Plexiglass Barriers At Harris-Pence Debate 'Are A Joke,' Won't Stop Coronavirus, Medical Experts Say

[appalachiablue]

Last edited Wed Oct 7, 2020, 09:14 PM - Edit history (2)

Source: CNBC

The Commission on Presidential Debates is taking extra precautions at Wednesday night's vice presidential debate given the coronavirus outbreak in the White House, but pictures of two curved plexiglass barriers they plan to use has some epidemiologists and airborne pathogen specialists scratching their heads.

Vice President Mike Pence, a Republican, and Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democrat, will be seated more than 12 feet apart and separated by two plexiglass barriers. But those barriers are "entirely symbolic," according to Dr. Bill Schaffner, an epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University.

The commission became worried after President Donald Trump and several White House staff contracted Covid-19 shortly after last Tuesday's presidential debate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Pence was not in "close contact" with Trump, who announced that he was infected with the virus early Friday morning.

Nonetheless, a person familiar with the debate planning told NBC News that Harris' campaign asked for the plexiglass to be used at the event at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The plexiglass is "minimal protection," Schaffner said in a phone interview, adding that the barriers are mostly "cosmetic."...

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/07/plexiglass-barriers-at-pence-harris-debate-are-a-joke-wont-stop-coronavirus-medical-experts-say.html

---

He added added that barriers are one part of a "layered approach" that includes testing and distancing of everyone on stage. Attendees are required to wear a mask and there will be no handshake or physical greeting between Pence and Harris. Combined, the steps have likely reduced the risk of spread occurring.



- Workers make adjustments to newly installed plexiglass barriers on the stage ahead of the vice presidential debate in Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah on Oct. 06, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah.



*NYT, 'Plexiglass Barriers Won't Stop the Virus At the Debate, Experts Warn'
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/plexiglass-barriers-won-t-stop-the-virus-at-the-debate-experts-warn/ar-BB19NESX

..Linsey Marr, an expert on airborne viruses at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., laughed outright when she saw a picture of the debate setup. “It’s absurd,” she said. When she first heard there would be plexiglass barriers, Dr. Marr said, she had imagined an enclosure with an open back or top: “But these are even smaller and less adequate than I imagined.”

Other experts said the barriers might have made some sense if the debaters were to be seated close together. “Those plexiglass barriers are really only going to be effective if the vice president or Kamala Harris are spitting at each other,” said Ellie Murray, an epidemiologist at Boston University. “Those are really just splatter shields.”...

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



- 3rd Presidential Debate, 1960, Nixon in LA, JFK in NY: Remote, split screen.

[Xipe Totec]

1. It will stop any feces that might be flung by the vice-covid. nt

[regnaD kciN]

2. Are the candidates supposed to wear masks tonight?

If so, anyone care to bet how long it will take Pence to remove his?

[appalachiablue]

3. Don't think so, they couldn't talk. Just 'attendees' stated above.

[NorthOf270]

4. That's very troubling by itself

That's not enough? What does that say about this virus?

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

5. Oh good Lord. Put the desks MUCH further apart. Do videoconferencing instead. WTF is wrong with

these people that they cant figure this out??? Its not rocket science.

[appalachiablue]

6. They did remote in 1960; Nixon in LA, JFK in NY, 3rd pres. debate

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

9. YES! WHAT is the problem? Why are they not doing this? Looks smaller than whaat

they have in grocery stores - and in a grocery store you are not there for 90 minutes and you have a mask on.

[appalachiablue]

11. 60 years ago it was fine?!

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

13. Yes and now the technology is even better, so whats the reason they arent doing it? I can only

surmise that obstinate death cult republicans objected.

[appalachiablue]

14. Just sick, and evil. I hope Harris gets thru this ok

and days of follow up like Joe.

[appalachiablue]

23. A plastic shower curtain would be better. All this effort is for

large droplets from spitting or shouting, but does nothing about smaller particles in the direct area or ventilation system as brought up by experts in the NYT article posted above.

[Rebl2]

21. Should do the next

Biden trump debate remotely. They can cut trump off when he goes over time or doesn’t let Biden get a word edgewise.

[uppityperson]

7. Those are elarged face shields, ok for optics but inadequate for protection

I thought they'd be boxes with tops, not just these.

[drray23]

8. not enough.

if anything, those screens seem to be positioned such that they would focus droplets and airflow from the candidates to the moderator.

[reACTIONary]

10. Remote, split screen....

... thanks for pointing that out. Seems like it could help with interruption and overtime problems also.

[ancianita]

12. One doesn't even have to be a medical expert to see the obvious. This is so wrong.

So, so wrong.

[appalachiablue]

15. Tx, much better image. It's definitely wrong & upsetting

[BainsBane]

16. they are a joke

I thought there would be a sealed barrier. Now I'm worried for Kamala.

[appalachiablue]

17. These are equal to a garment bag, just awful. Why bother

[appalachiablue]

19. The NYT article I just added above, mentions the mod too;

they had time to consult plenty. This is nothing, like a couple garment bags; a plastic shower curtain would be better!

Read what the experts say in the the times piece..

[Evolve Dammit]

20. Totally inadequate, after all the back and forth. This is a really bad joke of "protection."

[Steelrolled]

22. The barriers were installed for political reasons, not medical.

Medical experts views are kinda interesting, but not really relevant.

[Nitram]

24. Probably the most important factor is the air circulation and filtering system.

[appalachiablue]

25. Precisely, as noted by disease experts in the NYT article posted above.

[area51]

26. Get thee to the Greatest Page. n/t

[BHDem53]

27. There isn't a chair for Mother?

[Mr.Bill]

28. The sad thing was that with the way they were framed on the TV screen

next to each other, there was no need for them to be seated so close to each other.

[appalachiablue]

29. They could have been in different states for that matter!

[pansypoo53219]

30. it didn't look like enough to me.

[AllaN01Bear]

31. then why are they at check out lines , etc? hmmm.

[yuiyoshida]

32. Hopefully Kamala will be okay

she doesn't need to catch that virus. As for Pence.... whatever.