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Welp—because of Israel heat wave, "the govt exempted everyone from wearing masks for 4 days, & schools shut the windows (for AC). That decision proved disastrous." Led to school outbreaks.
Points to aerosol transmission & lack of ventilation. #COVID19 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/world/middleeast/coronavirus-israel-schools-reopen.html
Points to aerosol transmission & lack of ventilation. #COVID19 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/world/middleeast/coronavirus-israel-schools-reopen.html
2) “Confident it had beaten the coronavirus and desperate to reboot a devastated economy, the Israeli government invited the entire student body back in late May.
Within days, infections were reported at a Jerusalem high school...”
Within days, infections were reported at a Jerusalem high school...”
3) “which quickly mushroomed into the largest outbreak in a single school in Israel, possibly the world.
The virus rippled out to the students’ homes and then to other schools and neighborhoods, ultimately infecting hundreds of students, teachers and relatives.”
The virus rippled out to the students’ homes and then to other schools and neighborhoods, ultimately infecting hundreds of students, teachers and relatives.”
4) “Other outbreaks forced hundreds of schools to close. Across the country, tens of thousands of students and teachers were quarantined.
Israel’s advice for other countries?
“They definitely should not do what we have done,” said Eli Waxman. “It was a major failure.”
Israel’s advice for other countries?
“They definitely should not do what we have done,” said Eli Waxman. “It was a major failure.”
5) “lesson is that even communities that have gotten the virus under control need to take strict precautions when reopening. Smaller classes, mask wearing, keeping desks six feet apart and providing adequate ventilation are likely to be crucial until a vaccine is available.”
6) ““If there is a low number of cases, there is an illusion that the disease is over,” said Dr. Hagai Levine, a professor of epidemiology and chairman of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians. “But it’s a complete illusion.”
7) “Parents complained that it was inhumane to make children wear masks in steaming classrooms where open windows nullified the air conditioning.
In response, the govt exempted everyone from wearing masks for four days, and schools shut the windows.”
In response, the govt exempted everyone from wearing masks for four days, and schools shut the windows.”
8) “Instead of canceling school in those days, they just told kids ‘OK, well you have to stay in the class with the air conditioning on and take your masks off,’ so you have no ventilation really,” said Dr. Calderon-Margalit. “You have the ideal circumstances for an outbreak.”
9) SIDENOTE: Because ventilation is so key, there needs to be a way to decide if a portable air cleaner is sufficient for a classroom or not. Harvard and Colorado Boulder scientists created one. (HT to @j_g_allen @cedenolaurent @ShellyMBoulder): https://twitter.com/cedenolaurent/status/1290447833959747584
