New plastic film covered in thousands of tiny pillars can tear apart viruses on contact The textured acrylic plastic surface, inspired by insect wings, could help prevent the spread of major viruses.

New plastic film covered in thousands of tiny pillars can tear apart viruses on contact

Fascinating invention re viruses on surfaces. Now if only it could be adapted to deal with airborne viruses.

theconversation.com/new-plastic-...

Map of Oregon stating that 4.4 million migratory birds will be flying during the night on April 18. The graphic encourages reduction of light at night.

Lots of birds in the sky these nights. Turn off those porch lights and close the shades so they can see the stars.

10 simple ways to strengthen your immune system ahead of cold and flu season Winter is just around the corner, so now’s the time to tweak our daily food and lifestyle habits.

10 simple ways to strengthen your immune system ahead of cold and flu season

They missed the most important one: avoid COVID as it damages your immune system

www.watoday.com.au/goodfood/tip...

This wonderful astronaut book for kids, by @mikemongo.bsky.social, is exactly what we need right now. 🧪

Headline: Thousands of hospital deaths in Australia caused by human error

"A major study has revealed thousands of hospital deaths in Australia were caused by human error, including poor decision-making"

Not mandating N95s in healthcare is the biggest error

7news.com.au/news/thousan...

The air throughout our homes is infused with microplastics. But there are things you can do to breathe less of them Clouds of microplastics concentrate in the air of our homes, and we could be breathing in millions of them each year. A few changes can help us reduce exposure.

The air throughout our homes is infused with microplastics. But there are things you can do to breathe less of them

Step 1. Read this excellent article

www.bbc.com/future/artic...

When oil refineries burn, here’s what happens to your lungs and heart The blaze at the Geelong oil refinery in Victoria has reportedly been extinguished. But residents in the area may be worried about the health effects of lingering smoke.

When oil refineries burn, here’s what happens to your lungs & heart

"Well-fitting P2 or N95masks can reduce inhalation of fine particles when worn correctly. Loose-fitting surgical or cloth masks provide much less protection against smoke"

theconversation.com/when-oil-ref...

Why air pollution could speed up the onset of dementia and Parkinson’s The study analysed the data of 396,000 UK citizens between the ages of 39 and 70 as part of the UK Biobank

Air pollution could speed up the onset of...

"tracked...78 chronic illnesses, like hypertension, stroke, COPD, diabetes, & dementia...found that exposure to high levels of air pollutionn was associated with an earlier onset of 48/78 long-term conditions, >61%

au.news.yahoo.com/why-air-poll...

Air pollution making people in UK get long-term illnesses earlier, study finds Pollution is ‘silent accelerator that robs individuals of their healthiest years’, say researchers

Air pollution making people in UK get long-term illnesses earlier, study finds

"Pollution is ‘silent accelerator that robs individuals of their healthiest years’, say researchers"

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

So many of us who advocated for N95s were told to avoid COVID by hand washing.

This apology doesn’t rectify the ongoing problem; the general population still thinks COVID isn’t airborne and even our hospitals aren’t instituting masking to protect our most vulnerable patients.

#CovidIsAirborne

E-cigarette devices expose users to toxic metals, mouse study reveals A study published in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry by University of Technology Sydney (UTS) researchers showed that even short-term vaping at exposure levels below typical daily human use res...

E-cigarette devices expose users to toxic metals

"even short-term vaping at exposure levels below typical daily human use resulted in measurable accumulation of toxic metals in lung tissue—including lead, copper and nickel"

medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04...

newsGP - ‘Good asthma management’ crucial for GPs A Queensland study on children’s asthma hospitalisations highlights the importance of management plans in all climate zones, says an expert.

"asthma hospitalisations in SA was higher in the rural...areas...due to higher allergen & air pollution load, such as rye grass, dust, bushfire & woodfire smoke, & maybe other factors such as social disadvantage, health literacy & access to services"

www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clini...

How Covid Quietly Rewires the Brain — Bloomberg Businessweek Researchers keep discovering more about the long-term neurological effects of SARS-CoV-2.

How Covid Quietly Rewires the Brain

“Researchers keep discovering more about the long-term neurological effects of SARS-CoV-2.”

Jason Gale
Bloomberg Businessweek (April 2026)
apple.news/Aa7uVHCg4R7q...

Finding Stars A poetic documentary exploring our connection to the night sky, its ancient stories, modern mysteries, and unexplained lights told through a philosophical lens shaped by mortality and our place in the...

To kick off International DarkSky Week 2026, watch the fab 28 min "Finding Stars" iview.abc.net.au/show/finding...

Emergency warning issued after blaze at Perth battery recycling facility A man has been taken to hospital and a HAZMAT emergency warning has been issued as a serious fire burns at a lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Perth.

Emergency warning issued after blaze at Perth battery recycling facility

"people in the area should remain inside, out of the smoke or fumes, with doors & windows closed and air-conditioners off"

No mention of ALSO using air purifiers & N95s!!

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

Lithium-fuelled fire sends toxic smoke over Perth

📢 A lithium-fuelled fire has erupted at a recycling plant, sending toxic smoke across south-east Perth for hours.

Looks like Battery Fire danger is still so understated. There's huge battery fire in Perth now and people were standing around watching it. One good whiff can cause permanent damage. Heck, it could stop your heart, and technically could melt bone.

