On Thursday, the WSWS interviewed Dr. Jose-Luis Jimenez as part of the Global Workers’ Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic. Dr. Jimenez is a professor of chemistry at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an expert in aerosol physics. He has been a leading advocate calling on the World Health Organization and world governments to acknowledge that COVID-19 spreads primarily through airborne transmission.

The most critical element of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has been developing an understanding that the principal mechanism of viral transmission is through airborne particles, not droplets. The whole conception of what public health measures must be implemented flows from this basic truth, including the need for masking, social distancing, temporary lock-downs, the renovation of filtration and ventilation systems in all public places, and more.

In this interview, Dr. Jimenez reviews the science of airborne transmission, the development of the struggle waged by himself and other aerosol scientists to prioritize airborne transmission throughout the pandemic, and the historical, political and economic factors underlying the refusal of the WHO and world governments to educate the population on airborne transmission. He also discusses the present threat of the Omicron variant and the measures that workers can take to protect themselves.

Viewers can follow Jose-Luis Jimenez on Twitter @jljcolorado

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