"It's a very important point [.] we should have taken ventilation in public buildings much more seriously."
He was concerned about the cold. We will just need to make sure that warm air is used when needed!
1/ π CVF's barrister @AdamWagner1
Whitty was far less good on masks.
He seems to think that "more research is needed"?
Yet....
2/
He would wear FFP3 for multi-drug resistant TB.
Or an aerosol generating procedure.
Why not a surgical mask?
Since there is 'weakness' evidence...
3/
He sides with Prof Susan Hopkins on "weak evidence" and has chosen to selectively understand the expert IPC witnesses.
4/
But when challenged on the IPC expert witness evidence (of which he is not an expert), he pushes back and focuses again on "weak evidence" for FFP3s and there isn't "sufficient unianimity" and since it is "much harder to use" it wouldn't be appropriate.
5/
He doesn't support the public wearing FFP3s, although there is nothing to prevent them from doing so.
6/
On FFP2, he talked about HSE guidance rather than answering the question.
Regarding those who wore FFP2/3s and were told to remove them on the door, he is still worried about dirty masks (even though many brought a fresh packeted mask), but says it is "freedom of choice".
7/
He doesn't think CEV people (indeed CV people too) should have been told to wear better masks (FFP3 - or FFP2!) because the evidence isn't there.
Even though, as you saw earlier, in circumstances where he may feel vulnerable to multi-resistant airborne TB he would wear one.
8/
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UK COVID INQUIRY - CVFπππ
@AdamWagner1 Closing Submissions
The Covid Inquiry has good ventilation protocols (as advised by CVF at the start of the Inquiry) including HEPA filters.
Under 1000ppm is therefore the safe threshold ( but without it would be under 800ppm).
1/
We need to understand airborne transmission in order to make all indoor environments safer for everyone, and especially for Clinically Vulnerable people.
2/
The need for Clinically Vulnerable people to have:
CVF were concerned that many older people, who were at high risk, were not supported to shield - which included advice on how to stay safe, as well as food deliveries and community outreach.
π¨ NEW DfE GUIDANCE
- VENTILATION & AIR QUALITY -
Clean air matters - especially for #ClinicallyVulnerable children, staff and families. This is an important recognition that airborne transmission is preventable.
1/
But the proposed COβ thresholds are too high. 800ppm should be the upper limit - not 1500ppm. By 1500ppm, air is already significantly rebreathed. Thatβs not a precautionary standard for children, let alone those at higher risk.
If weβve learned anything from the pandemic, itβs that minimum compliance is not the same as safety. #ClinicallyVulnerable pupils cannot βchooseβ lower exposure if the baseline standard is poor.
3/
We would encourage you to watch @lara_wong 's inquiry evidence in full.
However, out amazing team have clipped these extracts for you!
1/
CVF's Survey
In the summer of 2025, CVF gathered in depth survey evidence about the impacts of the pandemic on CV households - which has now been shared multiple times to inquiry experts and others.
2/
People were commonly told that
"They should hurry up and die so that they could get their lives back."
π¨ Profs Herrick & @Azeem_Majeed on clinical vulnerability
We are grateful that data collected by CVF (last year) was used by @covidinquiryuk to highlight some of the ongoing impacts faced by Clinically Vulnerable people.
1/
You can have a sneak (advanced) peak at @lara_wong's witness statement on behalf of Clinically Vulnerable Families...
Many and varied consequences (relating to mental health) were identified. 2/
Long term mental health impacts persist to this day.
β οΈβ οΈβ οΈ
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πππ
- Can you help us to help you?
If you value our work at the Cβvid Inquiry and beyond, your continued support is vital.
1/
It is hard to explain how much effort has gone in over the past few years to raise understanding and awareness of issues amplified the emerge of Cβvid.
2/
We have participated in NICE as stakeholders and the inquiry as Core Participants (as the only group representing Clinically Vulnerable people).
ππ We have collected evidence as data and thousands of π¬ impact statements from people.