Published 12:21 IST, April 29th 2020
Study suggests traces of coronavirus can linger in the air
Earlier, the WHO said that the evidence for the coronavirus to be transmitted from the air “was not compelling” and tweeted, "COVID-19 not airborne".
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As per new study, researchers have reportedly found that traces of coronavirus can linger in air in crowded s or rooms that lack ventilation, and can spre through tiny airborne particles kwn as aerosols. At hospitals in Wuhan, China, researchers detected virus’ geme lingered in hospital toilets, indoor s where protective gears were changed by staff, and wards. With sensitive detectors, coronavirus’ gemes were found at several such spots, according to study published in research Journal Nature.
health officials have claimed that virus is transported through droplets when a patient coughed or sneezed, and scientists have found that re is preliminary evidence that coronavirus spres due to airborne transmission, in which virus spres from much smaller particles from exhaled air, kwn as aerosols. Earlier, WHO said that evidence for coronavirus to be transmitted from air “was t compelling” and in a scientific briefing organization posted on its website, “re is t sufficient evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is airborne, except in a handful of medical contexts, such as when intubating an infected patient.
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However, as per recent study, health experts working on airborne respiratory illnesses and aerosols have agreed that virus, in fact, spre in air. Michael Osterholm, an infectious-disease epidemiologist at University of Minnesota in Minneapolis said in study published in journal, “garing unequivocal evidence for airborne transmission could take years and cost lives. We shouldn’t let perfect be enemy of convincing.” Aerosol scientist Lidia Morawska at Queensland University of Techlogy in Brisbane, Australia, said, “This is a -brainer.” She ded, “In mind of scientists working on this, re’s absolutely doubt that virus spres in air.”
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Coronavirus 'transmits in aerosols'
Scientists state that public health officials who claimed re isn't sufficient evidence to say that SARS-CoV-2 is airborne were specifically looking at aerosols smaller than 5 micrometers in diameter, as per study. However, heftier aerosols can linger in air for longer and travel furr. An epidemiologist at University of Hong Kong, Ben Cowling, said, “Most transmission occurs at close range. But distinction between droplets and aerosols is unhelpful because “ particles that come out with viruses can be a wide range of sizes. Very, very large ones right down to aerosols.” Furr, he ded, “If SARS-CoV-2 is transmitting in aerosols, it is possible that virus particles can build up over time in enclosed s or be transmitted over greater distances.”
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12:21 IST, April 29th 2020