Thread by @AliNouriPhD

1. CDC: Super-spreading event on a 10-hour London➡️Hanoi flight w/16 Infections very likely acquired on board✈️.

"This finding...is generally in line with the mounting evidence that airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is a major yet under-recognized transmission route"🧵

2. Authors go on: industry classifies in-flight transmission risk as very low & recommends only use of face masks w/o additional measures to increase physical distance, such as blocking the middle seats. "Our findings challenge these recommendations."
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26…

3. This is why @FAScientists have asked the airlines to block the middle seat. It won't make the problem of long-range aerosols go away but will reduce the risk of short-range transmission: mailchi.mp/fas.org/airlin…

4. The London to Hanoi spreading event occurred prior to people masking on planes. But there's also a later documented event where a passenger was infected despite wearing an N95 mask most of the time, EXCEPT when using the bathroom: bit.ly/3can9dX

5. Transmission has also been documented w/SARS-1, which was less contagious than SARS-2: 2003 Hong Kong to Beijing flight where a large number of individuals likely contracted SARS-CoV-1 while on board the aircraft.
nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.105…

6. I discussed w/@Mitch_Seattle problems with packed aircrafts (especially those that are booking flights full) and SARS-CoV-2 transmission risks in enclosed spaces:

https://twitter.com/Mitch_Seattle/status/1297599558130655233