Read on Twitter
Thus I'd rather emphasize the additive nature of risk reduction. For aerosols, droplets, or fomites, people should implement as many of the following measures as possible:
-Physical distance
-Avoid crowds
-Avoid indoors/enclosed spaces
-Masks
-Ventilate/filter
-Wash hands
-Physical distance
-Avoid crowds
-Avoid indoors/enclosed spaces
-Masks
-Ventilate/filter
-Wash hands
This pandemic has been characterized by framing the science categorically, as if all scientific data is binary. It's all aerosol or none of it is. In real life, it's shades of gray. Probably aerosols, droplets, and fomites all mediate transmission, depending on the circumstances.
I'd like to get away from the aerosols vs. droplets non-controversy and start discussing these issues rather than the semantic preferences of one discipline over another. We agree that aerosols can transmit the virus. Let's start clearly communicating the knowledge gaps:
Here are some in virology:
1. We don't know infectious dose (how much virus you have to be exposed to in order to cause an infection)
2. We don't know how minimum infectious dose differs by route
3. We don't know how dose impacts disease severity
1. We don't know infectious dose (how much virus you have to be exposed to in order to cause an infection)
2. We don't know how minimum infectious dose differs by route
3. We don't know how dose impacts disease severity
4. We don't know how route impacts disease severity
5. We don't know how dose or route impacts tissue tropism
6. We don't know how dose or route impacts functional immunity
7. We don't know if it matters at all if you're infected by short-range aerosol or droplet
5. We don't know how dose or route impacts tissue tropism
6. We don't know how dose or route impacts functional immunity
7. We don't know if it matters at all if you're infected by short-range aerosol or droplet
So while there are still a lot of open questions, I'd go so far as to say there isn't actually much of a debate across disciplines over whether short-range aerosol transmission occurs and I'd really like it if we could stop fueling this exhausting narrative. /end rant
