COVID-19 Tuesday July 7th

A discussion on aerosolization.

There are headlines about scientists petitioning WHO to declare COVID to be airborne so I thought we should discuss that. 200+ scientists from around the world sent a letter to the WHO asking for COVID to be declared airborne. 200 scientists sounds like a lot, but out of all the scientists in the world, it really isn't that many. These scientists believe the virus can and does become aerosolized in every day situations. Meaning the virus particles become smaller and therefore remain in the air longer than when they are droplets. Aerosolization is common in medical settings and additional precautions are already taken in those settings.

In our everyday life this would mean the virus could linger in the air longer than we thought and could travel further than 6 feet when aerosolized. We already knew it could become aerosolized in certain conditions so that isn't anything new. We also already knew that it could travel further than 6 feet in the right conditions - so also not anything new. But it could have implications for businesses regarding air circulation, reopening etc. Some examples of how recommendations would change would include: possible mask recommendation changes such as recommended usage even when physically distanced, virus filtering air filters for ventilation systems, UV lights indoors in some settings. (again, none of these are new, we have discussed all of this in prior posts - but the recommendations may become more widespread or requirements instead of recommendations). Currently, all the science tells us that aerosolization is possible under the right conditions but not the norm in our daily home lives although workplaces may be impacted.

Consider a bubble. I assume you have at some point either blown bubbles or seen someone doing so. When you blow bubbles they come out of the wand in different sizes and travel different distances. Some fall/pop right away, others catch just the right air and travel much further. When the bubbles pop they fall to the ground or the nearest surface - if you then touch that surface you get bubble juice on your hands. Rubbing that on your face would be weird but which one of us hasn't rubbed our eyes when we had hot sauce or something on our hands? Washing your hands well and cleaning the surfaces neutralizes the threat.

Think of yourself as a bubble-blowing wand. When you speak, sing, shout, cough, sneeze,

and breathe, you are emitting "bubbles" - invisible virus bubbles that come in a variety of sizes. Some of them "pop" immediately, some float about for a few minutes first, and some catch a wisp of air and float further and longer than the rest. When you are out and about think about yourself and others emitting these virus bubbles. Wearing a mask helps control how far they spread. Washing your hands and cleaning surfaces also helps.

These headlines seem alarming but in reality, they are not. Masks help, get a cute one, make it part of your ensemble. Or find one that makes you feel like a warrior ninja. Or whatever you require to feel good about wearing it. Make sure it fits properly - a good fit will make wearing it considerably more comfortable and you won't feel the need to adjust it so much (which is actually a high-risk move - so you don't want to be adjusting it).

FINAL THOUGHTS: The world has gone completely mad. Somewhere along the way people have just forgotten how to be nice to each other. But I am reminded that hurting people hurt people and grieving people don't have to make sense because they are grieving. I am reminded that a kind word can turn away wrath and that I cannot control what anyone but me does. And isn't that really how it should be? You wouldn't want me controlling the world. And frankly, just controlling myself is often a full-time job. So I choose to keep my cool, to take the high road, to show kindness and understanding. I choose to take breaks and renew so that I can do what I can for others. I choose to educate instead of berate. I choose to show love to those who hurt me. That does not mean enduring abuse, not any kind of abuse. Ever. Choose for you, help those you can, and walk away from the rest.