#wastewater data

COVID Prevalence

Assume that any official sources are significantly underreporting real case numbers. Governments and organizations want to pretend that COVID is over, so they are not testing for it as much as they should, nor are they reporting every case that they should be. Individuals who believe that COVID is over are also less likely to get tested, even if they are showing symptoms.

What's reliable, then? In short: wastewater data. Even if you're unaware that you're infected, the virus will still be present in your body and thus in your excrement as well. Many cities have wastewater testing programs that help provide a more accurate picture of how much COVID-19 is present in the community. This is a US-based source that allows you to filter for state and/or county.

How COVID spreads

COVID-19 is an airborne virus. It spreads from the nose and mouth of an infected person, and can linger in the air for up to 6 hours. Anything that involves air leaving the infected person's face will cause viral particles to enter the air, including: (in more or less ascending order of how many viral particles the action spreads)

Breathing (least amount of virus put into the air, but still an amount)

Talking

Singing

Sneezing

Coughing (one of the most effective ways to spew viral particles into the air)

Once viral particles are in the air, they will remain there for hours if left undisturbed. During that time, anyone who breathes them in can be infected. Depending on many factors (such as ventilation, the size of the space, the infectiousness of the person, etc.) an uninfected person may become infected after just a few moments of breathing in air that contains the virus.

While the virus can linger on surfaces and be spread by people touching them and then touching their faces, the primary means of transmission is airborne. Hand washing is good, but it is relatively ineffective against COVID-19.

How to prevent airborne transmission

You may think, "This is dire. If the virus is spread this easily, how can we ever avoid getting it?"

And that's where the Swiss cheese model comes in.

Let's talk about some of these layers, in light of the fact that COVID-19 is airborne. I'll talk more about each of them later, but for now, an overview:

Air cleaning: If the virus remains in the air for a shorter length of time, or if its concentration in the air is reduced, then it is less likely to infect someone. Ventilation, filtration, and far-UV are all helpful for cleaning the air.

Masks: If the infected person wears a covering over their nose and mouth, then the viral particles that exit their face will be caught by this covering instead of escaping into the air. This reduces chances of transmission to others.

Respirators: If an uninfected person wears a sealed covering over their nose and mouth, then the covering will filter viral particles out of the air before it reaches the wearer. This is one of the most effective ways to prevent infection.

Nasal sprays: If an uninfected person uses a nasal spray (not just any nasal spray, but we'll talk about that later) then the viral particles that they breathe in from the air will be less likely to bind to receptors in the nose, making infection less likely.

The takeaway here is that while airborne transmission is daunting to prevent, it is not impossible, and every layer of protection counts. Don't lose hope!

Respirators

A respirator is a covering over the nose & mouth, intended to reduce the likelihood of the wearer breathing in the virus. While some people use "respirator" synonymously with "mask," I am moving away from doing so, for two reasons:

"Mask" has become emotionally and politically charged, making people less likely to engage when they see it recommended

"Mask" evokes a loose blue surgical mask, which is essentially only useful in protecting others from the wearer, not in protecting the wearer

A respirator is intended to protect the wearer. To do this, it must have a proper seal on the face; meaning, if the wearer can breathe in any air that does NOT first pass through the respirator, then the respirator is less effective.

How can you tell if you have a proper seal on your respirator? This resource will help.

Here is a thorough breakdown of the effectiveness of different kinds of respirators.

If you are willing to pay more for a reusable yet effective respirator, I've heard excellent things about the Flomask.

Here is a source for decent quality respirators online.

Here is a source for extra breathable respirators.

Here is yet another source for quality respirators (as well as some other helpful PPE).

Air safety

Essentially, as I understand it, the air in most indoor spaces is stagnant. Whatever people breathe out into stagnant air will stay there for hours. In order to prevent virus transmission, you want to have as much air circulation (movement), air replacement (new air), and air cleaning (rendering the existing air safer) as possible. A common standard is 6 ACH, which means six air changes per hour. Being outdoors (with a breeze) is approximately equivalent to 12 ACH. For more of the science behind this, check out this source.

How to provide circulation:

Fans, especially ceiling fans

Open windows

More sophisticated central air systems

How to provide air replacement:

Open windows (these provide about 1 ACH)

Sophisticated central air systems

How to clean the existing air:

Air filtration. You want HEPA filters, which are designed specifically to trap airborne particles like viruses. When looking at air purifiers, look for the CADR, which stands for "clean air delivery rate." The higher the CADR, the better.

Far-UV. This is a relatively new technology that uses certain wavelengths of UV light to kill viruses in the air. It's highly effective, but also expensive at this stage

In an ideal scenario, you want to have all 3 of these things in your space: circulation, air replacement, and air cleaning/purifying. However, any is better than none - remember the Swiss cheese model.

Some suggestions for how to make your air cleaner to breathe:

If you're handy, try building a Corsi-Rosenthal Box. This is a DIY air purifier that has been proven to be pretty effective at cleaning the air. Here is more information on what it is and how to make one: https://cleanaircrew.org/box-fan-filters

Non-DIY air purifiers can be found in stores and online. Again, look for ones with HEPA filtration and high CADR

Open windows whenever possible

Turn on fans whenever possible

Helpful Pharmacy Finds

Nasal sprays: some nasal sprays can help prevent infection with COVID-19. Some are better than others at this. Not all of them can be found in pharmacies or in all parts of the world, but online shopping should help compensate for that. Here is a breakdown of the best active ingredients in nasal sprays and which brands carry them.

Other brands I've heard are good are Covixyl and Enovid.

Rapid antigen tests: Most people know at this point that rapid antigen tests often provide false negatives. However, not everyone knows that there are ways to make them more accurate, and that is to swab the inside of the mouth & throat in addition to the nose. Here are detailed instructions as to how:

Mouthwash: A study has found that mouthwashes containing cetylpyridinium chloride can kill viruses in saliva, which is a main place in the body that viruses congregate. I was easily able to find a mouthwash containing this ingredient at my local pharmacy. Here's the study.

Paxlovid: Paxlovid is an antiviral drug that can help prevent an existing infection from becoming severe. It must be prescribed by a doctor, and must be taken within a few days of symptom onset. I don't have a lot of information on this, but given that you'd need to see your doctor to get it anyway, the doctor can fill you in on more.

My personal precaution philosophy

When I take zero precautions:

Alone with my girlfriend, who lives with me and who is also COVID-conscious

Alone outdoors, such as when hiking

When I take the most precautions (nasal spray beforehand, sealed respirator during, mouthwash afterwards, trying to stay in ventilated & filtered spaces):

Indoor public spaces, such as work, the grocery store, public transit, concerts, and the doctor's office

Air travel

When I take some precautions, and what precautions I take:

Outdoor public spaces. If crowded (i.e. social distancing of 6 ft cannot be achieved) then I use nasal spray, respirator, and mouthwash. If not crowded, I may rely solely on nasal spray and mouthwash.

Indoor private spaces with friends & family I don't live with, and/or friends & family who aren't COVID cautious. I do my best to establish clean air & ventilation, and then I use nasal spray & mouthwash. If someone is known to be sick, I avoid contact until they are better.

These are my personal precautions, in case you find them helpful. You may take more or fewer precautions for yourself depending on your own risk assessment.

Thank you for reading to the end of my post! I hope you've gained some helpful knowledge. If you have more information or resources to add, please feel free to reblog with them. Let's stay safe together!