Passenger Trains > CDC Guidelines for mass transit operators

The Center for Disease Control has issued a revised set of guidelines for bars, restaurants, day care centers, and mass transit to apply as they resume post COVID-19 operations.  The rules support our President's efforts to open up America, and the CDC's concern that any opening up be done in a scientifically appropriate way.  The first two dozen pages list situations which are considered supportive of expanded reopenings, and criteria. Some of the criteria are already moot, like opening day care centers for the children of first responders first, followed by children of essential employees, etc.

The mass transit section begins on page 57, and focuses on intense cleaning of surfaces. Doors, card readers, grab rails, seats, push rails, etc. At a minimum, between runs, better on an ongoing basis.Testing operators and persons in contact with passengers at least daily, minimizing physical contact like handling money, credit cards, etc. Cleaning and assuring safety in shared spaces like crew rooms or locker space. Also, a suggestion that (bus?) routes be tailored to avoid transferring people from areas with high rates of infections to areas with lower rates, etc.

(edited for typo)

The cdc.gov site has a coronavirus section, the document is listed there

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/php/CDC-Activities-Initiatives-for-COVID-19-Response.pdf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/20 07:20 by Lackawanna484.

Discalimer: In no way am I pretending to be an expert or giving advice - just my observations.

https://www.kron4.com/health/coronavirus/cdc-covid-19-spreads-mainly-person-to-person-not-easily-in-other-ways/

I have read this update which is seemingly glossed over in news  that getting the virus from touching something is not common. They can clean the handrails all they want but if the train is crowded, people crowd at entrance to cars to get on and off that is where the problem comes in.  In Illinois you cannot touch the flagpole in golf because you cn get the virus. This isn't science.
This is an indoor people to people disease from what I have read.

The same  goes or outdoor transmission.  this article like others I have read gets into the dose required to get infected--
ttps://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/4/24/21233226/coronavirus-runners-cyclists-airborne-infectious-dose

'Rasmussen and Kasten both noted that a perfect sequence of events has to happen for a virus to jump from an infected passerby outdoors to you. The particles — enough of them to be able to kickstart an infection — have to spray out of the passerby with enough force to make their way over to you. The virus inside the particles has to survive while sunlight, humidity, wind, and other forces work to decay and disperse them. The particles have to land right in your upper throat or respiratory tract — or on your hands, which you then use to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth — and they have to get past all the barriers to infection in the respiratory system, like nose hairs and mucus. Then they have to dock up with your cells’ ACE-2 receptors and use them to enter the cells. "

Everyone know where the disease has spread, not going thru that but it spread like wildire in New York in March, I think the beach and even park use was limited.  Yet everyone freaks out because there are people at the park.  In addition, the mask wearing.  I wear an N-95 mask and breathing is restricted.   Many people have a reduced oxygen level and wearing a mask can present a risk, maybe not or people with 100 or 99 pct  but when I went to cardiac rehab, many people were starting out an 95-97 pct so you are at a low leve to start. My level is 100 pct but I don't go around with a mask all the time.

https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/does-wearing-face-mask-increase-co2-levels

Bob

By no means am I any medical expert, but here is an observation:

Doctors and nurses are in contact with sick people all the time. People with all kinds of sickness: Covid, Flu, E-Coli, strep throat, bronchitis, HIV, Hepatitis, etc. 

They wear masks, wear gloves, and wash, wash, wash their hands. For the most part, they live healthy, productive lives, despite constant exposure to all kinds of bad things. 

It's safe to commute by mass transit, go to the store, go to the dentist, or go to the office, you just have to be smart. Wear a mask. Wear gloves. Don't touch your face, wash hands frequently, and don't lick any door knobs.  

It seems like Covid-19 is most serious with the elderly, and people with respiratory or underlying health issues. Just like the common flu but stronger and more transmittable. 

I have no problem with people who want to avoid risk at all costs and barricade themselves at home until there is a vaccine. That is their right and their decision. I do have a problem with the government preventing responsible citizens from getting haircuts, buying a new car, playing golf, etc. I don't see how we can criticize business owners and responsible citizens from protesting the government shutdown while places like Walmart are packed with people on the weekends. Yet, the corner barber shop owner can't allow 1 or 2 customers at a time in his shop if he chooses to accept the risk of possibly coming in contact with an asymptomatic customer. 

Mass transit was a petri dish before Covid-19, during, and always will be. You can submerge a bus in Lysol before it leaves the depot in the morning. After the first or second run, its going to be dirty and have all kinds of bacteria and viruses on the high-touch surface areas. Gross people always have and always will ride mass transit. It comes with the turf. You just have to be smart and take precautions. 

Life is full of risks and challenges. We recognize them, mitigate them as best we can, and keep moving forward. 

A famous politician once said, "never let a good crisis go to waste". Fear is an easy tool for crowd control. 

Just completely goofy since transit operations never shut down. Are they serious thinking someone will clean surfaces between runs? That will never happen.