If this story is blocked, the essence of it is that the virus is mainly transmitted by droplets coming directly from a carrier’s coughs, sneezes or just their exhalations. Six feet of separation allows gravity to pull those droplets to the ground. BUT, in a closed indoor space, the virus can also ride on an aerosol – extremely tiny droplets that can float in the air for minutes or even hours. Hundreds or thousands of people not wearing masks and cheering wildly can generate such a miasma. This may be how Trump got infected in spite of otherwise stringent precautions.
This is why indoor rallies are dangerous for everyone there. Even the President.
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Tidewater News and Opinion Forum 
We continue to learn more about the virus. What were seen as adequate precautions a month ago are no longer deemed enough
That is why it no longer makes sense to continue with Phase 3 testing on the vaccines. They are already being manufactured and should be distributed to high risk individuals as quickly as possible. Any risk from the vaccine itself is negligible compared to the risk of the disease itself.
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To be approved a vaccine needs to be safe AND effective.
Your suggestion ignores the risk of not being effective. People who think they are safe but actually are not will end up changing their behavior in dangerous ways. Of course, we should try (it is still not known if it is possible) to produce a safe and effective vaccine with all deliberate speed, but IMHO, pushing out a vaccine that has not been shown to work is simply too fast.
I think that the phenomenon of aerosol transmission or at least the significant risk of it was known far more than a month ago. Trump’s indoor rallies have ALWAYS been reckless. Just ask Herman Cain. Oh, wait. You can’t.
Speaking of reckless, here is the Great Pretender pretending to be recovered. It is kind of pitiful to see how he is struggling to breathe after defiantly removing his mask and attempting – laughably – to look strong in his best Mussolini pose.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2020/oct/06/footage-suggests-trump-was-short-of-breath-during-maskless-photo-op-at-white-house-video
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“pushing out a vaccine that has not been shown to work is simply too fast.”
Why?
First, you have to define what you mean by work. Phase 1 and 2 established safety and the desired antibody response. Phase 3 tests the vaccine in the real world, comparing the infection rate between the active and control arms of the study. But as we get better at our precautions the infection rate gets very low anyway, so it could take many months to build enough data using 30,000 participants.
All that time, people are dying.
We are already buying the vaccine, if it’s ineffective we would just throw it away, but we do know they all produce an immune response, so if they prove not to completely prevent infection, they will at least provide partial protection and avoid a serious course.
So, we already bought the vaccine, we already know they are better than nothing. What is there to lose to vaccination 50 million high risk, elderly patients and giving them a better chance to survive if not avoid infection entirely?
If nothing else, with that large a sample, we will know for sure if ot is effective for younger folk.
There is literally much to gain and nothing to lose.
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Is English not your first language? Read again. For example, try reading this . . .
“The CDC says the main way the virus spreads is through close contact with virus-containing droplets — large and small — that are emitted when someone coughs, sneezes, sings, talks or breathes.”
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Not sure what you’re getting at. What does that have to do with getting the vaccine to high risk people?
The CDC has always said that the primary spread was by droplets. What was added was that in enclosed spaces, suspended aerosols might also spread the disease. For months the CDC discounted that possibility outside of hospital settings.
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I was getting at Mr. Roberts obvious error. This one . .
If CDC represents the “best science,” then strictly speaking it is incorrect to say, “the virus is mainly transmitted by droplets coming directly from a carrier’s coughs, sneezes or just their exhalations.”
My theory is that he is flummoxed by their use of “airborne” and “close contact.”
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RE: “My theory is that he is flummoxed by their use of ‘airborne’ and ‘close contact.'”
How so?
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You are flummoxed by something. Your statement is clearly wrong.
My theory is that you did not read closely enough about what they mean by “close contact”
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RE: “Your statement is clearly wrong.”
And apparently you can’t describe the error.
The statement I quoted from the CDC reads, “Available data indicate that it is much more common for the virus that causes COVID-19 to spread through close contact with a person who has COVID-19 than through airborne transmission.”
One doesn’t need to know the definition of close contact to know it is different from airborne transmission and in the CDC’s opinion a “much more common” vector.
In other words, it cannot be true, as you claimed, “the virus is mainly transmitted by droplets coming directly from a carrier’s coughs, sneezes or just their exhalations.”
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Sad.
And my theory about your confusion was about right.
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In the statement you quoted, it is CLEAR from the context that “airborne” refers aerosols. It is also clear that “close contact” refers NOT to physical touching but being within range of the droplets (not possible aerosols) that people spread when they cough, speak or exhale. Yes, the droplets travel through the air for a few seconds, but they are not “airborne” – the air does not hold them up for long periods of time.
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RE: “It is also clear that ‘close contact’ refers NOT to physical touching but being within range of the droplets (not possible aerosols) that people spread when they cough, speak or exhale.”
That’s funny. I didn’t say anything about physical touching, but even your own interpretation of the CDC’s statement now refutes your claim that a “miasma” of virus riding aerosols caused Trump to become infected.
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With all due respect, Mr. Roberts, you are hopeless. It is pointless trying to help you. You don’t want to be helped. I will finish by reminding you that this categorical statement is laughably wrong.
“If CDC represents the “best science,” then strictly speaking it is incorrect to say, “the virus is mainly transmitted by droplets coming directly from a carrier’s coughs, sneezes or just their exhalations.””
THAT is exactly what they are saying.
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“This may be how Trump got infected in spite of otherwise stringent precautions.”
It may also NOT be how Trump got infected.
In fact, the CDC recently updated its guidance on airborne transmission of the Covid-19 virus. After explaining that airborne transmission can occur, the CDC writes, “”Available data indicate that it is much more common for the virus that causes COVID-19 to spread through close contact with a person who has COVID-19 than through airborne transmission.”
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-covid-spreads.html
If CDC represents the “best science,” then strictly speaking it is incorrect to say, “the virus is mainly transmitted by droplets coming directly from a carrier’s coughs, sneezes or just their exhalations.”
We probably will never know how, exactly, the president became infected. Citing specific events or behaviors as the cause is pure guesswork.
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It is important to understand the difference between spread by droplets in the air and airborne infection.
The primary means of transmission is from droplets which would normally settle to the ground in a short time, thus the 6 ft rule(which is probably inadequate even outdoors, 10 ft would be safer) What the person is doing makes a difference too, Singing throws the droplets further. A jogger huffing and puffing down the trail and leave a plume of droplets 30 feet behind him. A singing jogger should be shot on sight.
Airborne infection refers to transmission by droplets small enough to remain suspended indefinitely or even dry virus particles for some viruses(not coronavirus)
Indoors such aerosols do present a danger, outdoors sunlight and dilution reduce that risk.
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Thank you.
You explained it very clearly, but, as a matter of fact, so did I in the original post.
Maybe Mr. Roberts will FINALLY listen to someone?
The funny thing is, there is nothing controversial here but you would never know that from the way some people get worked up about it.
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