Coronavirus is airborne - mask up

[parietal]

I recently commented on a thread about hand-washing that the coronavirus is airborne and a bunch of people jumped on to argue. Here, I want to make the case that this thing really is airborne and that is what we need to focus on

Back in Feb / March, we did not know much about the virus but now there is more and more evidence that this thing spreads through the air. Not just big droplets on surfaces, and not just someone coughing in your face. Just breathing the same air as an infected person is enough to spread the virus.

Most of these papers are from
twitter.com/AliNouriPhD/status/1305899457540771847?s=20 who is a molecular biologist. I'm just summarising them here

1. In a call centre in Korea, 1 person infected 94 out of 216 colleagues on the same floor. The people who caught covid worked in the same room but at distant desks. Others on the same floor (sharing lifts & bathrooms) did not catch it.

2. Restaurant in china with 5 big round tables. 3 tables had a re-circulating aircon system above all 3 - one covid case at the middle table spread to 9 people at the other 2 tables. But there were also 2 tables on a different aircon system and none of the people at those tables got covid.

3. In Starbucks in Korea, one lady with covid spent an hour chatting to a friend. 26 people in the same starbucks got infected BUT the 4 employees (who were wearing masks) did not
   edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-08-25-20-intl/h_d88a8d6e5ee96dd569bd1be5d494de45

4. the virus has been captured in air at least 5m from patients and can survive for 16 hours in the air

The more we understand about the virus, the better we can defend against it. And all this data suggests that the most important thing is don't breathe the same air - big open spaces with fresh air are good. And if you can't stay in an open space, wear a mask.

I do believe that unfortunatelly this bugger can indeed be airborne!

Interesting times article. I hadn't realised tb was now believed to be transmitted only by aerosols.

I am pro masks, but these are not enough for airborne. I do not say they do not help, but they will not protect enough.....
This scares me to be honest, as you only need to be in the same room as a carrier. Forget the 2 m, masks, visors and hand cleaning. If you are in the same room, you are at risk!

Mushmonster look into some of the mask wearing observations.

Whatever the WHO say about airborne or not. It's clear that there are many unknowns in the spread of respiratory illness. And maybe some rigidity of thinking.

There is also a suggestion that a mask may reduce exposure and so give you a milder case.

Take hope where you can. Many people in the same household DON'T catch this, or other flus and colds.

@turnitonagain

I can’t believe this point even has to be made. Doesn’t anyone wonder why densely populated cities in Asia are doing better than we are with this virus? Because mask wearing is universal. Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong - these places should have been overrun giving their proximity and links to Wuhan.

The arrogance of the British public (and government) to ignore successful strategies from other countries because “we know better” is truly astonishing.

Same here. I was about to come on here and say it’s not fucking rocket science, just common sense. What lies and dithering have the UK government been telling you people for the past 7 months?? The rest of the world used common sense and wore masks almost immediately because most respiratory illnesses are transferred, you guessed it, THROUGH THE AIR YOU BREATHE. Cover your mouth, wash your hands and stay away from other people. This isn’t hard folks! 🙄 Simple preventative measures like those are better than a vaccine in this case.

You've seen the comments earlier in this thread. Apparently ordinary masks are useless if it's an aerosol as opposed to droplets. Let's face it some droplets are likely so tiny they hang in the air and lo and behold become worthy of the name aerosol (and maybe then we may then be allowed to call it airborne transmission.) Meanwhile whole countries wear masks as a matter of course.
There was the hamster cage experiment that I saw derided but thought myself that it was a nice simple demonstration of something protective in "masking" against Covid19. I don't know what to make of the WHO or of the lack of nimble thinking.

(There is of course a massive issue over availability of the "normal" medical masks. There are not enough for the medical staff let alone ordinary people.)

Quite why the UK authorities haven't been pushing vitamin D / sunshine is another one that is beyond me.

Anybody on here exempt from mask wearing and also childfree by choice/childless?

Remember the way you have been treated over the mask issue if/whe they come out with any measures/expect you to make any sacrifices to keep schools open.

Airborne. Not as airborne as measles, etc, but also not merely transmitted by droplets, that are picked up via touch, coughing, etc.

www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3206

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/coronavirus-latest-airborne-aerosol-outbreaks-social-distancing-a9667706.html

Guess where my dad caught it? On a plane home from Spain on Friday 13th of March. He sat beside a fella who was coughing the whole flight back. The ironic thing is my mother had 4 masks in her handbag!! He's to see a Heart Specialist on Friday as he's getting dizzy spells and his pulse rate has been dropping to something like 50 to 60 beats per minute. He has stents and had a mild heart attack. I think the only reason he's alive is due to him wearing a Cpap machine at night and his GP prescribing him extra steroids and antibiotics. He's on Steroids for life as he has no pituitary gland. He also had a bad chest infection recently and he never used to get chest infections previously.

