(News)
– Scientific support for the widely discussed theory that the coronavirus has spread through the air. Researchers from the University of Florida said they have shown that there is a live virus in floating respiratory drops, the New York Times reports. “This is what people have complained about,” said Linsey Marr, a Virginia Tech expert who was not involved in the work. “There is clear evidence that there is an infected virus in aerosols.” The researchers reported isolating live virus from aerosols they collected 7 to 16 feet from patients in hospital. Other teams ran into obstacles. The Florida researchers came up with a sampler that uses pure water vapor to increase the aerosols for collection from the air. The pathogen was preserved by placing the aerosols in a liquid heavy on salt, sugar, and protein. “I am under the impression,” said an Australian researcher. “It’s a very sensible measurement technique.”
The findings, which have not yet undergone peer review, may mean that 6 feet of social distance is not enough. That manual is misleading, said another expert, “because people think they are protected indoors, and they really are not.” Even in stagnant air, she said, small aerosols can cross a room in about 5 minutes. And they can fly in the air for hours, Marr said. Some scientists warned that it was not known if the virus researchers had recovered enough to cause infections. But Marr is among those who said the issue has been resolved. “If this is not a smoke gun, then I do not know what is,” she said tweeted. The findings could make clear what work needs to be done next. “Once we recognize that virus is transmitted through aerosols,” Marr told CBS, “we can take steps to address that and reduce that risk.” (Read more stories of coronavirus.)
.
