1/x With #COVID19 cases skyrocketing all over the US, holiday meals are going to be very dangerous. To show the risks of meeting indoors I used an #aerosol box model to estimate relative the risks.
3/x Modeled only room-mixed #aerosol (not droplet spray or aerosol plume; these add risk).
Results highlights:
- No matter the room size, infection for 10 people is at least 40% or much more
- If #superspreader there, everyone will be infected
- Outside, risk drops dramatically
4/x - As expected, the simple model shows ventilation matters and adding a HEPA filter unit to a fairly small dining room drops risk by as much as 3x.
- Opening windows can help a lot too.
5/x – Monitoring carbon dioxide (rough proxy for exhaled breath) can be related to aerosol risk (varies)
- Depending on room size, one modeled relationship between CO2 and aerosol risk below
- See e.g. tinyurl.com/FAQ-aerosols for (Sect. 9) ideas to monitor #COVIDCO2 for <$150
There is *significant* risk by meeting indoors for holiday meal. Largely b/c no #masks during eating and drinking. With a 10-guest gathering, very possible someone will be infected. If #superspreader, everyone will be infected!
7/x Risk modeled here is *only* for room-mixed #aerosol. Total risk much higher (challenging, but maybe several times), because droplet spray and nearby aerosol plume could be dominant from close sources (at a table). This is the focus of CDC & WHO. cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
8/x Other details here, in doc; you can see specific risk relationships by reducing gathering time, number of guests, adding #filtration, #ventilation, etc.
Summary - Far best simply to *avoid* gathering indoors this year for #Thanksgiving. #COVID19 is just too dangerous atm.
9/x Details: Model version checked against online tool. Base assumptions: 10 guests, 2 hr, 2.5% inf rate, 80 q/hr inf emission (see doc).
Numerical assumptions can be challenged; happy to discuss, improve. Point was to offer quickly for discussion wrt Thanksgiving #COVID risk.
10/x Other aerosol models so you can estimate specifics of your own holiday gatherings:
11/x Many good recent resources on risks, especially including restaurants and bars. These suggest same reasons as for holiday meals: no masks, closed spaces, mixed households, loud talking, (alcohol).
13/x Through all of this, layered prevention is absolutely key. But YOU can control your #mask, #socialdistance, shared time #indoors and choose places with adequate #ventilation. This is why restaurant and holiday meals are so risky.
2/ Specific OSHA guidance on ventilation is weak, but okay. Tho "Ensure all HVAC systems are fully functional" or "Upgrade to MERV 13 or higher filters where feasible" isn't exactly ground-breaking at this point.
3/ More shocking to me is that the #OSHA summary of "How does COVID-19 spread?" reflects all sorts of inaccurate or unclear statements that were never true & that most agencies eventually expunged long ago.
At least five great webinars / learning opportunities on airborne COVID & aerosols this week. See Tab 7 (Live Webinars) here for links & previous webinars/recordings: bit.ly/3fzmB16; links for this week in thread.
[Let me know if I’ve missed any]
(1/4)
Webinars this week including (all times Eastern):
Today (9/14: <1 hr from now): Dr. Lidia Morawksa & @j_g_allen
(Aerosols & school re-opening)