[PSA For Those Using MRT Daily] Doctors warn that the tube in London could be a hotbed for spreading coronavirus

[AhΜeng]

Doctors warn that the tube in London could be a hotbed for spreading coronavirus

The Press Association reports that the warning from doctors comes after a London woman became the ninth person in the UK to test positive for the deadly virus.
There are concerns the city’s status as a transport hub could exacerbate the spread of the virus, however doctors have said the risk of infection for residents in the capital remains low.

“In general, if an initial case is in a densely populated area, then the risk of sustained person-to-person transmission following is higher,” Dr Robin Thompson of Oxford University said.
This is exacerbated by the fact that London is a transport hub, and the underground could provide a network to spread the virus quickly.
As a result, given this case was in London, it might be expected that there is an increased risk posed by this case compared to the others we have seen.”

Dr Michael Head from the University of Southampton added:

“It should also be noted that of the 1,750 tests carried out so far in the UK, over 99% of those tested have been negative for the coronavirus.
“Thus, risks to Londoners and UK residents remain low, though people should continue to keep an eye on guidance for the general public.”

While the patient has now been quarantined, Dr Thompson says the risk of the virus spreading depends on the woman’s interactions prior to being placed in isolation.

“The key factor here is the number of contacts that this infected individual has had prior to being isolated,” he said.
“If this is low, then the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission is also low.”

As Public Health England investigates the patient’s movements, Dr Nathalie MacDermott from the National Institute for Health Research said London commuters should continue to go about their business as usual.

“Provided the individual followed the government’s advice (to self-isolate) there should be little concern of transmission to the general public in London,” she said

 

[AhΜeng]

BTW, this article appeared in ST in 2018...I wonder if they are still collecting air samples in MRT trains....


Air samples collected on MRT rides to detect and monitor viruses: Duke-NUS study
1 of 2

Dr Kristen Coleman, the lead author of the study, wearing the backpack and apparatus used to collect air samples on MRT trains.ST PHOTO: REI KUROHI
PUBLISHED
DEC 4, 2018, 6:34 PM SGT
FACEBOOKWHATSAPPTWITTER

Rei Kurohi
SINGAPORE - Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School have successfully detected common airborne viruses on board MRT trains, including influenza, adenovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which cause flu and flu-like symptoms.

For a year, researchers carrying backpacks with sampler devices attached to air pumps rode East-West Line and North-East Line trains during morning and evening peak hours.

This was to simulate a commuter's regular exposure to potential viruses, the researchers said. The devices can also be deployed in a fixed location for stationary sampling.

The samples were then taken back to a laboratory for analysis.

The study was led by Dr Kristen Coleman, a research fellow at the Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) programme at Duke-NUS and was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

It was the first of its kind studying infectious respiratory diseases on board MRT trains, the researchers said.

The method has the potential to detect viruses in a population much quicker compared to just screening patients seeking medical care at clinics or hospitals, which can take several days.

If similar samplers are deployed at airport checkpoints or other high-risk crowded places, potential biological threats such as Sars or the H7N9 strain of bird flu could be detected within eight hours or less, Dr Coleman said at a media briefing on Tuesday (Dec 4).

"A lot of the time, once we know that a pandemic is present, it is often too late and it can spiral out of control. If we can detect it earlier, we can start controlling it right away," she added.

A total of 89 air samples were collected between January last year and January this year.

One or more common respiratory viruses were detected in 14 of the samples.

The viruses can be spread when a person carrying them coughs or sneezes.

Depending on the size, droplets containing the viruses can travel up to 90cm before settling.

The viruses can also become attached to dust particles when the droplets dry and can be recirculated.

Free-floating viruses can travel much farther and persist for a longer period of time, up to 48 hours, Dr Coleman said.

The device used to collect samples is able to separate larger and smaller particles into different tubes.

Larger particles, measuring more than 4 micrometers, are referred to as "inhalable" particles and usually affect the upper respiratory tract.