Unions call for lower limits for 9 toxic chemicals - ANMJ Unions, including the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), are calling on Work Health and Safety Ministers to strengthen protections for workers – including nurses – by lowering the exposure limits for nine “cancer-causing” toxic chemicals. The ANMF, together with the ACTU and other public health organisations, sent a joint letter urging WHS Ministers to

Unions call for lower limits for 9 toxic chemicals

"more than 1 in 10 workers in Oz are regularly exposed to hazardous substances at work including dusts, gases, vapours & fumes that cause harm to health & can lead to illness, disease & premature death"

anmj.org.au/unions-call-...

Industry groups push back on Tasmanian workplace chemical limits The changes would reduce the level of some chemicals allowed in workplaces…

"Industry groups push back on Tasmanian workplace chemical limits"

Prefer traditional approach of failing to protect workers until dying employees litigate

Challenges, like measuring airborne silica, is still not an excuse to do nothing

pulsetasmania.com.au/news/industr...

My colleague is mad because she has caught COVID at work.

However, she also doesn't wear masks most of the time, AND she came to work yesterday symptomatic (before testing positive) and only wore a surgical mask despite N95s being freely available.

🤔

Almost 200,000 New Zealanders are now living with long COVID – where is the government plan? The prevalence of long COVID is more than a hundred times greater than the definition of a rare disease – yet there are no specific health services or support.

200,000 New Zealanders are now living with long COVID

"11.9% of adults who contracted COVID developed long COVID following the acute phase, and almost half (48.5%) of them were still experiencing symptoms at the time they completed the survey"

theconversation.com/almost-200-0...

New research reveals that cutting emissions is not the only way to save lives from air pollution A new study reveals that 52% of the global drop in air pollution deaths (1990–2019) stems from improved healthcare and lower vulnerability.

New research reveals that cutting emissions is not the only way to save lives from air pollution

"A new global study finds that reducing poverty & improving healthcare have played a major role in lowering deaths from air pollution, alongside efforts to cut emissions"

www.sei.org/about-sei/pr...

Flu vaccination may cut heart attack and stroke risk after infection In Danish adults aged 40 years or older, laboratory-confirmed influenza was linked to a sharp short-term rise in first-time heart attack and stroke risk, especially in the first 7 days after infection...

Flu vax may cut heart attack & stroke risk after infection

"Danish study found that flu can sharply raise the short-term risk of heart attack & stroke, while prior vaccination was linked to a markedly lower excess risk in people who still became infected"

www.news-medical.net/news/2026040...

Shame on you SBS News - too cowardly to say ISRAEL kiled the WHO worker in Gaza.

Also no mention of Israel's attack on the Jewish synagogue in Iran.

This is whitewashing Israel's crimes.

STOP IT.

DO YOUR JOB.

'Horrific' disease hitting regional Aussies hardest Exposure to pesticides and other environmental factors could be behind far higher rates of motor-neurone disease in regional areas, experts warn.

'Horrific' disease hitting regional Oz hardest

"pesticides in agricultural areas could be behind the rise in motor-neurone disease (MND), experts say, with the risk of developing the degenerative condition as much as 40% higher in some parts of the nation"
thenightly.com.au/australia/ho...

Contributor: For water and mining policy near Salton Sea, keep in mind local children's health For years, community members have raised concerns about the high rates of asthma. New evidence bolsters their case.

Children’s health

"blowing dust is impeding the lung growth of children in the region...the effects on lung function close to the Salton Sea have been greater than what studies find in urban California communities near busy roadways"

www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...

Shrinking Salton Sea Dust Stunts Kids' Lung Growth Southern California's Salton Sea was once a resort playground , with sunny beaches, celebrities and people waterskiing on the vast inland lake in

Shrinking Salton Sea Dust Stunts Kids' Lung Growth

"wind blowing across the exposed lake bed kicks up toxic dust left by years of agriculture chemicals & metals washing into the lake. That dust makes its way into the lungs of the children"

www.miragenews.com/shrinking-sa...

@carlzimmer.com 's book AIR-BORNE is excellent and goes into the history but also the details of the incident in that @wired.com article that the UK COVID Inquiry makes impossible for the bad guys to keep handwaving away.

The body count on this one screwup may well exceed 25 million already.

Concluding paragraph from article: Some wins are easy Use a water filter to remove PFAS (forever chemicals) and lead from mains water (even the most basic countertop jug with a carbon filter does the job, rising to more expensive reverse osmosis and ionising whole-house systems). Consider a portable air purifier with an HEPA filter for PFAS and a carbon filter for VOC (volatile organic compounds). Researchers at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health found improved indoor air quality increases an occupant’s cognitive function. Or simply “burp” your home daily, creating a strong draught by opening doors or windows for a few minutes to instantly upgrade the indoor air quality. And eat sardines for breakfast. A 90g tin provides the recommended daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids. The Stimulated Mind: Future-Proof Your Brain from Dementia and Stay Sharp at Any Age by Tommy Wood is published on Mar 26 (Vermilion, £22)

"How a top neuroscientist future-proofs his brain (and you can too)"

Useful article but provides some questionable advice re IAQ, & fails to mention the ongoing dementia-inducing threat of COVID.

apple.news/Agr7vyd88TXe...

Fast Air Disinfection Test Glows PhotosAerosols are major drivers of virus transmission The performance of air disinfection techniques is hard to measure, but a new fluorescence-based

Fast Air Disinfection Test Glows

"air disinfection techniques (are) hard to measure, but a new fluorescence-based method speeds up the process
...aim to use it to improve their air disinfection technology, which can deactivate...virus particles with plasma"

www.miragenews.com/fast-air-dis...