.ca/page/5017/vent…

Refers to
“MERV-13 as recommended by Min of Ed”
VCH: FAQ on Ventilation and Portable Air Cleaners - Jan 12, 2022
COVID-19 Updates page (which refs VSB Communicable Disease Plan) Header from ventilation page
Jan 27, 2023 8 tweets 4 min read
1/ I submitted an FOI request to BC Ministry of Education for documents related to the Ventilation Technical Advisory Panel (VTAP) From 9/1/2021 To 8/31/2022.

Response is 333 pp! I will slowly post results & thread the threads here. We are all volunteers wading through this... Image 2/ The FOI package included a scanned black & white version of the Min of Ed HVAC Guidance (the Aug 8 version. The version below was updated Dec 13, 2022 🧐

www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/edu…
Jan 24, 2023 4 tweets 3 min read
As of today, @WorkSafeBC has allowed 15,027 #LongCovid claims. FIFTEEN THOUSAND.

This excludes more than 2,000 disallowed claims, and, of course, thousands of Long COVID cases, including in children, not linkable to workplace infection.

#bced #bcpoli Image The Healthcare & Social Services and Education sectors are by far responsible for most of the claims.

Guess what? There is no way in hell workers are getting infected in healthcare & education workplaces, but the public- inc babies & kids, seniors, immunocompromised - are not 🤬 Image
Dec 21, 2022 13 tweets 10 min read
1/ Since medical establishment won't come & collect its grifters, I'm wondering it there is a consumer fraud angle we can leverage?

It should be illegal to claim that medical masks provide the same protection as respirators?

@PPEtoheros @BarryHunt008 @CSA_Group @GovCanHealth 2/ Here's @GovCanHealth on med masks:

🚨🚨🚨
Unlike FFRs, medical masks are looser in fit...
➡️do not provide same level of particulate filtration.⬅️

canada.ca/en/health-cana… Image
Dec 6, 2022 18 tweets 4 min read
URGENT CALL FOR BC HUMAN RIGHTS INQUIRY

I'm submitting a letter today calling on @humanrights4BC Commissioner @KasariGovender to launch an immediate inquiry into the widespread discrimination of British Columbians.

Join the call by signing petition:

chng.it/QTMwZ4hdCJ We, the undersigned residents of the Prov of British Columbia, respectfully request that BC Human Rights Commissioner launch an immediate inquiry into discrimination in accommodation, service & facility against many BCians due to their physical or mental disability or age.
Nov 28, 2022 19 tweets 9 min read
Worried about the environment? WEAR A MASK.

What? But most are disposable & generate waste!

I assure you, wearing a mask leads to less waste than spreading COVID / Flu / RSV.

A thread, inspired by some infectious disease specialists.

/1
You should not be shocked to learn that North American hospitals generate more waste per bed than anywhere else in world.🥇

One recent study found the average waste generated per hospital stay in North America is a staggering

4.42 kg / bed / day.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35364785/

/2
Nov 16, 2022 10 tweets 3 min read
I received a speaking invitation today. I had to decline. Here is my response:

#BringBackMasks #Ethics #COVIDisAirborne #LongCOVID #MentalHealth #HumanRights

🧵 2/ Thank you very much for the invitation. Unfortunately, I am off work for the foreseeable future to the failure of every institution to stand up to public health and put measures in place to reduce COVID-19 transmission, which is proven to transmit via aerosols (airborne).
Sep 27, 2022 17 tweets 7 min read
1/ DYK regulations governing individuals performing regulated engineering work also apply to some firms?

Engineers & Geoscientists of BC (EGBC) regulates Individual and FIRM Permits to Practice.

This 🧵looks at regulated BC Engineering Firms.

#bced #bcpoli #COVIDisAirborne 2/ The ability to require some Firms to hold an EGBC Permit to Practice stems from the Professional Governance Act:

bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document…

A Firm can be a government entity or what we normally think of as 'companies'. Firm definition section of ...
Sep 14, 2022 21 tweets 9 min read
1/ Well, here is everything I can share with you regarding my complaint to Engineers & Geoscientists of BC (EGBC) against the Vancouver School Board (VSB).

Thank you to all who helped with legal fees. I will post the final accounting as soon as I receive invoice!

Here goes! 2/ Important background part 1: Building engineering is a regulated practice in BC.

#COVIDisAirborne #bced #bcpoli

Sep 4, 2022 4 tweets 3 min read
Here is the video of this interview by @AlissaMThibault w/ @SoniaFurstenau (🏆), teacher @jheighton3, and me - not-anxious-but-frustrated parent.

