#airborne transmission

[pressnewsagencyllc]

The WHO is rebranding COVID and other respiratory illnesses

It took over a hundred scientists from around the world two years to finally get on the same pageregarding the best language to use when talking about airborne and respiratory viruses. What’s wrong (and right) with Neuralink? The World Health Organization said on Thursday that these viruses, which include COVID-19, influenza, measles, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and tuberculosis,…

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#Aerosol #Airborne transmission #COVID-19 #Disease transmission #influenza #Keiji Fukuda #Occupational safety and health #Pandemics #Pathogen transmission #Quartz #respirator #SARS-CoV-2 #Vaccine-preventable diseases #Zoonoses

[pillowprincessvarric]

Makes me insane how miasma theory of illness is actually mostly correct.

#average medieval peasant 10x more capable of understanding airborne transmission than average modern american

[smol-blue-bird]

cannot stress enough that, if you see someone on twitter who identifies themselves as a "scientist" or a "PhD" but refuses to specify the field, you should not trust that person to give you advice about COVID

#just saw some lady make really wacky claims about airborne transmission #but her profile said she had a PhD from a reputable school so I was like ???? #Anyway I looked her up and she's a physicist. Boy did she go to great lengths to make herself seem like an authority on viruses!

[pipzeroes]

#Mmm Krusty Brand Imitation Hand-Sani #COVID is NOT over #COVID is airborne #cleaning hands is good and all but it does not stop airborne transmission #COVID floats like smoke #mask up #COVID #Long COVID #COVID-19 #meme #memes #Simpsons meme #yes I've posted variations on this meme before but this is the most recent and possibly final version #my ocs

[the-ria]

Why in your latest meet the artist post you kinda had frank iero vibes to your self- like idk why you look like a girl frank iero

-🍮

DUDE GSHAHAH I can't say that I see it, but you just gave me the biggest compliment, I will be thinking about this for a week straight :'D

#airborne vibes transmission

[pandemic-info]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Good morning!

If you're going to see family or friends for Thanksgiving today & taking rapid tests before gathering:

Be sure to do a cheek, throat, and nasal swab correctly.

More info: #how to test

Rapid tests aren't fool-proof. (Explanation here.) But they can help when used properly. Increase certainty by:

Nasal-swabbing correctly. Here's a video showing how (on Twitter).

Also swabbing your cheek and throat. (More info, short.) Here's a good info sheet showing how, and a photo showing why (via EFD) ↓

Thanks for taking care of those around you.

If you stumble on this post and don't know why you should test (after all, the US president et. al. say "it's over"),

Check the archive of this blog — links to research studies, data, and articles about the actual status of COVID in the US.

It's not over: beyond the short-term negative effects of acute COVID (among others: income loss, suicidal ideation, hospitalization, death),

Long COVID (lasting months beyond infection, sometimes forever) is affecting millions, is disabling, and there is no real treatment for it at this time.

See also:

SeeYouSafer.org

People's CDC

#how to test #holidays #transmission #rapid antigen test #RAT #rapid tests #rapid test #covid #avoiding covid #avoiding infection #avoiding long covid #covid is vascular #covid is not the flu #covid is airborne #covid is not mild #covid isn't over

[iamthepulta]

Sorry, the 'overlapping Pandemics' got me. But the pattern of transmission is clearly in the way it's spreading like do you people even remember the Princess cruise ship. That's airborne/droplet transmission.

#people were screaming about it during Covid because it was clearly visible #whole apartment complexes were getting it because they stayed together in a elevator #and its still water-transmitted and in sewage #'the WHO is lying' check your facts and make sure #the WHO can make mistakes too; and again #this is also because the airborne transmission rules are such wonky ones #it has to do with how long a virus can stay in the air and travel #remember if you spoke to an auditorium full of people with measles that 90% of them wouod get it? THAT is an airborne disease #Covid for all its transmissiveness is not that #diseases #epidemiology

[chronicbitchsyndrome]

so: masking: good, unequivocally. please mask and please educate others on why they should mask to make the world safer for immune compromised people to participate in.

