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Airborne transmission and the usefulness of filters still doesn't seem that clearly established - this study didn't find that much virus in the air even without

by makomk 5y ago

Airborne transmission and the usefulness of filters still doesn't seem that clearly established - this study didn't find that much virus in the air even without the filters, and most of the real-world transmission seems to involve people who were directly exposed to virus particles before they even had a chance to go through a filter, via standing next to someone or directly in an airflow path coming from their direction.

clairity 5y ago
thanks for pointing this out. it gets lost in the fervor of trying to "fight the virus". most of our interventions are useless, and yet, we still insist on doing them. the virus just isn't aloft and active for very long. that's why the most dangerous activity is close conversation, something we tend to do around people we know well (friends & family), not strangers in public.
overton 5y ago
That's certainly the dominant narrative, but it flies in the face of superspreader events where it appears that one or a few people infected hundreds. Did they directly breathe on everybody they infected? https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/outbreak-at-quebec-city-gym-linked-to-440-infections-and-counting-one-gym-client-dead-1.5377871 https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/outbreak-at-quebec-city-gym-link... https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6919e6.htm https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6919e6.htm https://elpais.com/especiales/coronavirus-covid-19/a-room-a-bar-and-a-class-how-the-coronavirus-is-spread-through-the-air/ https://elpais.com/especiales/coronavirus-covid-19/a-room-a-...
- dragonwriter 5y ago
  > Did they directly breathe on everybody they infected? Maybe they coughed over shared food/drink trays.
  - overton 5y ago
    The first case linked above was in a gym where patrons were supposed to be masked and two meters apart, and the second case had a CDC investigation which would have mentioned that as a factor if it were present.

by makomk 5y ago

clairity 5y ago

thanks for pointing this out. it gets lost in the fervor of trying to "fight the virus". most of our interventions are useless, and yet, we still insist on doing them. the virus just isn't aloft and active for very long. that's why the most dangerous activity is close conversation, something we tend to do around people we know well (friends & family), not strangers in public.

overton 5y ago

That's certainly the dominant narrative, but it flies in the face of superspreader events where it appears that one or a few people infected hundreds. Did they directly breathe on everybody they infected? https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/outbreak-at-quebec-city-gym-linked-to-440-infections-and-counting-one-gym-client-dead-1.5377871 https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/outbreak-at-quebec-city-gym-link... https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6919e6.htm https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6919e6.htm https://elpais.com/especiales/coronavirus-covid-19/a-room-a-bar-and-a-class-how-the-coronavirus-is-spread-through-the-air/ https://elpais.com/especiales/coronavirus-covid-19/a-room-a-...

dragonwriter 5y ago
> Did they directly breathe on everybody they infected? Maybe they coughed over shared food/drink trays.
- overton 5y ago
  The first case linked above was in a gym where patrons were supposed to be masked and two meters apart, and the second case had a CDC investigation which would have mentioned that as a factor if it were present.