[chasd00]

> droplet based transmission was the prevailing theory for the first few months

iirc that was the prevailing theory until after the vaccines came out. I don't recall it ever being in the news when it was determined to be airborne. By that time, COVID wasn't even newsworthy.

[whatevertrevor]

Definitely, I don't think official channels recognized aerosolized transmission until way too late, and even when they did it was very low key and non-committal.

I'm on team "ball was dropped badly re pandemic policy and communication", though I personally don't extend that to blind distrust in institutions in general. It was a tough (arguably unprecedented) situation in a media landscape primed for misinformation.