Emily
Editor, Senior Moderator
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/o...nfect-air.html
We Have the Technology to Stop Superspreading Without Masks
April 21, 2022
By Donald K. Milton, Edward A. Nardell and David Michaels
Dr. Milton, Dr. Nardell and Dr. Michaels study environmental health and how to prevent the airborne transmission of diseases like Covid.
Leer en español
At every stage of the pandemic, a disproportionate number of coronavirus infections have been traced to a relatively small number of gatherings, also known as superspreader events. The recent Gridiron dinner, after which over 70 people tested positive, including members of the Biden administration, is just the latest example.
Some public health experts argue that tolerating these events is what living with Covid looks like. As far as we know, no one who tested positive after the Gridiron dinner became severely ill, but we don’t know if these cases also spread to workers and beyond. There’s little reason to accept this as a new normal.
There’s a better way to hold indoor events without masks, and it doesn’t rely on vaccines and rapid tests. Vaccinations can prevent the worst possible outcomes of Covid-19 but cannot always prevent infections. Pre-event testing is imperfect, and for it to be most effective, people need to test right before entering an event.
Putting this much of the onus of infection control on individuals is unlikely to work well to prevent superspreading and lets hosts of large events off the hook for keeping their attendees, workers and others safe. Instead, there are ways that building owners can make indoor environments safer by disinfecting indoor air. One of the best technologies to do so — germicidal ultraviolet light — has been studied for decades and can now be used safely...
We Have the Technology to Stop Superspreading Without Masks
April 21, 2022
By Donald K. Milton, Edward A. Nardell and David Michaels
Dr. Milton, Dr. Nardell and Dr. Michaels study environmental health and how to prevent the airborne transmission of diseases like Covid.
Leer en español
At every stage of the pandemic, a disproportionate number of coronavirus infections have been traced to a relatively small number of gatherings, also known as superspreader events. The recent Gridiron dinner, after which over 70 people tested positive, including members of the Biden administration, is just the latest example.
Some public health experts argue that tolerating these events is what living with Covid looks like. As far as we know, no one who tested positive after the Gridiron dinner became severely ill, but we don’t know if these cases also spread to workers and beyond. There’s little reason to accept this as a new normal.
There’s a better way to hold indoor events without masks, and it doesn’t rely on vaccines and rapid tests. Vaccinations can prevent the worst possible outcomes of Covid-19 but cannot always prevent infections. Pre-event testing is imperfect, and for it to be most effective, people need to test right before entering an event.
Putting this much of the onus of infection control on individuals is unlikely to work well to prevent superspreading and lets hosts of large events off the hook for keeping their attendees, workers and others safe. Instead, there are ways that building owners can make indoor environments safer by disinfecting indoor air. One of the best technologies to do so — germicidal ultraviolet light — has been studied for decades and can now be used safely...
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