6 ms·
Prepare now for a potential H5N1 pandemic
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- ursulasorensen 2y ago[flagged]
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- ungreased0675 2y agoI’d love to see more awareness of the importance of indoor air quality this time around.
- yoshuaw 2y agoStrong agreement. Minimum safety standards for indoor air are as important as minimum safety standards for water and food. For those interested: the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate maintains a database of indoor air quality standards worldwide [1]. It lists standards by country, and allows you to filter by pollutant. CO2 is a commonly proxy for ventilation with values <800-1000ppm typically considered to be “good”. For the US specifically: the recently published ASHRAE 241 standard [2] provides updated guidelines for indoor air quality. This provides stronger guarantees than the weaker ASHRAE 62.1 standard [3], as it specifically focuses on reducing aerosol-based transmission of pathogens such as (but not limited to) Covid-19 and H5N1. [1]: https://ieqguidelines.org/table?factor=iaq https://ieqguidelines.org/table?factor=iaq [2]: https://www.ashrae.org/about/news/2023/ashrae-publishes-standard-241-control-of-infectious-aerosols https://www.ashrae.org/about/news/2023/ashrae-publishes-stan... [3]: https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/bookstore/standards-62-1-62-2 https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/bookstore/standar...
- Confiks 2y agoIt's even more important if this finding [1] (press release [2]) turns out to be true, namely that the amount of carbon dioxide in the air is not just a proxy for air quality, but that having less of it actually actively destabilizes virus particles. Also, portable air cleaners seem to work pretty well [3]. [1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-47777-5 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-47777-5 [2] https://www.bristol.ac.uk/cabot/news/2024/virus.html https://www.bristol.ac.uk/cabot/news/2024/virus.html [3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950362024000043 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S295036202...
- ndsipa_pomu 2y agoI found the science.org link difficult to read, but this seems clearer: https://cepi.net/world-should-prepare-now-potential-h5n1-flu-pandemic-experts-warn https://cepi.net/world-should-prepare-now-potential-h5n1-flu...
- soared 2y agoTo achieve its requests in the US, the article needs more “oomph”. Do some mildly valid math to predict death counts, economic impact, etc and then maybe the government could be interested.
- redserk 2y agoLet’s go back to December 2019/January 2020. Hunan shut itself down. There was video of hundreds of people in makeshift hospitals. Trucks with some kind of disinfectant spray were roaming the streets. It was real-world impact. It was not theoretical impact. It took us until March/April 2020 to start getting serious. I strongly doubt the current federal leadership is inclined to act in a more risk-adverse way than in March of 2020.
- ndsipa_pomu 2y agoThe problem as I see it is that large-scale farming creates an ideal place for viruses to mutate and possibly become dangerous to us. It's pretty much inevitable that we're going to get new virus strains emerging from livestock - it's just a question of when and also how well different countries deal with it. A global approach is the only sensible way to deal with pathogens that can spread so easily as it's becoming almost impossible for countries to control borders sufficiently (especially if birds are a vector).
- bryanlarsen 2y agoSmall scale farming creates a different type of ideal place for viruses to mutate and become dangerous to us because there is much more inter-species mixing. Keeping chickens & pigs in the same barn, for instance.
- ndsipa_pomu 2y agoYes, but there'd be less chance of mutation due to the smaller scale. By having a large concentration of animals in a smaller space (relatively), it's like hitting the fast forward button on evolution/natural selection for viruses. To counter the extra risk, large scale farms should be testing for pathogen/viruses to at least get an early warning for when there's a nasty mutation.
- bryanlarsen 2y agoThere can be trillions of virus cells in a single body. That's the mutation environment. Whether there are dozens or thousands of bodies makes little difference in comparison.
- ndsipa_pomu 2y agoIf you consider a single body, the selection pressure is for the virus to multiply as quickly as possible. It's when you get multiple bodies that the selection pressure is more the ability of the virus to be transmitted and infect a new host. It's by concentrating animals/people into smaller environments that we select for the greater transmission of the virus and possibly for it to be less deadly as that gives the virus more time to spread itself. Alternatively, think that a virus in a single organism is likely to be extremely well adapted for spreading within that organism already, but it may not be adaptable to other organisms and thus not be very contagious.
- freen 2y agoExactly the time to cut NIH funding, exit the WHO, and put a vaccine sceptic as Secretary of Health. Obviously the work of a real genius who understands the power of using very bright lights inside the body to fight COVID. Remember: COVID spared babies. H1N5 won’t.
- bradhe 2y agoCombine that with the real likelihood of a 9/11-type event due to collapse of the FBI and boy oh boy will Trump fans have a lot to answer for.
- thatguy0900 2y agoThey'll answer for nothing, they'll blame globalists for the terrorists and renegade fauci labs for any virus.
- freen 2y agoThis. 100% Reichstag fire. When you increase the odds of catastrophe, you are also increasing the need for more authoritarian responses.
- paleotrope 2y agoWe had a 9/11-type event and many many many smaller scale terrorists events WITH a "non-collapsed" FBI!
- dworkr 2y agoThis is not optimal. We get one if these every 10 years or so. We should be always prepared, not "prepare now!" boom/bust cycling this stuff. This is new, but it is really not new. Waves of panic followed by apathy is not the way to do public health, but it is how we fund it.
- kelseyfrog 2y agoWhat does actual preparation look like for me given the experience I gained 5 years ago? * Ensure I have a stock of masks, disposable and washable. * Re-organize and upgrade my home office / workspace. * Proactively prepare myself mentally by strengthening social bonds, self-care routines, and overall mental health. * Decide if I'm going to continue baking bread or explore a new hobby.
- cameldrv 2y agoProbably a good idea to have flu tests and Tamiflu on hand as well as these are likely to be unobtainable in a pandemic situation.
- mpol 2y agoBuy some soup and vegetables and fruit in a can. If you are sick for 2 or 4 weeks, you are self-sufficient. Instead of relying on family at your door, potentially making them sick as well.
- orev 2y agoSince the fatality rate is estimated around 50%, make sure all your affairs are in order: * have a written will * collect all login information for your important accounts * collect any important paperwork * make sure you have a good idea of the best medical facilities in your area and how to get to them
- ThePowerOfFuet 2y agoCan someone with access please upload it to Sci-Hub and/or Anna's Archive?
- Freedom2 2y agoIs it time to start investing in ivermectin again? I know quite a few people who would willingly buy it.