IN PHOTOS Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
A new study has found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is evolving to get better at becoming airborne in its newer variant forms, raising concerns that loose-fitting face masks only provide "modest control" against infection.
The study, led by the University of Maryland School of Public Health, reports that the virus has moved towards "more efficient aerosol generation." Researchers say this means that public health measures will be needed to protect those in public-facing jobs and working indoors until vaccination rates are "very high."
Those measures include improved ventilation, increased filtration, UV air sanitation and tighter-fitting masks, in addition to vaccines.
The study was published Tuesday in peer-reviewed medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Results of the new study show that people infected with the Alpha variant expelled 43 to 100 times more virus into the air when they breathed than people infected with the original strain of the virus.
The study notes that this was the dominant strain that was circulating during the research period.
Don Milton, professor of environmental health at the University of Maryland, said the findings provide further evidence that transmission of COVID-19 is primarily airborne, spreading from the nose and mouth of an infected person by sprays of large droplets when in close proximity.
"We know that the Delta variant circulating now is even more contagious than the Alpha variant. Our research indicates that the variants just keep getting better at travelling through the air, so we must provide better ventilation and wear tight-fitting masks, in addition to vaccination, to help stop spread of the virus," Milton said in a press release.
Researchers found that the amount of airborne virus coming from Alpha variant infections was 18 times more than that of the amount of virus found in nasal swabs and saliva.
"We already knew that virus in saliva and nasal swabs was increased in Alpha variant infections," one of the study's lead authors and doctoral student Jianyu Lai explained in the release. "But our study shows that the virus in exhaled aerosols is increasing even more."
Researchers said that these increases in airborne virus from Alpha variant infections occurred before the Delta variant arrived in the U.S., indicating that the virus is "evolving to be better at travelling through the air."
To test how well masks work at preventing airborne spread, researchers measured how much COVID-19 is breathed into the air by infected patients and compared it to the amount of virus that is exhaled when they wear a cloth or surgical mask.
The study found that face coverings "significantly reduced" the amount of virus that is exhaled into the air from those infected with COVID-19 by about 50 per cent, but noted that loose-fitting cloth and surgical masks are unable to completely prevent virus particles from getting into the air.
Researchers said the study shows that a "layered approach" to virus control measures is "critical" to protect those returning to public work spaces.
"The take-home messages from this paper are that the coronavirus can be in your exhaled breath, [it] is getting better at being in your exhaled breath, and using a mask reduces the chance of you breathing it on others," Jennifer German, study co-author and assistant clinical professor at the University of Maryland, said in the release.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
The Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from competition hours before Saturday's final of the pan-continental pop competition, which has been rattled by protests over the participation of Israel.
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
A cyclist turned herself in and received a fine after striking a four-year-old girl who was crossing the street to catch a school bus.
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.