Aerosol spread

Away With The Fairies

BrianD3 wrote: »

Right from the start of this pandemic there was far too much emphasis on handwashing and surfaces and not enough on the fact that it is a respiratory virus spread by coughing, sneezing, talking, breathing into the air.. I remember thinking this at the start when I cleared the local hardware shops of FFP2 and FFP3 respirators for myself and the staff in work. Around the same time I saw a youtube video where an infectious diseases expert said something along the lines of handwashing etc. might prevent about 10% of cases.

Subsequently we went into lockdown/WFH and by the summer employees were being pressured to return to poorly ventilated offices - but it was fine as long as they were more than the magic 2 metres apart and less than the magic 15 minutes together. However if they were handling a file or document in said office, H&S procedures required them to sanitise their hands before and after it, each time. There was also mention of microwaving post before handling it :rolleyes:

Couple of weeks ago, we had the supervisor telling us that we can pick up covid from a pen. Then we do the secret santa shyte in work. I don't see the difference between a pen and secret santa gifts.

Far too much emphasis on surfaces when it should be aerosols and droplets. You can sanitize objects and surfaces, not your lungs.

Thats me

Away With The Fairies wrote: »

Far too much emphasis on surfaces when it should be aerosols and droplets. You can sanitize objects and surfaces, not your lungs.

It is simpler to resolve aerosol problem by just setting requirements like public places should be ventilated, everybody should be wearing masks in there and distancing etc.

But all of that would not work for surfaces where virus can preserve up to 3 days. Some spreader yesterday was probably touching this door handle or pressed door bell or touched goods in the shop - but you didn't see it and many people would have a false feeling of safety touching these contaminated surfaces.

You even can bring virus from street on the bottom of your shoes to own house. How many people would sanitize their shoes before entering a house?

So better to have this way of transmission emphasised - just to maintain awareness.

Away With The Fairies

Why is there not more being done on opening windows?

There has been very little advice on opening windows, unless you count Christmas where they recommended to open windows if you have people over for Christmas dinner. But I haven't heard anything more on it after that.

I haven't used a bus in a long time but from what I heard there's signs on the buses to keep them open. But from observing passing buses, they're not always open.

I had to get three taxis last week, and I had to ask all three drivers to open windows. I've even seen taxi's passing with passengers and no windows open, not even partially open.

Or is the plan here to get over summer without a simple recommendation, similar to how we got through most of winter and it's only now they are recommending vitamin D supplements?