Is this Round 2 of a new Pandemic?

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I watched a first hand account of a 6 year old child who experienced this condition and his mother. The article is from Detroit, Michigan.

[This television report was from Ruta Ulcinaite, WXYZ Channel 7 Action News, Birmingham, Michigan]

(So this outbreak may be more widespread then just Ohio and Massachusetts in the U.S.)

The article of the boy from Detroit, Michigan who experienced what was initially referred to as White Lung Syndrome. His infection occurred on 22 November 2023. His name is Joel Thompson. He experienced a fever of 105 degrees F. The article plays down the analysis of this incident and refers to it only as old garden variety pneumonia. He battled his condition in a hospital bed for 6 days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_PBH0sPEXA

Another article about White Lung Pneumonia.



This mycoplasma (microplasma) is an unusual bacteria that can cause both an upper respiratory symptom like a virus and then it can go down into the lungs and cause actual pneumonia.

It is not a common affliction.

Another article by the CDC says: When someone infected with M. pneumonia coughs or sneezes, they create small respiratory droplets that contain the bacteria. Other people can get infected if they breathe in those droplets. M. pneumoniae outbreaks occur mostly in crowded settings like schools, college residence halls, military training facilities, long-term care facilities, and hospitals. During school-based outbreaks, family members of ill school children are the most likely community members to be affected.

I came across an interesting article from Foreign Policy Magazine titled:

Chinese Hospitals Are Housing Another Deadly Outbreak
Authorities are covering up the spread of antibiotic-resistant pneumonia.

Chinese Hospitals Are Housing Another Deadly Outbreak

In Beijing and other megacities in China, hospitals are overflowing with children suffering pneumonia or similar severe ailments. However, the Chinese government claims that no new pathogen has been found and that the surge in chest infections is due simply to the usual winter coughs and colds, aggravated by the lifting of stringent COVID-19 restrictions in December 2022. The World Health Organization (WHO) has dutifully repeated this reassurance, as if it learned nothing from Beijing’s disastrous cover-up of the COVID-19 outbreak.

There is an element of truth in Beijing’s assertion, but it is only part of the story. The general acceptance that China is not covering up a novel pathogen this time appears reassuring. In fact, however, China could be incubating an even greater threat: the cultivation of antibiotic-resistant strains of a common, and potentially deadly, bacteria.

Fears of another novel respiratory pathogen emerging from China are understandable after the SARS and COVID-19 pandemics, both of which Beijing covered up. Concerns are amplified by Beijing’s ongoing obstruction of any independent investigation into the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19—whether it accidentally leaked from the Wuhan lab performing dangerous gain-of-function research or derived from the illegal trade in racoon dogs and other wildlife at the now-infamous Wuhan wet-market.

Four years ago, during the early weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak, Beijing failed to report the new virus and then denied airborne spread. At pains to maintain their fiction, Chinese authorities punished doctors who raised concerns and prohibited doctors from speaking even to Chinese colleagues, let alone international counterparts. Chinese medical statistics remain deeply unreliable; the country still claims that total COVID-19 deaths sit at just over 120,000, whereas independent estimates suggest the number may have been over 2 million in just the initial outbreak alone. Now, Chinese doctors are once again being silenced and not communicating with their counterparts abroad, which suggests another potentially dangerous cover-up may be underway.

We don’t know exactly what is happening, but we can offer some informed guesses.

The microbe causing the surge in hospitalization of children is Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which causes M. pneumoniae pneumonia, or MPP. First discovered in 1938, the microbe was believed for decades to be a virus because of its lack of a cell membrane and tiny size, although in fact it is an atypical bacterium. These unusual characteristics makes it invulnerable to most antibiotics (which typically work by destroying the cell membrane). The few attempts to make a vaccine in the 1970s failed, and low mortality has provided little incentive for renewed efforts. Although MPP surges are seen every few years around the world, the combination of low mortality and difficult diagnostics has meant there is no routine surveillance.

Although MPP is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia in school children and teenagers, pediatricians such as myself refer to it as “walking pneumonia” because symptoms are relatively mild. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), influenza, adenoviruses, and rhinoviruses (also known as the common cold) all cause severe inflammation of the lungs and are far more common causes of emergency-room visits, hospitalization, and death in infants and young children. Why should MPP be acting differently now?

