Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant. I need to be very clear: vaccines alone will not get any country out of this crisis.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 14, 2021
It’s not vaccines instead of masks, distancing, ventilation or hand hygiene.
Do it all. Do it consistently. Do it well. pic.twitter.com/YAVfJXsviQ
twitter | 1/ Why is there such EXTREME RESISTANCE by @WHO, @CDCgov and IPC(*) to clearly state that COVID-19 is a dominantly AIRBORNE disease?
TLDR: see slide
*: IPC: Infection Prevention and Control scientists and professionals
2/ This is extremely puzzling, as it is now extremely obvious that airborne transmission is DOMINANT for COVID-19.
There are mountains of evidence, e.g. as summarized in our @TheLancet publication.
And NO evidence whatsoever for droplets or surfaces!
There are mountains of evidence, e.g. as summarized in our @TheLancet publication.
And NO evidence whatsoever for droplets or surfaces!
3/ I've pondered this question a lot. I've been involved in discussions with @WHO, many IPC and public health researchers and practitioners, politicians in multiple countries etc.
This thread summarizes my understanding of the causes of this situation. I look forward to comments
This thread summarizes my understanding of the causes of this situation. I look forward to comments
4/ Early in pandemic, a major historical error in the understanding of the IPC field played a major role
"Droplet transmission" was an important concept in that field... and it is an error that dates from 1910!!
This thread has long version (here short):
"Droplet transmission" was an important concept in that field... and it is an error that dates from 1910!!
This thread has long version (here short):
5/ The concept of "sprayborne droplet transmission" was used by Charles Chapin (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_V…),
a prominent US Public Health researcher (later pres. of APHA), to
explain the EMPIRICAL OBSERVATION that transmission increases in close
proximity and decreases with distance
6/ As of the start of the pandemic, @WHO and @CDCgov were completely stuck on the concepts from Chapin (e.g. his seminal 1910 book: ), as exemplified by this @WHO video showing the sprayborne droplets as explanation why distance reduces transmission:
7/ The problem is that Chapin had
made an error. He was pushing "contact infection" that he had
conceptualized, and encountered a lot of resistance (his book: archive.org/details/source…). 
8/ Chapin was very intelligent, and
was well aware that short-range airborne transmission could also explain
why distance reduced transmission: we breathe less exhaled air from
someone else as we increased distance
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