Particles smaller than that are referred to as "respirable" particles and can be absorbed deeper into the lungs, potentially causing more serious respiratory problems.

Before the technique can be applied practically to safeguard public health, more research is needed to determine the optimal conditions for monitoring specific types of viruses, said Dr Coleman.

Dr Gregory Gray, a professor of the EID research programme and a senior author of the study, said: "Usually, transit network studies focus on mapping surface-borne bacteria and neglect to target aerosolised or respiratory-borne viruses."

He added: "MRT riders may be at a higher risk of exposure to respiratory viruses. We hope this study will motivate scientists around the globe to collaborate on similar field studies to unveil the true risk of exposure while using public transportation."

The team is currently seeking grants and sponsorship to continue their research on the topic.

 

[blackmondy]

You cannot evade contagious farts inside the train......

 

[AhΜeng]

Better wear a mask when you are in the MRT train.After you exit the station, then take it out when you are away from the crowd of people. 90cm distance is almost 2m.

 

[AhΜeng]

Subway train travel linked to spread of flu-like illnesses -- ScienceDaily
www.sciencedaily.com

The study, published on December 4, 2018 in Environmental Health, will help to inform measures to control the spread of infectious disease.

By comparing Oyster card route information and Public Health England data on flu-like illnesses, Dr Lara Goscé from the University of Bristol's Department of Civil Engineering and Dr Anders Johansson from Bristol's Department of Engineering Mathematics, discovered higher rates of airborne infections in Londoners that have longer tube journeys through busier terminals.

Dr Goscé explained: "Higher rates [of influenza-like cases] can be observed in boroughs served by a small number of underground lines: passengers starting their journey in these boroughs usually have to change lines once or more in crowded junctions such as King's Cross in order to reach their final destination.

"On the other hand, lower influenza-like rates are found in boroughs where either the population do not use public transport as the main form of transport to commute to work; or boroughs served by more underground lines, which guarantee faster trips with less stops and contacts with fewer people."

For instance, one finding highlighted that infection rates in residents of Islington, who often change lines at crowded Kings Cross St. Pancreas, were nearly three times higher than in commuters from Kensington, who mostly take direct trains.

The team hopes that their findings will inform Government epidemic policies. Dr Goscé said: "Policy makers, in particular, should address the role potentially played by public transport and crowded events and avoid encouraging the attendance of such environments during epidemics."

Looking to the future, the group want to draw a clearer map of the spread of cold-like infections in a metropolitan environment, and so plan to combine individual level infection data with existing studies from households and schools.

Dr Goscé said: "These results are preliminary following limitations of the dataset. Empirical studies. Empirical studies combining aero-biology and pedestrian modelling would be important in improving model fidelity and devising non-pharmaceutical control strategies tackling threshold densities to minimise numbers of infections and optimal ventilation in different crowded environments."

 

[Valium]

Fuck PAP and their 10mil population.
Fuck Lee Hsien Loong's and his mother's chaocheebye.

 

[kkbutterfly]

heng. i drive car

 

[kkbutterfly]

Better wear a mask when you are in the MRT train.After you exit the station, then take it out when you are away from the crowd of people. 90cm distance is almost 2m.

take out mask keep in pocket then reuse.haha. a family of 4 with 4 mask equal 1 each.

 

[mojito]

Doctors warn that the tube in London could be a hotbed for spreading coronavirus

The Press Association reports that the warning from doctors comes after a London woman became the ninth person in the UK to test positive for the deadly virus.
There are concerns the city’s status as a transport hub could exacerbate the spread of the virus, however doctors have said the risk of infection for residents in the capital remains low.


Dr Michael Head from the University of Southampton added:

While the patient has now been quarantined, Dr Thompson says the risk of the virus spreading depends on the woman’s interactions prior to being placed in isolation.

As Public Health England investigates the patient’s movements, Dr Nathalie MacDermott from the National Institute for Health Research said London commuters should continue to go about their business as usual.

Arn lah. SG 50+ cases not scare UK scare?