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Orla Hegarty

@Orla_Hegarty

19 Oct

@jljcolorado

[Thread] Will #Level5 work?

Contacts between people are not all high-risk, & research says that most people with #COVID19 only transmit to 1 other person or fewer.. ‘It’s often not very contagious’ 1/

[ @jljcolorado cires1.colorado.edu/jimenez/COVID/… ]

@svscarpino

..but a small number of people with covid (less than 20%) are likely infecting more than 80% of new cases... ‘preventing superspreader events could go a long way toward stopping COVID-19’ 2/

[ @svscarpino scientificamerican.com/article/how-su… ]

..Germany’s top doctor
‘Most people only pass it to one other.. occasionally, someone spreads more widely, creating a cluster of infections that drives the pandemic. To avoid another lockdown Germany must focus on identifying & preventing clusters’ bloomberg.com/news/features/… 3/

[

Read 14 tweets

Orla Hegarty

@Orla_Hegarty

18 Oct

@NormaFoleyTD1

#Covid19 prevention: CO2 monitors used as proxy for inadequate #ventilation in #schools #nursinghomes etc, it’s cheap & effective way of preventing high-risk super-spread #Covid19Ireland #Level5 @NormaFoleyTD1 @DonnellyStephen @CMOIreland @paulreiddublin @ronan_glynn @CcoHse

https://twitter.com/robynschofield3/status/1317641285713293312

High-risk #covid19 indoor air conditions are ~immediately~ preventable with public health advice about clean air, #ventilation & free/low cost solutions, it’s basic environmental science cires1.colorado.edu/jimenez/COVID/…

Autumn conditions in Ireland (10-15° & high relative humidity) are high-risk (yellow zone)
If #Covid19 surge is the weather, not bad behaviour, then policing, road blocks & fines won’t be effective at #Level5

Read 6 tweets

Orla Hegarty

@Orla_Hegarty

14 Oct

[Thread] Clean air & Ireland’s inconsistent #Covid19 rules 1/

‘possibility of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through aerosols is still uncertain..no conclusive proof..further research needed’ HPSC, 22 Sept

^known very high risk & there’s evidence hpsc.ie/a-z/respirator…

..but ‘crowded indoor spaces have been shown to be associated with increased transmission.. determining what is due to proximity & poor hygiene practices, & what is ~due to poor ventilation~ though, is difficult’

^so, risk of spread due to poor ventilation is accepted by HPSC 2/

..but, no rules from HSPC, just ‘suggestions, specifically for commercial & public buildings’ ..& only for mech ventilation, which is small % of all buildings ..but ‘residential & healthcare settings fall outside the scope of HPSC document’ ..& very limited advice for schools 3/

Read 14 tweets

Orla Hegarty

@Orla_Hegarty

11 Oct

#Covid19 High risk (yellow) zone at temperatures 5-11°C (spring & autumn)

An urgent public health message about clean indoor air & #ventilation (not fines & roadblocks) can have immediate impact on virus spread & prevent cases

WHO: ‘we are very concerned about rise in cases in Europe as it heads into winter’

‘Colder weather leads to behaviours that favour transmission of a respiratory virus- people tend to crowd indoors to stay warm, more often in poorly ventilated spaces’ smh.com.au/politics/feder…

‘overwhelming evidence that *inhalation* represents a major transmission route’

‘we urge public health officials to add clear guidance about importance of moving activities outdoors, improving indoor air & improving protection for high-risk workers’ science.sciencemag.org/content/early/…

Read 7 tweets

Orla Hegarty

@Orla_Hegarty

29 Feb

Explainer: Why the changes to Irish fire regs for ‘open-plan flats’ put lives at risk

(could be a long thread, please bear with me, this is ~most critically important~ issue for discussions about our future housing, & it’s not getting any attention

video is a recent rescue in Los Angeles, from 6th floor balcony of 25 storey building, in daylight, attended by 20 fire-trucks & rescue helicopter, in a fire-sprinklered & regulated building; 7 people & a baby injured, 10 homes burnt
(this is all important later in the thread) 2/

Typical 2-bedroom flat before reg changes;
note- balcony, hall separating kitchen from bedrooms, direct escape from bedrooms (not through kitchen), opening windows; + short main corridors with escape stairs every 6ish flats (kitchen, esp oil fire is a high-fire risk area) 3/

Read 21 tweets

Orla Hegarty

@Orla_Hegarty

15 Feb

[Thread] Better than sprawl, better than high rise. Housing communities that are sustainable, affordable & beautiful places to live.
Norwich, UK. Award winning, low energy, low build cost, high density social housing 1/