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Commentary
Open Access

Mitigating airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2

Sarah Addleman, Victor Leung, Leyla Asadi, Abdu Sharkawy and Jennifer McDonald
CMAJ July 05, 2021 193 (26) E1010-E1011; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.210830
Sarah Addleman
Department of Emergency Medicine (Addleman), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Medical Microbiology (Leung), Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Division of Infectious Diseases (Leung), Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Asadi), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.; Division of Infectious Diseases (Sharkawy), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (McDonald), Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.
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Victor Leung
Department of Emergency Medicine (Addleman), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Medical Microbiology (Leung), Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Division of Infectious Diseases (Leung), Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Asadi), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.; Division of Infectious Diseases (Sharkawy), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (McDonald), Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.
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Leyla Asadi
Department of Emergency Medicine (Addleman), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Medical Microbiology (Leung), Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Division of Infectious Diseases (Leung), Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Asadi), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.; Division of Infectious Diseases (Sharkawy), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (McDonald), Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.
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Abdu Sharkawy
Department of Emergency Medicine (Addleman), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Medical Microbiology (Leung), Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Division of Infectious Diseases (Leung), Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Asadi), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.; Division of Infectious Diseases (Sharkawy), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (McDonald), Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.
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Jennifer McDonald
Department of Emergency Medicine (Addleman), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Medical Microbiology (Leung), Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Division of Infectious Diseases (Leung), Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Medicine (Asadi), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.; Division of Infectious Diseases (Sharkawy), Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (McDonald), Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.
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  • RE: Mitigating airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2
    Dorothy Wigmore [MS]
    Posted on: 16 June 2021
  • RE: Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2
    Wayne Maksylewich [BSc, MSc, MEng,]
    Posted on: 16 June 2021
  • RE: Mitigating airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2
    Simon Bryant
    Posted on: 14 June 2021
  • Posted on: (16 June 2021)
    Page navigation anchor for RE: Mitigating airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2
    RE: Mitigating airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2
    • Dorothy Wigmore [MS], Occupational hygienist, Self-employed

    Thanks to the authors for a succinct laying out of the facts -- both the airborne transmission of this virus and what that means for protection measures. As others have said, these facts have been evident for a long time. The science behind aerosols and airborne transmission of this and similar viruses is well-established in other scientific fields (e.g., occupational hygiene, physics). So are the protective measures to stop the virus getting into people's bodies. While some worry about "vaccine hesitancy", we also should be concerned with hesitancy and refusal to learn from the sciences about transmission of hazards and prevention of that transmission. Whether it's the one reported outbreak in the world connected to contact or surface transmission -- and the related mis-use and over-use of toxic disinfectants that make people sick -- or inadequate recommendations about respiratory protection and ventilation, public health principles require much more of those guiding our governments' responses to this pandemic. Cleaning the air will do much more than cleaning and disinfecting everything in sight. So will recognising the importance of workplaces as sites of close contact with limited ventilation for long periods of time.

    Competing Interests: None declared.

    References

    • Sarah Addleman, Victor Leung, Leyla Asadi, et al. Mitigating airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. CMAJ 2021;10.1503/cmaj.210830.
    • https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html#anchor_1617548426741
    • https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1344075743861428224
  • Posted on: (16 June 2021)
    Page navigation anchor for RE: Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2
    RE: Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2
    • Wayne Maksylewich [BSc, MSc, MEng,], retired, retired industrial hygienist, ventilation engineer

    The large droplet theory (doctors have no rigorous definition of what constitutes a large droplet) dates from work by Carl Flugge (1897), a book by Dr. Charles Chapin (1919) and the Wells paper (1934). It was subsequently demonstrated that both measles, TB and SARS are spread as aerosols - not droplets. Extensive research (supported by Occam's razor and evolutionary biology) shows all infectious respiratory diseases are spread as aerosols. However, medical dogma, confirmation bias and the Dunning-Kruger effect have given us unnecessary deaths. I have worked professionally on Nipa, SARS, H1N1 and now COVID and keep seeing the same mistakes repeated due to a failure to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach. When will the medical profession stop playing god and accept they are well trained but not well educated?

    Competing Interests: None declared.

    References

    • Sarah Addleman, Victor Leung, Leyla Asadi, et al. Mitigating airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. CMAJ 2021;10.1503/cmaj.210830.
  • Posted on: (14 June 2021)
    Page navigation anchor for RE: Mitigating airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2
    RE: Mitigating airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2
    • Simon Bryant, Physician, Canmore, Alberta

    Significant airborne transmission of SARS-CoV2 has been blindingly obvious ever since the well-documented "choir practice" superspreader event in Washington state, in the early weeks of the pandemic. We did not and do not need more data and analysis concerning the indefensibly glacial rate of response to that fact, on the part of those with jurisdictional authority, but rather more accountability. The legal term "wilful ignorance" comes to mind.

    Competing Interests: None declared.

    References

    • Sarah Addleman, Victor Leung, Leyla Asadi, et al. Mitigating airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. CMAJ 2021;10.1503/cmaj.210830.
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Canadian Medical Association Journal: 193 (26)
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Mitigating airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2
Sarah Addleman, Victor Leung, Leyla Asadi, Abdu Sharkawy, Jennifer McDonald
CMAJ Jul 2021, 193 (26) E1010-E1011; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.210830

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Mitigating airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2
Sarah Addleman, Victor Leung, Leyla Asadi, Abdu Sharkawy, Jennifer McDonald
CMAJ Jul 2021, 193 (26) E1010-E1011; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.210830
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