Mastodawn

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

The wealthy know how to protect themselves and don't think COVID is mild

While most governments and public health organizations are downplaying the severity of #COVID and relying on a vaccine only strategy, do you know who is taking COVID precautions much more seriously? #DavosSafe #IAQ #IndoorAirQuality #Ventilation 🧵 1/

For the one page easier to share version you can read at: https://pingthread.com/thread/1618223851212767232

Thread by jeffgilchrist: The wealthy know how to protect themselves and don... - PingThread

The wealthy know how to protect themselves and don't think COVID is mild While most governments and public health organizations are downplaying the severity of #COVID and relying on a vaccine only strategy, do you know who is taking COVID much more seriously? #DavosSafe 🧵1/

PingThread

The wealthy at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland have already implemented all/most of the COVID safety precautions that many engineers, scientists, researchers and parents have been advocating for in schools, businesses, and other public indoor locations for years to help keep people safe. 2/

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

While the general public is told COVID is just like the flu and not to worry, the WEF understands that major infrastructural change is required to keep people safe like the installation of sewage systems and water treatment plants to combat waterborne illnesses such as cholera ( https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2023/01/11/Revolution-Clean-Indoor-Air/ ). 3/

We Need a Revolution in Clean Indoor Air | The Tyee

Why it will take re-engineering, not just medicine, to close the door on COVID.

The Tyee

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

Looking at history, plagues don't usually end until the human hosts of those pathogens re-engineer the environment that allows those pathogens to thrive.

Sewage used to be dumped into rivers, swamps, and estuaries which were key breeding grounds for cholera, until engineers improved water treatment and wastewater disposal. Unfortunately cholera still thrives today in dirty water and places where communities have not been provided clean water. 4/

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

Now we have other pathogens including respiratory viruses, that thrive in the poorly ventilated dirty air in crowded indoor space, a product of modern buildings designed to save energy. Unlike our ancestors, many of us spend 90% of our time indoors, often breathing air full of viruses, chemicals, and other particles. 5/

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

When money is involved, these people understand the risks and what mitigations to put in place to help reduce them. It is obvious that the WEF doesn't think COVID is mild or they wouldn't have gone to this much trouble implementing all of their safety measures ( https://www3.weforum.org/docs/AM23_Health_and_Safety_Measures.pdf ). 6/

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

Before entering the conference, every attendee was PCR tested and if positive their access was automatically removed (https://twitter.com/AndrewLawton/status/1614618891212267521).

For those that wanted to wear masks, free high quality FFP2 masks (similar to KN95/N95) were provided and free rapid tests were available at any time including a dedicated COVID hotline people could call. The on-site official drivers were required to wear masks at all times but for attendees it was optional thanks to the other measures put in place. 7/

Andrew Lawton on Twitter

“Everyone at the World Economic Forum annual meeting — including journalists and participants — has to take a PCR test upon arrival. If you don’t take a test, the chip in your ID badge is deactivated. If you test positive for Covid the badge is also deactivated.”

Twitter

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

In order to make indoor spaces safe enough for people so they did not have to wear masks all the time at the conference, the WEF installed state-of-the-art ventilation systems including HEPA filters placed throughout. You can see photos of people wearing their coats, likely because of fresh air coming in from the cold Swiss winter air to improve air quality ( https://twitter.com/KashPrime/status/1615745744673148929 ). 8/

Kashif Pirzada, MD on Twitter

“The world's elite at the Davos forum are enjoying every possible protection from Covid, including PCR testing, air filtration, UVGI light. Why isn't this being offered to everyone else? Every school, every workplace should have the same protections as the rich and powerful.”

Twitter

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

What we are being told is good enough for us in terms of safety, is not good enough for them ( https://twitter.com/lisa_iannattone/status/1615817952649187328 ). Everyone deserves to be #DavosSafe 9/

Dr. Lisa Iannattone on Twitter

“Just look at this document! 🤯 https://t.co/WryTqpIedB -Mandatory PCR on arrival -Free rapid tests -Free surgical/FFP2 masks throughout the venue -Asked to rapid test if not feeling well -New “state of the art ventilation systems” installed + those HEPA purifiers in every corner”

Twitter

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (@O_S_P_E) have released evidence-based guidance around indoor air quality and transmission of COVID-19 ( https://ospe.on.ca/indoor-air-quality/ ). 10/

