Orla Hegarty Profile picture
Architect Asst Professor @UCDDublin @UCDArch FRIAI RIBA ARB opinions my own #Housing #Architecture #Construction #CovidIsAirborne Orla-Hegarty@spéirghorm

Jan 23, 2021, 51 tweets

[Thread] Learning from #COVID19 #superspread

🇺🇸USA Skagit Choir practice: 1 person with mild symptoms, 2.5-hours indoors, 50 infected, 2 deaths

“you can be inhaling what someone else exhaled even if they are far away from you” 1/ colorado.edu/today/2020/09/…

🇰🇷 South Korea, restaurant #Covid19 #superspread

CCTV shows 1 person infected another seated 6 metres away within 5 mins

“person was seated near a ceiling-type air conditioner, which blew virus droplets” 2/verywellhealth.com/air-flow-covid…

🇩🇪 Germany, meat factory #Covid19 #superspread

1,500 workers infected, indoors at 10°C low humidity

“Cold & stale air conditions allowed coronavirus particles to travel more than 8 meters” 3/
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

🇻🇳 Vietnam 10 hour flight #COVID19 #superspread

1 passenger infected 15 on same plane (no masks)

“12 were sitting in business class, along with patient, where seats are spread further apart, 2 in economy & 1 crew” 4/ independent.co.uk/travel/news-an… & wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26…

🇨🇳 China, restaurant #Covid19 #superspread

Infection of 10 persons from 3 families who had eaten at separate tables in air-conditioned restaurant

“key factor for infection was the direction of the airflow”
5/
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26…

🇦🇺 Australia, nursing homes

CO2 carbon dioxide in some homes over 3 times recommended level, meaning poor ventilation

“If anyone in building is infected, risk of cross-infection may be significant even if PPE protocols followed & surfaces cleaned”
6/
theconversation.com/poor-ventilati…

🇺🇸 Washington, Capitol Building #Covid19

200 national guard &
3 lawmakers infected

“committee room lockdown had all ingredients for #superspread event.. overcrowding, hours indoors, people without masks & low ventilation” 7/
washingtonpost.com/politics/capit… & newsweek.com/hundreds-natio…

🇸🇪 Sweden, hospital

#COVID19 detected in central ventilation systems, distant from patient areas, indicating it can be transported long distances

“increased infection indoors, as well as #superspread, could be explained by airborne transmission”
8/ nature.com/articles/s4159…

🇰🇷 South Korea, Call Centre #superspread

97 infected in open office

“virus can be exceptionally contagious in crowded offices.. despite considerable interaction between workers in the building #COVID19 spread limited almost exclusively to 11th floor” 9/ wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26…

🇰🇷 South Korea, coffee shop

27-person cluster linked to ceiling mounted air-conditioning in coffee outlet

“4 mask-wearing employees escaped infection... masks may not provide 100% protection, but there’s nothing out there that’s as effective” 10/
fortune.com/2020/08/25/cov…

🇫🇷 France, aircraft carrier (ship) #Covid19 #superspread

668 out of nearly 2,000 sailors infected

“Proximity & contagion make for dangerous shipmates. We have already seen how deadly virus can be in close confines of cruise ships” 11/
bbc.com/news/world-eur…

🇳🇿 New Zealand, quarantine hotel #superspread

29 mariners, 2 health workers

“poor ventilation & double-bunking helped spread Covid... with poor ventilation in corridors, factors all added up to being conducive to inhalation of #Covid19 aerosols” /12
stuff.co.nz/national/healt…

🇮🇪Ireland, airplane #COVID19 #superspread

13 on flight (59 total)

“4 of flight cases were not seated next to any other positive case, had no contact in the transit lounge, wore face masks in-flight & were not ‘close contacts’ under ECDC definition” 13/ eurosurveillance.org/content/10.280…

🇨🇦 Canada, Seniors Residence #COVID19 #superspread

156 residents & 91 staff infected

“infectious disease experts & an air quality specialist determined the ventilation system was malfunctioning”
/14
globalnews.ca/news/6940893/s…

🌎 Global, Conference #COVID19

20,000 may have acquired conference virus

#superspread is hallmark of coronavirus. When infected person shows up —inside, with poor ventilation & close contact— virus can infect a lot of people in very little time” /15 nytimes.com/2020/08/26/hea…

