AirAware
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beairaware.bsky.social
AirAware
@beairaware.bsky.social
400 followers 730 following 470 posts
Air quality research for safer living. Joining dots from a background in Law & IT...
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beairaware.bsky.social
Pointed out to NSW Health that their Measles Fact Sheet lacks key facts:
- spread by talking etc & even before symptoms appear
- airborne for 2+ hours
- Source Control is key so wear a N95 mask (surgicals ineffective)

Here's their reply. Suggestions appreciated to help their review.
Thank you for your feedback. Current NSW Health measles resources are being reviewed and updated. We acknowledge that the measles virus can survive in the environment for up to 2 hours. However, in a normal room with adequate ventilation, the survivability, and the levels of viruses airborne diminishes rapidly after 30 minutes. Hence, for the purposes of public health contact management, we prioritise follow up of individuals sharing the same space (for e.g. waiting area of a health care facility) with a case and up to 30 minutes after the case has left. Individuals with symptoms consistent with measles who are potentially infectious, are recommended to stay home and avoid others to reduce the spread. If they require medical care, they are recommended to call ahead before entering a health facility and if it is required, they can be provided with advice on appropriate mask wearing. You can find more information in Measles control guideline and measles-info-for-contacts.pdf
December 10, 2025 at 2:23 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
Schools go into lockdown as flu sweeps nation

"Teachers cancel singing in assembly to combat virus’s spread"

Why?

Does it impede hand-washing?

Or is it something to do with airborne transmission?

apple.news/A428ZHY0GSeC...
Elaine Bown, its headteacher, said it was the “worst year” for sickness since she started nearly 14 years ago and 70 children were off sick or sent home last Monday alone. “We’ve had assemblies, but we’ve not sung in assemblies because again, we know that that’s something that spreads it quite a lot,” she told BBC Yorkshire. “We are rehearsing for nativities at the moment and Christmas performances and we know from Covid that singing in schools is one of the worst spreaders.
December 9, 2025 at 1:15 PM
beairaware.bsky.social
Some people are not up to putting 1 & 1 together, let alone 2 & 2.

Of course it is a Sky News "exclusive". No one else is silly enough call it a Top Story
Sky News headlines: Exclusive: 'Stay in Turkey': Coalition mocks Bowen over COP31 Weather: Thousands without power, major hospital damaged
November 23, 2025 at 2:08 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
Join the Dots - One of the few reliable "Not COVID" tests.

N95s protect you from both airborne viruses
A photo of someone's back covered in red measles spots with some joined with red ink to read: "NOT COVID"
November 19, 2025 at 10:17 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
Ways to reduce pollen & dust at home this allergy & hayfever season

Deficient advice from the 2 experts, or poor reporting, or both. No mention of N95s to protect when vacuuming, nor air purifiers running 24/7 to protect you from the stuff shown in pic

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...
Photo of part of air purifier filter that is now very grey & covered in considerable fluff after 12 months of 24/7 use.
October 23, 2025 at 11:39 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
Air purifiers are a safety item specifically ineligible for the $1,000 SafeWork NSW small business rebate

They would help protect workers from asbestos, silica dust, mould, PM2.5, microplastics, pollen PLUS airborne diseases such as legionnaires, Covid, Flu, RSV, TB, measles etc
Photo of construction site sign saying: "DANGER - ASBESTOS - cancer & lung disease hazard. Authorised personnel only" Below the sign is the commentary saying "Danger from asbestos is far from over". In both, the word "Asbestos" is crossed out, & replaced with "Covid"
October 15, 2025 at 10:26 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
This Aldi masker was happy to let me photograph his interesting headstrap. Neater than my elastic band + twist-n-tie strap connector.

We were the only smart ones in the store.
Photo of the back of a man's head showing his N95 earstraps joined at the back by a 2 cm plastic S
October 14, 2025 at 10:54 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
How wrong we all were re airborne vs surface spread of Cvd.

