It is unthinkable today that you will be fined for sitting on a bench in public space. But what about some of the other corona measures from the first phase of the pandemic. Are they still useful?
What does advancing scientific insight teach us about the non-pharmaceutical corona measures from the start of the pandemic? Some are still very useful, others seem to have died a quiet death.
1. ‘Disinfect surfaces’
It has taken some time, but we now know a lot more about the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, namely via cough and sneeze drops and small aerosols that gradually build up in the air in an enclosed space. Initially, it was thought that contact transfer was the main culprit. Some people even went so far as to disinfect vegetables, fruits and food in plastic containers or even postal packages from China. But in the meantime it appears that the virus does not survive very long on surfaces.
Research of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that surface transmission of the coronavirus is negligible. The risk of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 by touching a contaminated surface or object is not impossible, but very small, namely less than 1 in 10,000.
That is why the core of the corona policy is now ventilation, CO2 meters and outdoor activities instead of disinfecting hands, shopping carts, seats on public transport, desks, doorknobs and tables, although the disinfection gels are still everywhere for those who want them. . In most cases, a simple soapy water for surfaces is enough to counteract the already lower risk of surface transmission, according to the CDC.
Still, the CDC recommends disinfecting a specific indoor area if a person with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 has been there in the last 24 hours. In any case, more intensive hygiene applies to health institutions.
Washing hands regularly with soap, a measure that was already recommended before corona to prevent diseases, remains a basic rule throughout the pandemic.
2. ‘Don’t touch your mouth mask and keep it in an envelope’
Storing a mouth mask in a cloth or paper bag is still recommended today by the health institute Sciensano, but in practice it already dares to disappear in the trouser or jacket pocket. Microbiologists see this with dismay, because the admittedly few studies that are available show that constantly touching the mouth mask causes the bacteria to accumulate on the surface. The long-term use of mainly cotton mouth masks can also potentially lead to proliferation of bacteria. So touch the mouth mask as little as possible and replace it every eight hours (if you have to talk a lot every four hours) and throw surgical masks in the trash after single use. You wash cloth masks at 60 degrees.
From a virological point of view, however, it is unlikely that you transmit the virus through your mouth mask. Theoretically, it is not impossible that you get sick through contact transfer, but then a lot of things must go wrong at the same time. For example, a significant amount of fresh, infectious viral particles have to end up on the face mask surface and then a lot of those particles are quickly transferred to the hands of a person, who then eventually touches his face.
It is more important for virologists that you wear the mouth mask effectively as a barrier to the virus, because masks, preferably well-fitting FFP2 masks, in combination with keeping distance and ventilation are effective in a pandemic. demonstrated, even if the experts initially claimed otherwise.
Video: masks protect so well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=/uuvruHuob7s
3. ‘Place tables one and a half meters away in the catering industry’
The measures in the catering industry are currently: closing time at 11 pm, the use of the Covid Safe Ticket, with six around a table (unless your household is larger), wearing a mouth mask when leaving the table and a mandatory CO2 meter.
But what about the distance between the tables? At the start of the corona pandemic, catering operators were still busy with their yardstick. But anyone who goes out for a drink these days has undoubtedly already noticed that the ruler has had its best days. In cinemas, the distance of 1.5 meters between the companies still applies.
This specific measure is indeed no longer in the Catering Guide of the FPS Economy. However, the customer is asked to keep 1.5 meters away from staff and other customers at all times. But actually that should be more than 3 meters with poor ventilation and when the masks go off, according to research of the Max Planck Institute.
4. ‘Close the lid of the toilet when you flush’
It was a measure that Steven Van Gucht mentioned somewhere in the middle of last year during one of Sciensano’s press conferences: fold down the lid of the toilet bowl when you flush. The stools of covid patients may contain coronaviruses and they can end up high in the air when flushed, which can also linger there for an unexpectedly long time.
from a research from March 2021 it appears that a closed lid does stop some particles, but many can still escape through small openings between the lid and the seat.
Yet the danger of a corona infection in the toilet is purely theoretical. There are no confirmed cases of people contracting Covid-19 in a public toilet. Here, too, more should be invested in improved ventilation systems in public toilets, the researchers said. And wash your hands!
5. ‘Avoid shaking hands’
We can already see the handshake appearing here and there. The problem with shaking hands is not so much the physical contact, but the approach of another person. When you shake hands, you are usually very close for a short moment and then during a conversation. Close contact with infected individuals increases your risk of infection. Even less than five minutes in a closed room unmasked can be enough to contract Covid-19. Vaccination provides some protection and you run less risk outdoors.