Dr John Campbell has some very informative vids on Youtube, all about the benefits of wearing masks, and the importance of good ventilation. Also, he recommends taking a vitamin D supplement, as it can help mitigate the effects of the virus, if you catch it (or rather, it's known that if you are deficient in vitamin D you might suffer more serious effects from the virus).

Even if non medical grade masks don't give 100% protection, that doesn't mean they're not worth bothering with. There is evidence that they might reduce the viral load to the wearer, so that if they catch the virus they end up with a milder illness but still gain the benefit of immunity - not a bad result really, as we have no vaccine yet. The second wave is coming and we need to use every method we have of reducing transmission.

Sadly, some stubborn people who are not exempt will still refuse to wear a mask or follow social distance guidelines, unless/until the disease affects them or their loved ones. There's just no cure for the hard of thinking.

@MushMonster

I am pro masks, but these are not enough for airborne. I do not say they do not help, but they will not protect enough..... This scares me to be honest, as you only need to be in the same room as a carrier. Forget the 2 m, masks, visors and hand cleaning. If you are in the same room, you are at risk!

Japanese scientists (sorry can't find vid) found that KN95 - non woven- masks that are tight around the face and are correctly adjusted at the nose hardly let anything out. The blue things we see on people with the huge hole on the side is better than nothing, but only barely. The particles only come out at the sides, at the nose, under the chin part, so not directly at you. BUT... given that this airborne virus can linger and stay alive in the air as aerosolized particles* for many hours, this blue joke is hardly worth putting on.

*researchers have managed to infect living cells from virus that was harvested from "infected" air.

I think we all know it’s airborne, but I would not rely on twitter or cnn for scientific advice.
If wearing a mask/gloves allows life to regain a little normality then I’m all for wearing them

Yes it is airborne which is why we are urged to wear masks and keep a distance.

@TheSunIsStillShining, I may be remembering wrongly but I thought I read some say the evidence for airborne transmission from smaller aerosols suggest it still may account for only 10% of exhaled air whilst the larger droplets the other 90% (you may know more as said I can’t remember, I may be wrong I read that, and don’t have a source to cite) If this is true then cotton and surgery masks (the blue ones) will as you say barely reduce blocking the smaller aerosols coming from the person’s mouth and nose, but will still block the larger droplets from spreading.

@Guylan I'll look it up tomorrow with proper citations, I know what you are referring to.
My recollection is that these blue monstrosities A)provide a false sense of safety B)because they are designed against droplets. As in actual bigger than xxx micron particles. Also, as in holding back snot, sneezing saliva,....

oh, it'll be today, just after a little sleep :)

I think we all know it’s airborne

Well, apparently not. On the AD threads, people are still blithely wittering on about the preposterousness of 'face nappies' and saying 'we can all manage our own risk assessment,' in between tinkly little laughs.

I think we all know it’s airborne

If that’s true than why are we sending children and teachers to sit in classrooms without masks on? Someone doesn’t seem to know.

@turnitonagain

I think we all know it’s airborne

If that’s true than why are we sending children and teachers to sit in classrooms without masks on? Someone doesn’t seem to know.

That is perplexing me. I don't understand how parents can play russian roulette with their kid's life (okay, I admit I'm overdramatizing, but it is a nice phrase)

Russian roulette is exactly how it feels. We've avoided shops, indoor meet ups etc as were feeling more secure that outdoors was safe (also initially terrified of joggers!)

There's cases in schools near us and knowing what we do about transmission I cant see how my kids being in school is safe (more concerned I'd have dire reaction than them..)

Women in 20-50 bracket getting it are on the up.... I cant help think healthcare workers arent the only reasonm

We are not playing Russian roulette with children’s lives as the risk to children is roughly one in a million and for children fare less than flu. The risk to children from no education and socialisation is far far greater.

You throw your children to the wolves if you want to, I want better for my children.

Eye - and how many of them have vulnerable parents? Thats how it feels to me as although my kids would be okay they'd hate to think they'd killed mum or dad.

Wear a mask... IF YOU CAN

People who don't wear masks when they can make me fing livid. That's how we're back in this situation.

You can make or buy 3 layered masks. You can do research to find the most appropriate one to get.
The biggest problems in this country are that arrogance and stupidity goes hand in hand.

@HeIenaDove

Anybody on here exempt from mask wearing and also childfree by choice/childless?

Remember the way you have been treated over the mask issue if/whe they come out with any measures/expect you to make any sacrifices to keep schools open.

@HeIenaDove that’s a rather selfish, bitter and twisted way to approach life methinks.

I’ve never needed hospital treatment so should I “remember this when I’m asked to sacrifice things for the nhs”?

@cbt944

I think we all know it’s airborne

Well, apparently not. On the AD threads, people are still blithely wittering on about the preposterousness of 'face nappies' and saying 'we can all manage our own risk assessment,' in between tinkly little laughs.

At least the hard of thinking are on those threads and we can ignore them.