Read on Twitter
Quick note: as others have pointed out, plexiglass barriers like the ones to be used tonight in the VP debate (and ones that I've seen used in restaurants in Edmonton between adjacent booths) won't reduce aerosol concentrations in enclosed spaces. It's a theatrical solution to /1
a problem that is better approached by a combination of a) continual mask wearing, b) improved ventilation w/ clean air to dilute ambient infectious aerosol, c) in-room filtration via air cleaners (HEPA certified, or even jury-rigged like the Corsi box https://www.wired.com/story/could-a-janky-jury-rigged-air-purifier-help-fight-covid-19/),/2
d) physical distancing (always), and e) reduced time of exposure. Aerosols are pesky little things that are hard to remove completely, but there are many ways to reduce your exposure to them so that you reduce the risk of receiving an infectious dose. /3
What is the average infectious dose of SARS-CoV-2? Unknown at present, but maybe somewhere between 100 and 1000 virions ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7216769/, https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.27.20162362v3). More than Tuberculosis, which may require only a single mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria. /4
Every layer of protection against aerosols (masks, ventilation, filtration, physical distancing) that you add will reduce the number of virions you inhale. Each layer reduces the dose. Each layer reduces the risk of transmission. Each layer can help avoid another shutdown. /5
Each layer can help save lives and bring us closer to a vaccine (the preferred method for obtaining herd immunity) with a minimum of suffering (both in terms of health and in terms of finances). Add more layers, reduce more risk. Less theatrics, more solutions. /6, fin