One contributing factor to the severity of this outbreak may be “immunity debt.” Around the globe, COVID-19 lockdowns and other non-pharmaceutical measures meant that children were less exposed to the usual range of pathogens, including MPP, for several years. Many countries have since seen rebound surges in RSV. Several experts agree with Beijing’s explanation that the combination of winter’s arrival, the end of COVID-19 restrictions, and a lack of prior immunity in children are likely behind the surging infections. Some even speculate that that substantial lockdown may have particularly compromised young children’s immunity, because exposure to germs in infancy is essential for immune systems to develop.

This is a very interesting article to read. I have only included a small part of this article.

The article goes on to make the following points:
-- Infection by two diseases at the same time can make things worse.
-- Infants and toddlers are immunologically naive to MPP, and unlike COVID-19, RSV, and influenza, there is no vaccine against MPP.
-- Most disturbing, and a fact being downplayed by Beijing, is that M. pneumoniae in China has mutated to a strain resistant to macrolides, the only class of antibiotics that are safe for children less than eight years of age.
-- MPP is rarely lethal. But antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is. Responsible for 1.3 million deaths a year, AMR kills more people than COVID-19.
-- Before antisepsis and antibiotics, surgery was a treatment of last resort. Without antibiotics, we lose 150 years of clinical and surgical advances.

The approach that I used to protect me and my family from COVID was very different then the initial approach adopted by society. My approach was a Physics/Engineering/Construction Trade approach. In my humble opinion it will work for most respiratory viruses (but also for pneumonia type infections). It is not limited to COVID. It might even work for Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which causes M. pneumoniae (pneumonia), or MPP. In other words, it may provide protection to many types of (bacterial, viral or fungal) respiratory infections.

This protection consist of the following three elements:

1. Utilizing highly protective masks (like N95s) when exposed within 50 feet of infected individuals. (Research showed that COVID was transmitted indoors to 50 feet.) This threat is primarily an indoor threat. But some outdoor areas such as school buses can become a breeding ground. [N95 masks were designed for adults and not small children.]

2. Utilizing purified air in indoor settings. This can be done by cleaning the air using UVC radiation to kill the virus. This technology has been around for several decades. I also expect that high quality HEPA filters may also provide protection.

3. Maintaining indoor air humidity levels between 40 and 60 percent. The risk of infection is highly magnified as the humidity levels near 0-10% or when they near 90 to 100% range.

At the beginning of this thread I asked the question:
Has any progress been made on developing this type of highly effective masks for your little ones?

Well a lot has changed in the past 4 years and I believe the answer is now YES.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration:

Frequently Asked Questions - Respirators and Particle Size

Will an N95 respirator protect the wearer from the virus that causes COVID-19?

Yes, an N95 respirator is effective in protecting workers from the virus that causes COVID-19. "N95" refers to a class of respirator filter that removes at least 95% of very small (0.3 micron) particles from the air. Some people have mistakenly claimed that since the virus that causes COVID-19 is approximately 0.1 microns in size, wearing an N95 respirator will not protect against such a small virus. That mistaken claim appears to result from a misunderstanding of how respirators work.

When an infected person expels the virus into the air by activities like talking, coughing, or sneezing, the airborne particles are composed of more than just the virus. The virus is part of larger particles that are made up of water and other materials such as mucus. These larger particles are easily trapped and filtered out by N95 respirators because they are too big to pass through the filter. This is called mechanical filtration. But mechanical filtration is just one of the ways that respirator filters keep particles from passing through the filter. An electrostatic charge also attracts particles to fibers in the filter, where the particles become stuck. In addition, the smallest particles constantly move around (called "Brownian motion"), and are very likely to hit a filter fiber and stick to it.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) tests respirators using particles that simulate a 0.3 micron diameter because this size particle is most likely to pass through the filter. If worn correctly, the N95 respirator will filter out at least 95% of particles this size. An N95 respirator is more effective at filtering particles that are smaller or larger than 0.3 microns in size.

The N95 respirator filter, as is true for other NIOSH-approved respirators, is very effective at protecting people from the virus causing COVID-19. However, it is important for employers and workers to remember that the respirator only provides the expected protection when used correctly. Respirators, when required, must be used as part of a comprehensive, written respiratory protection program that meets the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.134 including requirements for medical evaluations, training, and fit testing. The Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for Healthcare also includes requirements for respiratory protection and a Mini Respiratory Protection Program. The Mini Respiratory Protection Program applies to specific circumstances specified under the ETS, generally when workers are not exposed to suspected or confirmed sources of COVID-19 but where respirator use could offer enhanced worker protection.

