Read on Twitter
1/ A radical shift today by @CDCgov, finally aligning itself with science on the modes of transmission, and throwing away the 1910 error of considering "close contact" a mode of transmission! https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/07/health/cdc-coronavirus-transmission/index.html
2/ Dr. Brook's, @CDCgov Chief Medical Officer:
"Modes of SARS-CoV-2 transmission are now categorized as inhalation of virus, deposition of virus on exposed mucous membranes, and touching mucous membranes with soiled hands contaminated with virus," the new guidance reads."
"Modes of SARS-CoV-2 transmission are now categorized as inhalation of virus, deposition of virus on exposed mucous membranes, and touching mucous membranes with soiled hands contaminated with virus," the new guidance reads."
3/ This finally follows science, most elegantly summarized by Prof. Yuguo Li of the Univ. of Hong Kong on this recent paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ina.12786
4/ It is hard to overstate how important that is. The tradition (& error) of considering "close contact" a mode of transmission and synonym of droplets has been a huge problem for accepting the overwhelming evidence of airborne transmission. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00869-2/fulltext
5/ The mitigations need to follow the real physical modes of transmission. If inhalation at close proximity is a major part of transmission, we need better quality and better fit masks, than if we are just trying to stop droplets.
One of the key errors of the pandemic.
One of the key errors of the pandemic.
6/ @CDCgov also made some errors in the new web pages, as discussed in the article by @Don_Milton and at this link. But hopefully they will fix them in the near future. https://sites.google.com/umd.edu/stopcovid/news-publications
7/ This change literally ends a **111 yr old error** conflating ease of transmission of close proximity with droplet and not airborne. Going back to Charles Chapin in 1910: https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Sources_and_Modes_of_Infection.html?id=PejLmZAeIo0C
8/ Coincidentally, @zeynep published today a long essay in @nytimes explaining the science and the history, which I highly recommend. One of the most important articles of the whole pandemic: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/07/opinion/coronavirus-airborne-transmission.html