however: masking is not my policy focus and it shouldn't be yours, either. masking is a very good mitigation against droplet-born illnesses and a slightly less effective (but still very good) mitigation against airborne illnesses, but its place in the pyramid of mitigation demands is pretty low, for several reasons:

it's an individual mitigation, not a systemic one. the best mitigations to make public life more accessible affect everyone without distributing the majority of the effort among individuals (who may not be able to comply, may not have access to education on how to comply, or may be actively malicious).

it's a post-hoc mitigation, or to put it another way, it's a band-aid over the underlying problem. even if it was possible to enforce, universal masking still wouldn't address the underlying problem that it is dangerous for sick people and immune compromised people to be in the same public locations to begin with. this is a solvable problem! we have created the societal conditions for this problem!

here are my policy focuses:

upgraded air filtration and ventilation systems for all public buildings. appropriate ventilation should be just as bog-standard as appropriately clean running water. an indoor venue without a ventilation system capable of performing 5 complete air changes per hour should be like encountering a public restroom without any sinks or hand sanitizer stations whatsoever.

enforced paid sick leave for all employees until 3-5 days without symptoms. the vast majority of respiratory and food-borne illnesses circulate through industry sectors where employees come into work while experiencing symptoms. a taco bell worker should never be making food while experiencing strep throat symptoms, even without a strep diagnosis.

enforced virtual schooling options for sick students. the other vast majority of respiratory and food-borne illnesses circulate through schools. the proximity of so many kids and teenagers together indoors (with little to no proper ventilation and high levels of physical activity) means that if even one person comes to school sick, hundreds will be infected in the following few days. those students will most likely infect their parents as well. allowing students to complete all readings and coursework through sites like blackboard or compass while sick will cut down massively on disease transmission.

accessible testing for everyone. not just for COVID; if there's a test for any contagious illness capable of being performed outside of lab conditions, there should be a regulated option for performing that test at home (similar to COVID rapid tests). if a test can only be performed under lab conditions, there should be a government-subsidized program to provide free of charge testing to anyone who needs it, through urgent cares and pharmacies.

the last thing to note is that these things stack; upgraded ventilation systems in all public buildings mean that students and employees get sick less often to begin with, making it less burdensome for students and employees to be absent due to sickness, and making it more likely that sick individuals will choose to stay home themselves (since it's not so costly for them).

masking is great! keep masking! please use masking as a rhetorical "this is what we can do as individuals to make public life safer while we're pushing for drastic policy changes," and don't get complacent in either direction--don't assume that masking is all you need to do or an acceptable forever-solution, and equally, don't fall prey to thinking that pushing for policy change "makes up" for not masking in public. it's not a game with scores and sides; masking is a material thing you can do to help the individual people you interact with one by one, and policy changes are what's going to make the entirety of public life safer for all immune compromised people.

#dyspunktional #cripple punk #actually disabled #cripplepunk #a lot of these are major concessions for me personally as i'm an anarchist and loathe to support further concentrations of state power #but if you're gonna be operating within the structure of the system. here you go. handing you a cheat sheet for what you should demand.

[ciyapaofficial]

What is the Proper Way to Wear a Disposable Mask? 

Disposable masks have become an essential practice in our daily lives, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. While most people know the importance of wearing masks, many may not know how to wear them properly. Wearing a mask correctly protects the wearer and those around them. 

Poor mask fitting can result in gaps where air can flow in and out, reducing effectiveness. In this blog, we will learn the proper way to wear a disposable mask, including how to adjust it to fit the face and dispose of it safely.

Types of Disposable Masks 

Choosing the right mask is crucial for protecting oneself and preventing airborne transmission and viruses to others. When it comes to these masks, there are several types to consider

Surgical masks

These masks are commonly used in healthcare settings. They are loose-fitting and primarily designed to prevent droplets from entering the mouth and nose. Surgical masks are suitable for everyday use and offer basic protection against respiratory infections.

N95 respirators

N95 respirators are a more advanced type of mask that provides a higher level of filtration. They are designed to filter out at least 95% of airborne particles, including small respiratory droplets that may carry viruses. N95 respirators fit tightly on the face and require proper fitting to ensure optimal effectiveness. They are commonly used by healthcare professionals and individuals working in high-risk environments.

