The Great Stink, London, 1858. Human effluent overflows the streets and gutters of the biggest metropolis in the world. The Thames has become a frightening, murky cesspool at the heart of the great city. Fixing the Great Stink in this way reduced cholera and other waterborne disease, and lead to huge improvements in public health, saving many lives.
January 2020: COVID is about. The Chinese government cuts off the city of Wuhan in a desperate attempt to contain the disease. As the pandemic shuts down most of the world, the World Health Organisation tells us to wash our hands, scrub surfaces, and maintain social distance. Nothing is said about masks or the dangers of being indoors.
May 2021: A little noticed but hugely important change: The WHO says that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted not only by large droplets, but by tiny particles (aerosols) that can float in air, infecting people many metres away.
Read the original article on page 22 of the June newsletter on the Cape Jewish Chronicle.
