From DrDan Johnson -- a clear essay on how Covid-19 is spread

[danlj]

This isn't about soaring, but it would affect our activity at the airfield to read and act on this. It's factual, with examples, and is actionable.
https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them

(My son sent me this link. It's an excellent, fact-based description of how it spreads.)

DJ
N18UF

[Martin Gregorie[_6_]]

On Mon, 11 May 2020 14:54:35 -0700, danlj wrote:

> This isn't about soaring, but it would affect our activity at the
> airfield to read and act on this. It's factual, with examples, and is
> actionable.
> https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them
>
> (My son sent me this link. It's an excellent, fact-based description of
> how it spreads.)
>
> DJ N18UF

Good stuff. Thanks for posting it.


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org

[[email protected]]

> > https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them
> >

I've been thinking about that paper today.


We have talked adnauseaum about how the virus works in a community.
This talks about how the virus is transferred from person to person.
Seems like the other missing piece is what happens when it get inside a person.

The paper sets 1000 particles as a possible number of viri to infect a person. What happens if you get 100 or 10k? Does that lead to immunity or a more severe case?

[[email protected]]

I was interested to see that the potential infection rate while outside in a fairly breezy environment is substantially reduced. The effects of heat, humidity and Ultraviolet light (i.e. sunshine) are not very well defined, but I suspect that this virus is possibly vulnerable to those influences, just as other more well-known viral contagions.

Are there any data to suggest that the viability of COVID-19 is reduced on surfaces exposed to temperatures above (say) 80 degrees F? How about on surfaces in bright sunlight? These are the conditions we experience regularly during what limited social gathering we do during ground handling gliders, hooking up the tow line and wing running.

Could an argument be made that soaring is a conditionally permissible activity? Instruction and two-seat glider occupancy will most certainly require more stringent efforts to reduce viral spread, but a single-seat glider used exclusively by its owner should meet the most extreme standards for "social distancing."

And the tow pilot is probably the safest dude out there. A noisy, stinky cockpit surely discourages all viruses. And 200 feet of rope provides a reasonable barrier from their personal hygiene, such as it is.

JUST KIDDING! I love my tow pilots. But after 1,200 ft. AGL, my appreciation wanes rapidly.

[Stephen Szikora]

Then at 1200’ your tow pilot should start his descent.

[Wyll Surf Air]

The effects of heat and sunlight are laid out in a study by the Department Of Homeland Security. Although not yet peer reviewed their findings seem to be fairly clear that direct sunlight is very good at Coronavirus. They found that direct sunlight reduced the half life of aerosolized Coronavirus from an hour to just 1.5 minutes, and from between 1 and 18 hours to just 2 minutes when on a mettle surface. This is just the half life but it is clear that outdoor activity with plenty of sun and ventilation are some of the safest. Lucky for us soaring (at least in a single place ship) falls right into these categories and thus in my opinion is one of the safer activities we can do as long as take proper precautions when rigging and landout.

[[email protected]]

Bright light? Heat. Look at Singapore for your answer


Cheers and stay safe
Mark

Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 11:48:57 AM UTC+10, wrote:
> I was interested to see that the potential infection rate while outside in a fairly breezy environment is substantially reduced. The effects of heat, humidity and Ultraviolet light (i.e. sunshine) are not very well defined, but I suspect that this virus is possibly vulnerable to those influences, just as other more well-known viral contagions.
>
> Are there any data to suggest that the viability of COVID-19 is reduced on surfaces exposed to temperatures above (say) 80 degrees F? How about on surfaces in bright sunlight? These are the conditions we experience regularly during what limited social gathering we do during ground handling gliders, hooking up the tow line and wing running.
>
> Could an argument be made that soaring is a conditionally permissible activity? Instruction and two-seat glider occupancy will most certainly require more stringent efforts to reduce viral spread, but a single-seat glider used exclusively by its owner should meet the most extreme standards for "social distancing."
>
> And the tow pilot is probably the safest dude out there. A noisy, stinky cockpit surely discourages all viruses. And 200 feet of rope provides a reasonable barrier from their personal hygiene, such as it is.
>
> JUST KIDDING! I love my tow pilots. But after 1,200 ft. AGL, my appreciation wanes rapidly.

[[email protected]]

>>The effects of heat, humidity and Ultraviolet light

That might work in the president's mind, but for the rest of us, perhaps just simple dilution from fresh air is sufficient.

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> Bright light? Heat. Look at Singapore for your answer
>

Singapore: Area 278.6 sq. mi. Population 5.64 million. Population density 20,244 per sq. mi. COVID cases 24,671 Deaths 21

Torrance County, NM: Area 3,346 sq. mi. Population 15,641 Population density 4.67 per sq. mi. COVID cases 17 Deaths 0

Apples and Oranges

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> Then at 1200’ your tow pilot should start his descent.

That's OK. I just pull the handle and let him go.