But no need to stay wrong forever
Text that says: XXXXX Systems, Inc. is taking the Coronavirus epidemic very seriously. We have closed all non-essential departments during this time to prevent the exposure and spread of this disease. Increased availability of hand sanitizing stations; Increased cleaning and disinfection process across all high-volume touchpoints along with the use of cleaning/sanitizing materials and products; Awareness campaign with onsite information and signage; Availability of sanitizing and disinfection materials for employee use; Communicating the adoption of a ‘no-handshake policy’ with 6’ social distancing. Employee non-contact temperature testing. Flexible hours to address childcare and essential needs.
October 7, 2025 at 5:07 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
A few days after attending a funeral where there were only 2 of us out of 300 in masks, it was encouraging to see another 2 people in proper masks sitting opposite on the Sydney Metro.
Photograph of 2 unconnected people on train wearing N95s
September 28, 2025 at 2:57 PM
beairaware.bsky.social
New study suggests not to cut out all lymph nodes as they may be a key to cancer treatment

But if they are lung lymph nodes damaged by breathing unclean air, then you could be in trouble?

Another reason to mask when out, & run air purifiers 24/7 at home

theconversation.com/dont-cut-the...
Photo of 7 lymph nodes for ages (years) 20, 29, 30, 49, 53, 56 & 62. The first is pink. They get increasingly dark until the last - 62 - is black.
September 28, 2025 at 1:58 PM
beairaware.bsky.social
Hey Prof Noise a Duck Makes
- magic bullet = N95 Mask
- each infection reduces IQ points
- the greater the number of infections, the greater the risks particularly of Long Covid
apple.news/AKg2Xjg83ST-...
Screenshot: How to avoid it Short of isolating yourself at home, there’s unfortunately no magic bullet that will guarantee that you won’t catch Covid or other respiratory viruses. However, regular hand washing and sanitising communal surfaces, such as trays on aeroplanes and trays, as well as gym equipment can reduce your risk of becoming infected. “For most of us, the need to avoid infection is not as great as we will have had multiple infections by now and most infections are asymptomatic,” Prof Hunter says.
September 25, 2025 at 12:29 PM
beairaware.bsky.social
SafeWork accused of failing to act on dangerous hospital understaffing

If health workers & patients masked, there would be less understaffing, & fewer risks to patients from HAI from airborne viruses.

Lack of masking itself warrants SafeWork action
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...
Sydney Morning Herald article: Headline: ‘Live risk of serious injury, death’: SafeWork accused of failing to act at Northern Beaches Hospital 14 Sep 2025 by Kate Aubusson. Introduction: Doctors at Northern Beaches Hospital (NBH) have raised the alarm over dangerous understaffing, which puts patients at risk of medical errors in the chronically under-resourced emergency department and wards. The clinicians have accused SafeWork NSW of failing to act on repeated warnings over unsafe workloads for junior doctors who compiled a growing list of concerning incidents, from surgical and medical consults going unanswered for days, to registrars working unsupervised, falsified rosters, and more than 100 uncompleted electronic tasks – some time-critical – by shift’s end.
September 14, 2025 at 7:46 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
Today's scairy headlines
ABC News: "Car pollution is deadly. New research shows us just how much" Newsweek: "Thousands of Americans told to stop driving" CNN: "Trump admin strips ocean and air pollution monitoring from next-gen weather satellites"
August 22, 2025 at 4:55 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
There are many benefits of wearing N95s
Some headlines from a search in Apple News on "Legionnaires": Update: NYC Legionnaires' Outbreak Grows to 90 Cases; 3 Deaths Reported What to know about Legionnaires' disease breakouts in New York, Michigan NYC proposes stricter rules to combat Legionnaires' disease as Harlem outbreak sparks concerns Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital: Water tests reveal bacteria that causes respiratory infection found 59 times Legionnaires' town hall set to be held after 3 deaths in Harlem cluster Legionnaires' disease cluster in Central Harlem now respo Bacteria known to cause Legionnaires' disease found in water at Berks County facilitynsible for 90 cases, officials say Up late: Health s..t show while Premier Roger Cook decides defence is good offence
August 13, 2025 at 2:34 PM
beairaware.bsky.social
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital: Water tests reveal bacteria that causes respiratory infection found 59 times

Yet another reason to mask in hospitals?

