Aerosols and Corona: The virus lurks indoors – not outdoors

F.Leading aerosol researchers from Germany are calling for politicians to change course in the measures to contain the corona epidemic. “If we want to get the pandemic under control, we have to make people aware that the danger is lurking INSIDE,” says a letter to the federal government and the state governments, which is available to the German Press Agency. It is considered certain that the coronavirus spreads mainly through the air.

“Unfortunately, to this day, the essential findings of our research work are not translated into practical action,” the authors criticize. Measures would have to be taken in homes, offices, classrooms, residential complexes and care facilities. They warn that infection occurs indoors even if you do not meet someone directly, but an infectious person has been in a poorly ventilated room beforehand. Debates about strolling on river promenades, staying in beer gardens, jogging or cycling, however, are counterproductive.

Symbolic mask requirement outside

Measures such as the mask requirement when jogging on the Alster and Elbe in Hamburg are more of a symbolic nature and “do not have any significant impact on the infection process,” write the experts. Sars-CoV-2 viruses would almost always be transmitted indoors. This is extremely rare in the open air, in the alcohol range. The letter says that the limited resources should not be wasted on this. Also, large groups – so-called clusters – are never infected outdoors, as can be observed indoors, for example in homes, schools, events, choir rehearsals or bus trips.

From the point of view of the scientists, the curfews also promise more than they can deliver. “This does not prevent secret meetings indoors, but only increases the motivation to evade government orders even more,” they write. “Wearing a mask in the pedestrian zone and then having a coffee table without a mask in your own living room is not what we as experts understand by infection prevention.” With exit restrictions, politicians want to prevent people from meeting at all at times.

Short indoor meetings

Instead, the authors recommend measures such as making indoor meetings as short as possible, frequent intermittent or cross ventilation, wearing effective masks indoors as well as room air purifiers and filters wherever people have to stay longer in closed rooms – for example in nursing homes , Offices and schools.

“The combination of these measures leads to success,” it continues. “If this is communicated appropriately, people will regain some of their freedom of movement in this difficult time.” The signatories include the President of the Society for Aerosol Research, Christof Asbach, General Secretary Birgit Wehner and the former President of the International Society for Aerosols in the Medicine, Gerhard Scheuch.

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source https://pledgetimes.com/aerosols-and-corona-the-virus-lurks-indoors-not-outdoors/