The First WHO/Europe Indoor Air Conference
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The First WHO/Europe Indoor Air Conference

Byrichard

Yesterday we could of the first indoor air quality conference. It was available in French, German, Russian and English. The link is to the English language version.

This is an interesting conference to have because, as two or more speakers highlighted, we spend up to 80 percent of our lives indoors, whether at work, at school, at home or at play. Think of indoor climbing for example, or the gym, and restaurants. By spending so much time indoors it is important to think about how we aerate but also ensure that air is healthy.

One speaker said “We’re never taught how to properly aerate buildings, we just improvise”. This is interesting, and you can see this during a heatwave. A few years ago I worked in an office on the ground floor. It would get very warm. I had no air conditioning so with trial and error I learned that if I opened the window, and the door to the rest of the building I could get a nice draft to cool down. By doing this I created a draft but this brings us to the second issue.

The air from outside may not be idea. A speaker dealing with TB patients in Siberia said that when it’s -42°c outside you can’t open windows to get fresh air, without freezing, so you need to find other solutions. In other cases you may open a window for fresh air but you may get ozoneor other forms of air pollution so it makes sense not to expose yourself to the health consequences of breathing that air.

Another speaker spoke about air, in contrast to mineral water. He spoke about how we filter out some materials from water, but preserve others. Look at the info on a brita filter. “We filter these things out but we preserve magnesium and caclium” or something to that effect. The point is that some things that are in the air may be worth keeping. He didn’t specify what we should keep.

He also went on to say that we should have an air quality index, to standardise how clean air should be. Another speaker went so far as to say that we have fire regulations for occupancy in case of fire and sitting space but we should also have maximum occupancy regulations, in relation to air circulation and cleaning.

The list of Speakers

And Finally

As buildings become airtight, so the need to ensure that the air within is healthy, becomes paramount. Since we spend 80 percent of our time indoors it is critical, for our health, to ensure that the air we breath is healthy. I hope that this conference gathers momentum and becomes critical moving forward.

A Ride in 35° Heat

Byrichard

Yesterday I spent time in the sun in the morning, as a result of which I thought I would avoid going out in the heatwave. I changed my mind. Every Sunday a group of pétanque playing alcoholics play pétanque for several hours. They cheer, they laugh, they make noise, for hours in a row. I don’t want to hear that sound, especially since the pandemic is not over. People are still falling sick with Long COVID and they’re being disabled. It doesn’t take long to read posts on social media by people suffering from Long COVID.

Before the Pandemic

Before the pandemic I wouldn’t have been home, or if I was home I would already have spent the morning climbing, cycling, diving or hiking. Due to the pandemic I do these things but in solitude. I also have a routine. I normally study in the morning, and do sports in the afternoon. If I flip it around my intellectual capacity is reduced and my studying stalls. Yesterday proved the necessity of my routine.

I Can’t Say No

Two years ago I wrote about pandemic solitude. It still hasn’t ended. If I am asked to do things I have no valid reason to say no, but it also puts my happiness into turmoil, both to be asked but also to want to study but feel that I should be social instead. The more my morning is broken, the slower I am to reach my goal of feeling employable in a new career. This, in turn delays having the type of life that would make seeing other people fun, rather than an obligation.

Noisy Afternoons

Experience has taught me that the afternoons are noisy, and this noise is the reason I go out for walks, whether it’s raining, snowing, windy and cold or a heatwave. I find that my mental health benefits from getting away from people living as if the pandemic was not over. Plenty of data, around the world, shows that the pandemic is not over. That’s why cycling is such a great sport.

The Beauty of Cycling

The beauty of cycling, even during a heatwave is that you’re usually between villages and towns. You’re surrounded by clean air. I have become absurd, because I don’t want to be around strangers without a mask, especially around large crowds of strangers, in restaurants and other places.

Sunday is one of the worst days to be in solitude. If you go for a walk you will encounter family groups and groups of friends. You are in solitude, and they are not. You have to pass, you are reminded of what you are missing, and you have to survive the experience.

By being on a bike, especially on the roads between fields you are in solitude. If you choose the right routes you are far from people, from cars, from dogs and more. You are in the moment, watching the landscape change, heading upwards, downwards and across.

