Great. Can we start with the pandemic.
The mental models for transmission have been done by world experts in aerosols (not IPC).

Here is of @trishgreenhalgh 's evidence on the virus being airborne.
Image
Here is one by Marr & Tang
Their comment on the <5 >5 IPC paradigm is it defies physics.
Its from 2021 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34415335/

Image
Image
A simple one illustrating a critical error (also 2021) Image
Recognising its airborne has always been No 1 - unfortunately not for @WHO nor IPC Image
What cleaning air does / does not do - excellent mental model. Image
The one illustrates close space transmission. The use of the term 'close contact' is a misnomer - its a SPACE wherein transmission happens yet the actual mode of transmission is unknown - and crucially may not involve contact - close contact does not evidence droplets (@WHO) Image
And another one... explaining transmission Image
Here is one I did to illustrate what factors people were using to assess mask use (blue circle) and all the factors outside the circle that should have been considered. Image
Also my latest suggestion to omit using 1 word descriptors (airborne or droplet ) but to use a source - to - infection pathway model for evidenced transmission routes

[NB When you use this model contact is not the No 1 way to get an HAI] Image
So its the absence of mental models that is the problem. Its the @WHO and all IPC organisations who have failed to state its airborne when the evidence for droplets does not exist.

Its @WHO videos and tweets (still up) telling people its not airborne - sans evidence.
And another mental model illustrating how IPC has not stepped up to its responsibilities...
The @WHO and CDC, Dept of Health and noted guidance all have different places where droplets land - ridiculous. Image
This brilliant work is also from 2015,
IPC have no excuses - those who reviewed evidenced and determined 'its droplets' got it wrong.

Mental models will not solve this until IPC esp @WHO and UK stand up and say we were wrong.
@JOHNJOHNSTONED pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25816216/
Image
Also, the @WHO must stop producing guidance until it ceases to mis-reference. An example from a 2022 doc.
2 references in support of HH being 'most effective' don't mention hand hygiene.

IPC must correct their physics defying statements
Mental models - yes - if evidenced Image

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Dr Evonne T Curran NursD 💙🇺🇦

Dr Evonne T Curran NursD 💙🇺🇦 Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @EvonneTCurran

Apr 21
No exaggeration here - this is a major article. Forget your CERN collider, here is a method for obtaining mechanistic evidence of far-afield airborne transmission. It was undertaken in a facility designed to study TB.
1/10 Image
The authors state that there should be evidence of the transmission route to inform guidance.
Could not agree more. If only...

"Unambiguous demonstration of transmission routes is important."
Yes, Yes, Yes
By the way this wont come from RCTs!
2/10 Image
For all the implausibility of other routes, and the evidence during outbreak settings there were laggards...
3/10 Image
Read 10 tweets
Apr 17
After yesterday's 17:1 (one case of community acquired CVD leading to 17 others a driver diagram to reduce nosocomial transmission.

Let's start by agreeing that nosocomial transmission is unsafe.
1/8 Image
Action 1 is to prevent transmission to patients, staff and visitors, i.e., everyone in the care environment.

2/8 Image
Next the only 3 actions that can prevent inhalation of virus. Segregation of people who are infectious, IAQ, and respiratory protection.
Also there must be ongoing analysis of where and why transmission is happening in the care setting to identify further safer options
3/8 Image
Read 8 tweets
Feb 18
I have a patient with SARS and I want to keep my other patients and staff safe.
I look up the NIPCM Scotland and find that the Main (singular) mode of transmission is both Droplet / Airborne

@P_H_S_Official this thread merits "immediate action" Image
The Transmission Based Precautions Section tells me there are 3 modes of transmission.

It tells me what the different precautions are aiming to achieve
Of note the definitions of respiratory infections are erroneous Image
In the respiratory section
It tells me you only need RPE if the pathogen is "wholly" transmitted by the airborne route, i.e., not droplet / airborne, or AGP

Off for the literature review to find the evidence for this statement Image
Read 9 tweets
Nov 4, 2024
I honestly believe IPC as a profession will NOT survive intact if it fails to accept airborne transmission as a significant ubiquitous risk and erroneously considers hand hygiene the single most important measure to prevent infection - it is not.
See below
Most important measures to prevent 🫁 non VAP pneumonia - patient positioning, mobility, oral hygiene
Most important measures to prevent surgical site infection 🩹: sterile instruments & theatre air quality
Read 20 tweets
May 24, 2023
They have withdrawn masks in Scotland's Healthcare system and referred 'concerned staff' to complete a risk assessment. healthyworkinglives.scot/resources/form…

Lets fill out their risk assessment...
I am (for the form) a ward manager
Describe the task:

Any patient-to-HCW, HCW-to-HCW, patient-to-patient, or visitor-to-patient or HCW interaction in any close space, e.g. conversation or stethoscope range

or when ventilation poor just being on the ward.
Where is the task to be carried out?

Every minute of every day on this ward we are continuously interacting and at risk of inhaling someone else's exhaled air + virus.
Inhalation at distance is also a risk because we have no idea of the indoor air quality - no indicators.
Read 11 tweets
Oct 29, 2022
Considering how the 'collective we' made Mode of Transmission Errors - some possibilities

a) we turned doubt in to certainty, the use of qualifiers in original work were turned into fact, eg.

'droplets have traditionally been defined as ...'
became
'droplets are defined as '
a) More doubt to certainty
Dr X et al showed that viruses can get in to the eyes, nose and mouth

was translated to

Dr X et al showed that all droplets get in via the eyes nose and mouth
b) We interpreted transmission in a 'close space' as evidence of droplets; actually it was evidence of close space respiratory transmission - not evidence for droplets
Read 25 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(