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Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
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15 Nov, 14 tweets, 8 min read
Discussions today about our Thanksgiving got me thinking about what guidance has been put out lately. Thoughts & links in a 🧵. (1/x)

Gathering for the holiday brings risk, but some efforts can make it somewhat safer. A range of thoughts by PH experts:
statnews.com/2021/11/10/cov…
2/ @mimbsy talked with @KatherineJWu on her ideas about how to be safest for Thanksgiving.
theatlantic.com/newsletters/ar…
3/ And @cdcaron put some thought into how to deal with the topic of vaccination at Thanksgiving.
nytimes.com/2021/11/02/wel…
4/ @mtosterholm takes a conservative approach to Thanksgiving: "You don't want to have an outbreak… where grandpa or grandma or somebody in the family gets infected and dies," he said. "That's a Thanksgiving you'll never forget."
cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/podca…
audacy.com/wccoradio/news…
5/ @michaelmina_lab had these helpful words to say in this short thread:
6/ No matter how much any of us wants it to be, the COVID pandemic is not over -- even if you are personally vaxxed. Layered preventions are still key for you, the others guests, and the rest of the community that would be affected by onward spread.
7/ Preventions start w/ being fully vaccinated, but this isn't yet possible for kids <5 and others 5-11 were only able to get their 1st shot very recently (at best), so they're not safe enough yet.
Still make sure to get your kids vaxxed, but not fully cooked before Thanksgiving.
8/ Being fully vaxxed isn't enough. Among other important layers is tight-fitting masks when not eating.

From the CDC:
"Even those who are fully vaccinated should wear a mask in public indoor settings in communities with substantial to high transmission."
cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
9/ So if you gather for Thanksgiving, it's ideal to do so in smaller groups of fully vaxxed people, especially having taken a rapid COVID test. But there are other layers of prevention 👇 that are important. The higher the risk, the more important these become.
10/ For Thanksgiving safety consider:
✅ Fully vaxxed
✅ Rapid test
✅ Well-worn masks when not eating
✅ Outdoors when possible
⬆️ More ventilation; open windows
⬆️ Add HEPA or DIY filtration
⬆️ Distance
⬇️ Smallest group
⬆️ Biggest room
⬇️ Reduce volume of music (less shouting)
11/ For a portable HEPA air cleaner choose:
✅ "True HEPA"
❌ Avoid ionization, plasma
⬆️ High enough CADR for room (~2/3 of room area)

To learn more see e.g.:
medium.com/open-letter-to…
cleanaircrew.org/air-filters-wo…
tinyurl.com/portableaircle…

12/ Also consider making a #CorsiRosenthalBox as a cheaper room-filtration alternative. Even make it together as a family as a pre-Thanksgiving activity! Easy for even young kids to help.
cleanaircrew.org/boxfanfilterfa…
And they work well! ucdavis.app.box.com/s/kgo937lk0d02…
13/ Don't forget to bring your portable CO2 sensor if you have one. CO2 can give you a pretty good rough estimate to whether ventilation is sufficiently matched to number of people. But extra filtration won't change the CO2.
See:
14/ Before last Thanksgiving I did some simple aerosol modeling to motivate people using more ventilation or room HEPA filtration. Situation is different & ignore specifics values, but you can see the rough idea of airborne risk reduction w/ improving air.

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More from @HuffmanLabDU

Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
12 Nov
I can't believe Colorado is actually having mtgs to draft possible care rationing plans before seriously working towards preventing people from being infected in the first place.

How is this the 21st century? We effing know how to slow it down, people. 1/
denver.cbslocal.com/2021/11/11/cov…
2/ “I would hate to see… sending someone home who’s homeless”. Um, ya. I think that would pretty well violate medical oaths!

