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This week, Journal of Commerce digital media editor Warren Frey and staff writer Russell Hixson take a look at the stories they’ve been covering over the last couple of weeks, and as might be expected a lot of articles are about the continued COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe.

Russell points to a recent article concerning how medical facilities will have to be revamped in the wake of the coronavirus to more stringent standards that address how viruses spread, but points out the level of expertise needed requires a familiarity not only with medicine and epidemiology but also how building materials work and how air travels through buildings.

Russell also spoke to a mining company that mines zeolite and is looking at using it as a fly ash alternative. It has the potential of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and can be substituted as a mixture, along with incorporating recycled glass.

Warren spoke to the City of Winnipeg’s head of planning who said while the pandemic has meant changing how the department operates and moving to a digital permitting system, it has also allowed for early maintenance work on city facilities that would otherwise be open. Warren also attended CanBIM’s recent virtual conference which focused on the concept of “digital twinning” where a virtual building exists alongside the physical asset and discusses some of the innovative ideas highlighted at the event.