"Take schools. They are chronically under-ventilated, according to the Lancet COVID-19 commission. A study of 100 American classrooms found 87 with worryingly low ventilation rates." 1/7 economist.com/leaders/2021/0…
"The problem extends well beyond classrooms. Many people spend more than 90% of their time indoors. Researchers have linked under-ventilated spaces in buildings to a range of ailments."
2/7
"Indoor-air quality has attracted little government attention. But achieving clean, pathogen-free air in buildings and indoor public spaces is possible. The first step is to give people more information on how well-ventilated their air is."
3/7
"CO2 concentrations are a good proxy for ventilation, and cheap sensors to detect this gas in rooms could provide occupants with useful data on when to open windows or upgrade their air-conditioning systems."
4/7
"National indoor-air-quality standards would help. One way to enforce them could be through ventilation certificates for buildings, similar to food-hygiene certificates that already exist for restaurants."
5/7
"Ventilation is the forgotten part of the agenda for improved public health."
6/7
"Chadwick’s report on sanitation lifted people’s expectation that the water coming out of their taps would be clean. COVID-19 should lead policymakers to ensure, belatedly, that the same is true for the air in people’s buildings."
7/7
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🧵Thread of countries and regions which have updated their ventilation regulations as a COVID-19 response with one or both of the following measures:
- Mandatory CO2 limit indoors
- Mandatory CO2 meters
I have discarded those in which there are only recommendations or pre-pandemic CO2 values. Please let me know if I miss some or if something is wrong, thank you!
🇧🇪 Belgium
The first country in the world with:
- Limit of 900 ppm
- Mandatory CO2 meters for catering, fitness, cinemas, theatres
The CO2 values must be visible to the public.
“Before this pandemic it was completely socially acceptable to come to the office coughing, sneezing, spreading viruses around,” says Dr Morawska. “No one would say anything—even people educated to understand how infections are transmitted.” 1/6 economist.com/science-and-te…
"That insouciance must be corrected. The @WHO must acknowledge the need to control airborne pathogens and governments must agree and enforce comprehensive standards for indoor air quality that keeps people healthy."
2/6
"One way to ensure compliance might be to issue ventilation certificates for buildings, similar to the food-hygiene certificates which already exist for restaurants. Occupants should also be given information about air quality routinely, through the use of monitors and..."
3/6
Please read and face the replies you have to this post, from HCWs, scientifics, engineers, citizens from all over the world, advocating for preventive measures to mitigate airborne transmission route.
@WHO has a duty to communicate all relevant and available scientific information to the world.
Its influence on public health authorities must be used to shift practical guidance toward educating and mitigating the risk of airborne transmission.
2/25
We urge @WHO to initiate a widespread advertising campaign to prevent airborne transmission of #SARS_CoV_2 informing all people around the world how the virus spreads.
@WHO's ambiguity sows confusion and causes serious harm which means contagion, chronic illness and death.
THIS will be recorded in history:
In 2020:
👉@WHO does not listen to science
👉WHO rejects aerosol transmission EVIDENCE
👉WHO downplays the role of ventilation
👉WHO neither explains WHY ventilation is needed
👉WHO doesn't retract, neither move 1/
February 7, 2020
Donald Trump knew: "it goes through air, Bob"
But for 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 reason (politics, economy, not interest at all in public health, all together, who knows...) he didn't mention this in public 2/
February 13, 2020
Wow, so @WHO also knew that COVID goes through air, @DrTedros said: "COVID is Airborne" 3/
🧵Authorities said where it is safe or not. Theoretically, schools, public transport and workplaces are safe.
I want to know what people think about.
Here a questionnaire related to this picture, to all the people around the world living in areas with local transmission 1/4
❔🌆Do your workplace (I assume indoor) have good ventilation, few people, distance, staff with well-fitted mask, and short meetings? is it in the🟩zone?
2/4
❔🏫Do the school of your kids (I assume indoor) have good ventilation, few people, distance, teachers/kids with well-fitted mask, and short time? is it in the🟩zone?
3/4