Dutch Discussion on Public transport - Revision history

Bosmana: /* 1. EASA protocol */

2020-06-13T14:24:27Z

‎1. EASA protocol

Bosmana at 14:22, 13 June 2020

2020-06-13T14:22:34Z

Bosmana: /* Issue */

2020-06-13T14:10:14Z

‎Issue

Bosmana: /* References */

2020-06-13T14:08:09Z

‎References

Bosmana: /* Conclusion */

2020-06-13T14:07:57Z

‎Conclusion

Bosmana at 14:07, 13 June 2020

2020-06-13T14:07:27Z

Bosmana: /* Issue */

2020-06-13T13:57:25Z

‎Issue

Bosmana: /* Issue */

2020-06-13T13:32:53Z

‎Issue

Bosmana: /* Issue */

2020-06-13T13:30:48Z

‎Issue

Bosmana at 13:29, 13 June 2020

2020-06-13T13:29:19Z

@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
 However, they then continue:
-“ Because the passengers have previously been troubled by health complaints, this concerns the use of nose caps to prevent or reduce the small chance of pre-symptomatic transmission of the SARSCoV2. For the same reason, cabin crew members may also be advised to use non-medical nose caps for use in the cabin.”
+“ Because the passengers have previously been checked for Symptoms, this concerns the use of Face masks to prevent or reduce the small chance of pre-symptomatic transmission of the SARSCoV2. For the same reason, cabin crew members may also be advised to use non-medical masks for use in the cabin.”
 That contradicts the EASA guideline, that advise crew face masks “with the quality meeting at least surgical standards”
 The Dutch ministry does not clarify the scientific rationale (nor reference) for this deviation.
 ==2. ECDC Technical Report==

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 # ''the possibility of rapid contact detection if a passenger or crew member subsequently appears to have had COVID-19 among the members.''
-''Where a distance of 1.5 meters cannot be maintained in aircraft, contact between passengers and crew must be limited and, in accordance with the chosen policy in public transport, the wearing of a non-medical mouth cap can be considered.”''
+''Where a distance of 1.5 meters cannot be maintained in aircraft, contact between passengers and crew must be limited and, in accordance with the chosen policy in public transport, the wearing of a non-medical mouth cap can be considered.”'' (This is actually against ECDC guidelines: read below)
 And specifies that;
@@ Line 57: / Line 56: @@
 What does this mean? In a standard seat configuration of a Boeing 737 or Airbus 320/321, where there are 6 seats per row (2x3), there should be a seat open between occupied seats, except for members of the same household.
-Such seat configurations are currently fully booked, according to Dutch journalists.
+Such seat configurations are currently fully booked, according to Dutch journalists.<ref>NRC. 6 June 2020. [https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2020/06/06/het-nieuwe-vliegen-met-mondkapje-op-middelste-stoel-a4001959 Het Nieuwe Vliegen met mondkapje op middelste stoel.]</ref>
 In line with this, the Dutch Ministry of Health considerations (12 June 2020) state:

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 The advice had 3 main scientific references:
-# COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocol. [https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/EASA-ECDC_COVID-19_Operational%20guidelines%20for%20management%20of%20passengers_final.pdf Guidance for the management of airline passengers in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Issue no: 1.1 Issue date: 21/05/2020.]
+# COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocol. [https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/EASA-ECDC_COVID-19_Operational%20guidelines%20for%20management%20of%20passengers_final.pdf Guidance for the management of airline passengers in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Issue no: 1.1 Issue date: 21/05/2020.] <ref> COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocol. Guidance for the management of airline passengers in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Issue no: 1.1 Issue date: 21/05/2020</ref>
-# European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. [https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Considerations-related-to-measures-for-travellers-reduce-spread-COVID-19-in-EUEEA.pdf Considerations for travel-related measures to reduce spread of COVID-19 in the EU/EEA. ECDC: Stockholm; 2020.]
+# European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. [https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Considerations-related-to-measures-for-travellers-reduce-spread-COVID-19-in-EUEEA.pdf Considerations for travel-related measures to reduce spread of COVID-19 in the EU/EEA. ECDC: Stockholm; 2020.] <ref> ECDC Technical Report. Considerations for travel-related measures to reduce spread of COVID-19 in the EU/EEA. ECDC: Stockholm; 2020</ref>
-# [https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/infectious-diseases-transmitted-on-aircrafts-ragida-risk-assessment-guidelines.pdf RAGIDA MERS-CoV].
+# [https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/infectious-diseases-transmitted-on-aircrafts-ragida-risk-assessment-guidelines.pdf RAGIDA MERS-CoV].<ref>Risk Assessment Guidelines for Infectious Diseases in Aircrafts (RAGIDA) - MERS-CoV. By ECDC, January 2020</ref>
 This issue behind the government guidance, is that it fails to make transparent what the scientific advice says, and what decision the policy makers have taken. On this page, I try to disentangle the matter.
@@ Line 131: / Line 131: @@
 This makes it even more remarkable that current journalist reports mention fully packed flights, with no spare seats between travellers.
 The chair of the Dutch Outbreak Management Team has even been recorded to have said during an interview that “flight tickets would become too expensive” if you force airlines to keep empty seats in between. Remarkable, as this is not a scientific argument, but a political one.
 =Conclusion=

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:08, 13 June 2020
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	=References=		=References=
−	</~~references~~>	+	<references/>