🇳🇱 Netherlands, Care Home
#suprspread

17 residents & 17 staff, at time of low virus infection in local community

“data suggest that this outbreak is caused by aerosol transmission of #COVID19 in a situation of inadequate ventilation” /16
academic.oup.com/cid/advance-ar…

🇮🇱 Israel, school #Covid19 #superspread

153 students, 25 staff & 87 cases among close contacts

‘during extreme heatwave, air-conditioning functioned continuously in all classes’ & a ‘face mask exemption’ /17
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

🇻🇳 Vietnam, bar

19 infected

“Crowds in enclosed indoor settings with poor ventilation may be considered at high risk for transmission” /18 wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27…

🇨🇳 China, bus #superspread

1 person infected 23 (of 67) passengers on 100 minute round trip

“prevention & control must consider airborne spread of #COVID19 which is a highly transmissible pathogen in closed environments with air recirculation” 19/
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamai…

🇺🇸 USA, Church #Covid19 #superspread

44 infected

“Unless there is good air circulation & a lot of space between people, indoor spaces tend to be 20 times more dangerous for virus transmission than outdoor ones” /20
bostonglobe.com/2021/01/02/met…

🌏 Global, Cruise ship #Covid19 #superspread

619 cases (301 symptomatic) some infected during quarantine in cabins

“airborne transmission of #COVID19 through the ship’s ventilation system could explain how the virus spread into cabins” 21/ sfgate.com/science/articl…

🇦🇺 Australia, hotel #Covid19 #superspread

“poor ventilation, not security breaches, at quarantine hotel.. CCTV review showed a guard outside room of infected traveller. At no time did guard go in & or any of the guests come out” /22
abc.net.au/news/2020-12-1…

🇰🇷South Korea, apartments #COVID19 #superspread

10 cases

“investigation found no other possible contact between the cases than airborne infection through a single air duct in bathroom” 23/
ijidonline.com/article/S1201-…

🇪🇸 Spain, choir #COVID19 #superspread

30 (of 41) infected

“safety measures incl temperature testing, hand washing & social-distancing... but windows closed to shut out the heat & on air-conditioning switched on” 24/
classicfm.com/music-news/cor…

🇨🇦 Canada, gym #COVID19 #superspread

61 cases

“heavy breathing during intense exercise is known to increase production of airborne particles, especially if unmasked... airborne transmission would seem likely to be a large factor” /25
forbes.com/sites/victoria…

🇺🇸 USA, workplace #COVID19 #superspread

44 cases, 1 death

“no way to infect 43 people when you’re wearing a costume other than airborne transmission because you’re inside a costume & cannot touch objects or infect through surfaces” /26
nytimes.com/2021/01/03/us/…

🇦🇺 Australia, restaurant #COVID19 #superspread

37 cases

“Airflow & seating likely factors in cluster.. virus spread via aerosols.. distancing might not be adequate protection in poorly ventilated rooms where people were speaking loudly” 27/
theage.com.au/national/victo…

🇯🇵 Japan, hospitals #Covid19 #superspread

224 cases, 184 cases

“as winter sets in, more people stay indoors, raising airborne risks.. airborne transmission of the virus increases when people spend more time in closed-up rooms breathing dry air”
/28
reuters.com/article/us-hea…

🇨🇦 Canada, care home

80 cases, 3 deaths

“review the ventilation system recommended: increase air flow, improve mechanical ventilation, half open windows, run bathroom fans, add portable filters” 29/beta.ctvnews.ca/local/montreal…

🇸🇬 Singapore, dorms #Covid19

“half of 323,000 workers infected... commitment to improving standards, new dorms, more space & better ventilation”

Without change toward marginalised communities, countries are unlikely to get pandemic under control” /30 nst.com.my/world/world/20…

🇩🇪Germany, bars #Covid19 #superspread

1 person infected 59, & exposed 710 ... just in the time spent in 2 bars

“model case of stupidity” /31
metro.co.uk/2020/09/17/wom…

🇨🇦 Canada, care home #COVID19 #superspread

In just 16 days: 127 residents (40 died) & 86 staff (1 died) & 42 other household contacts were infected

“first staffer who tested positive was close contact with someone who travelled internationally” /32
theglobeandmail.com/canada/article…

🇮🇪 Ireland, Traveller accommodation

60 people tested positive in one week

“crowded... inhumane housing conditions, including not having running water or sanitation facilities"
/33

corkbeo.ie/news/local-new…

🇺🇸 USA, student housing #Covid19 #superspread

positivity rate of 25% in shared housing (compared to 4% for living on campus).. & as high as 80% in some student houses