35°c

Yesterday it was 35°c according to the weather services, and 37°c according to my watch. Normally on such a ride I would ride much harder. I would try to beat all my speed personal bests. Yesterday I didn’t. I rode slower than usual. I wanted to spend time outdoors, keep fit, but without giving myself heatstroke. It’s not the heat that worries me. It’s the time spend in the sun.

At first I thought this would be a short ride, because I thought the heat would affect me. Since I felt fine I continued. I arrived at a fountain and I refilled both bottles, and I splashed myself. I didn’t feel the need to splash myself to cool down, but did it anyway, in anticipation of feeling overheated.

Quiet

I continued through the Bois de Versoix and I hardly saw anyone walking, or even cycling. I did get to a parking, and the parking was filled with cars. Everyone had decided to go to the riverside between the trees to keep cool. What seemed paradoxical is that I couldn’t see anyone. I could hear children and see the cars, but nothing more. Riding in such conditions is nice. No population stress.

The Place des Nations Fountains

Before I got to Place Des Nations I refilled my water bottle. I then headed down to the Place Des Nations fountains where children were playing. I put my bike against some seats, and allowed one of the water jets to soak me and my clothing. I then continued my bike ride.

I kept splashing water on my face but didn’t really feel the need. I did this as a precaution, rather than out of desperate need. I felt fine, despite the heat

Three or Four Sips at a Time

When riding in the heat there are moments when you feel your thirst grow, so you drink too much, too fast. It’s important not to drink too much too fast, or you’ll just waste it.

Luckily I didn’t.

And Finally

During this ride I made sure to ride more slowly than usual. I made sure not to push myself beyond my ability to cope with the weather. I also made sure to be hydrated at all times. I had one flask filled with water, and the second filled with an electrolyte drink. I topped up both. I calculate that I drank at least two litres, which, over three hours isn’t much, but it worked. I felt fine when I got home. I was still thirsty but ate some peanuts and then drank water. I was thirsty for re-mineralisation. I wanted to recover the salt I had lost.

Cycling is a good sport in a heatwave, because you’re riding in the breeze that you’re creating. My fear of heatstroke was not realised, luckily.

Running Again
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Running Again

Byrichard

At the start of this year I started running again. This wasn’t a new year’s resolution. I just decided that I wanted to start running, so I did. For five years I have been walking around in circles. Some take me above the A1 motorway and others take me below it. The walks are all familiar and I do them so regularly that I see the changes from week to week.


I thought I would take up rollerblading but this landscape is not friendly for rollerbladers until they are comfortable stopping. There are downhill slopes in three out of the five possible directions I can take. Every single route has downhill sections.


The advantage of running, in contrast to cycling is that you can go for a run straight from home, from the car, bus, train or even scooter. No need to put anything on the back of the car, or improvise a carrying solution. You just wear appropriate shoes and go.


My challenge isn’t cardiovascular fitness. Walking and cycling ensure that I am in good physical form. According to Garmin my vo2 max is 45 and my fitness age is that of a 20 year old. The limiting factor are my legs and joints. I can run and push further than my body wants to be pushed, and if I am not careful I will damage my joints again, and have to stop.


My running goal, for now, is simple. I want to get to a place where I am comfortable running for five kilometres without stopping. I then want to repeat this until I feel comfortable building speed. I can also increase running frequency, from every two to three days, to every day. It’s only later that I can consider running further.


With Strava, Garmin and other apps it would be easy to give in to temptation and to run further than others but that is not the goal. The goal is to run comfortably, without injuring myself, without paying beyond what is comfortable.

Playing With The Aranet 4
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Playing With The Aranet 4

Byrichard

Countries like Switzerland recently decided that the pandemic was over because lobbies wanted it to be over. Despite high numbers of infections and the percentage of tests being positive Switzerland decided that the acute phase of the pandemic was over. For them the lack of deaths, and the lack of people in ICUs meant that the pandemic had entered a safe stage.


