Covid is airborne. What does it mean? WHO chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan explains

[Wicked]

Dr Soumya Swaminathan said the coronavirus can survive in the air for some times in tiny droplets and get transmitted, but this happens in a very limited environment.
Asked about the WHO's stand on whether Covid-19 is airborne or not, Dr Swaminathan said the virus can survive in the air and transmit, but in a very limited environment.
She said when we speak, shout, sing or even breathe, there are a lot of droplets that come out of our mouth, and these droplets are of different sizes. The larger droplets fall on to the ground within 1-2 meters. This is why there is so much emphasis on maintaining distance so that these droplets can be prevented from directly transmitting from one person to another.
"But there are also smaller droplets that are less than 5 microns in size. They are called aerosols and since they are small in size, they can stay a bit longer in the air as they take a little longer to settle on the ground. These droplets can be moved around by gusts of winds etc. Therefore, these particles could be inhaled by other people who are in the vicinity. This form of transmission of Covid-19 can be called as airborne transmission," Dr Swaminathan said.
She however said this form of airborne transmission is very different from airborne transmission of viruses like measles, "which are truly airborne in the sense that they spread primarily in the air".
Elaborating on these tiny droplets, she said since they are very small, they could remain in the air for 10-15 minutes after coming out from someone's mouth.
"If you happen to enter that space and breathe that air, you may get infected because the tiny droplets containing the virus are still in the air," she said.
She added that majority of the transmission occurs from droplets and if we can control that through distancing and other means, we can prevent most Covid-19 cases.
"...The possibility of airborne transmission in public settings - especially in very specific conditions, crowded, closed, poorly ventilated settings that have been described, cannot be ruled out," Kerkhove has said.
"Achieving herd immunity is going to take a very long time.
News source-TOI

 

[Pinkcandy]

Yepp! More than 80% of our region needs to be infected to acheive herd immunity !

 

[Dare Devil]

Here also cases coming more n more

 

[URum]

Learn to live the new way...

 

[Picuu]

For future generation ths masks bcm mandatory for sure

 

[VAMC]

For future generation ths masks bcm mandatory for sure

 

[Deepak Kiran]

How is airborne transmission is different from droplet transmission? Here's what you can do to stay safe from respiratory infections such as COVID-19.

What’s the difference between airborne and droplet transmission?

Airborne transmission is different from droplet transmission. It tends to refer to the presence of microbes within droplet nuclei, which are generally considered to be particles <5μm in diameter.

“Airborne and droplet are two descriptions of one phenomenon. Microorganism that is less than 5 micrometers is called airborne and more than 5 micrometers is called droplet. Any person who has any bacterial, mycobacterial (TB and TB family) or viral respiratory infection - the disease can spread through the uncovered cough and sneeze of such person to others. Airborne material can travel up to 6-9 feet and droplets settle on some surfaces. The bacteria or virus can remain viable on surfaces for a few minutes to a few hours. If we touch such a surface and then touch our face/nose/mouth then there are chances that it may enter our respiratory system,” said Dr Samir Garde, Pulmonologist, Global Hospital, Mumbai.

Dr Garde further added that if anybody coughs or sneezes in front of others without covering it, then the material can enter the respiratory system - this is called getting infected. Getting infected and getting the disease are two different t things. Even if bacteria or viruses enter our respiratory tract, our immune system fights with it and kills them. So everyone may get infected but may not suffer from the disease. Depending on the type of illness - bacterial or viral - the doctors diagnose and treat the condition.

What you can do to prevent contracting respiratory infections

• In the current scenario, it’s always best to wear a mask while venturing out in crowded areas to keep respiratory infections away.
• Try to keep at least 3 feet physical distance and wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Do not touch your face unnecessarily.
• Practice respiratory etiquette.
• Avoid crowded places, close-contact settings and confined and enclosed spaces with poor ventilation.
• Ensure appropriate environmental cleaning and disinfection.
• To maintain immunity, opt for Indian square meal and exercises like Surya Namaskar and Pranayam or any other cardiorespiratory fitness regimen. It can help your cardio-respiratory fitness and lowers blood pressure as well. Moreover, it also increases cardio-respiratory efficiency and respiratory capacity.

To prevent transmission, WHO recommends identifying suspect cases as quickly as possible, testing, and isolating all cases (infected people) in appropriate facilities.