Day Nine. Let the other shoe drop!

As we have gone further into the Corona Virus Pandemic, these observations prove true!

Day Eight

Life in the Light of the Corona Virus

Let the other shoe drop.

We have heard enough discouraging news lately. We are exceeding predicted expectations for victims of corona virus. We have been told we are headed down the road that Italy was on. We are a bigger country, more people, less leadership, no preparedness! That all sounds grim.

But I don’t think this is the other shoe.

So far we have been told that this virus is droplet borne. You have to come in contact with virus that is alive in air borne droplets sneezed or coughed or otherwise spread by persons who are infected. Therein lies the clue to the other shoe. Note that it says “otherwise spread” with no specific definition. It also is warned that the virus will live on surfaces for various lengths of time, depending on the surface.

Another thought to be pondered is the way in which passengers on a cruise ship, navel vessel, airplane, or party seem to be sharing the virus and all coming down infected. How does that happen? Have they all been coughed on, sneezed at, or touched surfaces recently (or days ago) that have been contaminated by infected persons? Could happen, but unlikely. It leads to investigation.

And given the rapid spread over very large areas of the country, with little interaction between them, there are many questions yet unanswered.

Let’s learn from the past: Two cases worth considering: measles and tuberculosis. Both result from virus. Both are…what? Droplet, surface AND airborne spread. Think about that. They are viruses? What are the spreading characteristics of viruses? Of course, droplet. If you are sick and cough or sneeze on someone else directly and both parties are unprotected by gloves, masks, or protective clothing, the chances of spreading the illness are good. But given the survival rate and lifetime of viruses themselves, they can live in the air long enough to reach another person without direct physical contact.

In the anecdotal history, there are stories and cases in which an ill person in one room can infect others in adjacent rooms without direct droplet application. How does that happen? Aren’t both parties essentially quarantined from each other? The answer lies in shared air. Forced air systems such as heat or AC between the spaces spread the possibility of infection. So that makes measles and TB airborne to some extent. Especially among compromised individuals and at-risk populations, another characteristic of a virus.

And now we are learning that the incidence of infection is exacerbated by repeated exposures. This means that the threat of infection rises when the uninfected person is repeatedly exposed to persons or items that affected persons have used. Look at the rate of infection among doctors and nurses and other health care workers. Certainly they have taken as many precautions as possible. Certainly they are exposed repeatedly to the virus! How many are falling ill or dying.? The percentages are higher than the quoted rate for people without repeated exposures.

This characteristic of the virus including repeated exposure leads me to question the system common to many homes: Forced air heating and cooling. All the factors are present. A symptomatic person is quarantined in an area of the home, staying away from contact with other persons and family. There are repeated exposures, throughout the house. The forced air system carries the air throughout the structure. The point of forced air is that it equalizes the warm or cool air through out the structure, using the principal of re-circulation. Using that principle, the air (and in this case the virus) from one part of the structure is carried by the system to all parts of the structure, evenly. It is not isolated in one part or room of the structure. The very comfort system itself is responsible for the spread of the illness. The system is not being quarantined, or isolated. It is share-and-share alike, among the areas of the structure that it serves. The quarantined victim is sharing air directly with the uninfected residents who occupy the structure where the forced air system is functioning.

Remember, given the nature of a virus, it can be transmitted directly to others through droplets, the air, and especially through repeated exposures to that air.

The New York Times has just within the last few days, alerted people to the possibility that the very buildings they live in could be affecting them. The same goes for workplaces that have climate controlled systems. The NYT suggest opening windows, turning off forced air systems during the airing out process, installing advanced filtration features and letting the exchange of air happen naturally. Bad air out, fresh air in. Hmm. Doesn’t that just reinforce the idea that the virus must be in the air? It is not wiping down surfaces to erase surface virus. It is not preventing interaction with contaminated individuals regardless of their protective or inhibitive devices. It is merely addressing the air. So A plus B equals C…. the idea that the virus can be airborne and therefore spread by recirculating air systems.

This has not been publicized by Federal Health Organizations, or the media. It represents the “other shoe.

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Since this thought occurred on Day Nine of the Quarantine, it has become public knowledge and cloth face masks have become mandatory in stores and other public areas. Interesting! What other information has not yet been shared with the public, but is known? Stay tuned and stay well.