Ten scientific reasons in support of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2

By all-stars: @trishgreenhalgh @jljcolorado @kprather88 @zeynep @DFisman & Robert Schooley 👏 (Summary below; 1/x)
thelancet.com/journals/lance…
#1 "superspreading events account for substantial SARS-CoV-2 transmission"

#2 "long-range transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between people in adjacent rooms but never in each other's presence has been documented in quarantine hotels."
#3: "asymptomatic or presymptomatic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from people who are not coughing or sneezing is likely to account for at least a third, and perhaps up to 59%, of all transmission globally and is a key way SARS-CoV-2 has spread around the world"
#4: "transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is higher indoors than outdoors and is substantially reduced by indoor ventilation."
#5: "nosocomial infections have been documented in health-care organisations, where there have been strict contact-and-droplet precautions and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to protect against droplet but not aerosol exposure."
#6: "viable SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in the air. In laboratory experiments, SARS-CoV-2 stayed infectious in the air for up to 3 h with a half-life of 1.1 h."
#7: "SARS-CoV-2 has been identified in air filters and building ducts in hospitals with COVID-19 patients; such locations could be reached only by aerosols."
#8: "studies involving infected caged animals that were connected to separately caged uninfected animals via an air duct have shown transmission of SARS-CoV-2 that can be adequately explained only by aerosols."
#9: "no study to our knowledge has provided strong or consistent evidence to refute the hypothesis of airborne SARS-CoV-2 transmission."
#10: "there is limited evidence to support other dominant routes of transmission—ie, respiratory droplet or fomite."
"In conclusion, we propose that it is a scientific error to use lack of direct evidence of SARS-CoV-2 in some air samples to cast doubt on airborne transmission while overlooking the quality and strength of the overall evidence base."
"There is consistent, strong evidence that SARS-CoV-2 spreads by airborne transmission. Although other routes can contribute, we believe that the airborne route is likely to be dominant. The public health community should act accordingly and without further delay."

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More from @HuffmanLabDU

18 Apr
I respectfully disagree that the recent (& important) editorial/review in @TheLancet "omits or dismisses crucial observations." A statement that "close contact" spread cannot be driven largely via aerosol inhalation is a mischaracterization of the inhalation route. (1/x)
2/ You can be infected by a respiratory virus by:

(1) touching something/someone infected & transferring to yourself
(2) receiving a direct spray of large droplets that hit e.g. mucous membranes
(3) inhaling virus in aerosols at either close or long range
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/in…
3/ All three pathways can happen at close-range. Direct observational evidence for any one of the three is nearly impossible for individual cases.

Article outlines clear reasoning why aerosol inhalation should be treated as an important (not only) driver.
thelancet.com/journals/lance…
Read 9 tweets
16 Apr
This dude is just wild. If he weren't so influential, best just to ignore his theories about the mysterious, undiscovered properties of air to kill viruses.

Interesting interview by @EJBourke, w/ sanity checks by Drs. Morawska, @jljcolorado, @drajm. (1/x)
abc.net.au/radio/programs…
2/ What gets me is that by invoking the idea of an undiscovered force in outdoor air that is killing airborne viruses, he is somehow trying to change the narrative & ignore his constant opposition to airborne transmission and that EVERYONE agrees that outdoor air is safer.
3/ Enclosed indoor spaces trap exhaled aerosols from diluting into bigger outdoor spaces. Bringing magical anti-virus outdoor air inside is NOT the point. Pushing viral aerosol out IS the point.

This basic principle has been daily news coverage for months.theatlantic.com/health/archive…
Read 6 tweets
10 Apr
Stronger prevention against the aerosol component of COVID spread is absolutely crucial for public health, especially healthcare. Major pushback against this has cost many lives. Please listen (2 min) to the best reasons why this WHO leader says they are not worth it. 1/
2/ In relation to the comments by Dr. Conly about N95 risks to pregnant women - this is a nice thread by @caruzycki showing major errors in how that study was designed. Authors modified an N95 mask until it was very to breathe through first.
3/ In contrast, there are lots of legitimate & very important reasons to use upgraded masks (N95s, elastomeric respirators) - because they protect lives.
Read 9 tweets
8 Apr
A really nice story from Kim Tingley about the Skagit Valley chorale outbreak from last year.

Walks through the personal side of the tragedy, how the outbreak provided crucial clues about the airborne spread of COVID. [+ choir song link] HT @jljcolorado
nytimes.com/interactive/20…
2/ “'We proved how you get this thing,' Comstock told me. 'And it’s so damn frustrating to watch the news and see that they’re ignoring it.'”

Link to the important paper by @ShellyMBoulder @jljcolorado @linseymarr @CathNoakes et al.:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/in…
3/ "But the notion that [sitting close, sharing snacks, stacking chairs] caused so many infections, as @jljcolorado characterized it to me, is 'absurd.' He says that that emphasis helped enable the W.H.O. and the C.D.C. to maintain and defend their guidelines."
Read 4 tweets
7 Apr
"Is airborne transmission an important and mitigatable aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic?"

Should be a fascinating debate & panel discussion w/ Drs. @kprather88, @DFisman, and John Conly.

This Friday, 4/9 at 2-3 pm ET. Details & free registration below.
events.ucalgary.ca/obrien/#!view/…
A nice thread by @DRTomlinsonEP covering some highlights of the discussion on airborne virus spread today by Drs. @kprather88 @DFisman & Conly.

This slide shows summarizes the importance/why it matters. Click through others for summary o
Another slide from the same thread by @DRTomlinsonEP w/ summary of @kprather88 presentation.

Here summarizing the new & significant evidence over the last year that SARS-CoV-2 is airborne - in relation to evidence WHO suggested should be necessary.
Image
Read 4 tweets
5 Apr
1/ Helpful clarification by #CDC w/ important practical implications to avoid wasting energy & money on excessive surface cleaning:
"each contact with a contaminated surface has less than a 1 in 10,000 chance of causing an infection"

HT @JudahWorldChamp
cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
2/ Important to note that COVID can potentially spread in individual cases via direct/surface contact, via cannonball-like droplets, or inhalation of aerosols.

The brief clarifies that surfaces are statistically very unlikely to cause many infections; so focus most on the air.
3/ From CDC brief today:
"However, based on available epidemiological data and studies of environmental transmission factors, surface transmission is not the main route by which SARS-CoV-2 spreads, and the risk is considered to be low."
Read 5 tweets

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