I applaud #bced taking some action as #COVIDisAirborne . But it's amateur hour. The #bced safety plan that supposedly 'meets @ashraenews' doesn't even clear the pre-requisite bar!

Perhaps an objective could be fewer hospitalizations than last school year, when 679 kids were hospitalized from Sep 4 to Jul 2?!

Sep 3, 2022 9 tweets 5 min read
1/ I am livid.

#COVIDisAirborne. Washing our hands will not help. Mask 'choice' is unscientific - that's not how aerosols work. Mask 'choice' is ableist bs that endangers our high risk family.

Shame @VSB39 for propping up this dangerous nonsense & abdicating your duty of care. 2/ "Staff will continue to remind students of importance of regular hand washing/hand sanitizing and of coughing/sneezing into their elbow or a tissue. We will continue to ensure hand sanitizer is available."
This is NOT going to protect my kids from COVID. It's AIRBORNE. #bced
Sep 2, 2022 13 tweets 4 min read
This post captured my (& many others) frustration. The masks-dont-work crowd feels like arguing with flat-earthers. @CPita3 is right - filters are everywhere!

It occurred to me that, besides ideology, maybe issue is people get solid, liquid, gas BUT don't grasp fluids. Short🧵 "In physics, a fluid is a liquid, gas, or other material that continuously deforms under an applied shear stress, or external force. They have zero shear modulus, or ... are substances which cannot resist any shear force applied to them." Wikipedia

Air moves like a fluid!
Aug 31, 2022 17 tweets 14 min read
.@ashraenews TC 9.7 - Educational Facilities Working Group released its new

DESIGN GUIDANCE FOR EDUCATION FACILITIES:
PRIORITIZATION FOR ADVANCED INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Apr 20, 2022

#COVIDisAirborne

nemionline.org/wp-content/upl…

🧵 Image Here is the Table of Contents for the Apr 2022 ASHRAE Advanced IAQ guidance for schools

#COVIDIsAirborne Image
Aug 19, 2022 6 tweets 3 min read
I am extremely frustrated with the level of obfuscation and lack of clear science and rigour underpinning our #COVID19 response in BC. I would like to share some correspondence as I think it's important for citizens to know what is happening.

🧵 2/ My email to the Ministry of Health (I was bounced there by Attorney General. I might post that nonsense chain at some point).

Written just after removal of universal masking ('mask mandates').
Jul 15, 2022 9 tweets 6 min read
1/I am really upset at pic emerging wrt massive (& dangerous) overstepping of BC's Provincial Health Officer (#bonniehenry) & regional MHOs into building engineering, a legally regulated engineering practice in which they have no training or license to practice

#COVIDisAirborne 2/ To recap, building engineering is a regulated practice. The application of ASHRAE technical standards and guidance = building engineering. Only appropriate P.Engs can practice building engineering.

Jun 7, 2022 17 tweets 8 min read
1/ This morning, I requested documents authenticated by @WorkSafeBC responsible registered engineer providing the technical rationale for COVID-19 workplace safety guidance relied upon by employers. 2/ Specifically, I requested authenticated work product underpinning decisions to:
Ignore accepted engineering evidence and ASHRAE statements that COVID-19 is airborne;
Craft ventilation air cleaning advice; and
Not require N95s for airborne RG3 biopathogen.
Jun 3, 2022 8 tweets 5 min read
As a member of the public, I believe you have a right to the assurance from an Engineer of Record that your school has done everything feasible to implement #COVID19 safety wrt @ashraenews Epidemic Task Force guidance. Let's look at BC:

egbc.ca/getmedia/bf1c2… Image First, a reminder. Building engineering is a regulated practice. Non-engineers can't practice building engineering. ASHRAE underpins our building codes! So, it stands to reason that application of Epidemic Task Force guidelines = building engineering.

Jun 2, 2022 12 tweets 6 min read
🧵Building engineering is legally defined engineering discipline.

.@ashraenews underpins building codes.

--> application of ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force guidance is building engineering. Public should be able to rely on assurance from Engineer of Record.

bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document… Image 2/ I covered the history of .@ashraenews here:

May 23, 2022 11 tweets 5 min read
Hi! This is my first tweet official tweet. I figured it was worth dusting off this as yet unused account (too much to do, too little time) for something this important.

Tl:dr - I'm asking you to please support this #bced cause:

gofund.me/af9c0b64 So, like many parents (& grandparents & teachers & so many others), I've been calling repeatedly for scientifically-sound COVID mitigation measures in BC schools. As a former practicing engineer, I'm stunned at the exclusion of Professional Engineers from school safety plans.