Thread by @ejustin46 on Thread Reader App
“How SARS-COV-2 spreads (Re) and why there are differences between countries ?
An explanation for kids based on the astonishing new study of @firefoxx66 @richardneher and colleagues”
Estimating Re and overdispersion in secondary cases from the size of identical sequence clusters of SARS-CoV-2 - PubMed
How Covid spreads
Transient transmission of droplets and aerosols in a ventilation system with ceiling fans
We Need Mandatory Masking in Healthcare, and We Need it Now
“We are in year six of the Covid pandemic, and patients are still struggling to access safe healthcare. Hospitals removed mask mandates, didn’t bother upgrading their air quality or ventilation, and stopped requiring staff to test or isolate for Covid.
As a result, Covid aware patients have to take enormous steps to protect themselves in the one place they should have a reasonable expectation of safety.”
We are in year six of the Covid pandemic, and patients are still struggling to access safe healthcare. Hospitals removed mask mandates, didn’t bother upgrading their air quality or ventilation, and stopped requiring staff to test or isolate for Covid. As a result, Covid aware patients have to take enormous steps to protect themselves in the one place they should have a reasonable expectation of safety.
Indoor air systems crucial to curbing spread of viruses, aerosol researchers say | 60 Minutes
Evidence from whole genome sequencing of aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 almost 5 hours after hospital room turnover
“Airborne SARS-CoV-2 may transmit infection after more than 4 hours.”
15 Signs of COVID That Could Mean You Were Sick but Didn’t Know
8 Places You’re Still Most Likely To Catch Covid
Aerosol research shows how easily COVID-19 can be caught through the air
“A few minutes in the same room as an infected person is enough to catch the virus yourself.”
few minutes in the same room as an infected person is enough to catch the virus yourself.
Closing toilet lid before flushing doesn't keep viral spray inside, study suggests
people w/COVID-19, even those who are asymptomatic, excrete severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in fecal matter & other excretions," the researchers wrote. "Viruses contaminating urine & feces can be aerosolized in building restrooms during toilet flushing
Dead family, lost friends: How the coronavirus changed one small town
“Dead family, lost friends: How people’s inability to do the right thing to reduce COVID19 transmission has changed the entire planet.”
Så snabbt kan du få covid-19 via luften
“This is how quickly you can get covid-19 through the air”
This is how quickly you can get covid-19 through the air
As air relative humidity increases, infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 decreases within water droplets | QRB Discovery | Cambridge Core
“we identified a threshold of ≥40% relative humidity as most effective in diminishing SARS-CoV-2 infectivity.”
we identified a threshold of ≥40% relative humidity as most effective in diminishing SARS-CoV-2 infectivity.
Map of U.S. Covid transmission, per CDC data.
December 14, 2024:
“Map of U.S. Covid transmission, per CDC data.
Bear in mind that reporting lags mean transmission has had 7 days to get worse.
Approximately 1 in 64 Americans are now actively infectious. “
Review of infective dose, routes of transmission and outcome of COVID-19 caused by the SARS-COV-2: comparison with other respiratory viruses | Epidemiology & Infection | Cambridge Core
Higher doses of SarsCov2 at exposure correlate with higher viral loads and severe symptoms in animals.
The more virus you are exposed to the more severe your disease. (HINT: masks work to lower viral loads)
Golgi-derived extracellular vesicle production induced by SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein
“Extracellular vesicles facilitate cell-to-cell communication, and some enveloped viruses utilize these vesicles as carriers to mediate viral transmission. SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein (2-E) forms a cation channel and overexpression of 2-E led to the generation of a distinct type of large extracellular vesicles (2-E-EVs). Although 2-E-EVs have been demonstrated to facilitate viral transmission in a receptor-independent way, the characteristics and biogenesis mechanism remain enigmatic.”
Extracellular vesicles facilitate cell-to-cell communication, and some enveloped viruses utilize these vesicles as carriers to mediate viral transmission. SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein (2-E) forms a cation channel and overexpression of 2-E led to the generation of a distinct type of large extracellular vesicles (2-E-EVs). Although 2-E-EVs have been demonstrated to facilitate viral transmission in a receptor-independent way, the characteristics and biogenesis mechanism remain enigmatic.
SARS-CoV-2 Transmission From People Without COVID-19 Symptoms
59% of all transmission came pre/asymptomatic transmission,
35% presymptomatic individuals 24% asymptomatic.
A plea to maskless health-care workers from vulnerable patients - Healthy Debate
“I politely asked her to wear it and told her I was immunocompromised. She rolled her eyes, held the mask in front of her face without actually putting it on. She leaned across me to hit the button, even though there was another set of buttons on the opposite side of the elevator. This felt like a deliberate attempt to violate my personal space and ensure I knew just how unhappy she was that I asked her to mask. As time went on and more people bought into the comfortable lie that COVID was over, it became harder to access safe medical care. Fewer and fewer staff were complying with mandates; eventually mandates were dropped altogether in favour of “mask-friendly” policies.”