557 PPM in a shopping centre at around 0845


From Wednesday to Friday we went from masks must be worn indoors to “there is no need for masks anymore, even on public transport. From one day to the next we went from “masks are obligatory” to “masks will be tolerated”. In Spain we read about how some psychologists noticed an “empty face” syndrome within the Spanish teen community, which was then spread via the free press to other European states. Wanted to wear a mask had become stigmatised as almost being a sign of mental illness.


From one day to the next the Swiss media went from writing twelve lines of text about the pandemic to writing zero for days at a time. We now hear about Swiss covid numbers once per week. The body that was in charge of monitoring the situation has been dissolved, the state of emergency has been lifted and the pandemic is being ignored.


Meanwhile France, next door, is blood clot read on the RTS map of European infections. The pandemic is far from over but the Swiss government has decided to pretend it is.


That’s where devices like the Aranet 4 come in. For as long as Switzerland was taking the pandemic semi-seriously I felt that such a device was a waste of money and a gimmick. When Switzerland decided to ignore the pandemic such a device became crucial because we need to know how risky the environment we are is. The higher the co2 level, the higher the risk of Covid-19 transmission.


You can set the device to update every minute, two minutes, five minutes or ten minutes. The battery lasts for two years and there are two apps. The first Aranet 4 allows you to keep a log of the air situation over time and see the trends. Aranet 4 display allows you to see the display but nothing else. In theory every mobile phone can access an Aranet 4 without the need for pairing with the display app.


I go to the shops as soon as they open and in the time it takes for me to shop the reading goes from 540ppm to 600 within a few minutes of the shops opening. I have not been later in the day, to see how much further it climbs. The point is simple. co2 rises very quickly, whether you are home alone with closed windows, in a car, or in a shopping center.


We see people queue to wash their hands and disinfect their trollies, but they fail to wear a mask. Masks are the single and best line of defense and people are washing their hands instead.


Aranet 4 devices are great because they are small, light, easy to carry, easy to read and the data is easy to keep an eye on. It allows you to assess air cleanliness within one minute of walking into a room. You can see how quickly opening windows can make a room safer. You can also see whether a lift or hallway is safe. Surprisingly I got low readings in a lift.


Aside from checking that shops, lifts and hallways are safe you can also use it when you visit friends or family. When you step into a room, you can go and open the windows, and when you see that the Aranet 4 shows that the air is fresh you can take the mask off and behave more normally.


And Finally.


The Aranet 4 is expensive for what it does and outside of a pandemic where governments of several nations fail to keep people safe I would class it as a luxury. Due to Switzerland and other EU countries deciding to pretend the pandemic is over the situation has changed and such a device becomes worthwhile. It provides us with a quick way of assessing the level of risk in a room, so that we may decide whether to stay, leave, or open windows. It allows us to quantify whether removing the mask is a risk worth taking or not.


I do not carry this device unless I plan to spend time indoors. It is not designed for falls, being exposed to the outdoor elements etc.

Day One of ORCA in Switzerland

Day One of ORCA in Switzerland

Byrichard

During the weekend I thought that being in self-isolation would be a pleasant and enjoyable experience. The sound of cars is diminished. More people are walking and going for bike rides and the level of pollution could decline for at least a few days or even weeks.


On the flip side I saw that the shops were crowded and that people were panic buying. People are panic buying because they’re afraid that the shops might have to close down if the virus spreads too extensively in Switzerland. This behaviour is irrational because there is no plan to close food shops. Spain, France, and Italy have all decided to keep shops open during the crisis whilst restricting all other activities.


People are afraid without understanding the Corona Virus. In the food shop I saw a number of people all crowding around the same aisles. I saw several groups of people walking in close proximity to each other. All the behaviours that we were told to avoid are not being avoided.


By standing in such close proximity to each other these individuals are precipitating the spread of the virus. The fear that the shops will have to close, is going to occur because they ignored the first rule of self-isolation. Avoid close proximity to others.


Have you ever been sat at a desk and breathed out and seen a piece of paper move as a result? If you have then keep this in mind. The problem with Corona Virus is that it is spread through the air and by touch. This meanss that if you’re within someone’s exhalation airspace you’re running the risk of contamination. It works both ways, so if you want to avoid contaminating others avoid being too close to them. For more information the CDC has a page about the transmission of Corona Virus.


