Washington (Lampost.co) — The United States (US) Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the corona virus spreads in the air and is spread by aerosols. The CDC warns that poorly ventilated rooms pose a new threat.
For months, scientists and public health experts have warned of growing evidence that the coronavirus (Covid-19) is spreading through the air. The virus is transmitted by tiny droplets called aerosols that stay in the air longer than the larger clumps that come from coughing or sneezing.
The CDC has recently modified its official guidelines to note that “aerosols are considered to be the main medium for virus transmission”. They warn that indoor spaces that are poorly ventilated are dangerous.
“There is growing evidence that airborne droplets and particles can remain suspended in the air and be inhaled by others and can cover distances of more than about 1.5 meters (for example, during choir practice, in restaurants, or in fitness classes),” said the statement. CDC, as quoted The Washington Post, Monday, September 21, 2020.
“In general, indoor environments without proper ventilation increase the risk of Covid-19 transmission,” the statement added.
Meanwhile the CDC has yet to call for new action to tackle the airborne threat from the virus that has now killed nearly 200,000 Americans. Experts say the changes will help change public policy and behavior.
“This is a big change,” said Jose-Luis Jimenez, a chemistry professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder who studies how aerosols spread viruses to The Washington Post.
“This is a good thing, if we can reduce transmission because more people understand how it is spreading and know what to do to stop it,” said Jimenez.
But those changes weren’t widely known until the report CNN on Sunday. The US disease and pandemic control agency previously warned that the virus is mostly spread through large droplets encountered at close range. “Now they confirmed that small particles, like those in aerosols, are the most common vectors,” said Jimenez.
“These particles can be inhaled into the nose, mouth, airways and lungs and can cause infection.” This is considered to be the main way of spreading the virus, “the guidelines said.
But researchers have long suspected the virus could spread further, particularly in rooms and places where people talk aloud or sing. In one high-profile case, a person infected in March passed the coronavirus unknowingly to 52 other people at a choir practice in Washington state. The similar indoor wide-spread events add weight to the suspected threat of airborne transmission.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the threat of aerosols in July, after hundreds of scientists urged the international agency to tackle the spread of air. It is unclear why the CDC eventually followed suit.
Jimenez said top CDC officials were still openly debating airborne transmission as the main vector as recently as late August.
Medcom
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