Thread by @CDlbcl

More on the shocking resistance of western public health authorities to accept that diseases can be airborne.

Why? Unknowingly, are they are still fighting the centuries old battle about whether diseases spread through miasma (putrid air) or contact?
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en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miasma_th…

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1393055553694445572

A big battle in the 19th century was whether doctors infected their patients through touch, and should therefore wash their hands.

Semmelweis was ridiculed by senior doctors for encouraging hand washing. Everyone knew disease was spread by miasma.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Sem….

The eventual victory of the contact theory of disease spread - and the importance of washing hands - transformed health.

But it meant the 20th century public health establishment refused to tolerate criticism from those who argued disease is spread through the air.

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The current debate about whether COVID might be airborne was infected by this 100+ year old battle about whether disease is spread by miasma (putrid air) or contact.

Hence we were told to wash hands not wear masks and WHO told us it was fake news to say COVID is airborne.
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The sad irony is that the current public health establishment showed itself to be just as blind to evidence as it's predecessors in the 19th century who refused to acknowledge Semmelweis's data showing that hand washing could dramatically reduce deaths of mothers giving birth.
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