As I walked away from the self-checkout I pulled out my bottle of hand gel and rinsed my hands. I poured a small quantity into the palm of one hand, put the bottle away and then rubbed until the gel was dry. In the last two days I read that this is the proper way to use hand gel. I then drove home and washed my hands as soon as I got home. It’s a shame that I couldn’t get pasta because a packet can last me for weeks. I consume rice at a much higher rate.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgylp3Td1Bw
Switzerland is 9th in the Corona Virus league


One or two weeks ago I thought that by not going to two events I was being overly cautious. I didn’t go because I thought that risking catching the virus was not worth what I would gain at the two events. I even considered sitting in the back, where it would be less likely for someone to cough on me.


Lent


This year when people ask you what you gave up for Lent you’ll be able to say “Social interaction. I went into self-isolation to stop the spread of the Corona Virus. It wasn’t always joyful but at least we’re doing our best to eradicate this strain of the virus.

Outdoor Sports and Pandemics

Byrichard

In theory, pandemics are terrible for your social life because you go from socialising in bars, pubs, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, and cafés to having to stay home like an indoor cat or a fish in an aquarium.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrHkKXFRbCI


For people like me, the thought of not being in crowds of 50 people is not worrying in the least. I love summer sports where we’re never more than 20 or so people anyway. The biggest hit to my social life comes in Autumn and winter when we shift from outdoor sports like cycling, climbing via Ferrata and others to indoor sports like drinking in a crowd and other less vibrant activities.


Events are being canceled left and right. The Geneva traffic jam show (Salon de L’auto, officially) is canceled. Polymanga has been shifted to August, the Giro D’italia is suspended, and more. Schools are out. Office workers are finally allowed to work from home. Pollution levels in China and Italy are going down.


À cela s’ajoute la fermeture des lieux de divertissements (cinémas, théâtres, musées, centres de jeunesse, centres sportifs, centres de fitness, piscines, centres de bien-être, discothèques, pianos-bars, boîtes de nuit, clubs érotiques).

Source


The debate people were having about whether indoor climbing was safe or not is now moot in Switzerland. The answer is “nowhere is open”. It’s going to be an interesting month. I should go out and gather footage with the 360 camera. This is a historic moment. It’s worth documenting.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqw-9yMV0sI


SARS was a memorable event and COVID19 will be more memorable. I think it’s the first time I’ve lived through a serious pandemic.


Cycling, hiking and other less sociable sports are still possible. In theory, so is swimming in the lake. We can enjoy these sports.

Fitness Centres and the Corona Virus

Byrichard

I have been thinking of climbing gyms, in other words of fitness centres and the Corona Virus. A few years ago I went to a gym where we wiped down every machine after use. We would get a paper towel, spray it with liquid and clean all the surfaces we touched. This includes exercise bikes, weight lifting equipment, elliptical machines and rowing machines. We also placed a towel so that our body was never in contact with surfaces directly.


When we go to climbing gyms we always end up with hands smelling of the objects we have touched. After a session at a climbing gym, I enjoy washing my hands because the water turns dark with the dirt that my hands collected.


Climbing.com wrote an article about whether climbing gyms pose a threat. There is not enough data to provide a reliable answer yet. From a logical standpoint, the answer is clear. If we should avoid shaking hands, or having any physical contact if we should stay at least one meter from other people, then climbing is an activity to avoid. We touch the same handholds, we share ropes and we share belay devices.


During the health crisis, I believe that climbing outdoors would make more sense because UV light kills bacteria and viruses. At outdoor climbing locations, there are fewer people so exposure to virus carriers is smaller.


Health Magazine and The New York Times both explore the topic of fitness centres and the risk of transmission. “In addition to avoiding frequently handled machines and equipment, it’s recommended, as always, that you wash your hands often and don’t touch your face.” This is from the New York times article. Health wrote “Any place where large numbers of people congregate at any one time over a period of time, allows them to shed their microorganisms or germs on various places,”


I currently have neither a normal gym, nor climbing gym membership. I would favour normal gyms over climbing gyms. I can clean the machines before and after I use them minimising the risk of exposure. This is already a normal part of my gym routine so there would be no change. According to the Irish Times swimming pools are also safe due to Chlorine in the water.


