Thread by @LazarusLong13

#MedTwitter - I was wondering why Wen went on a blocking rampage on all of the medical blue checks the last few days.

It's because she's now trying to play like she's on CNN to give good advice to @katiahetter, CNN Science editor.

archive.ph/YFNHl

🧵

Fundamentally, Wen is an antimasker and it shows in her lack of knowledge.

"If you are going to wear a mask, please wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask -- an N95, KN95 or KF94 mask."

No. Has to be a valveless N95.

https://twitter.com/LazarusLong13/status/1478778486986665987?s=20&t=1nTNSUU6TgjuYFNg1Wh9Gg

"simple cloth masks. They may think that those masks are protecting them, but they aren't doing much"

Old seatbelts don't do much.

But you should wear seatbelts.

Public Health is all about clarity of messaging. CNN is doing the American people no favors by hiring Wen.

But-

I always have a study to back up what I'm putting down.

Cloth masks can block 51% of aerosols.

https://twitter.com/linseymarr/status/1313950050222039043?s=20&t=1nTNSUU6TgjuYFNg1Wh9Gg

And if everyone is in them?

Synergistic:
cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…

If I was to rephrase what Wen said?

Better masks work, well, better. As transmissible as the new variants are? We all should be in the best possible respirator. KF94, N95, N100.

Moving on...

"Wear your mask in the highest-risk settings. "

How do you identify that? Aerosols float for hours.

Case in point. 3 hotel transmission studies. Genomically confirmed. Epidemiologically confirmed.

Most importantly for this conversation ?

CCTV confirmed empty hallways.

Doesn't get much less risky than that, right?

The problem is it's shared air. And aerosols float for hours - and SC2 stays infectious for hours.

https://twitter.com/LazarusLong13/status/1510341964503269379?s=20&t=1nTNSUU6TgjuYFNg1Wh9Gg

https://twitter.com/LazarusLong13/status/1510341923810078722?s=20&t=1nTNSUU6TgjuYFNg1Wh9Gg

https://twitter.com/LazarusLong13/status/1384742001669644296?s=20&t=1nTNSUU6TgjuYFNg1Wh9Gg

So this incredibly bad advise she's giving you?

"during boarding and deplaning, when the ventilation systems on airplanes are often not running. Don't drink or eat at those times."

So, it's ok to eat or drink when not BOARDING or deplaning?

20 infected.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.11…

And that was with WT, the original SC2.

She can't say cloth masks are not good enough for Omicron with it's increased transmissibility, but it's ok to NOT wear a mask on a plane.

Here's another 12 infected on a plane:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

This study has a table with study after study of inflight transmission.

Why do they happen with airplanes's excellent ventilation?

Most likely, near field aerosols.

But let's move on.

academic.oup.com/jtm/article/27…

Why do I know so much about transmission prevention? I am immunocompromised - and Wen's next paragraph does my IC brothers and sisters a damn disservice.

It's why I wrote this thread to debunk Wen's disastrous advice.

I already showed her info is incorrect with 6 studies.

Here's a video example using second-hand cigarette smoking.

Smoke is made up of visible aerosols, and aerosols too tiny to be seen.

SC2 is transmitted by respiratory aerosols too tiny to be seen.

Hopefully that completes the picture.

Children and masks? Advice from an antimasker? Just say no, please.

Ages 4 and up,

https://twitter.com/LazarusLong13/status/1425908588954853382?s=20&t=1nTNSUU6TgjuYFNg1Wh9Gg

Ages 2+?
cleanaircrew.org/kids-masks/

Her best advice is to blast air at their faces?

How about practicing masking at home while watching TV

with favorite treats and activities as rewards?

And I'm sorry,
"try to limit the time they have to be in packed, poorly ventilated spaces like during boarding and deplaning."

What sort of hot tub time machine are we supposed to be packing to make that magic happen?

Ummm...the only problem with her advice below is that everyone has been eating maskless on the plane, when not boarding and deplaning.

Let me point out to you she said "crowded indoor settings."

If I have a whole row to myself, it would not be crowded. But I could certainly

catch it from the row before and aft.

2, 3, and even 4 (and more) row transmissions have been observed.

What if the person infected gets up and walks around?

Wen's answer, as always, is the bespoke answer of inequity and racism.

From the science side, #Masks4All is proven. 30% >.04 .

https://twitter.com/mgranovetter/status/1516250661524058125?s=20&t=1nTNSUU6TgjuYFNg1Wh9Gg

That was retweeted by @uche_blackstock, who was just blocked by Wen, and she has spoken far more eloquently

than I ever could on that topic.

To close - if asked how to keep safe while traveling?

Don't listen to Leana Wen.

@katiahetter - if confronted, Wen would run to Allen. He's the antimasking Jay Bhattacharyra of IAQ scientists.

A thread on airplane outbreaks:

https://twitter.com/LazarusLong13/status/1517186592254791691?s=20&t=sItOLhA9Wp8-NVLe_FSYAw

@katiahetter - just found another one that I suspected was the case, but just got confirmed.

Wen said to blast the air nozzle.

But this is why you don't bring a knife to a gunfight, or an antimasker to a discussion of how to prevent transmission of an airborne disease.

/1

You aim it BETWEEN you and the next passenger, creating in effect an air curtain.

This is from ASHRAE, H/T @AeonCoin.

If you happen to read this on a plane? Relax (👇), and forget Wen on planes.

ashrae.org/file%20library…

Cheers!