Covid 19 Part XXXV-956,720 ROI (5,952 deaths) 452,946 NI (3,002 deaths) (08/01) Read OP

Well on the plus side the influenza virus is nearly extinct in these parts, as the hand hygiene and surface contact measures have likely had a huge impact on it, but they’re having far less effect on SARS-Cov-2 which is spreading like passive smoke.

We are kidding ourselves if we don’t do something more serious about indoor air quality and where masks are needed, they should really be FFP2 grade filters. Otherwise, we’re doing a great job for minimising more traditional droplet transmission, and very little for suspended submicroscopic particles.

For some reason, anyone who brings this up is ignored, as there’s a collective vested interest to want think this can be tackled with floor mops, Jayes fluid and Dettol approaches.

The idea that it’s a somewhat intangible cloud of viral nanoparticles moving around like perfume though the air isn’t what anyone wants to hear, so they don’t listen.

If we use the right tools, we can remain safely open and normal life returns. If we use group think and Boris / Trump style waffle approaches, we are going to be dealing with this for much longer than we should.

The vaccine rollout has been phenomenally good and continues to be he world leading, but COVID isn’t going to disappear. We have to adapt our buildings and indoor environments to make us safe and let us be able to relax and forget about it. That likely means things like HEPA filters and air sterilisers becoming as normal as radiators and CO2 monitors / air quality indicators being as normal as thermostats on the wall.

It’ll mean things like retrofitting of heat recovery ventilation in public buildings with large congregations too and just ensuring lots of air changes.

It also means everyone being aware of what good ventilation is and how to manage it and identify problems.

If we do that, combined with vaccines, we are basically home and dry.

The alternative is hide behind Perspex screens and pointlessly disinfect clean surfaces and have unnecessary lockdowns to deal with something we could be filtering and diluting out of the air.

We can’t really continue to crisis manage what is now a long term reality. We need to adapt and do so in a way that has minimal or zero impact on quality of life and functioning of society.

This is reality now and we need to adapt and just make it work. There’s no point in either burying heads in sand or being depressed about it. Life is what you make of it and it can be just as good with a few tweaks to make indoors a lot safer.