There is a “real risk” that the coronavirus can be transmitted through the air, which means it can spread through microscopic particles that remain in the air, according to an open letter endorsed by 239 scientists. Scientists are urging the World Health Organization and other public health organizations to modify their guidelines to reflect this risk.
“Handwashing and social distancing are appropriate, but in our opinion insufficient to provide protection against respiratory droplets carrying viruses released into the air by infected persons,” says the letter, titled “Time to Address Airborne Transmission of COVID-19 “.
The WHO has said that the coronavirus is only confirmed to be in the air during aerosol-generating medical procedures performed in healthcare settings, such as intubation. She says that the virus is spread mainly through larger respiratory drops, which do not travel as far, so it has been recommended to maintain a social distance of about 6 feet.
“Respiratory drops are very large drops that, for example, when you sneeze, shoot out of your mouth and fall directly onto the ground due to gravity,” Dr. Ron Elfenbein, an emergency physician at CBSN, explained Monday. “While in the air it means that the virus can stay in the air for a long time and all you have to do is walk through a cloud of this and inhale it and you’re going to catch it.”
The smaller particles could be spread by infected individuals simply by breathing, laughing or talking, said Elfenbein, who said he agrees with the scientists behind the letter.
The authors cited a study that documented transmission of the virus to people at several neighboring tables in a Chinese restaurant, despite “no evidence of direct or indirect contact” between them, as an example of data supporting the theory that the coronavirus is in the air.
“This problem is especially serious in closed or closed environments, particularly those that are full and have inadequate ventilation in relation to the number of occupants and prolonged periods of exposure,” says the letter.
“For example, air transmission appears to be the only plausible explanation for several super widespread events investigated what happened under such conditions, and others where recommended precautions related to direct transmission of drops were followed. “
The authors recommend measures such as opening doors and windows to increase air flow in public buildings, using “air infection controls such as local exhaust, high-efficiency air filtration, and germicidal ultraviolet lights”, and avoiding overcrowding in public spaces.
“We hope that our statement will raise awareness that airborne transmission of COVID-19 is a real risk,” they write.
Coronavirus cases I’ve been climbing across the United States, in part due to the reopening of restaurants and bars in some states. New York City, once the epicenter of the pandemic, delayed the return of the indoor dinner after seeing the rebound in other communities.
Elfenbein explained why dining outside seems to be a safer option.
“The idea is that if you want to go out to dinner, for example, you should sit outside because ultraviolet light and the fact that there is wind and things like that tend to make you much less likely to get caught by this virus versus being in an enclosed space with a lot of people, even if you’re 6 feet away, “he said.
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