Disclaimer: For further information refer to the articles I have linked to. I am not a health professional.

An Adult Playground Near a Children’s Playground

An Adult Playground Near a Children’s Playground

Byrichard

When in Geneva we can easily walk by the lake, or through the city when we’re not looking after children but when we are walking might be more of a challenge. I am not looking after children in Geneva but as you might there is an opportunity here.


Several exercise machines for grown -ps


You have a choice of machines to play with. You have a rowing machine that uses body weight. You have turntables to work your core, you have a swingy leg thing for leg muscles, an elliptical machine for cardio and another rowing machine that also works your core and arms. I tried the rowing machine and the turntable. The turntable is good. It allows you to go at the speed that’s comfortable for you so that you work your body correctly.



The turntable has a choice of three heights so you can either choose the one that’s at the right height for you or you can use all three heights and work a variety of muscles within that group.



These rowing machines are okay. They’re better when you do small movements rather than the entire range of motion it offers. I found that if you go beyond a certain point it leaps.


The elliptical machine needs to be maintained because I found that it’s not as smooth as it should be so it may strain your body without giving you a proper workout.


Such machines are good because they can be used throughout the year and at any time of day or night as they’re far enough not to disturb people living nearby. It’s convenient because it’s near a children’s playground so while children play on their swings you can enjoy yourself too.

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The High Tech World is not making us weak and weird.

Byrichard

The High Tech world is not making us weak and weird. I believe that the opposite is true. According to Patrick Mustain in his article “Welcome to the Devolution: The High-Tech World Is Making Us Weak and Weird” for The Daily Beast he worries that modern technology and conveniences have taken the physical aspects out of our daily routine. We don’t need to clean clothes by beating them against a rock and we no longer need to clean dishes manually. We take the car from point A to point B and we take a lift to go up a floor or two.

“We find ourselves interacting with chairs and doors and walkways, and as a result, we get used to bending only forwards. Almost never backwards, never to the side, we don’t really rotate our hips very much.

This premise is false. This article ignores that there are a growing amount of climbing and bouldering gyms. This article ignores that there are an increasing number of via ferratas being built and that crossfit gyms are common. “But our evolutionary drive for acquiring cheap energy also makes us loath to unnecessarily spend it.” is a fallacy. Look at Strava, Sports Tracker, Movescount, Runkeeper, fitbit, Withings and other products. Each one of these not only tracks the effort that people are making on a weekly basis but congregates that data so that people can compare their workout to that of others. This implies that technology is encouraging people to move, to compete with friends, family or other sports enthusiasts.

There is some humour in the article. “I think any change in the direction of just moving more is better. You don’t have to take off your shirt and go climb a tree to get value.” It is not simply about moving more but about moving more energetically, more enthusiastically. If you’re walking down the street increase your stride length just a little and you will increase your heart rate and energy expenditure. When I walk up to the base of the Val De Tière via ferrata and when I walk up to the base of the Tour D’Aï via ferrata I am usually the first one, leading the way. I love endurance training so I forget about the group and I enjoy the hike. Once I am at the base I relax, I look at the landscape and I take photographs.

As a camera operator/photographer I need to be at least as fit as everyone else and if possible I need to have more energy. By having more energy I can go ahead of the group and document their effort as they make their way up or down a mountain.

Since I owned the Nokia N95 8GB model I have tracked more than a thousand sports activities. I have tracked skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, hiking, cycling, climbing, via ferrata, indoor training, sailing and swimming. It is thanks to the high tech world that I can track my progress and assess how well I am doing. It allows me to set goals and exceed them and it allows me to evaluate when to take breaks and when to continue pushing forwards.

I love technology but I still walked up five floors to get to my office. I almost never sit in public transport and I usually take the stairs or walk up escalators rather than stand around. Movement is an integral part of my daily routine so I do not accept the premise that high tech world makes us weak and weird.