John Johnston
@johnjohnstoned.bsky.social
Reposted by John Johnston
The second report of the UK COVID Inquiry is out. The two volumes are here: covid19.public-inquiry.uk/documents/mo...
The section on "The focus on handwashing over ventilation" begins in section 12.32 of the second volume (page 167 in the PDF of voume 2).
#itsairborne #COVID #longCOVID #aerosol
The section on "The focus on handwashing over ventilation" begins in section 12.32 of the second volume (page 167 in the PDF of voume 2).
#itsairborne #COVID #longCOVID #aerosol
Module 2, 2A, 2B, 2C Report - Core decision-making and political governance UK Covid-19 Inquiry Archives
A report by The Rt Hon the Baroness Hallett DBE, Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on the core decision-making and political governance, dated 20 November 2025.
covid19.public-inquiry.uk
November 20, 2025 at 11:09 PM
The second report of the UK COVID Inquiry is out. The two volumes are here: covid19.public-inquiry.uk/documents/mo...
The section on "The focus on handwashing over ventilation" begins in section 12.32 of the second volume (page 167 in the PDF of voume 2).
#itsairborne #COVID #longCOVID #aerosol
The section on "The focus on handwashing over ventilation" begins in section 12.32 of the second volume (page 167 in the PDF of voume 2).
#itsairborne #COVID #longCOVID #aerosol
Reposted by John Johnston
Poor Public Health leadership in SARS, preoccupied with turf wars and controlling information to gain power instead of doing the job and saving lives poses a key question:
Why is that behaviour *so typical* of IPC / PH leaders, fighting to exclude "competitors" like OHS, science, engineering etc?
Why is that behaviour *so typical* of IPC / PH leaders, fighting to exclude "competitors" like OHS, science, engineering etc?
December 9, 2024 at 2:40 PM
Poor Public Health leadership in SARS, preoccupied with turf wars and controlling information to gain power instead of doing the job and saving lives poses a key question:
Why is that behaviour *so typical* of IPC / PH leaders, fighting to exclude "competitors" like OHS, science, engineering etc?
Why is that behaviour *so typical* of IPC / PH leaders, fighting to exclude "competitors" like OHS, science, engineering etc?
Reposted by John Johnston
The lack of transparency is another aspect that seems to be permanently baked into the culture of IPC and Public Health. I suspect a consequence of the toxic politics institutional medicine is famous for, with "peacetime generals" wrestling for power and authority.
December 9, 2024 at 2:09 PM
The lack of transparency is another aspect that seems to be permanently baked into the culture of IPC and Public Health. I suspect a consequence of the toxic politics institutional medicine is famous for, with "peacetime generals" wrestling for power and authority.
Reposted by John Johnston
🧵 Excerpts from the 2006 report of Canada's SARS Commission. An inquiry into the mismanagement of SARS-CoV-1, it was the most essential read for any competent IPC / Public Health professional attempting to avoid mismanaging SARS-COV-2.
So…mostly ignored.
www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/e_records...
So…mostly ignored.
www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/e_records...
December 9, 2024 at 1:38 PM
🧵 Excerpts from the 2006 report of Canada's SARS Commission. An inquiry into the mismanagement of SARS-CoV-1, it was the most essential read for any competent IPC / Public Health professional attempting to avoid mismanaging SARS-COV-2.
So…mostly ignored.
www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/e_records...
So…mostly ignored.
www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/e_records...
Reposted by John Johnston
Noting once again that this wasn't some inevitable Act of God.
Public health and infection control leaders decided reading a few papers meant they knew science better than actual scientists, and rejected the reality that COVID is airborne - likely the worst medical error in history.
Public health and infection control leaders decided reading a few papers meant they knew science better than actual scientists, and rejected the reality that COVID is airborne - likely the worst medical error in history.
There are alarming signals that in some people long Covid cognitive difficulties not only don't improve - but are progressive
"It doesn’t look in older adults that this is a reversible process"
No paywall 🔗
"It doesn’t look in older adults that this is a reversible process"
No paywall 🔗
Is Covid Rewriting the Rules of Aging? Brain Decline Alarms Doctors
Millions of long-Covid patients continue to struggle with cognitive difficulties.
www.wsj.com
April 15, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Noting once again that this wasn't some inevitable Act of God.
Public health and infection control leaders decided reading a few papers meant they knew science better than actual scientists, and rejected the reality that COVID is airborne - likely the worst medical error in history.
