Seven Important Things to Know About Coronaviruses nyti.ms/33xWBPk gets "They’re heavier than other viruses" totally wrong. I respect the author's expertise in epidemiology, but he's dangerously wrong about airborne viruses.
The virus is 0.12 microns, but viruses do not float around naked in the air. They're in respiratory droplets that range widely in size, from <1 micron to 100s of microns. Where they go is determined by the droplet size; size of the virus itself is irrelevant.
If we were relying on waiting for a 0.12 micron virus to settle from a height of 6 feet to the ground, it would take >2 days!
HT: Andrea Ferro for pointing a group of #AAAR aerosol scientists to this article

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More from @linseymarr

May 30, 2023
Lidia Morawska led this retrospective piece on our efforts to convince the WHO to recognize airborne transmission. I contributed to some of the recommendations: academic.oup.com/cid/article/76… /1
1. Multidisciplinary mechanisms should be created by which decision-makers should be accountable for using or rejecting science, in a transparent and timely manner.
/2
2. Decision makers should use the best available science and not contort the science in order to fit a decision that may hinge on multiple factors. /3
Read 5 tweets
Mar 24, 2023
We determined size and chemical composition of >35000 respiratory particles from 3 healthy subjects. Desiccated size 0.05-4.4 µm. Composition was size-dependent. Free preprint drive.google.com/file/d/1B4KKav… @ajprussin @PNNLab pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ac…
Particles were mostly C, some Na+P+K+Cl, heterogeneous. /2
We classified them (% of total particle number): ~52% carbonaceous, ~45% Na-rich salt, <1% P-rich or K-rich salt, ~2% mixed salt. Number ratio of Na-rich salt to carbonaceous particles increased with increasing particle size... /3
Read 4 tweets
Dec 1, 2022
Fascinating video about the history of mask use since the time of the bubonic plague @NEJM. China's experience with Manchurian plague probably made mask wearing more acceptable there. Anti-mask sentiment in US during 1918 flu. nejm.org/doi/full/10.10… HT Julian Tang. My take... /1
Masks work vs. masks don't work. Both sides are right and both are wrong because masks are neither 100% nor 0% effective. It is certain that they reduce exposure to airborne pathogens, and this reduces the risk of transmission and infection. N95/KN95 > surgical > cloth. /2
Masks are one of many tools that we can use to protect public health. They have costs and benefits that society and individuals must weigh. /3
Read 4 tweets
Nov 14, 2022
ASHRAE's Positions on Infectious Aerosols document just published at ashrae.org/file%20library…. Proud to have worked on this with committee of experts for >1 yr. Positions: /1
* Exposure to infectious aerosols is an important factor in the transmission of infections in indoor environments between a source and a susceptible individual. /2
* Engineering controls demonstrated to reduce the risk of exposure to infectious aerosols include dilution with outdoor air provided by mechanical or natural ventilation, filtration of indoor air, indoor airflow patterns, and... /3
Read 8 tweets
Oct 26, 2022
“If you’re doing extra hand washing ... then you should also be wearing a good mask in crowded indoor environments,” Marr said. “If you’re bothering to clean the surfaces, then you should be bothering to clean the air.” /1
Article cites a fun study of rhinovirus transmission. Infected + susceptible men played poker. Some wore restraints and couldn't touch face. >50% became infected, presumably aerosols. Soggy cards were moved to different room with new susceptibles. 0 became infected... /2
So no fomite transmission. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3039011/

In MITIGATE FLU with @Lakdawala_Lab @anice_lowen @MartinEpi @LauringLab @bansallab + collaborators, we're trying to suss out inhalation vs. spray vs. touch (fomite) transmission in daycare. @TheFluLab /3
Read 4 tweets
Oct 18, 2022
It's clear to me that Ebola is NOT transmitted mainly through the airborne route, but there is a chance for aerosolization of virus-laden fluids (e.g., diarrhea). We evaluated this using surrogates in toilets, sewer, wastewater treatment. /1

pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ac…
Free preprint at drive.google.com/file/d/1nkQHPK…

"Transmission is not thought to occur via air, water, or food, although in theory, aerosolization of blood and body fluids has the potential to lead to infection, as aerosol transmission has been demonstrated in nonhuman primates." /2
"Besides inhalation of aerosolized virus, contact of unprotected mucous membranes such as the eyes and mouth with aerosolized virus is also a potential route of transmission." /3
Read 9 tweets

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