apple.news/AAxe1qvrDRl-...
Vulnerable patients were unknowingly put at risk of contracting potentially deadly legionnaires’ disease at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital through contaminated water. Testing results of the hospital’s water obtained by The West Australian show health authorities know that legionella bacteria, which causes the serious pneumonia-like respiratory infection, has been found at unacceptable levels almost 60 times in the past two years.
August 13, 2025 at 2:27 PM
beairaware.bsky.social
I prefer disposable filters such as HEPA, MERV & N95 rather than just my Lymph Nodes which don't age well without protection
Photos of 7 Lymph Nodes with an age in years: 20, 29, 30, 49, 53, 56 & 62. The first 20 year old is a pink colour. Each one gets increasingly dark, until the 62 year old one is black
August 13, 2025 at 12:48 PM
beairaware.bsky.social
ABC News item re rescued Gibbons in Malaysia shows they masked handlers showing more smarts & consideration than most Australian health workers looking after patients.
Photo of a masked handler feeding a young Gibbon monkey using a baby bottle in an outside compound
August 12, 2025 at 1:27 PM
beairaware.bsky.social
Another thing Hinkley/Power didn't learn from Covid, is that you don't play if sick or risk #LongCovid & soft-tissue injury
Fox Footy interview of Heeney: "I was expecting a pretty hard tag...but he said he was pretty crook"
June 26, 2025 at 1:57 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
Electrician returned here for another job wearing the N95 I gave him a fortnight ago

Being showered in mouse poo from the ceiling
+
the death of Gene Hackman's wife from Hantavirus, may have been educational.

Helps to be smart, & considerate enough to care
Photo of electrician wearing an N95 installing a light
April 16, 2025 at 5:57 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
Has Donald Dutton owned 26 properties while blaming foreign students for a housing shortage?

"if you don't know, vote NO"

kNOw Donald Dutton
Caricature of Dutton with a Donald hairpiece while highlighting the NO in know, as we were told "if you don't know, vote NO"
April 7, 2025 at 8:21 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
Yes, but if Rita had been vaccinated, she wouldn't have acquired the skill of painting by mouth, & my father would have missed out on having a life-long friend/patient as her Dr
A yellow rose, painted by mouth by Rita McFarland
March 13, 2025 at 11:59 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
Covid is everywhere - even The Rock in Southern NSW where the FB Admin for The Rock Regional Observatory urged those sick not to attend their regular Saturday night star viewing.
www.facebook.com/groups/thero...
Hi everyone, just a friendly reminder that COVID is once again making the rounds so if you are sick, please stay home as we have elderly volunteers at the Observatory. Thank you!
March 11, 2025 at 1:04 AM
beairaware.bsky.social
6 + 100 yrs ago, they were smarter. The 2nd item reports:

"With a view to securing to the nurses...the utmost immunity from contagion, the cases...are being nursed on the verandahs & in the new well ventilated pavilions. The nurses wear goggles, masks & a cap covering their hair"
Newspaper item dated 22 February 1919 & headlined: COUNTRY CASES, SYDNEY, Friday.—Last night eight suspicious cases were taken to the Coast Hospital. The first case of pneumonic influenza has occurred at Wagga. The victim is a man named William Tyrie, who had been in camp with a number of other men near Yerong Creek. The camp has been quarantined. A young woman at Boggabri is also suspected of suffering from the disease. 2nd item has headline: Protecting the Nurses
February 12, 2025 at 12:55 PM
beairaware.bsky.social
Bird flu at Vic poultry farm

"follow best biosecurity practices such as keeping poultry sheds, yards, aviaries & equipment clean, & restricting contact between poultry & wild birds"

Remember "deep cleaning" & "social distancing"?

Airborne?

www.beefcentral.com/news/livesto...
An drawing of a rooster breathing virus over a cow
February 11, 2025 at 1:57 PM
beairaware.bsky.social
ChatGPT told me that Covid's primary spread was "Airborne (respiratory droplets)". I pointed out its error:

"It is not correct to say that COVID is primarily spread by airborne droplets. It is spread by aerosols that can stay in the air for hours."

ChatGPT agreed
You’re absolutely right—COVID-19 is primarily spread through airborne aerosols, not just respiratory droplets. The early understanding of COVID-19 transmission focused on larger respiratory droplets, but research has since confirmed that aerosols—tiny particles that can stay suspended in the air for hours—play a major role in spreading the virus.
February 9, 2025 at 2:00 PM