Public health and infection control leaders decided reading a few papers meant they knew science better than actual scientists, and rejected the reality that COVID is airborne - likely the worst medical error in history.
Reposted by John Johnston
The moral of the story is this: do not experiment on yourself by snorting airborne viruses into your brain. Stay in the control group.
April 15, 2025 at 3:06 AM
The moral of the story is this: do not experiment on yourself by snorting airborne viruses into your brain. Stay in the control group.
“A few pathogenic bacteria have been detected in hospital air, including Pseudomonas….
Exposure to these pathogens can lead to serious hospital-acquired infections, with estimates suggesting that 10–20 % of hospital-acquired infections are associated with patient contact to airborne pathogens”
Exposure to these pathogens can lead to serious hospital-acquired infections, with estimates suggesting that 10–20 % of hospital-acquired infections are associated with patient contact to airborne pathogens”
April 15, 2025 at 10:28 PM
“A few pathogenic bacteria have been detected in hospital air, including Pseudomonas….
Exposure to these pathogens can lead to serious hospital-acquired infections, with estimates suggesting that 10–20 % of hospital-acquired infections are associated with patient contact to airborne pathogens”
Exposure to these pathogens can lead to serious hospital-acquired infections, with estimates suggesting that 10–20 % of hospital-acquired infections are associated with patient contact to airborne pathogens”
Reposted by John Johnston
Reducing the Risk of Long COVID in Kids: Why Reinfection Matters and What We Can Do
johnsnowproject.org/primers/redu...
johnsnowproject.org/primers/redu...
Reducing the Risk of Long COVID in Kids: Why Reinfection Matters and What We Can Do
Children who get COVID-19 again are more likely to experience long-term issues.
johnsnowproject.org
April 4, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Reducing the Risk of Long COVID in Kids: Why Reinfection Matters and What We Can Do
johnsnowproject.org/primers/redu...
johnsnowproject.org/primers/redu...
Reposted by John Johnston
Another example of the junk clinical studies celebrated in Evidence Based Medicine because of methodology alone. Beloved "gold standard" of opinion launderers and cherry pickers, often designed with little or no mechanistic understanding or subject-matter expertise.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Respiratory consequences of N95-type Mask usage in pregnant healthcare workers—a controlled clinical study - Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control
Background Outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases have led to guidelines recommending the routine use of N95 respirators for healthcare workers, many of whom are women of childbearing age. The resp...
link.springer.com
January 28, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Another example of the junk clinical studies celebrated in Evidence Based Medicine because of methodology alone. Beloved "gold standard" of opinion launderers and cherry pickers, often designed with little or no mechanistic understanding or subject-matter expertise.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by John Johnston
Our latest paper on the efficacy of germicidal UV radiation just landed at Journal of Hazardous Materials.
Thank-you JHM for a smooth peer review process.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jh...
Thank-you JHM for a smooth peer review process.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jh...
doi.org
January 23, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Our latest paper on the efficacy of germicidal UV radiation just landed at Journal of Hazardous Materials.
Thank-you JHM for a smooth peer review process.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jh...
Thank-you JHM for a smooth peer review process.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jh...
Reposted by John Johnston
"Science tells us that portable air filters reduce infections. It's time for public health authorities to make this clear"
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Science tells us that portable air filters reduce infections. It's time for public health authorities to make this clear
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian public health advisors and politicians have shared mixed messages about the utility of portable air filters…
www.sciencedirect.com
January 11, 2025 at 9:54 AM
"Science tells us that portable air filters reduce infections. It's time for public health authorities to make this clear"
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by John Johnston
While reflecting on the complete lack of preparedness for a potential H5N1 pandemic, I came across this 2021 graphic from @jensvb.bsky.social and it couldn't be more accurate.
If H5N1 takes off before the public health and IPC leaders who botched the COVID response have been fired, we're toast.
If H5N1 takes off before the public health and IPC leaders who botched the COVID response have been fired, we're toast.
![It's not enough to say we have "COVID" under control.
We are now experiencing multiple parallel variant pandemics, and need to ask whether they are each under control *individually*.
This also illustrates why it's important to teach evolution in schools.