News media typically overhypes anything of the infectious variety of diseases.

Scary sounding articles make people read them more.

At the beginning of this thread I asked the question:
Has any progress been made on developing this type of highly effective masks for your little ones?

Well a lot has changed in the past 4 years and I believe the answer is now YES.

One of the problems with the pandemic 4 years ago when it struck was that they did not make an N95 masks for kids to protect them. In reality, they did not need one since children had special immunizes. But that was then and this is now. The current version of the latest virus is a combination of virus and bacteria. It is hitting China hard at the moment. But now the U.S. is making masks that will protect them. It is called KID95. This mask is manufactured by United States Mask.

According to the KID95 description: When safety matters, the Kid95 offers 95% particulate filtration from particles .3 microns and larger. We couldn't find an N95 for kids so we did the next best thing.

The Kid95 mask was made with the same materials, machinery, and tested to the same filtration and breathability requirements as our adult N95 respirator, except smaller.

Instead of ear loops that can hurt small ears, the Kid95 is made with a soft, no-snag and no-pull head straps. With protection in mind, we made the mask with the same soft liner found in our adult mask to form a comfortable seal on those smaller smiling faces.

KID95 Mask

My shipment of KID95s arrived a few minutes ago. I ordered 250 of these masks. This gave me a price of $1.05 each which included shipping and taxes. They are a nice looking small mask. I like them.

Last edited by jimmy m on 11 Dec 2023, 6:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

But what about the older children?

There is a very special N95 mask for older children and adults. It is called a Moldex 4200. There are many types of N95 masks. Some provide one way protections and some two way protection. This is a two way masks. Most 2 way mask are hard to use because they restrict air flow. I am older (3/4 of a century old) and it is hard for me to wear a 2 way mask because my lungs are not strong. But this particular mask is designed different because it uses a combination of ridges. So it is like not wearing a mask at all.

MOLDEX 4200 RESPIRATOR
Moldex AirWave Particulate Respirator 4200

I used this type of mask during the COVID pandemic. It is very easy to breath through. I purchased it from ULINE, a large supplier of commercial products. I called ULINE and asked if I could order some. They said it was out of production. That was such a wonderful product. I guess the best substitute is to use a normal N95 two way respirator mask.

If this next wave of an airborne plague, even an antibiotic resistant bacterial/viral plague), the approach which I successfully used during the COVID pandemic, may become a first line of defense against the next plague.

I came across an interesting article today. It seems like China has a long history of evolving new viruses.

Gao Yaojie, a pioneering Chinese public health advocate, died on Sunday at the age of 95 in exile, in New York City.

A trained gynecologist, Gao became well-known and beloved across China for her relentless activism in exposing a man-made AIDS crisis and for her educational work to remove the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.

In the 1990s, entire villages across central China had alarming numbers of people were testing positive for HIV. Many of these villages were in Henan province, where Gao had spent much of her childhood. Gao, who had by then retired, began investigating how the virus had entered China's countryside.

She discovered that AIDS was spreading through ramshackle blood transfusion centers set up with official government backing. They enticed poor farmers to donate blood, from which the valuable plasma could be extracted. Poor hygienic practices like unsterilized and repeated use of needles, as well as pooling blood from multiple donors that would be reinjected back into people let HIV — the virus that causes AIDS — to spread with deadly efficiency.

Gao was one of the first people to speak out publicly, allowing Chinese media outlets to eventually write about how the sale of blood plasma was spreading HIV/AIDS.

"My driving thought is: how can I save more people from dying of this disease?" Gao told Chinese filmmakers. "We each only live one life."

China's AIDS epidemic infected at least 1 million people starting in the late 1980s, by most accounts. (Gao herself has said that at least 10 million people were infected.)

Source: Gao Yaojie, a pioneering activist who exposed China's AIDS epidemic, dies at 95

[naturalplastic mentioned this correlation early on page 1 of this thread. He wrote: Sounds like the early stages of the AIDS epidemic. Gay men were getting weird diseases, but different weird diseases. Turned out later that it was the result of one disease undermining the immune system. ]

Apparently China is upgrading its face mask requirements against the current pandemic.

