1. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, after today's thread on airborne transmission and schools, I thought it would be worth looking at the government's own advice on aerosols.
2. The advice (published on Aug 7th) can be found here, and it says:
"Aerosol transmission can occur when small respiratory aerosols (<10 um diameter) containing the virus remain in the air and can be inhaled by another person."
gov.uk/government/pub…
"Aerosol transmission can occur when small respiratory aerosols (<10 um diameter) containing the virus remain in the air and can be inhaled by another person."
gov.uk/government/pub…
3. "This is most likely to happen at close range (within 2m) though there is a small amount of evidence that this could happen in an indoor environment more than 2m from an infected person."
The latest evidence suggests it can happen at a distance greater than 2m indoors.
The latest evidence suggests it can happen at a distance greater than 2m indoors.
4. "It is possible that aerosol transmission plays a role in super spreading events. These are characterised by high secondary attack rates and tend to occur in poorly ventilated indoor spaces."
5. "People should not spend long periods of time in poorly ventilated spaces with other people. It is recommended organisations should take steps to ensure appropriate ventilation provision & improve ventilation/limit the occupancy of spaces that have inadequate ventilation."
6. "Face coverings will reduce the dispersion of respiratory droplets and small aerosols that carry the virus into the air from an infected person."
7. "Asymptomatic and presymptomatic transmission of SARS CoV2 is now known to occur. For this reason, it is advisable to encourage face covering in addition to ventilation, social distancing and hand hygiene to interrupt transmission."
8. "They [face coverings] should particularly be encouraged in indoor environments with poor ventilation or when large numbers of people congregate to reduce the risk of super spreading events."
9. "A recent study reports that SARS CoV2 survival in air is greater than SARS and MERS, and suggests infectivity could be retained for up to 16 hours in respirable sized aerosols."
10. Schools are specifically included in the list of high risk environments
"Those spaces where there are several people in close proximity for a period of 30 minutes or more (e.g. social spaces, schools and university lecture rooms, meeting rooms, performance spaces)...
"Those spaces where there are several people in close proximity for a period of 30 minutes or more (e.g. social spaces, schools and university lecture rooms, meeting rooms, performance spaces)...
11. "...or where an infectious person is more likely to be present (e.g. GP surgeries, pharmacies) should be prioritised for mitigation."
12. "Those spaces which are occupied by more than one person and do not meet this standard should be have their ventilation upgraded where possible, or the use of the space restricted to a lower occupancy to reduce overall risk of transmission."
13. "As current evidence suggests that the highest likelihood of aerosol transmission, outside of high risk clinical spaces, is from an asymptomatic infector in a poorly ventilated space, enhanced use of face coverings in indoor spaces is recommended."
14. The British government's own scientific advice lists schools among high risk environments for aerosolised/airborne transmission and super spreading events. The advice is unambiguous: wear masks.
15. This government has made far too many blunders for us to trust the gut instincts of politicians. We need to listen to the science and stop believing we can pretend or propagandise our way out of a pandemic.
16. If schools are to open safely, we need:
1. Reduced class sizes.
2. Masks for all who can wear them.
Parents who do not feel safe sending their children back to school should not be penalised. Support should be provided for children learning at home.
1. Reduced class sizes.
2. Masks for all who can wear them.
Parents who do not feel safe sending their children back to school should not be penalised. Support should be provided for children learning at home.
17. "It is now beyond dispute children can be infected, will be infected, some of them will get sick,and unfortunately as we know some of them will also die. And keep in mind, another point I’ve mentioned before, in past pandemics those people who recover from coronaviruses...
18. ...have long-term consequences that go well past the time that they recover. We don't know this will happen in children, but we can predict that it will based on seeing other pandemics, so that's something we need to think about.”
19. The stakes are very high. If the government does not act responsibly and take every possible step to protect the health of children, families, school staff and the wider community, it will be responsible for yet another public health disaster.
20. Adding the report from the Royal Society's DELVE group, established to advise SAGE. It says:
"If physical distancing in schools is not possible, masks will play a role in preventing infection... older children, all adults in schools, as well as parents bringing their...
"If physical distancing in schools is not possible, masks will play a role in preventing infection... older children, all adults in schools, as well as parents bringing their...
21. ...children into schools, should wear masks."
Contrary to his assertion that the government is now following 'the best science', @GavinWilliamson seems to be ignoring the science entirely.
h/t @RemainRevoke
The DELVE report can be found here:
rs-delve.github.io/reports/2020/0…
Contrary to his assertion that the government is now following 'the best science', @GavinWilliamson seems to be ignoring the science entirely.
h/t @RemainRevoke
The DELVE report can be found here:
rs-delve.github.io/reports/2020/0…
