I’m moving out soon and I’m thinking of moving into this beautiful pre-war building. I’m worried though about covid spreading and I’m wondering what precautions people living in apartments currently are taking.

Thing is I can find an apartment with a private entrance and in-unit wash/dryer, which would probably be better for covid, but this building is just nicer - better location, maintained better, it seems like the landlord is more present and responsive. Idk it’s a better deal, I’m just worried about covid.

    • Ivysaur [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
      24·
      1 month ago

      Covid is spread via water droplets and touch, so additional measures are pretty worthless beyond keeping your door shut.

      internet-delenda-est

    • ButtBidet [he/him]@hexbear.netMEnglish
      11·
      1 month ago

      @s3p5r@lemm.ee I think your intentions were good, and you were mostly right. But just to be clear, the main transmission route for COVID is aerosols, like the virus lingers in the air, attached to water molecules (not droplets), and stays in the air like smoke.

      Please forgive me for the comment deletion, but when it comes to health, any unintended misinformation can injure people.

      • s3p5rEnglish
        1·
        1 month ago

        From the link you gave me, emphasis mine:

        First, larger respiratory droplets that rapidly settle onto surfaces, typically within 1–2 meters of the source, are amenable to hand hygiene, social distancing, and face masks. Second, albeit with more limited direct evidence, is aerosolization and spread of smaller respiratory droplets, or droplet nuclei, primarily <0.5 micrometers in final size, capable of staying suspended in air for hours and requiring filtering or ventilation for interdiction (2–4).

        This is the same thing as what I said. Complete with caveat that you need to mask, wash your hands and not touch stuff. I get being cautious but… you’ve removed a comment which said the same thing as your correction, including choice of word.

        Annex C: Respiratory droplets from Atkinson J, Chartier Y, Pessoa-Silva CL, et al., editors. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2009.

        Additionally, the definition of an aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air or another gas.

        I’m fine with leaving the comments gone, but in the interests of good intentions and being mostly right, I think it’s worth reconsidering the aerosol/droplet reasoning for future mod actions.

        • ButtBidet [he/him]@hexbear.netMEnglish
          101·
          1 month ago

          “COVID is spread via water droplets and touch… and additional measures are pretty worthless” and COVID “don’t waft around on it’s own” is factually wrong and and mildly dangerous if left unchallenged. I don’t want to be a dick, but I have a responsibility to comrades here trying to keep themselves safe.

          Literally any mod or admin can reverse my decision. But honestly I’d just move on, it’s not something worth getting upset over.

          • s3p5rEnglish
            1·
            1 month ago

            I’m upset that you’re ignoring the science, even the science you provided. The comments are whatever, which is why I suggested reconsidering the definitions of the terms for future actions instead of reinstating the comments.

            Water droplets, or, if you prefer, respiratory droplets, or even aerosols, is how COVID travels through the air and settles on objects. That’s what the link you gave me explicitly says, and it is what I said. It does not waft around without that medium, to suggest it does is factually incorrect and not backed by any science.

            • ButtBidet [he/him]@hexbear.netMEnglish
              41·
              1 month ago

              Guy, you stated that we don’t need to have ventilators in closed rooms because COVID is a spread through droplet form, not “wafting” around like an aerosol. I’m being really nice, but this is started to get to debate bro behaviour. I’m middle aged, and I have better things to do than listen to you pretend that you didn’t say something that’s factually incorrect.

              • s3p5rEnglish
                1·
                1 month ago

                Guy

                Not cool, please don’t.

                you stated that we don’t need to have ventilators in closed rooms

                When you’re alone, in your own apartment, with a closed door, yeah. That’s why lockdowns were effective at preventing transmission. I also said ventilation was necessary when in rooms with other people, especially when you can’t distance.

                I have better things to do than listen to you pretend that you didn’t say something that’s factually incorrect.

                I corrected myself to be more specific when I realised I hadn’t been clear enough, and I backed up the specifics with science. I’m sorry that you feel that isn’t sufficient. Feel free to do the things, I’m out.

        • glingorfel [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
          5·
          1 month ago

          the aerosols are technically droplets of liquid yes, but they are physically distinct from what we usually call “droplets” in the sense of the spittle that comes out of your mouth and doesn’t stay in the air for long.

          covid is in both. distancing helps with avoiding the larger droplets, handwashing helps with potentially picking up virus from those droplets on surfaces you touch, but neither of those help with the aerosols which is why respirators are of critical importance in avoiding the spread of covid.

          so yes you can be technically correct by saying that the aerosols are also droplets but it’s still important to draw the distinction between the two and mitigate the risks from both.

      • s3p5rEnglish
        3·
        1 month ago

        Still debated, probably not a significant vector, but definitely possible: Lin, N., Zhang, B., Shi, R. et al. Decay pattern of SARS-CoV-2 RNA surface contamination in real residences. Sci Rep 14, 6190 (2024).

        Key quote from conclusion:

        The environmental contamination of object surfaces by SARS-CoV-2 RNA in residences of COVID-19 patients is low, but cross-contamination caused by water taps and washing basins may have hidden transmission risks. Generally, fomite transmission played a limited role in COVID-19 spread. Even the residence was contaminated by SARS-CoV-2, it was reduced by 90% three days after the patient left.

        Edited to add: I mention it mostly because where I live is a high-traffic part of the building with people constantly using the elevators and opening doors. That’s why I’m still careful about it. If I lived in a lower density place I probably wouldn’t go as hard on the “no touchy” thing.