Cloth masks 

Cloth masks are reusable face coverings made of various fabric materials, offering basic protection against respiratory droplets but with limited filtration capabilities.

Sponge masks 

Sponge masks are lightweight and comfortable, often made of porous materials, providing a basic barrier against droplets but with minimal filtration efficiency.

Active carbon masks 

Active carbon masks are designed with an additional layer of activated carbon, which helps to filter out harmful gasses and odors along with droplets, offering improved filtration and reducing exposure to pollutants.

FFP2 masks

FFP2 masks (Filtering Facepiece Particles) are high-performance respirators with a tight seal, providing higher filtration efficiency. They protect against droplets and airborne particles, including small respiratory droplets, aerosols, and solid particles, making them suitable for healthcare professionals or individuals in high-risk environments.

Other masks

Apart from surgical masks and N95 respirators, other disposables are available in the market. These include KN95 masks, similar to N95 respirators and offering comparable filtration efficiency. Additionally, there are disposable masks with various levels of filtration, such as ASTM Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 masks, which indicate their respective filtration capabilities.

Preparing to Wear a Disposable Mask

Hand hygiene

Before wearing a disposable mask, it is essential to practice proper hand hygiene. Begin by washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are unavailable, use a hand sanitiser that contains at least 60% alcohol. Thoroughly rub your hands together, covering all surfaces until dry. This step helps eliminate any potential contaminants on your hands.

Inspecting the mask for damage

Carefully examine the mask for any signs of damage or defects. Check for tears, holes, or loose straps. Ensuring that the mask is intact and will provide adequate protection is crucial. If you notice any damage, discard the mask and use a new one. A compromised mask may not effectively filter airborne particles.

Checking the expiration date

Disposable masks typically have an expiration date printed on the packaging. Take a moment to check this date before wearing the mask. Expired masks may have reduced effectiveness and could potentially put you at risk. If the mask is past its expiration date, dispose of it and obtain a new one. Prioritising your safety by using masks within their designated timeframe is crucial.

Steps to Wear Disposable Mask Guidelines 

Wash hands thoroughly

Before handling a mask, it is essential to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This step helps to remove any dirt or germs from your hands, ensuring clean and personal protection. 

Identify the top and bottom of the mask

Masks usually have a top and bottom portion. Look for any markings or indicators on the mask to identify the top side. The top portion typically includes a stiff bendable strip that can be moulded to fit the shape of your nose.

Position the mask over the nose and mouth

Hold the mask by the ear loops or ties and place it over your nose and mouth, completely covering both areas. Please ensure no gaps between the mask and your face, as this can compromise its effectiveness.

Secure the mask behind the ears or head

Once the mask is positioned correctly, secure it by either looping the ear loops around your ears or tying the straps behind your head. Adjust the tension to ensure a snug fit without causing any discomfort.

Mould the nosepiece for a snug fit

Using your fingers, gently press down on the bendable nosepiece to mould it to the shape of your nose. This step helps to seal the mask and prevent any air leakage from the top area. Ensure that the mask fits securely over your nose and under your chin.

Perform a fit check

After wearing the mask, perform a fit check to ensure proper nose and mouth covering and that it is properly sealed. Inhale and exhale gently to check for any air leakage around the edges. If you feel air escaping, readjust the mask and nosepiece to achieve a better fit.

Remember to avoid touching the mask while wearing it, as this can transfer germs to your hands. If you need to touch the mask, wash your hands immediately afterwards. 

Length of Use & Disposal

Duration of mask usage

Considering the recommended duration of mask safety usage is crucial to ensure optimal protection.

Masks should generally be worn for a maximum of four hours before replacement.

In high-risk situations or crowded environments, masks may need to be changed more frequently.

Avoiding touching the mask during use.

Touching the mask can contaminate it and compromise its effectiveness.

It is important to resist the urge to adjust, scratch, or readjust it unnecessarily and maintain mask hygiene. 

