On September 2, 2020 the Harvard Chan School of Public Health launched their Aviation Public Health Initiative (APHI) under the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI), a joint program of the Harvard Chan School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government and co-founded by Leonard Marcus a “leading authority on leadership in times of crisis”.
The Aviation Public Health Initiative (APHI) was set up to study the “current aircraft, airline, and airport practices and their impact on public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.” The initiative is directed by Marcus and sponsored by the aviation industry
“The project grew from interest by the aviation industry to both reduce risks of SARS-CoV-2 disease transmission and safely reinvigorate operations in the midst of the global pandemic” APHI is to “provide evidence-based recommendations on strategies and practices to reduce the public health risks of flying during the COVID-19 pandemic.” [2, 3] Key influential Reports released by APHI:
- Phase 1 Report Gate-to-Gate Travel Onboard Aircraft (NPI) (Oct 27, 2020) –PDF, HIGHLIGHTS, PRESS, SOURCE
- Air Cabin Cleaning and Disinfection Bulletin (Oct 2020) – PDF
- Face Mask Use in Air Travel Bulletin – (Dec 2020) – PDF
- Phase 2 Report Curb-to-Curb Travel Through Airports (NPI) (Feb 10, 2021) – PDF, PRESS, PDF, SOURCE
Following APHI’s report 1 Marcus claimed “masks are proven to be effective in reducing the spread of the coronavirus” which seems to be the catalyst for Biden’s transportation mask mandate, Executive Order, one of many he on or following his first day in office.
“masks to be worn in compliance with CDC guidelines in or on: airports, commercial aircraft…” – [4]
Report 2 acknowledges that vaccination does not stop infection or transmission of SARS-CoV-2 – “Health experts state that vaccination offers protection against developing COVID-19 associated symptoms but does not necessarily prevent a person from becoming infected or transmitting it to others (CDC, 2021).”