China CDC updates mask guidelines for seasonal respiratory illness

Mandatory mask-wearing scenarios
--- Individuals infected with respiratory infectious diseases such as COVID-19, influenza, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and respiratory syncytial virus, when entering indoor public spaces or coming into close contact with others (distance less than 1 meter).
--- Individuals experiencing symptoms of respiratory infectious diseases, including fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, when entering indoor public spaces or having close contact with others.
--- When visiting medical institutions for treatment, accompanying patients, or for caregiving and visiting purposes.
--- During periods of high prevalence of respiratory infectious diseases, when people enter vulnerable locations such as nursing homes, social welfare institutions, and childcare facilities.
--- During periods of high prevalence of respiratory infectious diseases, personnel in key institutions like nursing homes, social welfare institutions, childcare facilities, and schools.

Recommended mask-wearing scenarios
--- During periods of high prevalence of respiratory infectious diseases, when using public transportation such as airplanes, trains, long-distance buses, ships, subways, and buses.
--- During periods of high prevalence of respiratory infectious diseases, when entering enclosed and densely populated places like supermarkets, cinemas, passenger terminals, and enclosed elevators.
--- During periods of high prevalence of respiratory infectious diseases, elderly individuals, individuals with chronic underlying conditions, and pregnant women, when entering indoor public spaces.
--- During shared learning, living, or working periods with individuals showing symptoms of respiratory infectious diseases.

Scenarios where mask-wearing is not recommended
--- During physical exercise.
--- When in outdoor places such as open squares and parks.
--- Children aged 3 and below.

Mask selection

--- Respiratory infectious disease patients or symptomatic individuals are advised to wear N95 or KN95 particle protective masks (without exhalation valves) or medical protective masks. Others are recommended to wear disposable medical masks or surgical masks.

--- Children are advised to use children's protective masks.

Other considerations
--- Individuals may choose whether to wear masks based on their health conditions and needs, ensuring timely replacement.
--- Patients with cardiopulmonary functional impairments should wear masks under the guidance of a doctor.
--- Local disease control departments should promptly release information on local respiratory infectious disease epidemics, reminding the public to wear masks scientifically.

This advice is a step in the right direction. Many of the masks being used provide little-to-no safety from this type of disease. The real (not fake) N95s and probably even many of the KN95s can provide protection from this threat. One of the problems that I have observed in the photos from China is that many children are wearing masks, but they are the wrong masks. They will provide very little protection if any from this type of threat.

If you look at the image of people wearing masks in the article, you might notice that they are wearing the masks properly. The mask must cover both the mouth and nose. If kids wear masks they must make sure that they keep the mask over the nose when indoors or when traveling on school buses.

This is another webcast by Dr. John Campbell which analyzes one of the potential contributing factors in the current outbreak of this child pandemic in China. He is focusing on the need to ensure Vitamin A in children (either by eating foods high in Vitamin A or by taking dietary supplements).



The current pandemic in children which is hitting China very hard appears to be due to mycoplasma pneumoniae. This childhood pandemic may be partly due to poor levels of Vitamin A in China and Asia. If this is the case, then taking foods high in Vitamin A or adding Vitamin A supplements can optimize the immune system and minimize the outbreak.

One study out of Beijing, China, looked at the children coming in ill to hospitals and clinics. They found that 85% of the children under age 6 were vitamin A deficient, and 62.5 percent of the children over 6 years were deficient.

During the beginning of the COVID pandemic, it caught my attention and I began a post to investigate this new threat. I began the thread early in the pandemic on 22 January 2020.

Emergence of a Deadly Coronavirus

This thread grew rapidly. In the end, it produced 533 pages of discussion. Members on the site Wrong Planet discussed their viewpoints and we compared notes. Somewhere towards the end of March 2020, I had developed enough information and began to take steps to protect myself and my family from this new threat. That was around page 200 of this thread. Essentially this became the three key elements in protecting against the COVID infection.

Since this new pandemic that is currently striking China is similar to COVID, I decided to follow the same approach to combat the threat. We live in a world of many unknowns. But sometimes you have to hit the ground running. So the approach I will use will be a spinoff from the original thread. This is a Physics/Engineering/Construction Trade using the original COVID three part approach modified around the threat to children.

1. Utilizing highly protective masks (like N95s) when exposed within 50 feet of infected individuals. (Research showed that COVID was transmitted indoors to 50 feet.) This threat is primarily an indoor threat. But some outdoor areas such as school buses can become a breeding ground. [N95 masks were designed for adults and not small children.]

2. Utilizing purified air in indoor settings. This can be done by cleaning the air using UVC radiation to kill the virus/bacteria. This technology has been around for several decades. I also expect that high quality HEPA filters may also provide protection.

3. Maintaining indoor air humidity levels between 40 and 60 percent. The risk of infection is highly magnified as the humidity levels near 0-10% or when they near 90 to 100% range.

