Does she think that decision has harmed the public health response, or cost lives? No, she says. "People know what they need to do to protect themselves"
2/ I beg do differ. I think that decision by @WHO is one of the LARGEST ERRORS IN THE HISTORY OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Let's compile evidence of how govts and organizations either don't know how to protect their citizens, or use @WHO's ambiguity to avoid doing so
Pls reply w/ examples!
3/ CANADA: TODAY telling a top airborne transmission scientist (@linseymarr) that she needs to remove her respirator and put on a leaky surgical mask, before sharing the air in a bus! As the highly transmissible AIRBORNE Omicron grows exponentially
6/ SWITZERLAND (where @WHO HQ is): the Swiss parliament meeting without masks for an airborne virus, and using plexiglas barriers that are known to INCREASE transmission by trapping exhaled air & making ventilation more difficult (dx.doi.org/10.1126/scienc…)
7/ FINLAND: the head of the Public Health Agency (THL, @mapetti) tweeting about a web page with protection: handwashing is the only mitigation mentioned on the top 5. Still mentions transmission is due to droplets.
8/ PHILIPINES: schools using plexiglas barriers that have been shown to INCREASE transmission in schools (science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…). Distributing alcohol for an AIRBORNE virus that goes poorly (if at all) via surfaces. And poorly-fitting surgical masks.
9/ DENMARK: Public Health authorities spreading misinformation that transmission through hands is important. But no masks shown in the video... for an airborne virus.
10/ AUSTRALIA: A top government infection control expert (@petercollignon) published an opinion piece YESTERDAY in the Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) recommending face shields (with no masks), as hyper-transmissible airborne omicron arrives...
11/ MEXICO: the Ministry of Health lists handwashing as the TOP recommendation to stop transmission, for a AIRBORNE virus that transmits poorly, if at all, through surfaces (cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…).
No mention of ventilation or mask fit to the face.
12/ SCOTLAND: the government is reintroducing plexiglas barriers (which INCREASE transmission, per @ScienceMagazinedx.doi.org/10.1126/scienc…) for the highly transmissible airborne omicron variant.
15/ CANADA: the response to a COVID outbreak in a hospital doesn't mention ventilation or N95 respirators, but includes "frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces throughout the hospital"... for a virus that transmits poorly (if at all) through surfaces
16/ NETHERLANDS: the Prime Minister's podium sign includes hand-washing as the first measure (for an airborne virus that transmits poorly, if at all, through surfaces), but NOT masks!
17/ SWEDEN: Top public Health official Anders Tegnell spreads DISinformation (can't call it just misinformation by now), hiding behind @WHO's ambiguity and lack of clarity: FFP2 masks may INCREASE transmission!! And ignores transmission w/o symptoms
18/ WHY does @WHO refuse to explain clearly that #COVIDisAirborne and to recommend the proper mitigations with a clear explanation (so that citizens could point that out to uninformed (or worse) governments)? See my thread from yesterday:
19/ If you want to protect yourself despite @WHO and/or your government, see the measures that actually work for an airborne virus in this thread (hint: many are free or low cost):
21/ CANADA: after a large outbreak at a University (@uvic), the main recommendation of the Chief Medical Health Officer is hand washing... for an airborne virus with ZERO demonstrated cases of surface transmission...
22/ BELGIUM: Flemish healthcare agency @ZorgVlaanderen, in a tweet about the fight against the coronavirus: “Hand hygiene is the most effective measure...”
23/ IRELAND: masks NOT required for retail workers behind plexiglas barriers. Those barriers actually increase transmission of COVID (dx.doi.org/10.1126/scienc…, which is airborne!
24/ SWITZERLAND: Federal Health Office @BAG_OFSP_UFSP states that "FFP2/3 masks are not needed and are not recommended"... for an airborne virus! (and they justify it based on @WHO guidance)
26/ AFRICA: @WHO Africa office (@WHOAFRO) still (12-Oct-2021) spreading misinformation that COVID-19 is spread by droplets that fall quickly to the ground or surfaces.
27/ WORLD: @UNICEF spreading misinformation that surface transmission and handwashing are important for COVID-19, when there are ZERO proven cases of surface transmission and we know it is unlikely (cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…)
29/ @WHO itself: COVID-19 Travel Advice Q&A section (who.int/emergencies/di…) links to the following guidance: handwashing, plexiglas, 1 m distance, droplet transmission... for an airborne virus
HT @CharityChiken
30/ UK: Prime Minister @BorisJohnson disinfecting a chair, setting an extremely poor example, as there are ZERO cases of transmission through surfaces (especially onto one's butt or back through the clothes!)
32/ SWEDEN: millions of teachers and pupils are supposed to turn up to school unmasked, with no safety measures, no screening, no filters, no vaccines for 5-11yrs, no CO2 meters.
33/ USA: poorly fitting masks worn by medical personnel. But still focusing on surfaces, for an airborne virus that transmits poorly, if at all, through surfaces (cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…)
34/ USA: After 3 school outbreaks in Washington DC that force school closures, school officials repeat outdated guidance: addresses unimportant surface transmission (disinfection, handwashing...), but NOTHING to address AIRBORNE virus
38/ AUSTRALIA: major problems w/ hotel quarantine system. Frequent transmission, because airborne transmission was ignored
“#COVIDisAirborne which means the dumbest thing you can do is put healthy and infected people together, breathing the same air"
39/ SPAIN: children attending school with leaky surgical and cloth masks for an airborne virus. No distribution or promotion of available children's KF94 etc.
