Comparison of breath-guards and face-masks on droplet spread in eye clinics.

Introduction: COVID-19 has impacted ophthalmic care delivery, with many units closed and several ophthalmologists catching COVID-19. Understanding droplet spread in clinical and training settings is paramount in maintaining productivity, while keeping patients and practitioners safe.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the effectiveness of a breath-guard and a face mask in reducing droplet spread within an eye clinic.

Detection of dental fomites using topical fluorescein.

Background Thorough disinfection of dental facilities is of paramount importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients, clinicians, students and nurses can all be infected by aerosols and dental droplets bearing COVID-19. However, droplets are transparent and often microscopic, so are difficult to detect in clinical practice.

Comparison of droplet spread in standard and laminar flow operating theatres: SPRAY study group.

Background: Reducing COVID-19 transmission relies on controlling droplet and aerosol spread. Fluorescein staining reveals microscopic droplets.

Aim: To compare the droplet spread in non-laminar and laminar air flow operating theatres.

Effects of narrow linear clearings on movement and habitat use in a boreal forest mammal community during winter.

Linear clearings for human activities cause internal fragmentation of otherwise intact native forest, with many potential impacts on wildlife. Across a boreal forest region of some 4,000 km, we investigated how movements and habitat use of ecologically different mammal species are affected by narrow (about eight m) seismic line (SL) clearings associated with fossil fuel extraction, which form extensive networks many kilometers long. We conducted nine repeat snow track surveys during three winters at 14 pairs of one-kilometer transects, each comprising one transect along the SL and a second running perpendicular into adjacent forest.