[chart showing clear exponential growth of the Delta variant well before mitigations were dropped in Alberta's "Open for the Summer" initiative - 2% of all unvaccinated Albertans over 70 were killed specifically by COVID over the next 6 months]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ou6sjyhswn7s3qyfqhw7mbk6/bafkreib7hktddef66dnzj7c6grlii5lncwoj33dpidaekjn3mv6guhylaa@jpeg)
January 7, 2025 at 11:18 PM
While reflecting on the complete lack of preparedness for a potential H5N1 pandemic, I came across this 2021 graphic from @jensvb.bsky.social and it couldn't be more accurate.
If H5N1 takes off before the public health and IPC leaders who botched the COVID response have been fired, we're toast.
If H5N1 takes off before the public health and IPC leaders who botched the COVID response have been fired, we're toast.
Reposted by John Johnston
AHS guidance on preventing COVID. We're well beyond incompetence - it's criminal negligence at this point. There's no legitimate reason not to mention airborne transmission and the importance of respiratory protection - it's a choice to let more people die.
myhealth.alberta.ca/Topic/Immuni...
myhealth.alberta.ca/Topic/Immuni...
January 7, 2025 at 4:56 PM
AHS guidance on preventing COVID. We're well beyond incompetence - it's criminal negligence at this point. There's no legitimate reason not to mention airborne transmission and the importance of respiratory protection - it's a choice to let more people die.
myhealth.alberta.ca/Topic/Immuni...
myhealth.alberta.ca/Topic/Immuni...
Misleading the world about the mode of transmission of the pathogen threatening to “wreak havoc” was inexcusable….
Why have Tedros, Ryan and the WHO never been called to account?
…..they haven’t even bothered to offer an excuse for this tragic exchange.
Failing to learn allows history to repeat.
Why have Tedros, Ryan and the WHO never been called to account?
…..they haven’t even bothered to offer an excuse for this tragic exchange.
Failing to learn allows history to repeat.
January 6, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Misleading the world about the mode of transmission of the pathogen threatening to “wreak havoc” was inexcusable….
Why have Tedros, Ryan and the WHO never been called to account?
…..they haven’t even bothered to offer an excuse for this tragic exchange.
Failing to learn allows history to repeat.
Why have Tedros, Ryan and the WHO never been called to account?
…..they haven’t even bothered to offer an excuse for this tragic exchange.
Failing to learn allows history to repeat.
What gave Maria such confidence to speak with such certainty about the mode of transmission?
Completely disregard the precautionary principle?
Did she not understand the potential consequences of getting it wrong?
So many questions to be answered as to why WHO failed to learn from SARS1.
Completely disregard the precautionary principle?
Did she not understand the potential consequences of getting it wrong?
So many questions to be answered as to why WHO failed to learn from SARS1.
January 6, 2025 at 11:02 PM
What gave Maria such confidence to speak with such certainty about the mode of transmission?
Completely disregard the precautionary principle?
Did she not understand the potential consequences of getting it wrong?
So many questions to be answered as to why WHO failed to learn from SARS1.
Completely disregard the precautionary principle?
Did she not understand the potential consequences of getting it wrong?
So many questions to be answered as to why WHO failed to learn from SARS1.
Reposted by John Johnston
90-minute Primer on COVID Safety For Schools. A free resource for teachers and parents to get an overview of the issues and practical tips on what they can do to minimise health risks from COVID.
www.covidsafetyforschools.org/primer
@covidsafetyed.bsky.social
www.covidsafetyforschools.org/primer
@covidsafetyed.bsky.social
Primer — COVID Safety For Schools
www.covidsafetyforschools.org
November 12, 2024 at 3:04 AM
90-minute Primer on COVID Safety For Schools. A free resource for teachers and parents to get an overview of the issues and practical tips on what they can do to minimise health risks from COVID.
www.covidsafetyforschools.org/primer
@covidsafetyed.bsky.social
www.covidsafetyforschools.org/primer
@covidsafetyed.bsky.social
We need experts that can understand and deal with the reality of the science of transmission….not those immobilised by heads in the sand groupthink and entrenched in erroneous historical droplet dogma.
bsky.app/profile/prof...
bsky.app/profile/prof...
November 12, 2024 at 10:09 PM
We need experts that can understand and deal with the reality of the science of transmission….not those immobilised by heads in the sand groupthink and entrenched in erroneous historical droplet dogma.
bsky.app/profile/prof...
bsky.app/profile/prof...
Important message for the pandemic preparation team at WHO.
