Global experts warn of COVID-19 airborne threat

Washington - As countries ease their lockdowns, authorities need to recognize the coronavirus can spread through the air far beyond the two meters urged in social distancing guidelines, an international group of 239 scientists said Monday.

"Hand washing and social distancing are appropriate, but in our view, insufficient to provide protection from virus-carrying respiratory microdroplets released into the air by infected people."When an infected person breathes, speaks, coughs or sneezes, they expel droplets of various sizes. There has been a debate in the scientific community about how infectious microdroplets are in the context of COVID-19.

Story continuesThe air flow from an air conditioning unit appeared to waft the coronavirus to several tables in a Chinese restaurant in January where patrons became infected, according to a study that appeared in Emerging Infectious Diseases. "COVID-19 is more likely to be 'opportunistically' airborne and therefore poses a risk to people who are in the same room for long periods of time," she added."We are aware of the article and are reviewing its contents with our technical experts," the WHO said in response to the new commentary.

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Aerosols, Droplets, Fomites: What We Know About Transmission Of COVID-19A letter from over 200 scientists to the World Health Organization asks for further investigation into how the virus spreads. Ok, then rather sit in the back row of a Trump press conference This article is misleading. We have very little evidence which of these three mechanisms is more important. Close contact between people includes all three vectors. Fomite exchange is the main reason you're being told to wash your hands. That is the most disgusting picture you could’ve used for that, and I’d be angry if I didn’t think the picture could also gross people out enough to possibly wear a freaking mask.
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