Raymond Wang: How germs travel on planes and how we can stop them

Click to see Mr Wang's discourse

VOCABULARY:

to pre-screen for sth - to examine or interview before further selection processes occur

In order to pre-screen the applicants for interviews, the recruiters asked them to solve a short test.

It is very difficult to pre-screen for Ebola, as in the early days after contracting the virus, the infected person usually does not notice any disquieting symptoms. 


to be in latent period - the interval between exposure to an infectious organism or carcinogen and the clinical appearance of the disease

She never knew she had cancer. It had been in the latent period for such a long time that she had never felt really ill, until it suddenly struck her, literally knocking her off her feet. 

Before the infected person shows any symptoms of the disease, it can stay in the latent period for months.


to exhibit symptoms  - to show signs of sth (esp. a disease)

Researches have discovered that people who regularly use the internet can exhibit symptoms usually seen in substance abusers.

People who have experienced a loss of a beloved person may exhibit symptoms of depression.


pathogen - an agent that causes disease (esp. a virus, bacterium or fungus).

Regular physical exercise increases immunity to common pathogens.

There are 3 types of pathogens causing influenza, all of them viruses.

to mesh sth - to coordinate so that people/things work closely together

They have never manage to mesh successfully their different managment styles. 

I have collected huge amounts of data on the subject, but I cannot mesh it, so I fail to find any definite conclusion.

composite material - a material made from two or more constituent materials, which has its specifiv properties

Adobe, made of straw mixed with mud, is one of the most ancient composite materials. 

The primary advantage of composite materials is the fact that they are light.