Draft plans being discussed in preparation for the possibility of hospital beds & staff being overwhelmed in Colorado.
denverpost.com/2021/11/11/col… Image
3/ But in addition to the obvious number of infections, hospitalizations, deaths, the horror of long-COVID, etc. -- there are plenty of other, less obvious problems already being caused by hospitals & staff being overwhelmed in the state. For example:
Read 4 tweets
Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
9 Nov
"On Friday night, Colorado’s COVID-19 modeling team released a new report warning that if nothing changed, 1,393 people could be hospitalized with the virus by late Nov.
It took less than three days to exceed that projection."

Article: @MegWingerter (1/x)
denverpost.com/2021/11/09/col…
2/ Data on vaxxed (breakthrough) vs unvaxxed cases & hospitalizations in Colorado always comes up as an important question. ⬇️

So get yourself & family vaxxed. But if even so, still important to be careful right now. #MaskUpColorado

Data: covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine-breakt…
3/ Unfortunately, it's not just one area of Colorado seeing spikes. This is somewhat anecdotal, but here are cases in one suburban Denver school district. Currently on a streak of six consecutive school days of new highs.

(dips each week on weekends when less testing)
Read 8 tweets
Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
8 Nov
Many are fighting hard at local levels for improved indoor air quality in schools (wrt COVID & beyond). One prejudice against portable HEPA purifiers is perception of "high-cost vs minimal benefit."
via @Ecole_Oubliee

A few resources below. Do you know other/better arguments? 🧵
2/ On the cost-effectiveness of HEPA filtration & ventilation. This @JohnsHopkinsSPH report from May 2021 touches into the cost of purchase & replacement for schools (+ much more).

Report via @polsiewski @ggronvall @WBahnfleth @Ep1Chrissy @Vahey_R et al.
3/ This article by Prof. Jensen Zhang from @EngineeringSU thinks through IAQ control strategies, but includes some discussion of portable HEPA filtration cost.
tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…
Read 6 tweets
Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
10 Oct
The movement to bring #CO2 sensors to school empowers parents, students, & teachers to advocate for their health; Reveals invisible factors of air quality & helps see how well ventilation is matched to room activity.

Great article by @EmilyAnthes. (1/🧵)
nytimes.com/2021/10/10/hea…
2/ If you are able to buy or borrow a CO2 sensor, stick it in the mesh water bottle pocket of your kid's backpack, pin into their shorts, or send in their lunchbox. Be creative. Make sure it isn't sealed away; the more airflow the better the reading.
3/ A key goal of #COVIDCO2 monitoring is to understand how well ventilation is matched to room activity & occupancy. Share the data with your school. If CO2 rises above 800 ppm, interventions needed to reduce build-up of aerosol & risk.
Read 19 tweets
Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
9 Oct
A “wellness” clinic in Colorado Springs has been barred from giving COVID vax shots bc of improper procedures.

The clinic “typically offers medical aesthetic services, such as Botox injections, laser hair removal, acne treatment”
By @TATIANADFLOWERS
coloradosun.com/2021/10/08/dr-…
“More specifically, clinic employees did not monitor storage unit temperatures for vaccines at all times and failed to use equipment and practices that comply with guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the news release said.”
“It is unclear if the Colorado Medical Board, which regulates doctors and other licensed health providers, or any other state or federal agency will take action against Dr. Moma clinic leaders.”
Read 5 tweets
Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) Profile picture
30 Sep
Good article by @tanyalewis314 w/ summary of why we need #BetterMasks & practical tips.

Again, consistent voices from aerosol scientists that improved masks important for Delta. Quoted here: @linseymarr @kprather88 @masknerd; & see @projectn95. (1/x)
scientificamerican.com/article/why-we…
2/ Given that N95 supply has been reported fine for months, strange the CDC article comment was that “CDC continues to recommend that N95 respirators should be prioritized for protection against COVID-19 in healthcare settings”

cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…
3/ Thread by author @tanyalewis314 about the article in @sciam on improved masks:
Why We Need to Upgrade Our Face Masks—and Where to Get Them
scientificamerican.com/article/why-we…
Read 4 tweets

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