Every summer I repost this article on how to spot drowning. Please read it and pass on. In the last few years I’ve had SIX messages from people who saved a kid’s life after clicking on the link from my feed. slate.com/technology/2...

Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Drowning is not the violent, splashing call for help that most people expect.

slate.com

The gap between medicine and science was cruelly exposed in the Covid-19 pandemic. The former is supposed to be based on the latter but infection prevention control were locked into a wrong interpretation of transmission that ultimately led to greater suffering and more deaths. Nice thread on this..

Dr Satoshi Akima, FRACP@toshiakima.bsky.social · 3mo ago

It’s odd why medicine doesn’t get the engineering principles behind respiratory protective equipment. “But there’s no RCT to prove the predictions made by aerosol physics have clinical impact”.

The Andes hantavirus has been detected in saliva which means that airborne transmission is feasible and indeed likely. The precautionary principle should be applied - treat as airborne unless proven otherwise. Use respirator masks, ventilation and air filters. www.bmj.com/content/393/...

Hantavirus outbreak should reset WHO’s default approach to airborne risk

The multinational outbreak of Andes hantavirus (ANDV) linked to cruise ship travel should prompt the World Health Organization (WHO) to change its default response to the risk of airborne transmission of the virus. Hantavirus is a pathogen with documented person-to-person transmission and high case fatality. Therefore, the starting point should not be to downplay the risk of airborne transmission until it is definitively proven. The starting point should be the immediate adoption of precautionary measures to reduce airborne transmission, such as respirator use by healthcare workers, cases, and close contacts; ventilation optimisation; avoidance of unfiltered air recirculation; and portable HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filtration in all enclosed quarantine and transport settings. On 8 May 2026, WHO issued several documents that point in different directions. A Disease Outbreak News report acknowledged possible person-to-person transmission, but largely framed precautions around droplet and contact transmission outside aerosol generating procedures.1 By contrast, WHO’s guidance for managing contacts of Andes virus cases and disembarkation from the cruise ship adopted much more precautionary measures, including quarantine, universal respirator use during disembarkation, respirators for healthcare workers …

bmj.com

Public health messaging we need to hear: "We acknowledge that we were wrong about COVID not being airborne. We've learned from that. We no longer assume the same with new outbreaks and we employ the precautionary principle until we have clear evidence that airborne mitigations are not required."

Great to see this initiative led by the Clean Air Advocacy group in Ireland 🙌 Delivering clean air in classrooms is critical for health and wellbeing, and also improves student performance.

Clean Air Advocacy Ireland @cleanairie.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Huge congratulations to students & staff in Scoil Naomh Bríd in Muff, Co. Donegal on being the first school in Ireland to pilot the introduction of air filters in every classroom. It is inspiring to see what is possible when community leaders work together to make this pioneering vision a reality.

Huge congratulations to students & staff in Scoil Naomh Bríd in Muff, Co. Donegal on being the first school in Ireland to pilot the introduction of air filters in every classroom. It is inspiring to see what is possible when community leaders work together to make this pioneering vision a reality.

This rare cloud-free image of Ireland, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites on 29 April 2026, provides an exceptional view of the island, revealing its surface in full spring detail. eu-space.europa.eu/components/e...

In the #TownAir project, we are currently investigating air pollution in Ennis, Co. Clare. Our low cost sensor network has identified pollution hotspots and provides the local authority with actionable information to drive improvements in air quality and public health. share.google/1NDhvHqJi1tR...

UCC Researchers Tackle Air Pollution in the TownAir Project  | University College Cork

Learn, Study and Research in UCC, Ireland's first 5 star university. Our tradition of independent thinking will prepare you for the world and the workplace in a vibrant, modern, green campus.

share.google

Street corner in Cork city

It was such a privilege and so refreshing to attend a conference and workshop dedicated to the topic of clean air in classrooms and to actually experience excellent air quality while doing so. Thanks to the organisers @ucc.ie for hosting the event.

Vaping introduces hundreds of chemicals directly into the mouth and lungs. Thesw chemicals also enter the bloodstream and are transported throughout the body. So it comes as no surprise that vaping is bad for you.

IFLScience@iflscience.com · 4mo ago

A comprehensive review covering studies published from 2017-2025 concludes that vapes probably cause cancer in their own right. www.iflscience.com/vaping-proba...

We held a public event in Ennis, County Clare to talk about our air monitoring project #TownAir. Results confirmed coal burning as the dominant source of PM2.5 and a sensor network identified older residential areas as pollution hotspots. Stop 🔥 for cleaner air. clareherald.com/news/energy-...

Ennis air quality investigated by TownAir Project Team - The Clare Herald

Clare County Council have teamed up with researchers from University of Galway and University College Cork in a new research project to investigate air quality in Ennis. The TownAir project, funded by...

clareherald.com

I’d rather live next to wind turbines and solar panels.

Large oil refinery explosion near Texas coast forces residents to shelter in place

Officials say a large explosion at an oil refinery near the Texas coast has shot plumes of smoke into the air and forced nearby residents to shelter in place.

apnews.com

Good article highlighting research from colleagues in Ireland. Low smoke solid fuels intended to replace coal and wood may have a worse impact on health because they produce a higher number of more dangerous ultrafine particles.

Dr Gary Fuller@drgaryfuller.bsky.social · 5mo ago

For each kilogram burned, the low-smoke fuels produced between two and three times more ultrafine particles than wood or coal. Investigation by @ovadnevaite.bsky.social My latest for @theguardian.com on UFP from smokeless and low-smoke fuels. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Warning⚠️ Irish air quality to decline in next few days - caused by spreading agricultural fertilisers during stagnant weather conditions. and Increased concentration of tree pollen from birch and alder trees also play a part #airpollution #airquality www.rte.ie/news/europe/...

