Recharging with ReSisters

Connect with others on Wednesday nights.

It can be hard to keep fighting for clean air in schools and school buses when most of the world seems not to care. Recharging is essential. I like joining the friendly voices of the ReSisters, on their live podcast (Twitter Spaces) on Wednesday nights at 8:00.

Two women, Mary Jo Nabuurs and Christine Cooper, got together to start the live podcast to mainly feature women’s voices. They typically have one or two experts (doctors, researchers, engineers, etc.) that they chat with informally — it’s not your typical interview structure.

Check out the Geoffrey Johnston’s interview with MaryJo about Ontario School Safety in the Whig.

Last night was an open mic for anyone to say a few words. They raised this important point: Because disease spreads most by kids, improving indoor air quality in schools and on school buses will make the biggest difference, so we have to ask the province and boards why they’re not doing it. It can’t be because of money, since it’s a waste of money to have HEPAs that aren’t turned on and it’s free to have CR boxes donated. They claim they added tons of HEPA unit, but where were the education campaigns to make sure this would be a success?? They were dropped off to teachers without adequate information, so they were bound to fail.

I didn’t chime in, but, as a former trustee, I think it’s all about liability. As soon as school boards say it’s something they could do, above and beyond, then it’s something they should do, and they can be liable if something goes wrong, like not preventing the deaths of the 24 Ontario children (61 in Canada) who have died so far of Covid. They follow the rules to the minimum standard necessary, to the letter, then use that as their defence: We did exactly as we were told, so it’s not our fault. If they think for themselves and do extra, like allow CR boxes in the schools, then they’re showing they’re going outside the rules, making their own decisions, and liability can land on them. It’s a huge bureaucratic “not it” — Hannah Arendt’s “rule by nobody.”

My former board is removing HEPAs as they improve ventilation in each building, which is what the rules say they can do, as if filtration and ventilation are the same thing. The new ventilation system ensures 6 ACH (air changes/hour), but brings in more air from outside, so I’m not sure how much that will help if there’s wildfire smoke in the air.

The ReSisters pointed out that so many people don’t have the necessary information to deal with the viruses going around, likely a quademic in the fall: flu, RSV, strep, and Covid. We have to convince them what to do and let them know why to do it — why it’s important to avoid getting sick with a brain-invasive virus or with anything at a time when so many ERs are closed or closing or bereft of doctors! Some specific points:

• Many people think it’s just a cold, so it’s not a big deal, and they don’t take proper precautions, like isolating and masking.
• They don’t know how to do rapid tests correctly (swab 10 seconds each side of lower gums/cheek, back of throat, and enter nasal cavity horizontally), and that there are a lot of false negatives. A positive test means isolate; a negative test means isolate and try again tomorrow.
• Victoria from Open Source Medical Supplies added that people need to wear close fitting glasses or goggle as well. Check out Stoggles for glasses with side pieces. Personally, I just wear straight up goggles. But I also go everywhere in an old WWII army jacket, so it fits the aesthetic.
• And if you’re careful in buildings, also be careful during lunchtime! Even if you’re alone in a room, a virus from someone being in that room up to six hours ago can still be lingering in the air.
• We can maintain public healthcare by no longer burdening it with so much illness by cleaning the air in schools and on busses and encouraging masks inside pubic buildings (especially hospitals and schools).
• If you want cleaner air in your home, you can make your own Corsi-Rosenthal box, but, if that’s too big and awkward, you can make a PC Box Fan instead (written instructions here).

Maureen McDermott, a former school board employee, talked about being sick in the first month of school every year. CUPE (office staff, support staff, etc.) should be on board with OSS. They’re directly affected by this and ready to fight.

Up for a fight?

There’s a rally being held on Monday, September 25th, the day legislature opens again, at noon in front of Queens Park in Toronto. Ontario School Safety, and CUPE, and the Ontario Health Coalition, and the Ontario Federation of Labour will all be there to discuss the impact of this virus on schools, health care, and labour rights.

And check out Geoffrey’s article in The Whig coming out Friday.