News and Notes
APS’ Ionizers Got Lab Tested: The Results Weren’t Great
We have received the results from the Illinois Institute of Technology lab that is evaluating the efficacy of electronic air cleaners. They tested the Blueair 211 units (which APS bought). Results are disappointing to us. 📌 Project: https://t.co/ldULfLB2B1 📌 Report: https://t.co/kfEWZTIwKW There was some inaccurate information being put forth...
In the News! Outdoor Lunch Petition Launched
Indoor dining during the pandemic is widely recognized as a high risk activity. The CDC, Dr. Fauci, epidemiologists, experts and the Arlington School Health Advisory Board all recommend that schools hold meals outdoors. Yet, APS has only "encouraged," but not required, outdoor dining in its schools, leaving this critical safety measure to the...
Research Round-up: New Studies on Kids, COVID, Higher Risks for In-Person School Households, and How to Reduce Risks
Recent studies have a deluge of new information about kids, COVID, and schools. Here we go on a quick round-up of some major research: .... CDC MMWR featured study: Actual number of kids infected with COVID-19 is much higher and simply under-reported. (Our note: Seems like that whole "kids don't get COVID" thing is so 2020.) Reviewed serologic...
Recent Tweets and Facebook Posts
Today, we took action to expand the use of a booster dose for #COVID19 vaccines in eligible populations. We’re amending the EUAs for the vaccines to allow for the use of a single booster dose: ⬇️ ⬇️ https://t.co/IIp42eOkJ7
Starting a thread on breakthrough risk by vaccine type and time
First some data on J&J vs RNA vax:
Case rates (per 1000):
OK: 2.10 vs 1.54 = +36%
DC: 3.21 vs 1.70 = +89%
San Diego: 2.33 vs 1.54 = +51%
Pooled dat: 2.32 vs 1.55 = +50%
If you have other ...data, feel free to post.
CIDRAP published a 2-part review of mask studies. It's a good compilation to review if lobbying for #BetterMasks in your #school system. Alas, ours has done nada to upgrade protection for kids, including the families who can't afford better masks!
Part 1 of a 2-part commentary explains the differences in cloth face coverings and surgical masks, the science of respiratory protection, and the...
www.cidrap.umn.edu
To effectively fight the flu, @linseymarr argues we need to step up airborne mitigation efforts - windows, ventilation, filtration, maybe regulating humidity. Sound familiar? (clipped via @zeynep).
The investments for COVID will have long-lasting benefit!
Now that we've collectively practiced how to fight an airborne disease spread by inhaling aerosols, the health gains can also be applied to seasonal flu.
@linseymarr has as much street cred on this topic than anyone in the world. Her @nytopinion.
https://t.co/SeSAHXSkmU
Previous infection didn't stop #DeltaVariant in this study of Delhi's outbreak. 27% of cohort studied — who were thought to have some immunity from previous illness — got reinfected w/more transmissible, evasive variant.
#GetVaccinatedNow
#BoosterShots
Astoundingly, PTA leaders are asking about dropping masks before little kids get vaxed and while we face a possible winter spike in #COVID19. #Masks are the ONLY mitigation in APS that is nearly everywhere. What disregard for immune compromised families’ ability to access school!
UK dropped all covid19 precautions in mid-july.
3 months later, mid-october, here we are: the results. https://twitter.com/globalhlthtwit/status/1450216815246946310
Since so much transmission occurs in households, we need to pay attention to improving mitigation in homes.
Homes have an air change rate of about 0.3 per hour, which basically guarantees that a highly contagious virus will infect everyone in the home.
Tweet from 1 yr ago today.
Sadly, my prediction in last bullet came to fruition (3 wks later than predicted). So wish we'd changed trajectory, done what was needed (& obvious to many) to reduce inhaled dose of virus-laden aerosol particles & save hundreds of thousands of lives. ...https://t.co/rzoIcYmWPw
I agree wholeheartedly with @j_g_allen! This is the final slide in a talk that I am giving this week to business leaders in Oregon. Be smart. Trust in science. Keep your guard way up. On verge of our most difficult battle yet. https://twitter.com/j_g_allen/status/1318097739482304513
For the “kids are practically immune” crowd out there…. is this 2-year old intubated on a ventilator for 5 days—an “acceptable” level of kids illness? Zero kids are supposed to be intubated nor die. Zero. #COVID19 https://t.co/72iM5TEKsz
Much reason to be upset about COVID —
As we seek to do better, don’t we have more to ask of the federal leaders responsible for protecting public health who allowed >120,000 preventable deaths from COVID in 3 months, record highs in young people, than of people who aim for zero?
#BetterMasks
Use a Better Mask for COVID-19 | Delta Variant - Consumer Reports
“Any gap between the face and the mask defeats the purpose, because the air has a much easier time going through those gaps instead of going through the cloth of the mask”
https://www.consumerreports.org/face-coverings/use-a-better-mask-covid-19-a2629884110/
Check out this compilation of research.
There is evidence for airborne transmission of many respiratory diseases including COVID-19, flu, measles and chickenpox.
There is no evidence for droplet transmission in any of them.
This is why a paradigm shift is needed. ...https://t.co/zz58LgcB5a
We've summarized the literature supporting airborne transmission of COVID-19 & several other respiratory pathogens. Guess what? #COVIDisAirborne #FluisAirborne #SARSisAirborne #MERSisAirborne
Live version of table & refs: https://tinyurl.com/2dhb2xny
@jmcrookston @jljcolorado
1/
Research via @Harvard confirms that infants, children & teens are equally able to carry high levels of live, replicating SARS-CoV-2 in their respiratory secretions.
👉#SafeSchools measures and precautions are of utmost importance!
@DrEricDing @yaneerbaryam
https://t.co/pAbciYruAb
We may be under this as the current pace is closer to 1 in 20 or 5% this year. But that’s for confirmed infection. Numerous studies with widespread testing in a school, or serology find 6-10x the # of cases, because kids more likely to be low or no-symptom but still infectious.
Seeing lots of tweets from surprised parents with newly Covid-positive schoolchildren. Modeling found 70% of susceptible children could become infected during the first three months of school without interventions. With masking/testing, 40% still will. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-31/what-the-delta-variant-development-means-for-unvaccinated-kids
This is a great thread by @sarahcobey (from the immunology/epidemiology/virology/ecology/evolution perspective) about respiratory infections and interventions. https://t.co/v1abe2kxM7
This article highlights an important accidental victory of the pandemic. Most countries implementing NPIs against SARS-CoV-2 have seen a massive decrease in pathogens causing influenza-like illness. Most of this is not actually flu (in the U.S., at most ~30% tends to be flu). 1 https://twitter.com/Lakdawala_Lab/status/1448662064323387393