@mindstalk.bsky.social
Interests: liberal, atheist, urbanism, public transit, Tolkien, Silmarillion, walking, anime, yuri, Bujold, Liaden, fanfic, KF94s, N95s.
My top Twitter thread (scroll past 18/end, it keeps going): https://mindstalk.net/15minComp.html
My top Twitter thread (scroll past 18/end, it keeps going): https://mindstalk.net/15minComp.html
Thing is, people can be infectious without being sick, either because they aren't ill yet, or because they have an asymptomatic infection of something.
November 13, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Thing is, people can be infectious without being sick, either because they aren't ill yet, or because they have an asymptomatic infection of something.
I think you meant 2020. But yeah, B/Yamagata flu hasn't been seen since early 2020. That's why the flu vaccines went back from quad to trivalent; Yamagata has been removed from the formulation.
November 13, 2025 at 5:09 AM
I think you meant 2020. But yeah, B/Yamagata flu hasn't been seen since early 2020. That's why the flu vaccines went back from quad to trivalent; Yamagata has been removed from the formulation.
Wastewater points to covid levels still being high.
Before the pandemic I didn't know that N95s etc existed, or that getting colds was something I could opt out of. Now I do.
Before the pandemic I didn't know that N95s etc existed, or that getting colds was something I could opt out of. Now I do.
November 13, 2025 at 5:08 AM
Wastewater points to covid levels still being high.
Before the pandemic I didn't know that N95s etc existed, or that getting colds was something I could opt out of. Now I do.
Before the pandemic I didn't know that N95s etc existed, or that getting colds was something I could opt out of. Now I do.
My US elementary school had Home Ec classes, though I never took them; not sure if because "boy" or because "gifted class". I assume there was some real attempt at teaching.
Japan has home ec for all students up through 9th grade. yourglobalfamily.com/blog/katei-ka
Japan has home ec for all students up through 9th grade. yourglobalfamily.com/blog/katei-ka
Katei-Ka: Home Ec the (Surprising) Japanese Way
You may be surprised to learn about the importance still given to "katei-ka," or Home Ec, in Japan. It's different than what you think. What can we learn?
yourglobalfamily.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:27 PM
My US elementary school had Home Ec classes, though I never took them; not sure if because "boy" or because "gifted class". I assume there was some real attempt at teaching.
Japan has home ec for all students up through 9th grade. yourglobalfamily.com/blog/katei-ka
Japan has home ec for all students up through 9th grade. yourglobalfamily.com/blog/katei-ka
I know! Just highlighting that we did wipe out a whole flu season. We have the technology!
November 12, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I know! Just highlighting that we did wipe out a whole flu season. We have the technology!
Who decided that the article would be about vaccines in particular, and not about protecting kids from flu in general, for which vaccines are one of several tools?
November 12, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Who decided that the article would be about vaccines in particular, and not about protecting kids from flu in general, for which vaccines are one of several tools?
Reposted
Yes. It's the usual one-dimensional assumption that vaccines are the only weapon in our arsenal. They should be educating the public about the need for clean air and respiratory protection (N95 / FFP2/3).
But we don't talk about that, because it's more important to bury the "very big mistake".
But we don't talk about that, because it's more important to bury the "very big mistake".
(this very big mistake that killed an enormous number of people, if anyone's looking for the citation)
www.spiegel.de/internationa...
www.spiegel.de/internationa...
November 12, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Yes. It's the usual one-dimensional assumption that vaccines are the only weapon in our arsenal. They should be educating the public about the need for clean air and respiratory protection (N95 / FFP2/3).
But we don't talk about that, because it's more important to bury the "very big mistake".
But we don't talk about that, because it's more important to bury the "very big mistake".
Well, they're a subset of workplaces. But most workplaces don't need people to be unmasked and talking. As for the rest... ventilation and sterilization would be extra-important then, eh?
In Japan, movie theaters put out CO2 monitors, to demonstrate their ventilation to the public.
In Japan, movie theaters put out CO2 monitors, to demonstrate their ventilation to the public.
November 12, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Well, they're a subset of workplaces. But most workplaces don't need people to be unmasked and talking. As for the rest... ventilation and sterilization would be extra-important then, eh?
In Japan, movie theaters put out CO2 monitors, to demonstrate their ventilation to the public.
In Japan, movie theaters put out CO2 monitors, to demonstrate their ventilation to the public.
Black people in Philadelphia might be more likely to wear masks, though there also _are_ more blacks in Philly, so I don't much trust that sort of impressionistic judgement. Haven't been to Chinatown here much; in SF it was full of elderly Chinese folk in surgicals.
