If you would like to know why we think it is safe to hold the Winter Lecture Series at the Community Center, read on.
If you are like us, you assess your risks before heading out into the world. It is different for everyone depending on age and state of health. Here is how we plan to make things safe should you desire to attend the lectures.
Our first line of defense is our attendees. At our last in-person lecture in October, we had 100% mask compliance and no noticeable sneezing or coughing. You can expect to encounter a more careful roomful of people than you might find in another setting. You can’t be infected if no one is spreading the virus.
We require attendees to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth. It can greatly reduce, but not completely eliminate risk. Masks are highly effective in preventing viral deposits in the lungs for all droplet sizes. Masks are very effective in stopping the transmission of larger droplets, and the droplets that do escape are drawn down by gravity starting at about 2 ½ feet. This is why we ask that you social distance, even when wearing a mask. But masks are slightly less effective against the smaller droplets commonly known as aerosols. Wearing a multilayer surgical or cloth mask can reduce nasal deposition (viral load) by half for 3 µm–10 µm aerosols and by four to five times for 15-µm aerosols. Still effective, but less so as compared to the larger droplets. These aerosols can float for hours and accumulate over time in an indoor space. But whether or not they can build to a concentration where someone can become infected is debatable, especially in a mask-wearing room.
Let’s assume the possibility of one or more asymptomatic carriers attending the lecture. In addition to the above measures, our choice of using the Center lowers the possible risk. The room is large and airy, and our attendance limit is about ¼ of its capacity. In addition, the center has installed an ultraviolet germicidal unit in the air-handling system of the furnace to disinfect the air before it is returned to the room. An article in the July 24th issue of The Lancet, a respected medical journal, recommended air disinfection with ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, which they said might be especially helpful in congregate settings.
We might add that a local civic organization has been holding hour long meetings weekly at the Center since mid-August without incident.
We’re not medical experts. Everyone has to make their own decision when it comes to personal risk. We feel we are offering a relatively safe environment for you to enjoy a night out. But if it’s not for you, then we hope to be able to offer a recording of each lecture in the near future. Be safe and be well, as we continue through life’s journey.