“dense sleeping arrangements & common spaces.. not conducive to safety measures” /34
columbiamissourian.com/news/covid19/c…

🇨🇳 China, meat plant #superspread

28 workers, 3 family infected

“meatpacking workers in USA, Brazil & across Europe among the groups hit hardest by #COVID19 last year” /35 reuters.com/article/us-hea…

🇫🇷 France, nightclub

72 infections

“supermarket worker partied at nightspot (that skirted ban by blocking off its dance floor)” /36 apnews.com/article/virus-…

🇨🇭Switzerland, yodel event #COVID19 #superspread

“600 attended & coronavirus cases there have more than doubled to 1,238... explosion one of the worst in Europe"

“scientists have suggested singing could spread the virus via airborne droplets” /37
news.sky.com/story/coronavi…

🇹🇭 Thailand, workplace/housing #Covid19 #superspread

800 cases

“Because migrant workers live in crowded spaces, if one of them catches the virus, the disease will spread really fast” /38 thaipbsworld.com/little-myanmar…

🇿🇦 South Africa, hospital #superspread

39 patients (15 deaths), 80 staff

“virus’ spread through 5 wards, to nursing home & dialysis center.. yet no staff infections seem to have taken place in #COVID19 ICU, arguably riskiest area of hospital” /39
sciencemag.org/news/2020/05/s…

🇺🇸 USA, wedding #Covid19 #superspread

177 cases, 7 deaths

27 (of 55) guests & 3 staff infected... onwards to 27 cases (1 death) in community... 38 cases (6 deaths) at a care home ... 18 prison staff & 48 inmates... & 16 other household /40

forbes.com/sites/victoria…

🇲🇾 Malaysia, gathering #superspread

Of 673 #Covid19 infections in Malaysia, almost 2/3 linked to a 4-day meeting

Resulting in onward spread to 🇧🇳 Brunei, 🇸🇬 Singapore, 🇰🇭Cambodia, 🇹🇭 Thailand & possibly 🇻🇳 Vietnam, 🇵🇭 Philippines & 🇮🇩 Indonesia /41
aljazeera.com/news/2020/3/18…

🇺🇸 USA, child care (crèche)

12 children acquired #COVID19 & transmitted to at least 12 people outside. One parent hospitalised.

“Transmission from 2 asymptomatic children” /42
cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/6…

🇺🇸 USA, sport event #superspread

38 cases.. 446 close contacts... 49 more cases

“1,700 in-person school days lost as a consequence of isolation & quarantine of patients & contacts during this #COVID19 outbreak” /43
cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/7…

🇧🇪 Belgium, care home

75 cases, including 14 staff

“Santa was not feeling unwell before the visit & did not show any symptoms of virus... he kept his distance from residents & wore a face covering” /44 wionews.com/world/superspr…

🇮🇪 Ireland, meat factories

1,500 cases* linked to 28 factories

“restrictions imposed due to large-scale outbreaks in meat factories are example of what can happen to a town or region due to clusters in high-risk sectors”

*Aug 2020, now 2,232 cases /45
thejournal.ie/1500-cases-lik…

🇳🇴 Norway, bus trip

40 cases including guide & driver

“Almost all passengers infected during 7 days together. Contact tracing resulting in around 100 cases”

“similar mutation in Australia, UK & other European countries” /46
fhi.no/en/news/2020/n…

🇳🇿New Zealand, hotel

3 cases, 212 staff, 192 current & 353 former guests tested

“quick wins by limiting recirculation, increasing air flows & filters.. increasing air dilutes risk of airborne infectious diseases being carried from room to room” 47/
stuff.co.nz/business/12407…

🇨🇳 China, event

102 cases

‘30 to 40 people attended, few wearing masks... infected people were gathered in an enclosed space for a long time’ 48/ cnn.com/2021/01/18/asi…

🇨🇦Canada, convent #superspread

46 cases, 9 deaths

#COVID19 has been cited in the deaths of dozens of retired or infirm nuns who lived in congregate settings” /49 abcnews.go.com/Health/wireSto…

🇺🇸 USA, study group #Covid19

35 (of 92) attendees, 3 deaths, 26 in community

“6 foot rule is useful, but it’s possible to be infected at greater distances in static, indoor air or through air-conditioning system that doesn’t have high-grade filters” /50 elemental.medium.com/the-science-of…

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