Airborne transmission of coronavirus possible in closed spaces

World Health Organization has admitted the possibility of airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus in closed, poorly ventilated, crowded places such as during choir practice, in restaurants or in fitness classes.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020

Key-Points

The WHO has maintained that current evidence suggests that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs primarily between people through direct, indirect, or close contact with infected people.

The transmission can be occurs through infected secretions such as saliva and respiratory secretions, or through their respiratory droplets, which are expelled when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks or sings.

Airborne transmission of the virus can occur in health care settings where specific medical procedures, called aerosol generating procedures, generate very small droplets called aerosols.

Some outbreak reports related to indoor crowded spaces have suggested the possibility of aerosol transmission, combined with droplet transmission, for example during choir practice, in restaurants or in fitness classes.

Scientific brief also reported that respiratory droplets from infected individuals can also land on objects, creating fomites – contaminated surfaces. The WHO also highlighted a strong possibility of transmission of virus by asymptomatic patients though evidence so far show that people with symptoms or developing symptoms to have primarily transmitted the disease.