As a non-virologist, here are some things I have learned about covid that I would not have guessed before the pandemic. They are super counter-intuitive:
1/ the virus spreads well in indoor settings without proper ventilation (e.g. restaurants), but not when the indoor space was built on the sidewalk or street in New York between August of 2020 and January of 2021.
2/ for people in a queue, the virus weakens and dies if it must travel perpendicular to the direction of the queue. That’s why people must stand 6 feet apart from the people ahead of and behind them, but not the people next to them in a winding queue. It hates right angles.
3/ in restaurants, the virus is temporarily deactivated when patrons are seated at their tables. As soon as they stand to go to the bathroom or bar (for instance) it promptly reactivates.
4/ the virus can only infect people that are having a good time and not a boring time. That’s why it spreads at parties and other social gatherings but not at schools or workplaces.
5/ related to point 4, the virus hates losses in productivity. Just this past week, a negotiation was held with the virus, and it agreed to hurry and and do what it needs to do quickly so people can get back to work.
6/ the virus is airborne but it hates perspex. You put a perspex sheet in its path and it self-destructs out of frustration. Doesn’t matter the size of the room or the size of the Perspex.
7/ the virus is almost exactly like the flu so there is no need to panic. except it kills lots more people, causes some kind of poorly understood neurological changes, and sometimes lingers for months. but all that’s neither here nor there. basically the same.
Have I missed anything?
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
