239 scientists with 1 big claim: coronavirus is airborne

[Redolent]

From The New York Times today:

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The coronavirus is finding new victims worldwide, in bars and restaurants, offices, markets and casinos, giving rise to frightening clusters of infection that increasingly confirm what many scientists have been saying for months: The virus lingers in the air indoors, infecting those nearby.

If airborne transmission is a significant factor in the pandemic, especially in crowded spaces with poor ventilation, the consequences for containment will be significant. Masks may be needed indoors, even in socially distant settings. Health care workers may need N95 masks that filter out even the smallest respiratory droplets as they care for coronavirus patients.

Ventilation systems in schools, nursing homes, residences and businesses may need to minimize recirculating air and add powerful new filters. Ultraviolet lights may be needed to kill viral particles floating in tiny droplets indoors.

The World Health Organization has long held that the coronavirus is spread primarily by large respiratory droplets that, once expelled by infected people in coughs and sneezes, fall quickly to the floor.

But in an open letter to the W.H.O., 239 scientists in 32 countries have outlined the evidence showing that smaller particles can infect people, and are calling for the agency to revise its recommendations. The researchers plan to publish their letter in a scientific journal next week.

Even in its latest update on the coronavirus, released June 29, the W.H.O. said airborne transmission of the virus is possible only after medical procedures that produce aerosols, or droplets smaller than 5 microns. (A micron is equal to one millionth of a meter.)

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Proper ventilation and N95 masks are of concern only in those circumstances, according to the W.H.O. Instead, its infection control guidance, before and during this pandemic, has heavily promoted the importance of handwashing as a primary prevention strategy, even though there is limited evidence for transmission of the virus from surfaces. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says surfaces are likely to play only a minor role.)

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www.nytimes.com/2020/07/04/health/239-experts-with-1-big-claim-the-coronavirus-is-airborne.html

Masks make more sense than constant hand washing.
As people sharing taps, bathrooms, even hand sanitizer you have to touch the bottle unless dispenser on the wall.
They dont want to acknowledge main risk is inside and handwashing will not completely help you, because that affects schools and restaurants and workplaces.

Confusing though does it mean that say measles is literally floating about so you could catch it in your garden? As even that i thought was 15min contact.

Aircon being adapted to minimise recirculating air is already happening in the UK at least. I volunteer for a tourist organisation and it is one of the changes to attractions they have made pre opening.
Are we ahead of the WHO on this then? I thought the UK advice to businesses was already emphasising ventilation.

I haven’t read the article but all we hear is that the risk is more inside!

We can’t just never go out again though!

@OverTheRainbow88 agree!

@Keepdistance

Masks make more sense than constant hand washing. As people sharing taps, bathrooms, even hand sanitizer you have to touch the bottle unless dispenser on the wall. They dont want to acknowledge main risk is inside and handwashing will not completely help you, because that affects schools and restaurants and workplaces.

Confusing though does it mean that say measles is literally floating about so you could catch it in your garden? As even that i thought was 15min contact.

It is funny you should say that about measles. Somehow I ended up watching a weird covid video last night and the immunologist on it said measles is so incredibly contagious that if you went into a room for 10 seconds where someone with measles had been 2 hours ago you could catch it

I think it's still transmitted by droplets, which can be wafted in the air for quite a distance, especially where there is a lot of air movement e.g. air conditioning. It's also easier to catch the virus indoors where space is more confined, where there are lots of surfaces the droplets can land on, and where people tend to be closer together.

Right now, I'd be wearing a mask indoors, but not out. Although, I'm not going out in public again until the impact of pubs opening is known.

Really looking forward to winter in my primary classroom where the only source of heat is blown-air heating.

I'll also be washing my hands etc. frequently. Protection is accumulative.

I’m not a scientist but it sounds pretty likely to me given that asymptomatic cases can spread it. So they wouldn’t be sneezing/coughing. Granted it could be through singing/loud talking, but asymptomatic spread makes so much more sense if airborne.
That another reason why I find it so laughable that one of the mitigations for getting closer than 2m is washing hands. Even if it isn’t fully airborne, how is that going to protect you from droplets whilst talking/ somebody sneezing etc?

@Jrobhatch29

Yeah measles is an entirely different beast in terms of its airborne nature.

But could coronavirus droplets linger in the air for 10 minutes or so and still be infectious? SAGE assembled some evidence suggesting as such last week. Will try to find it.

Re measles - the big difference is that most people in the West have either had it or have been innoculated against it. So it may be easy to catch, but very few people will have it to transmit it!

@Jaxhog, same here, waiting to see how the opening pans out. I’m nervous especially because of what happened in Texas and Arizona.
Will you still be going for walks etc?

All the more reason why teachers should at least be allowed to wear face shields, especially those who are clinically vulnerable or shielding.

@TiredMummyXYZ

All the more reason why teachers should at least be allowed to wear face shields, especially those who are clinically vulnerable or shielding.

Face shields won't offer any protection of it is airborne. Face shields are simply a physical barrier to stop respiratory droplets from hitting you in the face of say someone sneezes or coughs in your face. They don't filter the air that you breathe.

The WHO seem to have been sitting on this for ages. When the big cruise ships were quarantined and everyone was kept to their rooms and still got it (was that Feb? Seems like a lifetime ago) the only source was the Air Conditioning which was recycled round the ship, which made it airborne. So everyone inside work/schools/shops this winter with no masks is a disaster in the making.

Here’s the same article I think, from a different source www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3091859/coronavirus-more-200-scientists-accuse-who-ignoring-aerosol-transmission

This makes me nervous. So many shops, venues and offices with permanently shut windows that are reliant on air con. And in winter, what will we do?

Someone posted a link to an excellent article showing a simulation of how it spread in several known cases. The first one involves aircon:
english.elpais.com/spanish_news/2020-06-17/an-analysis-of-three-covid-19-outbreaks-how-they-happened-and-how-they-can-be-avoided.html

@EarlGreywithLemon

Yes, still going out for walks. But I can do that without meeting lots of people (or anyone) I don't know.

I remember a WHO press conference months ago where one of the panel (Dr Ryan or Dr Tedros, can’t remember which) mentioned the airborne nature of the virus, and seemed to be kicked under the table before quickly correcting himself.

Aerosol transmission is still very different from airborne though....

For the first time, I am pleased the school I work in does not have aircon.

I will be keeping my classroom windows and door open in September!

Yes i remember that about the cruises but they would also have been getting food from the staff who were all ill.
I do agree cruises and planes seemed to spread it most. Lots of people. Buffet food. Air con. Ill people. Lots of surfaces.
What could possibly go wrong with schools. (Only no air con).

Also when they think people in say a family didnt catch it
1 that may be more about an individuals immune system/age etc
2 they might have it asymptomatically
3 even antibody tests they dont think pick everyone up who has had it.
4 the swabs dont pick up 25% of positives. So you would expect 1/4 in a family to test negative dven if they have it.
5 how long potentially is the incubation period.

If contact tracing works then it is because it is mainly passed on directly rather than surface.
If handwashing worked surely MH, CW etc wouldnt have caught it.
And parliament can also go back to sat next to each other just have their hand gel ready.

I doubt you need aircon with 32 people in a room. (Although it could be more the cooling nature as per the meat factories than the movement).

If it was airborne, wouldn’t millions of people in the UK have it?