The current measures to get through this winter safely together are:
– Limit your contacts
– Keep your distance
– Wear a mouth mask
– Provide good ventilation
– Use the Covid Safe Ticket
– Work at home
– Get vaccinated
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What does advancing scientific insight teach us about the non-pharmaceutical corona measures from the start of the pandemic? Some are still very useful, others seem to have died a quiet death. It has taken some time, but we now know a lot more about the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, namely via cough and sneeze drops and small aerosols that gradually build up in the air in an enclosed space. Initially, it was thought that contact transfer was the main culprit. Some people even went so far as to disinfect vegetables, fruits and food in plastic containers or even postal packages from China. But in the meantime, it appears that the virus does not survive very long on surfaces. Research by the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that surface transmission of the corona virus is negligible. The risk of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 by touching a contaminated surface or object is not impossible, but very small, namely less than 1 in 10,000. That is why the core of the corona policy is now ventilation, CO2 meters and outdoor activities instead of disinfecting hands, shopping carts, seats on public transport, desks, doorknobs and tables, although the disinfection gels are still everywhere for those who want them. . In most cases, a simple soap solution for surfaces is enough to counteract the already lower risk of surface transmission, the CDC said. has been in the last 24 hours. More intensive hygiene applies to health institutions in any case. Regular hand washing with soap, a measure that was already recommended before corona to combat diseases, remains a basic rule throughout the pandemic. Storing a mouth mask in a cloth or paper bag is recommended. still recommended today by the health institute Sciensano, but in practice it already dares to disappear in the pocket or jacket pocket. Microbiologists see this with dismay, because the admittedly few studies that are available show that constantly touching the mouth mask causes the bacteria to accumulate on the surface. The long-term use of mainly cotton mouth masks can also potentially lead to proliferation of bacteria. So touch the mouth mask as little as possible and replace it every eight hours (if you have to talk a lot every four hours) and throw surgical masks in the trash after single use. You wash cloth masks at 60 degrees. From a virological point of view, however, it is unlikely that you transmit the virus through your mouth mask. Theoretically, it is not impossible that you get sick through contact transfer, but then a lot of things must go wrong at the same time. For example, a significant amount of fresh, infectious viral particles have to end up on the face mask surface and then a lot of those particles are quickly transferred to the hands of a person, who then eventually touches his face. It is more important for virologists that you wear the mouth mask effectively as a barrier to the virus, because masks, preferably well-fitting FFP2 masks, in combination with keeping a distance and ventilation, have been shown to be effective in a pandemic, even though it was initially suggested by experts. claimed something else.Video: protect masks so well The measures in the catering industry are currently: closing time at 11 p.m., using the Covid Safe Ticket, with six around a table (unless your household is larger), wearing a mouth mask when leaving the table and a mandatory CO2 meter. But what about the distance between the tables? At the start of the corona pandemic, catering operators were still busy with their yardstick. But anyone who goes out for a drink these days has undoubtedly already noticed that the ruler has had its best days. In cinemas, the distance of 1.5 meters between the companies still applies. This specific measure is indeed no longer in the Catering Guide of the FPS Economy. However, the customer is asked to keep 1.5 meters away from staff and other customers at all times. But actually that should be more than 3 meters with poor ventilation and when the masks go off, according to research by the Max-Planck-Institut. It was a measure that Steven Van Gucht mentioned somewhere in the middle of last year during one of Sciensano’s press conferences: fold down the lid of the toilet bowl when you flush. The stools of covid patients may contain coronaviruses and they can end up high in the air when flushed, which can also linger there for an unexpectedly long time. A study from March 2021 shows that a closed lid does retain some particles, but many can still escape through small gaps between the lid and the seat. Yet the danger of a corona infection in the toilet is purely theoretical. There are no confirmed cases of people contracting Covid-19 in a public toilet. Here, too, more should be invested in improved ventilation systems in public toilets, the researchers said. And wash hands! We see the handshake popping up again here and there. The problem with shaking hands is not so much the physical contact, but the approach of another person. When you shake hands, you are usually very close for a short moment and then during a conversation. Close contact with infected individuals increases your risk of infection. Even less than five minutes unmasked in a closed room can be enough to contract Covid-19. Vaccination provides some protection and you also run less risk outdoors.
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