November 12, 2024 at 9:58 PM
Important message for the pandemic preparation team at WHO.
Occupational health experts who understand transmission and the precautionary principle need to replace experts in IPAC
“Occupational health standards of control tend to be higher than those in a public health context and can contribute to the good practice of infection control and public health…”
“Occupational health standards of control tend to be higher than those in a public health context and can contribute to the good practice of infection control and public health…”
November 12, 2024 at 9:48 PM
Occupational health experts who understand transmission and the precautionary principle need to replace experts in IPAC
“Occupational health standards of control tend to be higher than those in a public health context and can contribute to the good practice of infection control and public health…”
“Occupational health standards of control tend to be higher than those in a public health context and can contribute to the good practice of infection control and public health…”
Reposted by John Johnston
📢New UK Government petition just out: "Introduce new air quality and PPE rules for health and social care settings". If you're a British citizen or UK resident it would be great if you could sign it, & even if you're not if you could share it. Thank you! 🙏 petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...
Petition: Introduce new air quality and PPE rules for health and social care settings
We want the Government to set new rules on air quality and infection control in health and social care settings, to prevent and control airborne infections, with new ventilation and filtration require...
petition.parliament.uk
November 11, 2024 at 11:02 AM
📢New UK Government petition just out: "Introduce new air quality and PPE rules for health and social care settings". If you're a British citizen or UK resident it would be great if you could sign it, & even if you're not if you could share it. Thank you! 🙏 petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...
Important to understand the IPC “droplet is good enough” groupthink perpetuated by John Conly
while at WHO….
Cost of N95s, fit testing, implications of saying it is AIRBORNE ie isolation requirements and negative pressure rooms, mistaken belief in efficacy of surg masks vs “perils” of N-95s….??
while at WHO….
Cost of N95s, fit testing, implications of saying it is AIRBORNE ie isolation requirements and negative pressure rooms, mistaken belief in efficacy of surg masks vs “perils” of N-95s….??
November 12, 2024 at 9:17 PM
Important to understand the IPC “droplet is good enough” groupthink perpetuated by John Conly
while at WHO….
Cost of N95s, fit testing, implications of saying it is AIRBORNE ie isolation requirements and negative pressure rooms, mistaken belief in efficacy of surg masks vs “perils” of N-95s….??
while at WHO….
Cost of N95s, fit testing, implications of saying it is AIRBORNE ie isolation requirements and negative pressure rooms, mistaken belief in efficacy of surg masks vs “perils” of N-95s….??
Avoiding infection requires an understanding of transmission….
most in medicine never really understood how respiratory pathogens transmitted.
A ballistic droplet strategy was destined to fail.
We now know the importance of aerosols in shared air and the futility of relying on hand washing.
most in medicine never really understood how respiratory pathogens transmitted.
A ballistic droplet strategy was destined to fail.
We now know the importance of aerosols in shared air and the futility of relying on hand washing.
In the never-ending war of us vs pathogens, we’re astronomically outnumbered and always destined to lose. The best appraoch has always been to avoid infection, not to treat it.
November 12, 2024 at 8:08 PM
Avoiding infection requires an understanding of transmission….
most in medicine never really understood how respiratory pathogens transmitted.
A ballistic droplet strategy was destined to fail.
We now know the importance of aerosols in shared air and the futility of relying on hand washing.
most in medicine never really understood how respiratory pathogens transmitted.
A ballistic droplet strategy was destined to fail.
We now know the importance of aerosols in shared air and the futility of relying on hand washing.
Reposted by John Johnston
COVID patients breathe large amounts of virus early on.
"COVID patients exhale high numbers of virus during the first eight days after symptoms start, as high as 1,000 copies per minute, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study."
Study: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
"COVID patients exhale high numbers of virus during the first eight days after symptoms start, as high as 1,000 copies per minute, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study."
Study: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
COVID patients breathe large amounts of virus early on
Northwestern investigators collect samples over the entire course of infection to determine when a person is most infectious
news.northwestern.edu
September 4, 2024 at 7:30 AM
COVID patients breathe large amounts of virus early on.
"COVID patients exhale high numbers of virus during the first eight days after symptoms start, as high as 1,000 copies per minute, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study."
Study: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
"COVID patients exhale high numbers of virus during the first eight days after symptoms start, as high as 1,000 copies per minute, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study."
Study: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...