--------------------------------------------------------

When COVID struck, I realized by around March 2020 that N95 masks were an important part of the solution. But even at that time, the ideal approach was unusable. Why? Because N95 masks had been taken off the market. You couldn't buy one even if your life depended on it. And it did. I keep a lot of thinks for a rainy day. Perhaps I have an N95 somewhere. So I went searching everywhere to try and find one. I came across a box of 10 N95s stored in my garage. It was around 10 years old and had become very mildewed. Because of the thick mildew smell, I couldn't even wear them. So I spent two weeks, destroying the mildew without destroying the masks. I couldn't wash the mask in water, that would destroy its unique capability. It was an involved process but after 2 weeks I succeeded.

Now that gave me 10 masks for myself and my family and I was not going to get anymore. (These masks were off market for almost 2 years.) This meant that I had to purify the mask after each use using Ultraviolet Light (UVC). UV light covers a wavelength spectrum from 100 to 380 nm and is subdivided into three regions by wavelength: UVA (320 to 400 nm), UVB (280 to 320 nm), and UVC (200 to 280 nm). This type of device had been on the market for many years. I purchased one manufactured by Security Knight Q3.

According to the supplier:
This Security Knight Q3 - UVC Sterilizer Disinfection Box with Ozone is equipped with an ultraviolet ray sterilization lamp that will emit ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of 185 nm to kill bacteria and viruses by destroying or changing the DNA structure of the microorganism through irradiation. Under the function of ultraviolet rays, bacteria and viruses will die immediately or become incapable of reproduction. In this way, the objective of disinfection is achieved. Ultraviolet rays also will turn oxygen in the air into ozone which is provided with high oxidizability and capable of killing bacteria, viruses and microorganisms.

The device was fairly easy to use. I would place the mask into the unit when I returned home, close the lid, and press the start button. It took around 10 minutes to purify the mask.

Since I had only a very limited supply of these masks, I had to use a single mask for as long as possible. I used my first mask for 3 months before it became so ratty that I had to discard it in the trash.



For the current threat, one of the main problems was that they do not make N95 masks for children. At least 4 years ago when COVID began, they did not make this mask. But a manufacturer called United States Mask is manufacturing a mask for small children called KID95 Mask, that meets the testing requirement of an N95. They are on the market. I purchased a box of 250 of these masks at a reduced price of around $1.05 each and it arrived yesterday.

The KID95 Masks are for small children. Normal size N95 masks can be used for the older children. These masks if reused using UVC to purify them after each use can support a large number of children for a long time.

The children will have to wear the mask when inside the buildings. This includes school building. And they have to wear the mask for the entire time when indoors. They cannot remove the mask to eat lunch inside the school. They have to eat outdoors. Also they need to wear the mask when traveling in vehicles such as school buses.

During COVID, when I was traveling around I never removed my mask when I was indoors. I would eat at a restaurant and people would get their meal and take off there mask and eat. Early studies showed COVID could travel and infect people 50 foot away in indoor settings. As a result, we never ate indoors at restaurants. We would take our meal and eat outside, even in the cold.

There were three steps in protecting me and my family from COVID. Because I purified my air in my home, masks were not needed inside my home. They were only used indoors at other locations.

Since this new pandemic that is currently striking China is similar to COVID, I decided to follow the same approach to combat the threat. We live in a world of many unknowns. But sometimes you have to hit the ground running. So the approach I will use will be a spinoff from the original thread. This is a Physics/Engineering/Construction Trade using the original COVID three part approach modified around the threat to children.

1. Utilizing highly protective masks (like N95s) when exposed within 50 feet of infected individuals. (Research showed that COVID was transmitted indoors to 50 feet.) This threat is primarily an indoor threat. But some outdoor areas such as school buses can become a breeding ground. [N95 masks were designed for adults and not small children.]

2. Utilizing purified air in indoor settings. This can be done by cleaning the air using UVC radiation to kill the virus/bacteria. This technology has been around for several decades. I also expect that high quality HEPA filters may also provide protection.

3. Maintaining indoor air humidity levels between 40 and 60 percent. The risk of infection is highly magnified as the humidity levels near 0-10% or when they near 90 to 100% range.

--------------------------------------------------------------

So now I will discuss the second part of the process that my family and I used to combat the COVID pandemic and apply it to the unknown virus/bacteria infection currently hitting Chinese children.