If adjustment is necessary, ensure hands are thoroughly washed or sanitised beforehand.

Disposing of the mask properly

Masks should be disposed of in designated waste bins or sealed bags to prevent potential transmission of pathogens.

Care should be taken to avoid touching the front surface of the mask during disposal.

Follow local guidelines and regulations for mask disposal to ensure proper handling.

Avoiding the reuse of masks

These masks are designed for single use only and should not be reused.

Reusing masks increases the risk of contamination and diminishes their filtration efficiency.

Always have an adequate supply of masks to ensure a fresh one can be used when needed.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, wearing a disposable mask correctly is crucial to protect yourself and those around you from spreading diseases. 

Following these guidelines, we can all do our part to keep ourselves and our communities safe and healthy. Remember, mask-wearing is a simple yet effective way to protect ourselves and others during these challenging times.

Original Source: 

#disposable mask #proper way #wearing #technique #safety #expert tips #mask fitting #preventing airborne transmission #personal protection #Covid safety #COVID-19

[yamameta-inc]

The Swiss Cheese Model of Covid Prevention

An edited version of the swiss cheese model tailored towards the measures that you as an individual can take to minimize your risk of infection. Public health is ultimately what its name implies, public, but that doesn't mean you're powerless.

Covid prevention is not all-or-nothing. Think of it as risk reduction, rather than a binary.

Let's go through these step by step.

VACCINES

The current vaccines are meant primarily to reduce chances of severe illness, hospitalization, and death. They will reduce your chance of infection a bit--but not nearly as much as you might think. You should still get your boosters regularly, because avoiding severe illness is of course worth doing.

If you haven't gotten the updated monovalent vaccine yet, go get it. It is not a booster. Think of it as a new vaccine. It's targeted towards the XBB lineages, which are now the most common variants. Your last boosters were likely of the bivalent type, aimed at both the original Covid strain from 2020 and Omicron. The new vaccine is monovalent, meaning it targets one family in particular.

Some studies suggest that the Novavax vaccine, which is a more traditional protein-based vaccine, is more effective and safer than mRNA vaccines, and offers better protection against future variants. Of course, the data we have so far isn't 100% conclusive (the last paper I linked is a preprint). Make of these findings what you will, just something to keep in mind. The new Novavax vaccine's availability is still limited, especially outside of the US.

MASKS

Masking is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself. While it is true that masking and reducing Covid transmission protects those around you, the idea that masks can't protect the wearer is outdated information from the early days of the pandemic when medical authorities refused to acknowledge that Covid is airborne.

The key to protecting yourself is to wear a well-fitting respirator. You want to minimize any gaps where air might leak out. If your glasses get fogged up, that's a sign that air is leaking.

Headbands will always have a tighter fit than earloop masks (and therefore provide better protection). However, you can use earloop extenders to improve the fit of earloop masks. You can find these online. Your comfort in wearing a mask is important, but there are options for compromise.

The above graphic doesn't include elastomeric respirators. While some (like the Flo Mask) are expensive, they can be much more affordable than buying disposables--look for P100 respirators at your local hardware store, but make sure it fits your face well.

For more general information, see this FAQ. For mask recommendations (NA-centric, sorry!), see my list here or Mask Nerd's YouTube channel.

For situations where you need to hydrate but don't want to take your mask off, consider the SIP valve.

Not even N95s are foolproof (N95 means it filters at least 95% of particles--with the other 5% potentially reaching you). Most people will likely not have a perfect fit. There will be situations where you'll have to take your mask off. The key is risk reduction, and that's why the Swiss cheese model is crucial.

If you can't afford high-quality masks, look for a local mask bloc or other organization that gives out free masks. Project N95 has unfortunately shut down. In Canada, there's donatemask.ca.

AVOID CROWDED INDOOR SPACES

This is rather self-explanatory. Indoor transmission is much, much, much more likely than outdoor transmission. If it's possible to move an activity outdoors instead, consider doing so.

If possible, try going to places like stores or the post office during less busy hours.

Viral particles can stay in the air for a considerable amount of time even after the person who expelled them has left. Do not take off your mask just because no one is currently present, if you know that it was previously crowded.

