WHO reviewing evidence of possible airborne transmission of coronavirus

[Mike 03]

The Hill
July 07, 2020
1:39 PM EDT

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it is reviewing evidence of possible airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus after a group of more than 200 scientists called on the agency to recognize the method of transmission in an open letter.

Maria Van Kerkhove, who heads the agency's emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, said at a media briefing on Tuesday that officials have "been talking about the possibility of airborne transmission, aerosol transmission, as one of the modes of transmission of COVID-19 as well as droplets."

Kerkhove added that the agency will be issuing a "brief in the coming days and that will outline everything that we have in this area."

Nearly 240 scientists representing more than 30 countries recently called on the agency to update its recommendations for the virus based on evidence they say supports the possibility of airborne transmission.

"There is significant potential for inhalation exposure to viruses in microscopic respiratory droplets (microdroplets) at short to medium distances (up to several meters, or room scale), and we are advocating for the use of preventive measures to mitigate this route of airborne transmission," the group wrote in the letter.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/506204-who-reviewing-evidence-of-possible-airborne-transmission-of-coronavirus?amp

[Iliyah]

1. K & R . . .

I will still follow WHO.

[underpants]

2. I thought we already knew it transmitted in the air

Thus the masks and distancing. Am I missing something?

[LisaL]

3. I think there is a scientific debate on how big these droplets are.

Large droplets fall to the ground quickly. Small droplets can stay in the air for a while. I have no doubt the damn virus is airborne- can travel in tiny droplets and stay in the air for quite some time.

[underpants]

4. Oh. Okay.

I just thought ....you know

[Mike 03]

5. You are right in that aerosolization has been theorized in studies as far back

as March, but recently this idea is gaining wide acceptance. Why it took so long, I'm not sure. (We had bus and restaurant studies that were highly suggestive of aerosolization.)

You are also right that this information shouldn't change our behavior, except for some advice about ventilation, and the N95 masks become more important for those who use them.

In theory, some of the activities scientists thought were low risk have the potential to have a higher risk.