This second step is cleaning the indoor air using UVC radiation to kill this unknown virus/bacteria. This type of device has existed for at least two decades and is readily available.

During the COVID pandemic I used a small device that I bought at the start of the COVID epidemic to purify the air within my rooms using Ultra Violet (UV-C) light.

http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Purifier.jpg

It is called an OION B-1000 air purifier. I bought several of these and scattered them around my house and ran them for the last 3 years (24/7). I used these continuously except when I cleaned the interior components once per month. It used very little electricity and it was a very quiet device. And they worked just fine. They also make one called the S-3000 and this is a great device also. So if you want to protect yourself from any of the variants of COVID or the next type of air born virus/bacteria infection, this would be my suggestion. Several types of these purifiers exist on the market today. I found this one to be special because it was minimal cost (~$60), minimal electricity usage, and minimal noise.

They also make this type of device for a whole house. They are installed inside the existing HVAC (Heating and Air Conditioning System). (Pure Whole House UV-C Light HVAC system) I bought my youngest daughter one of these for her house and had it installed inside her existing HVAC system.

In the last few years there have been technological advances in HEPA filter air purifier systems. These units purify air in my opinion even beyond that offered by UVC systems. I purchased a few and have been trying out this technology for the past year.

One of these HEPA filters is called a Sharp Model HC455.

Shark 3-in-1 Air Purifier, Heater & Fan with NanoSeal HEPA

The other unit is called a Comfort Zone Model CZAP602SWT.

Comfort Zone Clean CZAP602SWT 3-Speed, Smart WiFi, True HEPA Air Purifier with Built-In UV-C Disinfection Light

Last edited by jimmy m on 13 Dec 2023, 11:56 am, edited 1 time in total.

Since this new pandemic that is currently striking China is similar to COVID, I decided to follow the same approach to combat the threat. We live in a world of many unknowns. But sometimes you have to hit the ground running. So the approach I will use will be a spinoff from the original thread. This is a Physics/Engineering/Construction Trade using the original COVID three part approach modified around the threat to children.

1. Utilizing highly protective masks (like N95s) when exposed within 50 feet of infected individuals. (Research showed that COVID was transmitted indoors to 50 feet.) This threat is primarily an indoor threat. But some outdoor areas such as school buses can become a breeding ground. [N95 masks were designed for adults and not small children.]

2. Utilizing purified air in indoor settings. This can be done by cleaning the air using UVC radiation to kill the virus/bacteria. This technology has been around for several decades. I also expect that high quality HEPA filters may also provide protection.

3. Maintaining indoor air humidity levels between 40 and 60 percent. The risk of infection is highly magnified as the humidity levels near 0-10% or when they near 90 to 100% range.

--------------------------------------------------------------

So now I will discuss the third part of the process that my family and I used to combat the COVID pandemic and apply it to the unknown virus/bacteria infection currently hitting Chinese children.

Maintaining indoor air humidity levels between 40 and 60 percent. The risk of infection is highly magnified as the humidity levels near 0-10% or when they near 90 to 100% range.

COVID would strike different areas of the world at different times of year. It might strike areas of China in the winter and other areas of the world such as India during the summer. There is a reason for that. It is air humidity. During the winter months, the indoor humidity levels would approach zero in cold climates. It would strike warm humid climates during the hot summer months of the year.

The reason why the U.S. was hit so hard during this pandemic was because of our building design. Our houses are very well insulated. They require minimal energy to keep the temperatures warm in the winter months in the northern parts of the U.S. THEY ARE WELL SEALED. But our homes and offices generally do not try and maintain indoor humidity levels within the air between 40 and 60 percent. As a result many homes and business hit extremely low levels of humidity during the winter. You can easily detect this when you try and touch something metal indoors during the winter and get a small electrical shock. The lower the indoor humidity becomes during winter, the greater the ability of airborne viruses and bacteria to spread.

There are many easy solutions to this problem. For example, I heat my home with a high efficient wood stove. I have heated my home for over 40 years burning firewood which comes from cutting and splitting dead trees on my property. To solve the low humidity problem during the winter, I simply use a small humidifier. There are a variety of humidifiers available in the U.S. that can maintain indoor air humidity levels over winter.

In the summer months in the southern part of the U.S., humidity levels can become very high in some regions. But most homes/businesses/schools have air conditioners which keep temperature down BUT ALSO KEEP INDOOR HUMIDITY AT TOLERABLY LEVELS. This is not the case for other areas of the world such as parts of India.