Wednesday, April 8, 2020

The Importance of Viral Dose

The importance of viral dose is being overlooked in discussions of the coronavirus. As with any other "poisons", viruses are usually more dangerous in larger amounts. Small initial exposures tend to lead to mild or asymptomatic infections, while larger doses can be lethal.
From a policy perspective, we need to consider that not all exposures to the coronavirus may be the same. Stepping into an office building that once had someone with the coronavirus in it is not as dangerous as sitting next to that infected person for an hour long train commute.