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How to reduce Covid airborne transmission risk

Research shows coronavirus spreads primarily through the air. Recorded 9-22-20 – Video 6 minutes with a full transcript. How to reduce Covid airborne transmission risk.

More research is showing that airborne transmission is an important factor in transmitting Covid. How should we change our behavior to reduce our risk of infection? Virginia Tech’s Dr. Linsey Marr about aerosols vs. droplets, ventilation and more. She’s a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech, and her expertise is in the airborne transmission of viruses. How to reduce Covid airborne transmission risk

Large droplets and much smaller aerosol particles

Short, very understandable with a good expert speaker and practical video excerpts. Only 6 minutes. To watch click here

Cigarette smoke example

Excerpt: … Cigarette smoke is a great way to think about different specific scenarios, whether you’re indoors (or outdoors). Do you want to be indoors with that smoker? Well, you think about what affects the ventilation in the room. If the room is really well-ventilated and there’s lots of outdoor air coming in, then that smoke will be kind of pushed outside.

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Deep Cleaning For Covid Is Not Very Effective

Podcast. 9-28-20. 16 minutes. Research has shown that COVID-19 transmission is largely through airborne droplets and particles expelled during sneezing, coughing, talking, and singing. There’s little evidence that surfaces are making us sick. Deep Cleaning For Covid Is Not Very Effective

Microbiologist Dr. Emanuel Goldman talks with Stephanie Desmon about the science behind COVID transmission research, the strong evidence that infection comes from aerosols and not surfaces, and how excess sanitation in public spaces may be giving us a false sense of security.

Hygiene Theater: The Deep Cleaning Performances That Offer Little Protection from COVID-19 To listen click here Note: play button is below the orange image on the right side.

Link to Dr. Goldman’s Lancet article, “Exaggerated risk of transmission of COVID-19 by fomites“ referenced in the podcast. Lots of references. A bit technical, but no too bad. Dr. Goldman did literature research and has many references and links to other articles. Many thanks to him. To read the article click here

My comments: The best explanation I have heard about Covid and surfaces (fomites!!)!

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Covid-19 Residential Appraisers Tips on Staying Safe

Appraisers are exposed to the virus when going inside homes, apartments, and other buildings for relatively short periods of time. Understanding appraiser Covid safety risks is important.

Everyone decides their own level of risk. Some rarely leave their homes or only leave to go to the grocery store. Others, such as appraisers, are essential workers who must leave their homes to work.

Appraiser Personal Risks

  • Age – the older the higher the risk
  • Underlying health conditions
  • Who is in your household and their risk factors
  • Your level of personal protection risk – from none to a lot. If you get infected, you could infect your household members. To me, that is the most significant risk.

Safety risks when appraising

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Covid Safety Tips When appraising apartments and non-residential buildings

Apartment Risks

All types of properties have Covid risks inside. To me, 2-4 unit properties are the most difficult apartments to appraise, due to different types of buyers (owners, investors, etc.). They can also be more tricky to inspect and keep safe from Covid. Larger properties focus on income.

I have appraised many apartment properties, from duplexes to hundreds of units. From converted Victorians to new construction. The fewer the units, the more difficult the appraisals, for appraising and sometimes risk, such as all the units have a different floor plan or a converted Victorian with difficult to measure unit locations.

Face Masks: You and every occupant must have a face mask. Bring extras, such as inexpensive disposable or re-usable cloth masks which you can re-wash. Your PPE: The usual: mask, gloves, etc. Do not re-use masks at another property. Hand sanitizer in car. Gown for apartments with lots of personal belongings.

Minimize the risk of going into the units – time, unit selection, etc.

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Physical distancing – 3 ft. vs. 6 ft. vs. 13 ft. vs. ??? – new research

We know now that airborne small particles are emitted whenever we breathe, speak, etc. We don’t have much data about how much, if any, Covid viruses are included in the airborne particles. There are many factors: outside vs. inside, crowded small rooms, etc. We know that measles can travel through the air (distances vary) and particles can remain in the air for several hours or longer.

Studies regularly cited are observational (for example, choir practice in a small room and many were infected) or airflow patterns in research labs. Fluid dynamic studies spraying particles to see how far they go. But there is no information about how far viruses can travel in the air. An air sampling study published in late July in hospitals found that Covid was in the air particles in nearby rooms. In hospitals, Covid travels through the air, but the people are very sick and exhaling a lot of air.

Video image of cloud of airborne particles (21 to 24 feet) emitted by natural human violent emission such as a sneeze, From The BMJ article referenced below.

The WHO’s original three-foot guideline followed some of the earliest research into how diseases spread. In the 1930s, Harvard researcher William F. Wells measured how far large exhaled droplets traveled and arrived at the three-feet figure. Click the Continue reading link below for more information on the new research study and an excellent Risk Table.

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