Some local implications for the re-opening big picture

You may have seen the recent news articles on the invisible mucus droplets emitted during speech, and how long (8-14 minutes) they can hang around in the air in poorly ventilated spaces (such as elevators without fans running).

Here are some excerpts from my essay on Medium.com ” https://medium.com/calvin-on-the-pandemic/re-opening-hazards-to-consider-d41d44448514 ” that have local implications. We ought to discuss them with Skyline administrators.

10. Noisy dining rooms are a big problem because others at the same table must raise their voices, creating four times more droplets in their air stream. And when that fails, they lean toward you to shout their repetition…. Sitting at an outdoor table may improve the ventilation problem, but it may be just as noisy.

…Nice quiet booths are going to be in high demand, even deemed essential in retirement communities and assisted-living facilities, where infections are more likely to have deadly outcomes simply because people are over 65.

Then there are our elevators:

14. Elevators remain a problem because of packing density and minutes-long duration when there are intermediate stops. Use a key to touch the buttons and hope no one sneezes or speaks loudly…. I suspect that we are going to require “Quiet Please” signs in high-density places.

About William Calvin

UW prof emeritus brains, human evolution, climate
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1 Response to Some local implications for the re-opening big picture

  1. Sylvia Peterson says:

    Thanks for this, Professor Calvin. The information and your ideas for curbing the spread of the virus are important to nonresidents as well. They too use elevators and dining rooms.

    Equally valuable for everyone is your participation in design and policy decisions in a long term care setting. I don’t know how residents accomplish this participation ordinarily. I’d like to know that residents are ‘at the table ‘, in open meetings, for all critical decisions bearing on their lives as stakeholders.

    Those residents who are not able to participate in critical policy and design decisions affecting their lives need and should be entitled to a representative who can speak for them.

    And when Independent residents become Assisted Living, Memory Care or Nursing Home residents, WHO CARES?

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