Thread by @joeyfox85

WHEN PLEXIGLASS IS USEFUL AND WHEN IT ISN'T 🧵

Plexiglass can be useful in specific situations, but harmful in others. To know why, you need to know the different methods of airborne transmission.

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#COVIDisAirborne and transmits in three general situations:

1. Short Range
2. Shared Room
3. Long Range

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https://twitter.com/jljcolorado/status/1479251740570566658?s=20&t=pK3jop9Hd4I1QdDyCtZfAA

Plexiglass stops short range transmission as it prevents you from breathing in the concentrated aerosols directly leaving the infected person's mouth/nose.

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For shared room airborne transmission, proper ventilation is an important mitigation measure.

Plexiglass restricts the ventilation and allows a localized concentration of aerosols from eddies. This increases the likelihood you can get infected.

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The fact that plexiglass has been shown to increase the risk of infection in schools is proof that when students are sitting at their desks, shared room transmission is a higher risk than short range transmission.

dx.doi.org/10.1126/scienc…

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The conclusion is:

For situations where short range transmission is the risk - eg. cashiers and receptionists, plexiglass can be helpful.

For situations where shared room transmission is the risk - eg. classrooms and restaurants, plexiglass increases risk.

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For people using plexiglass to mitigate short range transmission, there is always the risk of increased aerosol concentration and it can be mitigated by using a HEPA filter near your breathing zone to ensure the air is clean.

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