Jeff GilchristJan 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
Show threadJeff GilchristJan 25, 2023
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/
Show threadJeff GilchristJan 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
Show threadJeff GilchristJan 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/

Show threadJeff GilchristJan 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/
Show threadJeff GilchristJan 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/
Show threadJeff GilchristJan 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
Show threadJeff GilchristJan 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
Show threadJeff GilchristJan 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
Show threadJeff GilchristJan 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
Show threadJeff GilchristJan 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

Show threadJeff GilchristJan 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
Show threadJeff GilchristJan 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/
Show threadJeff GilchristJan 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/
Show threadJeff GilchristJan 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
Show threadMitra
@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.
Feb 6, 2023 at 7:39amWeb