CAMS warns air quality to deteriorate over coming days

The European Union body that monitors atmospheric conditions has warned that air quality across several European countries, including Ireland, will deteriorate over the next few days.

rte.ie

Happy St Patrick's Day 🇮🇪

Good to see this information board in the entrance to UCC Library raising awareness of indoor environmental quality. Fresh air and comfortable temperatures improve study performance, while controlled humidity looks after all those books & archives. @ucc.ie @ucclibrary.bsky.social

Great to see Loctite replace the plastic packaging with card. More of this please!

Just when you think you've seen the most brain-dead hysterical media reporting on nonsensical anti-renewables "fears" whipped up on deranged Facebook groups, along comes the epic nonsense below:

Tess Finch Lees: From the Winter Olympics to Nasa, wearing masks is back – except when it comes to our hospitals. Respirator masks (FFP2/N95) should be mandatory in hospitals and other healthcare settings when covid and flu are in the air. www.independent.ie/opinion/comm...

Tess Finch Lees: From the Winter Olympics to Nasa, wearing masks is back – except when it comes to our hospitals

Masks are back: at the Olympics, at Nasa and with A-listers.

independent.ie

1. Outstanding article from Tess Finch Lees: 'Meanwhile, when asked why she’s masking during chemo, Meg now says, “I’m training for the Olympics” '. Please click on the paywalled link first, archived link in next post. Also consider sharing. m.independent.ie/opinion/comm...

Tess Finch Lees: From the Winter Olympics to Nasa, wearing masks is back – except when it comes to our hospitals

Masks are back: at the Olympics, at Nasa and with A-listers.

m.independent.ie

Last day to submit to Ireland's Clean Air Strategy here: ziply.pk/o7hDzg Our submission to the Public Consultation on Ireland's Clean Air Strategy is available here: www.cleanairadvocacyireland.org/clean-air-bl... #CleanAir #IndoorAirQuality #PublicHealth #Speirgorm

Clean Air, Strategy, Policy, Public Health, Indoor Air Quality, PM2.5, CO2, Ventilation, HEPA — Clean Air Advocacy Ireland

As most people spend 90% of their time indoors, we must consider and include our indoor environments as part of our environment when developing a National Clean Air Strategy.

cleanairadvocacyireland.org

Just been asked to moderate panels at a big event with a high ticket price. But "sorry, they cannot offer a fee" to the moderators who make it possible. I didn't say no because of the money for me, but because of the exploitative business model (similar to academic publishing). This needs to stop.

Did you know that Norovirus can be spread through the air? It occurs when infected people 🤮 There is a surge in noroviral infections in Ireland right now, so we've published this blog with tips on how to avoid #airborne transmission of Norovirus. www.cleanairadvocacyireland.org/clean-air-bl...

Norovirus Can Spread Through The Air — Clean Air Advocacy Ireland

Here are some tips for avoiding it.

cleanairadvocacyireland.org

Good thread explaining a novel measurement based approach for assessing the risk of airborne transmission of infectious diseases.

Al Haddrell@ukhadds.bsky.social · 6mo ago

The risk of the airborne transmission of disease correlates with the amount of infectious exhaled aerosol. Since people exhale CO2 with aerosol, its conc has been used as proxy for exhaled aerosol In this article, researchers propose a new way to estimate risk of transmission

Alpine areas are heating up faster than the rest of the planet: all the cities that staged the #WinterGames since 1950 have heated up in the years since by an average of 2.7C, according to scientists. That’s well above 1.4C, the warming average for the entire planet www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...

Winter Olympics Faces New Climate Reality

Unpredictable conditions are limiting where it’s physically and financially possible to host the Winter Olympics.

bloomberg.com

Air pollution particles don't just enter your lungs, they attach themselves to red blood cells and move around the whole body. We don't breathe them out, so pollution accumulates in the body causing organ damage, dementia and more. Reduce emissions and clear the air. www.bbc.com/news/article...

I inhaled traffic fumes to find out where air pollution goes in my body

BBC health correspondent James Gallagher gets his blood analysed to understand how air pollution is killing us.

bbc.com

New research paper on transmission of respiratory viruses in schools. Results - extended periods spent in poorly ventilated classrooms are a stronger driver of within-school transmission than individual contact rates. Solution - monitor air quality and ensure classrooms are well ventilated.

James Munday@jdmunday.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Our paper modelling transmission risk in schools is published in Nature Communications. **The relative contribution of close-proximity contacts, shared classroom exposure and indoor air quality to respiratory virus transmission in schools** doi.org/10.1038/s414...

What a wildly stupid idea. Mandatory helmets and high viz is a proven remedy to reduce the number of people cycling. It effectively kills off things like Dublin Bikes. That's why no other EU country does anything like this. Pure madness.

IrishCycle.com@irishcycle.com · 6mo ago

All bicycles included in draft plan for mandatory helmets and high-vis, Department confirms irishcycle.com/2026/02/04/a...

Air pollution joins Europe’s list of cancer risks. Limit your exposure by choosing public transport, walking or cycling instead of driving, opting for low-traffic routes when exercising outdoors, keeping homes free of smoke by avoiding the burning of coal or wood airqualitynews.com/headlines/ai...

Air pollution joins Europe’s list of cancer risks

Air pollution has today (4th February) been formally recognised as a cancer risk in Europe for the first time, after being added to the European Code Against Cancer. The update appears in the fifth ed...

airqualitynews.com