I politely asked her to wear it and told her I was immunocompromised. She rolled her eyes, held the mask in front of her face without actually putting it on. She leaned across me to hit the button, even though there was another set of buttons on the opposite side of the elevator. This felt like a deliberate attempt to violate my personal space and ensure I knew just how unhappy she was that I asked her to mask.
As time went on and more people bought into the comfortable lie that COVID was over, it became harder to access safe medical care. Fewer and fewer staff were complying with mandates; eventually mandates were dropped altogether in favour of “mask-friendly” policies.
COVID-19 hitches a ride on mucus to spread deep into lungs, live imaging shows
COVID-19 hitches a ride on mucus to spread deep into lungs, live imaging shows.
Investigators observed that the movement of mucus can spread the COVID-19 virus inside the respiratory tract, where it later forms aerosols that infect other people.
PMC COVID-19 Forecasting Model, Nov 11, 2024
“PMC COVID-19 Forecasting Model, Nov 11, 2024
We're starting to get out 1st glimpse of the shape of the winter wave.
🔸Expected transmission a month from now: 1.3 million daily infections 🔸Best-case: 0.7 million daily infections 🔸Worst-case: 1.8 million daily infections
There's nothing in the data yet to suggest the winter will be markedly different from last year, which is very bad news. Within 3 weeks, we'll have a much better sense of what path we're on and what the peak of the wave may look like, likely around NYE.”
Comparing strategies for the mitigation of SARS-CoV-2 airborne infection risk in tiered auditorium venues
study on COVID-19 in auditoriums found displacement ventilation minimized infection risk, while natural ventilation had highest spread.
Masks, shorter events, and lower occupancy helped reduce risks.
Airspothealth
COVID-19 virus has been found on nearly every flight tested.
Bay Area counties renew mask mandates at health care facilities
“Several Bay Area counties have reinstated mask mandates at health care facilities to coincide with the beginning of respiratory virus season.
Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, along with the City of Berkeley, have all issued health orders requiring the use of face masks in health care settings starting on November 1 and continuing through March 31, 2025.”
Several Bay Area counties have reinstated mask mandates at health care facilities to coincide with the beginning of respiratory virus season.Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, along with the City of Berkeley, have all issued health orders requiring the use of face masks in health care settings starting on November 1 and continuing through March 31, 2025.
Masking Policy | Clinical Center
MASK MANDATE RETURNING TO ALL NIH PATIENT CLINICS—Effective November 4, 2024, masking will be required in all patient care & waiting rooms. Furthermore, testing for COVID, flu A, flu B, and RSV will be required for all inpatients & rooming-in visitors.
Shionogi Announces Global Phase 3 Trial Demonstrates Post-Exposure Prophylactic Use of Ensitrelvir Prevents Symptomatic COVID-19
Shionogi just announced that their antiviral pill, ensitrelvir, significantly prevents COVID transmission!
Participants took the antiviral after known exposure.
Factcheck: Herd immunity is not the solution to COVID-19 pandemic
“While herd immunity has successfully protected populations from other infectious diseases, such as measles and smallpox, all efforts to stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus — the virus behind COVID-19 — from spreading have fallen short. According to Giurgea, immune responses against this virus, whether achieved through vaccination or a previous infection, subside with time. Additionally, the ability of the virus to mutate allows it to evade these immune responses and continue to spread in the population.”
While herd immunity has successfully protected populations from other infectious diseases, such as measles and smallpox, all efforts to stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus — the virus behind COVID-19 — from spreading have fallen short. According to Giurgea, immune responses against this virus, whether achieved through vaccination or a previous infection, subside with time. Additionally, the ability of the virus to mutate allows it to evade these immune responses and continue to spread in the population.
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on aircraft: A scoping review
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on aircraft: A scoping review
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on aircraft: A scoping review
NHS 10-day Covid warning as cases, deaths and hospitalisations surge
October, 2024: “The UK's health body has warned that COVID-19 spreads ‘very easily through close contact with people who have the virus’ and you can still be infectious for ‘up to 10 days’”
The UK's health body has warned that COVID-19 spreads "very easily through close contact with people who have the virus" and you can still be infectious for "up to 10 days"
Can the infection risk in elevators be negligible? A comparative study of airborne infection probability in elevators and conference rooms
“this study investigated the airborne transmission of respiratory diseases in the hospital elevator by comparison to the conference room.”
“The results showed that the infection probability in the elevator with 5 min was higher than that in the conference room with 50 min.”
(🧵1/5, EMERGENCE): What happens to virulence after a new pathogen emerges? Popular thinking on the subject is that pathogens evolve become less virulent over time when they co-exist with their host species, based on the logic that virulent pathogens don't spread effectively.(1/)
(🧵1/5, EMERGENCE): What happens to virulence after a new pathogen emerges? Popular thinking on the subject is that pathogens evolve become less virulent over time when they co-exist with their host species, based on the logic that virulent pathogens don't spread effectively.(1/)