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:07, 13 June 2020
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	* The Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, together with the Minister for Public Health advise the Dutch parliament that Distancing measures in airplanes are not necessary, according to the Considerations on COVID9 by the Ministry of Health		* The Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, together with the Minister for Public Health advise the Dutch parliament that Distancing measures in airplanes are not necessary, according to the Considerations on COVID9 by the Ministry of Health
	* The Considerations on COVID9 by the Ministry of Health do not seem to include such conclusion: on the contrary, they acknowledge that distancing is a key principle in COVID19 prevention. Yet, these considerations fail to include the most relevant conclusion by ECDC on travel-related COVID19 risk: no matter how many preventive measures you take, travel will always increase COVID19 risk. And the fewer measures, the higher the risk. Omission of distancing cannot be compensated by other measures.		* The Considerations on COVID9 by the Ministry of Health do not seem to include such conclusion: on the contrary, they acknowledge that distancing is a key principle in COVID19 prevention. Yet, these considerations fail to include the most relevant conclusion by ECDC on travel-related COVID19 risk: no matter how many preventive measures you take, travel will always increase COVID19 risk. And the fewer measures, the higher the risk. Omission of distancing cannot be compensated by other measures.
		+
		+
		+	=References=
		+	</references>

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 =Issue=
-On 12 June, the Dutch Government decided that airline travel could commence operations as usual, based on scientific advice from the Dutch Ministry of Health.
+On 12 June, the Dutch Government decided that airline travel could commence operations as usual, based on scientific advice from the Dutch Ministry of Health.<ref>[https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/rapporten/2020/06/12/advies-luchtvaart-covid-19 Kamerbrief Over COVID19 en Luchtvaart.] 12 juni 2020</ref>
-The advice had 3 main references:
+The advice had 3 main scientific references:
 # COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocol. [https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/EASA-ECDC_COVID-19_Operational%20guidelines%20for%20management%20of%20passengers_final.pdf Guidance for the management of airline passengers in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Issue no: 1.1 Issue date: 21/05/2020.]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 # COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocol. [https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/EASA-ECDC_COVID-19_Operational%20guidelines%20for%20management%20of%20passengers_final.pdf Guidance for the management of airline passengers in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Issue no: 1.1 Issue date: 21/05/2020.]
 # European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. [https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Considerations-related-to-measures-for-travellers-reduce-spread-COVID-19-in-EUEEA.pdf Considerations for travel-related measures to reduce spread of COVID-19 in the EU/EEA. ECDC: Stockholm; 2020.]
-# RAGIDA MERS-CoV.
+# [https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/infectious-diseases-transmitted-on-aircrafts-ragida-risk-assessment-guidelines.pdf RAGIDA MERS-CoV].
 This issue behind the government guidance, is that it fails to make transparent what the scientific advice says, and what decision the policy makers have taken. On this page, I try to disentangle the matter.
@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 * “Although the effect of the ventilation systems in aircraft on the transfer of COVID-19 has not been scientifically investigated, it is plausible that these vertical air flows with purified air and high ventilation rate limit the risk of possible transfer of SARS-CoV-2 between passengers. These ventilation systems must be used optimally for this, which means that they must be operational from the boarding of the passengers until all passengers have disembarked and that they must be regularly checked for operability.”
-However, this document by the Ministry of Health completely ignores the key message of the ECDC Technical Reports that it refers to: Travelling Increases COVID19 risks, even when full interventions are in place.
+However, this document by the Ministry of Health omits the key message of the ECDC Technical Reports that it refers to: Travelling Increases COVID19 risks, even when full interventions are in place.
 For a Ministry of Health Guidance, that would have been an appropriate conclusion to start with, or at least to include.
 ==1. EASA protocol==
@@ Line 101: / Line 110: @@
 ===Contact Tracing===
 The ECDC Technical Report is also quite explicit in terms of relevant contact tracing when COVID19 occurs while travelling:
 “Contact tracing is a core public health measure, which aims to rapidly identify persons who have been in contact with a case, in order to reduce further onward transmission. ECDC‘s technical report Contact tracing: public health management of persons, including healthcare workers, having had contact with COVID-19 cases in the European Union - second update outlines the key steps of contact tracing.
@@ Line 109: / Line 119: @@
 When a traveller develops symptoms upon arrival at the destination or during his/her stay, testing, diagnosis, isolation and contact tracing will take place in accordance with the local practice. Public health authorities will communicate with public health authorities in the country of origin if necessary for the purposes of contact tracing and this can be done via the Early Warning and Response System (EWRS). The follow-up of contacts in the country of origin are the responsibility of the public health authorities in that country. Fellow travellers exposed to a probable or confirmed case during travel should be followed-up by the public health authorities in the country where the traveller is staying.'' “

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 * “''The risk of transmission of SARS-Cov-2 during an air journey and its consequences for the Dutch epidemic can be limited by:''
-# ''not to travel if you have symptoms; ‘’
+# ''not to travel if you have symptoms;''
-# ‘’dissemination of good information about infection risks in advance; ‘’
+# ''dissemination of good information about infection risks in advance;''
-# ‘’a triage / health check immediately before the flight; ‘’
+# ''a triage / health check immediately before the flight;''
-# ‘’adhering to strict hygiene; ‘’
+# ''adhering to strict hygiene;''
-# ‘’optimal use of the 1.5 meters distance from each other and where this proves impossible, following a policy as implemented by public transport in view of the specific ventilation in the flight cabin; ‘’
+# ''optimal use of the 1.5 meters distance from each other and where this proves impossible, following a policy as implemented by public transport in view of the specific ventilation in the flight cabin;''
-# ‘’perform adequate cleaning between air travel;’’
+# ''perform adequate cleaning between air travel;''
-# ‘’the possibility of rapid contact detection if a passenger or crew member subsequently appears to have had COVID-19 among the members.''
+# ''the possibility of rapid contact detection if a passenger or crew member subsequently appears to have had COVID-19 among the members.''
 ''Where a distance of 1.5 meters cannot be maintained in aircraft, contact between passengers and crew must be limited and, in accordance with the chosen policy in public transport, the wearing of a non-medical mouth cap can be considered.”''