A CO2 monitor is a decent proxy for how many viral particles may have accumulated in the air around you. The gold standard is the Aranet4, but it's expensive, so here are some more affordable alternatives.

VENTILATION AND AIR FILTERS

Ventilation is effective for the same reason that outdoors is safer than indoors. If it's warm enough, keep windows open whenever possible. If it's cold, even cracking them open occasionally is better than nothing. Try to open windows or doors on different sides of a room to maximize airflow.

HEPA air filters can significantly reduce viral transmission indoors. Make sure to find one suitable for the room size, and replace the filters regularly. You want to look for devices with HEPA-13 filters.

You can use websites like these to calculate how long it takes for a device to change all the air in a room. Remember what I said about viral particles being able to hang around even after people have left? If an air purifier provides 2 air changes per hour, that means that after 30 minutes, any potential viral particles should be gone.

If you can't afford a commercial air filter, here's a useful DIY filter you can make with relatively simple materials. The filtration capacity is great--but due to being built with duct tape, replacing filters will be a challenge.

If you have to hold meetings or meet with people at work, having a smaller filter on the desk between you will also reduce chances of infection.

As a bonus, HEPA filters will also filter out other things like dust and allergens!

REDUCE LENGTH OF EXPOSURE IF EXPOSURE IS UNAVOIDABLE

Viral load refers to the amount of virus in a person's blood. If you've been exposed to someone with Covid, how much you've been exposed matters.

You might escape infection if the viral load you've been exposed to is very small. Or, even if you get infected, there will be less virus in you overall, leading to milder illness--and crucially, a lower chance of the virus penetrating deep into your body, creating reservoirs in your organs and wreaking long-term havoc.

A low viral load is also less contagious.

This is the same reason that wearing your mask most of the time, but having to take it off for eating, is still much better than not wearing your mask at all.

RECHARGEABLE PORTABLE AIR FILTERS

You might attract some odd looks. But if you're at high risk or just want to be as protected as possible, small portable air filters can help. Try to find models small enough to take with you on public transportation, to school, or while traveling.

These devices will be far too small to clean the air in the whole room. The goal is to have it filter air in your immediate vicinity. Be sure to angle the device so that the air is blowing in your face.

Unfortunately, rechargeable devices are much rarer and harder to find than normal air filters, and many are also expensive.

The best option at the moment, apart from DIY (which is possible, but you need to know what you're doing), seems to be the SmartAir QT3. The size and shape are a bit clunky, but it fits in a backpack. Its battery life isn't long, but it can be supplemented with a power bank.

NASAL SPRAYS

There's some research that suggests that some nasal sprays may be effective in reducing risk of infection by interfering with viruses' ability to bind to your cells.

These sprays are generally affordable, easy to find, and safe. The key ingredient is carrageenan, which is extracted from seaweed. So there are no potential risks or side effects.

Be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging carefully. Here's a video on how to properly use nasal sprays if you've never used them before.

Covixyl is another type of nasal spray that uses a different key ingredient, ethyl lauroyl arginate HCI. It also aims to disrupt viruses' ability to bind to cell walls. Unfortunately, I think it's difficult to obtain outside of the US.

CONCLUSION

None of the methods listed here are foolproof on their own. But by layering them, you can drastically reduce your chances of infection.

The most important layers, by far, are masking and air quality. But you should also stay conscientious when engaging with those layers. Don't let yourself become complacent with rules of thumb, and allow yourself to assess risk and make thought out decisions when situations arise where you might have to take off your mask or enter a high-risk indoor area, such as a hospital.

Remember that the goal is risk reduction. It's impossible to live risk-free, because we live among countless other people. But you can use knowledge and tools to keep yourself as safe as possible.

#covid #this took a while... i feel like i forgot stuff #but i can't think of what atm

[mypowerourpower]

One day soon, I think we're going to look back fondly on airborne transmission.

#monkeypox #monkeypox is also airborne #but also fomite transmission #covid19 #covid

[fox-bright]

My covid post from last year is going around again, as I sit here debating how and what to write about HPAI H5N1.

