This is pretty interesting. The article lays out an existing intellectual divide or siloization between medical professionals/researchers (& the engineers working w/ them) vs aerosol scientists (& the engineers working w/ them). 1/
When I first started reviewing the research on influenza to evaluate the potential for developing a tool to estimate risk of infection reductions via ventilation, filtration, etc., I got some pushback. Engineers steeped in hospital/healthcare design told me... 2/
influenza wasn’t airborne, or at least not enough to present any real threat. Which contradicted what was being said in the aerosol research literature.
So I had the opportunity to experience this intellectual divide first hand. 3/
In the end it was pretty hard to ignore the evidence in the aerosol scientific literature, & as a result we now have the Flu Infection Risk Estimator(TM) tool: branchpattern.com/research/risk-…
Though as version 2 will likely include SARS-CoV-2, we’ll have to change the name. 4/
The article also suggests that our current pandemic may finally break the dam between the two intellectual traditions. That seems like a good thing. 5/
Our new office policy we're finalizing essentially takes this viewpoint. In 3 of our offices, we've assessed high vaxx rates combined w/ addressing the Delta far field risk via ventilation/filtration is adequate enough for vaxxed employees (almost 100%) to go sans masks. 1/
Even in metro areas currently deemed by the CDC as having high or substantial community transmission.
To have vaxxed employees go sans masks in our other 2 offices, relative to their current lower office vaxx rates, the Delta far field risk needs to be addressed through... 2/
some combination of additional ventilation/filtration improvements, increasing vaxx rates, setting lower occupancy limits, or having non-vaxxed employees WFH - we are still assessing the best path forward for each of those locations.
. That we haven't had more districts close for a period of time is pretty fortunate considering everything. 2/
That we're still arguing over the basics of how to respond to a pandemic driven by a predominantly airborne virus demonstrates a multi-level failure of public health & government, exacerbated by a history of underfunding public health, public education, current levels of... 3/
A few questions for the UV specialists. 1st, are the studies/modeling that have been done so far relative to Far UVC impacts on eyes/skin sufficient to answer questions regarding a) potential negative impacts from chronic (continuous or repeated) exposure,... 1/
b) age/developmental specific concerns related to short term or chronic exposure, & c) concerns for those w/ pre-existing eye/skin conditions after experiencing short term or chronic exposure?
2nd, have studies been done looking at the impacts on the built environment's... 2/
microbiome, & the subsequent impacts on human health? And for this 2nd question, not just relative to Far UVC, but also for more traditional upper room UVGI systems.
Manufacturers are already marketing fixtures exposing occupants to Far UVC. Do the answers to either of the... 3/
This is an all hands on deck moment. In-person school is starting. W/ the #DeltaVariant, even w/ the majority of the relevant strategies in place, it’s going to be difficult to prevent transmission in our schools (linkedin.com/pulse/in-perso…). 🧵1/
In an elementary classroom w/ unvaxxed students, generally ASHRAE compliant ventilation/filtration, the addition of (1) portable HEPA filter unit, & theoretical 100% mask wearing (double layer cloth mask), max exposure is only about 1.2 hrs before an additional student... 2/
is potentially infected at full occupancy (assuming 1 infected student is present).
Accounting for the potential reality of younger kids not always effectively wearing their masks (50% mask wearing), the max exposure is under an hour before an additional student is infected. 3/
These are the type of actions our pharmacies, hair salons, retail stores, offices, universities, k-12 schools, individual residences, etc., need to be taking, particularly w/... 1/
a more transmissible strain spreading in the U.S. & months left before vaccination levels are where needed to be.
CO2 levels can be used to estimate ventilation levels, though it's important to account for factors like the number of people present, the size of,... 2/
the space, & the use of portable air cleaners. Pages 23-24 of this document from @HarvardChanSPH & @j_g_allen provide a means for estimating ventilation rates based on measured CO2 levels. 3/
I would challenge your point that “No matter what we do, resources will remain scarce and people will compete over them.” First, there’s an abundance of evidence from the archaeological, historical, & contemporary ethnographic records of individuals & groups cooperating... 1/
(employing some or all of Ostrom’s principles) to survive in environments of scarce resources (& not just hunter/gatherer groups). Not saying the evidence for competition (including violent competition) isn’t also there, or that the competition between groups isn’t also... 2/
what often drives the cooperation among group members (because it does), only that cooperation seems to have been most effective when these principles are applied (even as part of a larger competition between groups).