Indoor Air Quality • Ontario Society of Professional Engineers

Indoor Air Quality Reports In 2022, OSPE formed the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Advisory Group, responding to the need for evidence-based guidance around indoor air quality and transmission of COVID-19. The Advisory Group produced the following reports, identifying how COVID spreads and how Ontarians can combat its spread. Guidance: Face Coverings for COVID-19 Prevention […]

Ontario Society of Professional Engineers

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has committed to developing an indoor air quality (IAQ) pathogen mitigation standard ( https://ashrae.org/about/news/2022/ashrae-commits-to-developing-an-iaq-pathogen-mitigation-standard ) and published a document calling for better air quality as an effective means of reducing viral transmission ( https://www.ashrae.org/File%20Library/About/Position%20Documents/PD_-Infectious-Aerosols-2022_edited-January-2023.pdf ). 11/

ASHRAE Commits to Developing an IAQ Pathogen Mitigation Standard

Learn more about ASHRAE Commits to Developing an IAQ Pathogen Mitigation Standard at ashrae.org

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

France has set new CO2 standards for classrooms since high CO2 levels can indicate poor ventilation and act as a proxy for potential poor air quality ( https://twitter.com/KashPrime/status/1610296744478216194 ). 12/

Kashif Pirzada, MD on Twitter

“This is amazing, France is going to require clean air in classrooms, aiming at CO2 levels of 800 ppm. Other countries should quickly follow suit. Aside from limiting Covid, just the benefits of lowering common respiratory viruses makes this worth it alone, as any parent knows.”

Twitter

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

With the current set of Omicron variants being much more transmissible, a preprint study in France found that during multiple waves in 2022, "children aged 10-19y played the greatest relative role in propagating Spring, Summer and the first Autumn waves of the Omicron epidemics, particularly when schools were open, followed by children aged 0-9y" ( https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.22.22283867v2.full-text ). 13/

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

It would probably be a good idea to prioritize improving the infrastructure of the locations that would have the most impact, like schools, especially since children have the longest amount of their lives left so would be suffering longer from any long-term impact from infection. 14/

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

Would improving ventilation actually help in schools? A study in Italy actually looked at more than 10,000 classrooms and found classrooms equipped with mechanical ventilation systems decreased the relative risk of COVID infection by at least 74% compared to classrooms with only natural ventilation ( https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1087087/full ). H/T: @linseymarr 15/

Increasing ventilation reduces SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission in schools: A retrospective cohort study in Italy's Marche region

IntroductionWhile increasing the ventilation rate is an important measure to remove inhalable virus-laden respiratory particles and lower the risk of infection, direct validation in schools with population-based studies is far from definitive.MethodsWe investigated the strength of association between ventilation and SARS-CoV-2 transmission reported among the students of Italy's Marche region in more than 10,000 classrooms, of which 316 were equipped with mechanical ventilation. We used ordinary and logistic regression models to explore the relative risk associated with the exposure of students in classrooms.Results and discussionFor classrooms equipped with mechanical ventilation systems, the relative risk of infection of students decreased at least by 74% compared with a classroom with only natural ventilation, reaching values of at least 80% for ventilation rates >10 L s−1 student−1. From the regression analysis we obtained a relative risk reduction in the range 12%15% for each additional unit of ventilation rate per person. The results also allowed to validate a recently developed predictive theoretical approach able to estimate the SARS-CoV-2 risk of infection of susceptible individuals via the airborne transmission route. We need mechanical ventilation systems to protect students in classrooms from airborne transmission; the protection is greater if ventilation rates higher than the rate needed to ensure indoor air quality (>10 L s−1 student−1) are adopted. The excell...

Frontiers

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

For classrooms that were able to obtain ventilation rates greater than 10L per second per student, risk of infection decreased even further to at least 80% lower. 16/

Jeff Gilchrist Jan 25, 2023

Cleaner air not only reduces the risk from COVID infection but all other viruses that transmit in aerosols through the air like influenza and other respiratory viruses.

Cleaner air also protects from multiple different types of air pollutants linked to various health problems and cognitive impairment which you can learn more about here ( https://mstdn.science/@jeffgilchrist/109580638330581137 ). 17/

Jeff Gilchrist (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image The importance of indoor air quality #IAQ This thread looks at the impact of #cleaning indoor #air, not just from pathogens in #aerosol #particles but also from other air #pollutants linked to various health problems, and what we can do about it. #IndoorAirQuality #Ventilation #CO2 #PM25 An unrolled one-page web view for this long thread that may be easier to read or share can be found here ( https://pingthread.com/thread/1607379781892575234 ). 🧵 1/

mstdn.science

Kevin Russell Jan 27, 2023

Its like trying to explain soap in the bathroom.

