Now variants aside..
From the look of things, it's pretty obvious no matter how diligent we may be, observing the SOP.. The moment we remove our masks to eat, we turn vulnerable.. don't we ?
Wouldn't this explain, eg: latest 43 staff at Changi Airport positive #COVID19 ?
I will always remember this journal report abt cases amongst patrons at a Guangzhou restaurant back in Jan 2020.. Out of 83 customers at 15 tables, 10 were positive #COVID19 from 3 tables facing air-cond flow. Other 73 at tables elsewhere were negative wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26…
Hence we are sitting near, even if at 1m.. we are in proximity of aerosol from the index case nearby, we WILL GET infected.
If our loved ones came back from work.. infected by fellow workers at lunch table.. We WILL INFECT the family at home at the dinner table..
So it's pretty obvious, isn't it..
No Dine-in = Less Case.
Maybe a Research Model for a chi square test..
Null hypothesis:
Dine-in has no effect on #COVID19 case
A retrospective study. Just interview the current positive patients. Have a set cohort, say Px in Penang PKRC
Read this article dated 15th Dec 2020.. on how customers at restaurants are susceptible !! google.com/amp/s/www.forb…
The above article quotes from this journal publication by Kwon Keun-Sang et. al. .. jkms.org/DOIx.php?id=10…
Reading the article, you will realize that even at a distance of 2m.. in fact 4.8m & 6.5m to be exact !! Droplet aerosols can travel from index case and infect 2 others .. jkms.org/DOIx.php?id=10…
Hence it begs the question..
How many clusters in whole of Malaysia: work place or community or high risk or religious.. have had a collection of people eating together, even for 1 single occasion ?
Dine-in was the SINGLE COMMON FACTOR !!
cc @DGHisham@JemilahMahmood@ProfAdeeba
Ignoring aside the parody abounding for this #yorkshirevariant .. The Science of it tells us that it has triple mutations; of concern because they involve 3 locations which had been reputed for nasty effects individually.. 2/n google.com/amp/s/www.inde…
A *RANT* !! The upcoming strict SOP effective Tue, 25th May 2021.. Let it be said that , especially with regards to opening & closing of businesses at 8am till 8pm.. it's one that reeks from people who do not even understand what happens at 6am all over Malaysia.. 1/n
Buying things, 6-7am, a window period that helps so many people; fr shift workers to general workers to even ketua rumah going out to buy bread 🍞 & buns for family & breakfast for myself !! 2/n
Near perfect SOP compliance at all premises, locations.. except for the odd Ah Pek who insists on puffing his cigarette 🚬 after his meal..
But .. it is very good Social Distancing with such less crowd !! So why disrupt that with an 8am opening time ??? 3/n
With the latest SOP (effective 25th May 2021).. "they" don't seem to realize with a narrowed 8am to 8pm time-frame, more people buying things will cram into it leading to higher density !! Which defeats the whole purpose of this rule, right ??
I for one buy my bread 🍞 & buns for my family at 6am, or at least 6.20am after I feed my cats..
Now I have to crowd with others at 8am with the usual morning crowd..
Plus I also pack my breakfast from my 2 options in Penang which used to open at 6am.. and with food all ready for selection, purchase is a breeze !! Choose, pack, pay & bye-bye !!
But with 8am.. I wonder how many will be in the queue now.. 🤔