10's of deaths, 100's of ICU, 1000's of hospitalizations in children
43/ PHILIPPINES: Health Ministry @DOHgovph still promotes handwashing for airborne virus. Along with face shields for general population, which are only useful if someone coughs in your face
46/ SWITZERLAND: School Chief @Neuchatel_ch keeps talking about handwashing, refuses systematic tests, continues denying in-school transmission. For a virus that goes poorly, if at all, through surfaces (cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…), is dominantly airborne
47/ UK (WALES): #Omicron arrives, govt. introduces new measures, including perxpex (plexiglas) barriers... which are useful in cashier/teller situation, but INCREASE transmission when lateral
51/ CHILE: hygiene theatre of fumigation and surface disinfection in preparation for local elections in the capital Santiago (@Muni_Stgo), for an airborne virus that transmits poorly, if at all, through surfaces (cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…)
53/ @WHO: @WHO distributing masks to its staff (here member of Techical Team) that seal poorly against face and leak 50% or more (tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…)
So, no @mvankerkhove, people DO NOT know how to protect themselves (OR OTHERS) from airborne virus
54/ USA: The CEO of @SouthwestAir (@gary_kelly) testified w/o mask in the US Congress for 3 hours, arguing that masks were not needed in airplanes [which is totally WRONG BTW].
As he coughed, and tested positive for COVID shortly afterwards...
56/ UK (SCOTLAND, @scotgov@scotgovhealth): focus on cleaning in medical practices. No airborne measures. No wonder #Omicron is growing so fast there...
60/ SPAIN: Town of Alfas (@LAlfasES) activates a plan of cleaning and disinfection (including outdoors) in response to the increase in COVID cases (9-Dec-2021). For an airborne virus that goes barely, if at all, through surfaces (cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…)
61/ SPAIN: Town of Campo de Criptana (@Ayto_Criptana) reinforces school cleaning schools, hiring 5 new cleaners, in response to increase in COVID (13-Dec-2021)
63/ SPAIN (Prime Minister @sanchezcastejon, in National Address as Omicron arrives)
Mentions only masks (without mentioning FFP2 or importance of fit) and hydrogel (for a virus that doesn't go through surfaces: cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…). No ventilation etc.
64/ SWITZERLAND: a choir singing without masks 🤦🤦♂️🤦
When we know that singing results in much higher aerosol/virus emissions, and where there have been dozens of outbreaks in choirs during this pandemic (e.g. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/in…)
65/ AUSTRALIA: Government Advisor and prominent member of Infection Expert Control Group (health.gov.au/committees-and…) @CollignonPeter explains how droplets now behave like aerosols (I call them "magic droplets"
68/ UK (National Health Service @NHSuk): NO mention of ventilation at vaccination centres. Only surgical masks, hand sanitizer, and regular cleaning of surfaces.
A great way to catch COVID while you're getting your booster
70/ CANADA (Ontario, Ministry of Health @ONThealth): Ontario is paying @Facebook to run ads telling people that handwashing is very important for Omicron (when this virus is airborne, and goes barely, if at all, through surfaces: cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…)
Very ignorant comments on masks: "Have you tried to wear N95 all day? N95 not fitted is not as good as a good surgical masks" (@JenniferKShea showed otherwise:
74/ SPAIN (Galicia Regional Govt @Xunta): massively buying useless transparent masks for deaf people. Therefore exposing them to infection, as well as not protecting the people around them, should they be infected.
77/ CANADA (BC, worst in CAN): Top Public Health Official Dr. Bonnie Henry keeps wearing a cloth mask with visible gaps, for a virus that even @WHO agrees now is AIRBORNE! (
78/ ITALY: Ministry of Health (@MinisteroSalute) keeps spreading misinformation that handwashing is important for an AIRBORNE virus (even @WHO admits it now:
) that we have known for 1.5 yrs barely goes through surfaces, it at all (cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…)
79/ SPAIN: A #Barcelona City Council member (@Elisendalamany) says public transport is safe because they "continue to invest in cleaning & disinfection of their buses and trains daily"
For an AIRBORNE virus that goes barely, if at all, through surfaces.
CO2 (above ~400 ppm outdoors) indicates the amount of exhaled air (& virus) trapped in a space
Also per recent scientific results by @ukhadds, CO2 helps SARS-CoV stay infectious in air much longer
@united flight boarding, pretty terrible!
2/ This is the trip so far:
-Low outdoors
-Pretty high ~2000 in @RideRTD bus to airport
- ok ~800 at @DENAirport, except restroom ~1500. Not sure why restrooms at this airport are so often poorly ventilated
- Then boarding on @united, ventilation OFF, so huge increase till ON
3/ For details of the recent results on how and why CO2 makes SARS-CoV-2 stay infectious much longer in the air, see this recent thread by @ukhadds
1/ "After four years of fighting about it, @WHO has finally proclaimed that viruses, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID, can be spread through the air"
3/ "Words matter. When people heard that COVID might spread on surfaces, they wasted time wiping down groceries. People who misunderstood airborne spread needlessly wore masks on outdoor walks and veered off sidewalks to avoid their neighbors."
1/ New paper in @ScienceMagazine: "Mandating Indoor Air Quality for Public Buildings"
Explaining current status of indoor air quality standards (in short: bad or non-existent), the huge health benefits that would arise from them & proposing a path forward science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…
2/ "People living in urban & industrialized societies, which are expanding globally, spend more than 90% of time indoors, breathing indoor air (IA)."
"Most countries do NOT have legislated indoor air quality (IAQ) performance standards for public spaces"