I'm tired.

Things to know:

HPAI H5N1, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1, is so far wildly lethal when humans get it. Somewhere between 53% and 56% of the humans who have been found to have it have died.

Those people mainly got it from interacting with sick birds. A couple have gotten it from interacting with sick mammals. The one of those that's most important to US news right now is a worker at a milk cow farm who got sick very recently. That worker's only symptom before getting on antiviral medication was pinkeye.

(Keep your cats indoors; cats are getting it from sick birds. Don't have bird feeders this year. Do NOT interact with wild birds that are acting strangely; do not poke at dead wild birds.)

Humans are not yet giving it to humans. There are one or two cases where they might have done, in the last few years; those cases guttered out quickly, to the great good luck of our species, and did not spread.

Human-to-human transmission is the big concern.

We are not in any immediate danger of H2H transmission. When we're in immediate danger, you'll know.

When the flip happens, we will go from not being in immediate danger to being in immediate danger, very rapidly. This could happen this month, or in five months, or in five years, and we don't know when.

By the time we are in immediate danger, it is too late to do the greater bulk of your preparation.

So it's time to prepare now. This time we have is a blessing. We should not squander it. What would you have done differently in September, 2019, if you knew what was coming? Do that.

With some differences; a) flu can pass by fomite--that is, a sick person touches a doorknob, you touch a doorknob, you rub your face, you get sick--so you actually do need cleaning chemicals for this one. b) This one gets in through the eyeballs pretty easily in its current shape, so eye protection should be prepped for adding to masking in public spaces. c) this one is gonna call for fever reducers and we know how hard they were to get when covid hit; stock up. And stock up on pet food if you can keep it from going bad, because pet food gets its protein from cow and bird meat; there will be shortages.

With a lot of similarities; the flu is airborne so don't stop masking, if we have a proper lockdown this time you're going to wish you had flour and rice and canned fruit so keep stock of all your staples. If you have a nice big freezer, now is the time to get beef and chicken before the prices shoot to the ceiling. I'm also stocking up on powdered milk and powdered eggs for baking with.

We have made a lot, a LOT of mistakes with how we've handled covid. But one thing we didn't do wrong was all of the community-building in the early days. Think about what worked then, and what didn't really work. Now is the time to make sure community bonds are strong. As always, as in ANY potential disaster, there are two most-important questions?

Who can protect and support you?

Who can you support and protect?

Plan accordingly.

#H5N1 #this is not a call for panic #this is a time to look around and see what bolts need tightening #and reevaluating our vulnerabilities

[transmutationisms]

Feel free not to answer this ask so you dont have to step into this particular hornet's nest but do you have any thoughts about people sharing inaccurate science about COVID in order to push for more COVID regulations? I agree that COVID is being neglected and we need better policies but I'm also a biochemist so it pisses me off to see people cite research in a way that makes exaggerated and terrifying claims. Two years ago, I was warning my colleagues against this condescending "just trust the science" approach but now the same crowd pushing that has shifted to pushing "don't trust any of the positive science, only my catastrophic interpretations of it". Can't we mask without also trying to convince each other that COVID is a guaranteed one way ticket to death and permanent disability?

you must be new here haha i swing bats at this hornet's nest like once a month. yeah i think the current state of covid communication sucks a lot. i mean the truth is that "follow the science" is always a disingenuous sentiment; Science doesn't speak, and scientists disagree with one another. and it's naïve to pretend majority consensus is a reliable mechanism to identify truth—anyone who has followed the covid aerosolisation about-face will recall that although linsey marr was not the first researcher to challenge medical orthodoxy on airborne disease transmission, even well into the covid pandemic the idea of aerosol transmission was marginalised by global health authorities because it was politically inconvenient, out of favour with powerful established academics, and reminiscent to some of pre-pasteurian miasma theories of disease. those who would "follow the science" were not presented with a convenient dichotomy between reasonable evidence-backed expert consensus and fringe peddlers of heterodoxy; to evaluate these positions required actually, yknow, reading and evaluating the arguments and evidence from multiple competing positions, and deciding which had the greater explanatory power. which is good epistemological advice only insofar as it's so obvious as to be trite.

