WHO new guidelines
The World Health Organization noted the airborne spread of the new coronavirus in an updated scientific brief of Thursday but also emphasized that further research evidence was required.
The world body issued on Thursday new guidelines recognizing indoor, crowded areas for outbreak reports that indicated the potential for air transmission, for example, restaurants or exercise classes, but the WHO did not confirm the virus is circulating through the air.
The brief maintained that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 spreads through contact with contaminated surfaces or close contact with infected people who spread the virus through saliva, respiratory secretions or droplets released when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings.
The agency also stated that the virus can spread to people without symptoms.
Infected people can transmit the virus both when they have symptoms and when they don’t have symptoms, the agency said.
Experts consider that although both the brief revisions were long overdue, they were not as far-reaching as they expected.
The study follows an open letter written by 200 scientists asking the global body to review its recommendations on how aerosol transmission is propagated via respiratory illness.