November 12, 2025 at 4:02 AM
Black people in Philadelphia might be more likely to wear masks, though there also _are_ more blacks in Philly, so I don't much trust that sort of impressionistic judgement. Haven't been to Chinatown here much; in SF it was full of elderly Chinese folk in surgicals.
Went to the art museum Monday; noticed 1 N95, 3 K-masks, 3 surgical masks. I think surgical mostly on the staff, better masks were on visitors. Also saw a few on the bus.
Pretty sure I saw some masks on today's hour-long walk, though I wasn't really attending to where.
Pretty sure I saw some masks on today's hour-long walk, though I wasn't really attending to where.
November 12, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Went to the art museum Monday; noticed 1 N95, 3 K-masks, 3 surgical masks. I think surgical mostly on the staff, better masks were on visitors. Also saw a few on the bus.
Pretty sure I saw some masks on today's hour-long walk, though I wasn't really attending to where.
Pretty sure I saw some masks on today's hour-long walk, though I wasn't really attending to where.
IME the mask promoters overlap a lot with the clean air people. Though there's private clean air (windows, purifiers) and public clean air (institutional changes).
Between SF and Philadelphia, I hardly ever _don't_ see other people in masks.
Between SF and Philadelphia, I hardly ever _don't_ see other people in masks.
November 12, 2025 at 3:58 AM
IME the mask promoters overlap a lot with the clean air people. Though there's private clean air (windows, purifiers) and public clean air (institutional changes).
Between SF and Philadelphia, I hardly ever _don't_ see other people in masks.
Between SF and Philadelphia, I hardly ever _don't_ see other people in masks.
And even if we didn't end up squishing flu/covid entirely, we could shift transmission to mostly be in voluntary, non-essential spaces like bars and restaurants (where you can't be masked to fully enjoy the space), rather than in airports, subways, workplaces, schools, and pharmacies.
November 12, 2025 at 3:27 AM
And even if we didn't end up squishing flu/covid entirely, we could shift transmission to mostly be in voluntary, non-essential spaces like bars and restaurants (where you can't be masked to fully enjoy the space), rather than in airports, subways, workplaces, schools, and pharmacies.
Clean air could probably have a huge difference. Ventilation (keep CO2 down), filtration, upper-room or far UV. Easy to remove or kill many of the germs. Studies in hospitals and schools have been promising, over the years.
November 12, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Clean air could probably have a huge difference. Ventilation (keep CO2 down), filtration, upper-room or far UV. Easy to remove or kill many of the germs. Studies in hospitals and schools have been promising, over the years.
Agreed that masking wasn't the whole story, though might have been part of why some countries skipped _two_ flu seasons not just one. But people wearing N95/KF94 instead of cloth could make up the difference, since they're much better masks.
November 12, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Agreed that masking wasn't the whole story, though might have been part of why some countries skipped _two_ flu seasons not just one. But people wearing N95/KF94 instead of cloth could make up the difference, since they're much better masks.
Just drawing attention to the 2020-2021 season in your chart...
November 12, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Just drawing attention to the 2020-2021 season in your chart...
Except I see a lot of exposed noses there, and those look like gaiters, which don't block much...
November 12, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Except I see a lot of exposed noses there, and those look like gaiters, which don't block much...
Having roommates is definitely a vulnerability.
Though also, a lot of people who mask still aren't wearing good masks or using them well.
Though also, a lot of people who mask still aren't wearing good masks or using them well.
November 12, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Having roommates is definitely a vulnerability.
Though also, a lot of people who mask still aren't wearing good masks or using them well.
Though also, a lot of people who mask still aren't wearing good masks or using them well.
Many of us "forever maskers" haven't had even a cold since 2020, even with travel or customer-facing jobs (or healthcare jobs!) So from our POV, getting sick is a choice y'all are making too, apart from parents.
November 12, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Many of us "forever maskers" haven't had even a cold since 2020, even with travel or customer-facing jobs (or healthcare jobs!) So from our POV, getting sick is a choice y'all are making too, apart from parents.
People wearing masks in public spaces is sustainable. People wearing masks through the winter months is sustainable. Investing in clean air is sustainable. Societally we choose to do none of those things.
November 12, 2025 at 3:06 AM
People wearing masks in public spaces is sustainable. People wearing masks through the winter months is sustainable. Investing in clean air is sustainable. Societally we choose to do none of those things.
They'd have to keep up their elimination policies. Testing and quarantining travelers, and/or keeping the policies that kept Re<1 so any introductions didn't spread far.
November 12, 2025 at 3:04 AM
They'd have to keep up their elimination policies. Testing and quarantining travelers, and/or keeping the policies that kept Re<1 so any introductions didn't spread far.