fundamentally a huge driving force of this situation is the social, political, and institutional forces that make expert knowledge (a generally good thing) all too often synonymous with inaccessible knowledge. i don't mean inaccessibility caused by knowledge being specialised; obviously this is inevitable to some extent simply as a result of the fact that no one person will grasp the entirety of human knowledge. but the fact that knowledge is specialised, specific, highly technical, and so forth doesn't automatically mean, for example, that it has to be monetarily gatekept from all but a select few with the resources to persevere through a highly punishing, nepotistic, hegemonic university system; this is a political problem, and one that additionally has the effect of enabling and sheltering low-quality work (see: replication crisis) behind the opaque walls of university bureaucracy and the imprimateur of the credentials it grants. in lieu of an ability to actually engage with, read, or challenge much of the academic research being generated on any given topic, the lay public is supposed to rely on signs of reliability like possession of a degree, or institutional reputation. what we in fact see again and again, and with particularly high stakes in the case of something like a pandemic, is that these measures are instruments of class stratification and professional jockeying that don't inherently ensure quality information: MDs can and do peddle anti-vaxx lies and covid / long-covid denialism; the CDC and WHO can and do perpetrate bad and outdated scientific advice, like that masks are unnecessary and isolation periods can be shortened for convenience. many of these are just blatant cases of kowtowing to political pressure, which arises from the capitalist logic that counterposes disease prevention to economic growth.

this all leaves us in a position where it is, in fact, smart and correct to evaluate the information coming from 'official' and credentialled sources with scepticism. the problem is that in its place, we get information coming out of the same capitalist state-sponsored scientific institutions, and the same colonialist universities; the idea that some chucklefuck on twitter is telling you the secret truth just because they correctly identified that the government sucks is plainly absurd. where covid specifically is concerned, the liberalism of academic and scientific institutions is on display in numerous ways, including the idealist assumption, which many 'covid communicators' make, that public health policy is primarily a matter of swaying public opinion, and therefore that it is always morally imperative to form and propagate the most alarmist possible interpretation of any study or empirical observation. this is not an attitude that encourages thoughtful or measured evaluation of The Science (eg, study methodology), nor is it one that actually produces the kind of political change that would be required to protect the populace writ large from what is, indeed, a dangerous and still rampant virus. instead, this form of communication mostly winds up generating social media Engagement and screenshots of headlines of summaries of studies.

meanwhile, actual public health policy (which is by and large determined at the mercy of capitalist state interests, and which by and large shapes public opinion of what mitigation measures are 'reasonable', despite the CDC repeatedly pretending this works the other way round), remains on its trajectory toward lax, open exposure of anyone and everyone to each new strain of covid, perpetuating a society that is profoundly hostile to disabled people and careless with everyone's life and health. this fucking sucks. it sucked that we have treated the flu like this for years, and it sucks that we are now doing it with a virus that we are still relatively immunologically naïve to, and that produces, statistically, even more death and disability than the flu. and it sucks that the predominating explanations of this state of affairs from the 'cautious' emphasise not the structural forces that shape knowledge production under capitalism, but instead invoke a psychological narrative whereby individuals simply need to be sufficiently terrified into producing mass action.

#michael hoerger hate blog #covid

[swampgallows]

There is more COVID-19 transmission today (January 2024) than during 94.7% of the pandemic.

💉 Please get the updated (new, not a booster) Covid vaccine. If you're in the US, ask your local pharmacy about the Bridge Access Program for free vaccines. You can also search vaccines.gov then select Bridge Access Program participant.

If you do not want an mRNA vaccine for whatever reason, consider Novavax: it is protein-based like other typical vaccines from the last few decades, and many (including myself) report minimal side effects. Talk to your doctor if you have questions or concerns.

😷 Wear a mask in public and/or any enclosed areas. "Mask" means a respirator of KN95/N95 filtration or higher, not a cloth or surgical (blue) mask. Covid is airborne, so an airtight seal and particulate filter is necessary for protection. Different kinds of respirators are used for everything from toxic fumes to asbestos removal; when worn properly, they greatly reduce risk.

