iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mike Sasges @uvmike.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Attending an in-person conference for the next few days. Must ignore the implicit peer pressure to remove my N95. Do I really want to get sick so that others can pretend COVID is over?

010

Reposted by Mike Sasges

DoNoHarm BC @donoharmbc.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Here’s the latest hazard index from the academic-led team at Covid-19 Resources Canada, based on federal government wastewater data. This is the forecast from Jan 17th to 30th. COVID rates are very high across Canada (~1 in every 95 people is infected), and high in BC (~1 in 180).

Canadian COVID Forecast for January 17 to January 30, 2026, produced by COVID-19 Resources Canada. Canada's COVID Forecast outlook is VERY HIGH (no change) with a COVID INDEX SCORE of 12.1.
About 1 of every 95 people is infected.
Estimated infections this week: 303,900-409,500
What these numbers mean: MODERATE 1-5, HIGH 5-10, VERY HIGH 10-15, SEVERE >15 COMPARED TO THE LOWEST POINT IN THE COVID PANDEMIC IN CANADA
How much higher are key indicators compared to the lowest point in the COVID pandemic in Canada?
Waste water, infections: VERY HIGH; 10.5X higher
Long COVID: HIGH; 6.4X higher
Hospitalizations: VERY HIGH; 10.6X higher
Deaths: SEVERE; 15.1X higher

British Columbia's COVID Forecast for January 17 to January 30, 2026, produced by COVID-19 Resources Canada. Outlook is HIGH (decreasing) with a COVID INDEX SCORE of 8.1.
About 1 of every 180 people is infected.
Estimated infections this week: 22,400-30,200
What these numbers mean: MODERATE 1-5, HIGH 5-10, VERY HIGH 10-15, SEVERE >15 COMPARED TO THE LOWEST POINT IN THE COVID PANDEMIC IN CANADA
How much higher are key indicators compared to the lowest point in the COVID pandemic in Canada?
Waste water, infections: HIGH; 8.2X higher
Long COVID: HIGH; 6.4X higher
Hospitalizations: HIGH; 7.4X higher
Deaths: HIGH; 8.6X higher

Gauges with the Jan 17 - Jan 30, 2026 COVID Forecast scores for Canada, the provinces, and territories. From left to right:
Canada: VERY HIGH - 12.1
Alberta: VERY HIGH - 12.3
British Columbia: HIGH - 8.1
Manitoba: SEVERE - 19.2
New Brunswick: VERY HIGH - 11.2
Newfoundland & Labrador: VERY HIGH - 11.3
North: VERY HIGH - 12.9
Nova Scotia: SEVERE - 17.6
Ontario: VERY HIGH - 10.9
Prince Edward Island: HIGH - 9.8
Quebec: VERY HIGH - 12.3
Saskatchewan: SEVERE - 17.9

A graphic shows recommendations from COVID-19 Resources Canada, including:
UPDATE vaccines every 6 months
WEAR N95-type masks
AVOID indoor social gatherings
AVOID crowded non-essential places
Below that, text reads, infection increases risks of long-term health damage (Statistics Canada). A Statistics Canada graph shows long term symptoms from one infection (14.6% of people), two infections (25.4%), and for three or more infections (37%).

12512

Mike Sasges @uvmike.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

I got this machine transcript of a voicemail today. Word for word, I swear: English service press one, Chinese press two. Yo honey, you need a deal! Why she only tongue jump? I think, “can you but die?” Should you yell, shouting in your fooling, and you doing lunching on earth?

010

Reposted by Mike Sasges

Tara Moriarty @moriartylab.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

Canadian COVID Forecast Apr 26-May 9, 2025 CANADA VERY HIGH (no change) About 1 in every 142 people infected Compared to lowest point of pandemic in Canada: -Infections ~11X higher -Long COVID ~10X higher -Hospitalizations ~15X higher -Deaths ~14X higher

This image describes the Canadian COVID Forecast for the seven day period between Apr 26-May 9, 2025, which is produced by COVID-19 Resources Canada. Canada’s COVID Forecast outlook is VERY HIGH (no change) with a COVID INDEX SCORE of 13.1
About 1 of every 142 people is infected.
Estimated infections this week: 207,275-342,125
What these numbers mean: MODERATE 1-5, HIGH 5-10, VERY HIGH 10-15, SEVERE >15 COMPARED TO THE LOWEST POINT IN THE COVID PANDEMIC IN CANADA
How much higher are key indicators compared to the lowest point in the COVID pandemic in Canada?
Waste water, infections: VERY HIGH; 11.3X higher
Long COVID estimate: HIGH; 9.9X higher
Hospitalizations, ICU: VERY HIGH; 14.6X higher
Deaths: VERY HIGH; 14.3X higher
HOW TO HELP:
EVERYONE:
UPDATE vaccines every 6 months
WEAR N95-type masks
AVOID indoor social gatherings
AVOID crowded non-essential places

Who is HIGH RISK?
People 60 and older, babies < 1 year, pregnant
ALL AGES: immunocompromised OR medically at-risk OR no vaccine or infection in the last 6 months
Recommendations are based on the COVID-19 Risk Index from the Peterborough ON Public Health Unit
COVID-19 Resources Canada is a grassroots organization of volunteer scientists supporting Canadian COVID responses. Sources, data and methods for the COVID Index are available at www.Covid19Resources.ca

818391

Mike Sasges @uvmike.bsky.social · 26/12/2024

Had to take a flight today. One of the very few masking, and there were audible productive coughs. Why doesn’t public health make recommendations: “If you must travel while sick, please wear a mask. Be kind, save a life!”

020

Reposted by Mike Sasges

Dr Noor Bari @njbbari3.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

@catinthehat.bsky.social thread on X. Hospital where child presented with H5N1 was probably crowded, missed a testing opportunity the first time around, was using only surgical masks at best, long waits, and the masks were downgraded to surgical masks again even after suspicions of bird flu. ->

65718

Reposted by Mike Sasges

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 09/11/2024

Today would have been Carl Sagan's 90th birthday. He wrote this in 1995. Carl was absolutely right. #CarlSaganDay

I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time - when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the key manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness. The dumbing down of America is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30-second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance.

246123483140