Our new article is out documenting the burden of the #pandemic on food service workers.
What it boils down to is fighting an #AIRBORNE virus with droplet dogma.
I will walk you through some of the more shocking highlights.
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During the BA.1 Omicron wave, for example, food service workers could often get free #HandSanitizer.
Yet, free high-quality masks (e.g., #N95) were hard to come by.
N95s prevent people from inhaling airborne virus into their lungs. Hand sanitizer does not.
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With a lack of #PublicHealth guidance, many in the food service industry have faced decision fatigue in handling C0VID-related issues.
Participants said co-workers struggle with what to do if sick (87%), when to return to work (83%), or whether to get a booster (61%).
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Food service workers have expressed that C0VID has had a big impact on co-workers' #MentalHealth.
Anxiety, depression, and substance use lead the way. However, many respondents also noted a co-worker dealing with #bereavement, suicidal ideation, or violence (17-36%).
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Shortly after the BA.1 Omicron surge, many in the food service industry were aware of a co-worker dealing with #LongCOVID.
"Fatigue" (often EXHAUSTION) led the way. Many knew a co-worker with prolonged loss of taste or smell, which are huge to that occupation.
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In the more recent days of the pandemic, food service workers emphasized that a key priority was reducing in-home spread of C0VID.
Experts you know from Twitter provided their guidance on reducing in-home spread. Here's a link to another resource.
6/ cleanaircrew.org/someone-in-my-…
When explaining to other scientists that #CovidIsAirborne, I have found it helpful to quote Jha.
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Too often, restaurants continue to be superspreaders of C0VID and other airborne illnesses.
#ASHRAE indicates that they should be cleaning the air 28-40 times per hour. Instead, many are doing more like 0.8
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In fact, we clean fish tanks better than we clean the air in many dangerous settings like restaurants.
@sri_srikrishna
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