Here is a guide for proper use and fitting of a respiratory mask.

Here is a short video by 3M (respirator manufacturer) on the importance of fit-testing.

🧪 Have tests ready. With the new variants it can sometimes take 5-8 days to test positive, so be sure to test twice, 48 hours apart. If you're in the US, you can get 4 free rapid tests sent to your home through USPS. Local schools and libraries also may have free rapid tests. If you qualify for the Test to Treat program, you can receive free at-home NAAT tests and treatment for both flu AND Covid, and access to telehealth. The earlier you test positive, the more likely you will be eligible for treatment with Paxlovid.

🔁 If you can afford it, air purifiers and HEPA filters can help reduce transmission. Making a Corsi-Rosenthal box is simple and inexpensive. If weather permits, keeping windows open helps. Ventilation allows fresh air to circulate.

👃 Nasal sprays and CPC mouthwash are other useful prophylactic measures when used in conjunction with PPE and other modes of mitigation like masking and distancing.

🚬There is still a risk of Covid when outside, similar to exposure from secondhand smoke or a fire. Since Covid is spread through aerosols, it can hang in the air like smoke.

🐶 As with other coronaviruses, many household pets can get Covid. If you have been exposed, avoid contact with animals.

"But I'm not old or weak. Why should I care?"

☣ Covid can still kill you or disable you for life, even if your initial sickness is "mild". Even if you are young and have no preexisting conditions. 90% of the original "long haulers" had "mild" cases.

🩺 Covid increases your risk of stroke, blood clots, and heart disease by 2 to 5 times within a year of infection. It can also cause brain damage, which is part of the loss of taste and smell and cognitive symptoms like brain fog.

🩸 Covid is able to infect multiple organ systems because it travels through the bloodstream and attacks the mitochondria, leading to dysfunction and chronic fatigue.

⚠ Reinfection doesn't make your body better at fighting Covid; it just does more damage to your immune system, akin to HIV. A damaged immune system is worse at fighting off illness, more susceptible to infection, and can lead to serious complications like pneumonia. And with every reinfection, your chances of developing Long Covid increase. Therefore, the best protection for your immune system is to avoid getting Covid as much as possible.

I know everyone is tired of this. But if there was any time to be vigilant, it is now. Please, let's protect each other.

#covid

[covidsafehotties]

Published April 5, 2024

"How long is airborne SARS-CoV-2 infectious after an infected person leaves the room? Our work suggests over 4 hours under certain conditions."

"The half-life for survival of SARS-CoV-2 in aerosols is 1-3 hours based on the ability to culture virus in cells. However, it is less clear how long airborne SARS-CoV-2 remains capable of infecting people."

"We showed that genetically identical SARS-CoV-2 infected two patients who were admitted to a hospital room 1 hour, 43 minutes and 4 hours, 45 minutes after discharge of an asymptomatic infected patient."

Let's remember the physical reality of covid while the CDC bickers about the definition of "airborne." Covid lingers on the air even longer than smoke in the right conditions (which are common indoors).

#mask up #covid #covid 19 #covid isn't over #pandemic #covid conscious #covid is airborne #wear a mask #coronavirus

[mausers]

Wastewater and previous trends indicate that it's bad out there and getting worse. It's never too late to start wearing a well-fitting N95 and learning about layered mitigation to protect yourself, people you love, and people you don't know but who still deserve health and happiness.

COVID isn't over. COVID is airborne. It can get anywhere smoke can. Long COVID is real. Damage can happen to your organs and immune system with even mild/asymptomatic infections. Repeat infections increase the chances of all of this. Holidays gathering and no public mitigation mean that transmission is high and will keep getting higher for a while, by some estimates this will be the second largest surge of the whole pandemic. I get that everyone's tired of being careful, and that capitalism lied to you to get you back to work. It's not your fault, not knowing, but please at least read this with an open mind. This is Johns Hopkins. This is an epidemiologist. This is not fringe or a conspiracy, there is so much evidence and more arrives all the time.

#covid 19 #covid is not over #wear a mask