Mark Jan 25, 2023

@jeffgilchrist
Opening windows is fine in summer, but ...
If we assume a class size of 40, that's 400 litres per second.
Heating that volume of air from 10C to 20C will require around 10kW per classroom. More for larger differentials.
This requires all new plant and a new heavy electrical installation in most schools.
Heat pumps would reduce the electricity requirement but most only recirculate air and don't include HEPA filters which require regular careful cleaning.
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/cooling-heating-equations-d_747.html

Cooling and Heating Equations

Latent and sensible cooling and heating equations - imperial units.

mid_isle_guy Jan 27, 2023

@zl2tod @jeffgilchrist We have Merv 12 in our home furnace and it's awesome. Cleaning recirculating error and changing filters is less expensive then medical visits and/or lost production in a work or school environment.

GreenDotGuy Jan 27, 2023

@zl2tod @jeffgilchrist Yes, but you hopefully don't just blow the air away, you filter and reuse it, or at least pipe it through air-air heat exchangers to recover a fair portion of the energy.

Steve Jan 27, 2023

@zl2tod @jeffgilchrist air purifiers with HEPA filters can help also.

GreenDotGuy Jan 27, 2023

@jeffgilchrist for perspective on what that means in a way people can relate to, all you need to do to get 400 CFM out of a room (10L/sec/student is about 400 CFM) is point one of these at an open window.

Obviously, that is practical, but probably not sustainable for the school's HVAC plant in hot or cold weather. But... very easy to accomplish with in-room or centralized air filtering.

Giraffe Slava 🇺🇸🇺🇦Jan 25, 2023

@jeffgilchrist @linseymarr so the answer is HELL YES.

sandywb14 Jan 25, 2023

@jeffgilchrist @linseymarr imagine making the safety of public school a priority to save lives. The USA still hasn’t removed lead from drinking water. 😡

Grandalf 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘙 Jan 25, 2023

Not to mention the lowering of CO₂ in a classroom increases attention and retention of information.

Florence Jan 26, 2023

@jeffgilchrist @linseymarr wow, that’s impressive!!

Tofu Golem Feb 5, 2023

@jeffgilchrist @linseymarr
I thought we as a society decided to just give up and surrender to SARS-COV-2, and let it kills as many people as possible.

Mitra Feb 6, 2023

@jeffgilchrist @linseymarr
Its time to make cheap CO2 monitors ubiquitous - they are only about US$20 - easy to carry and unobtrusive to use - its an easy way to visually show a school, business, church or workplace when its unhealthy for you to be there.

Elizabeth Mar 6, 2023

@linseymarr @jeffgilchrist
There was similar funding in Canada in an area where public and private schools took different approaches to ventilation (I forget which part of Canada.)

Jeanne Mastodon Jan 25, 2023

@jeffgilchrist And from a heartless capitalist perspective, kids having the most lifespan in front of them means their healthcare will be most expensive when they end up with chronic illness.

Dogpile Jan 25, 2023

@jeffgilchrist any parent should know this. It's why I get sick. My kids.

Pinky Jones Jan 27, 2023

@jeffgilchrist
Woot!

Dis Jan 27, 2023

@jeffgilchrist
(from the indoor air pdf)
> Compliance with ventilation requirements can be verified through monitoring CO2
Do you think that extends down to the individual level? I'm picturing a portable #co2 sensor, carried as a personal detector. Easy to build, and as long as it isn't in someone's face I would expect it to read accurately enough for simple traffic-light reporting.

loza Jan 25, 2023

@jeffgilchrist I work in plumbing and our governor co-owned a contracting biz. Asked a number of times to use arpa funds to standardize co2 monitors like we do smoke alarms and test the rooms at capacity. Sometimes something as simple as opening a window is all that’s needed and the monitors are inexpensive.

[email protected]Jan 26, 2023

@jeffgilchrist As far as air, the City of New York issued pamphlets 100 years ago outlining how fresh air and open windows helped to stop the spread of tuberculosis (TB). Once TB was thought to be conquered, Americans started building sealed buildings with central air, and Legionnaire's Disease appeared. The need for fresh air is known. In my 18 years in New York all my workplaces (one of them the Flatiron Building) had opening windows. Nowadays in hotels and offices, windows don't open.

Melinda Jan 25, 2023

@jeffgilchrist
In Britain the government privatised water companies. Infrastructure has been allowed to decay to ensure shareholders get big profits. So what happens, raw sewage is routinely dumped in Britains rivers and sea.