Corona virus airborne

[1980sMum]

Why do we not hear much about it being airborne. It is, but it's hardly mentioned anywhere whereas foreign press does.

Surely, by being transparent, it would make people see how important it is not to mix indoors and would make it more likely that people stick to the rules, no?

Agree, for instance my parents in law genuinely think if they wear a mask and sanitise their hands they are completely safe as they are following The Rules.

Because the vast vast majority of spread is NOT due to airborne transmission, but close contact droplet.
It is only airborne in certain circumstances.

How many ways do you have to be told to not socialise, especially indoors?

You mostly catch the virus from social mixing at close distance. Therefore don't social mix at close distance unless essential.

Beyond that it's just common sense you need to apply and good hygiene.

As I understand it, while coronavirus can technically be carried through the air (as opposed to in droplets), it is neither the best, or most effective or intensive way for it to do so, so it's a less likely route of transmission in any given circumstance -- by some margin.

By the time the droplets (which contain the vast majority of viral particles) have fallen to the ground, the amount of virus remaining airborne is comparatively tiny. And even that becomes easier to dissipate through fresh air, drafts, rising heat and so on. In short, it's a very weak route of infection.

It's a bit like with HIV. Technically, HIV can be transmitted via oral sex. However, there have been no credible real-world cases of it being transmitted solely via this route. Statistically the risk is not entirely zero, because there is a theoretical chance. But it's tiny almost immeasurably small meaning in real terms it just doesn't happen, at least without major additional circumstances (major mouth wounds, high viral load, other sexual activity, etc).

Viruses are lazy and take the path of least resistance. For corona that is droplets. That's why the two-metre thing has been such consistent advice across the world.

I think people confuse droplets carried in the air and airborne and lots of the foreign press are using the two interchangeably because of how people understand it.

@Almostslimjim

I think people confuse droplets carried in the air and airborne and lots of the foreign press are using the two interchangeably because of how people understand it.

Yes, as a non scientist, I admit that I didn't really understand the difference between the two, although the previous poster's explanation about the water droplets falling to the ground and the virus remaining in the air has explained it to me.

Yes "airborne" transmission is thought to be a major cause of infection, as well as fomite (touching surfaces). There have been numerous articles about it in medical journals since February. This is from the BMJ in August

www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3206

"Airborne transmission of covid-19 is now the plausible cause of superspreading events in a call centre in Korea, a choir practice in Skagit County, US, and a restaurant in Guangzhou, China.1214"

When I say 'airborne' I mean via aerosols. Mounting evidence that the Coronavirus spreads via aerosols, especially in certain circumstances, which might even be the major route?

It would explain the high levels of hospital-acquired Covid despite all efforts to keep patients on different wards especially re new variant.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7645283/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7645283/

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

Keep hitting 'post' to quickly.

"When a virus travels via aerosols, it’s possible to contract it by entering an empty room that a sick person was in several minutes earlier. This transmission via free-drifting aerosols is how the World Health Organization defines an airborne disease."

That's why measles is so contagious. It can be caught in an empty room, in the air, hours after the infected person left it.

I'm not saying covid is as infectious as measles, it isn't, thank God. It is nowhere near as infectious, but it makes you think

This isn’t new news, though. This information has been around for months.

Of course it's not new news but 'airborne' is just not mentioned i British media for some reason (or very, very rarely) whereas this is not the case in other countries where it is discussed more openly.

BBC did a piece on it a week or so ago. It was explaining how people in a restaurant caught it even though they were 2m away from the person.
It was interesting. But it is being covered. I think the news has a job at the moment of keeping up

This is why people saying the "felt really safe" when at the hairdresser/ restaurant/ cinema etc is a crock of shit. If the could see COVID you wouldn't feel safe!

Yes, I did see that but I believe if the Government/media were more 'open' about using airborne as a term (which is what is happening in several other countries, continually), I believe more people would take more care in mixing with others, especially indoors.

@Almostslimjim

This is why people saying the "felt really safe" when at the hairdresser/ restaurant/ cinema etc is a crock of shit. If the could see COVID you wouldn't feel safe!

Exactly!

I think Imperial college are working on this too.
My opinion is that if I'm inside, I'm not safe. When the dc's were at school the house was quite chilly as it was so ventilated. I've chilled out a bit now schools are closed and I'm not going to shops.

I think part of the trouble is so much effort was focussed at the beginning on people being able to catch it via touch that a lot of the publicity was focussed on handwashing and sanitising things. These are still important of course, but I think the message has got a bit lost that physical distancing will have more effect on reducing transmission than wiping down your shopping.

YES I agree OP! There's a great article on it here, with animations to show how COVID spreads indoors:

english.elpais.com/society/2020-10-28/a-room-a-bar-and-a-class-how-the-coronavirus-is-spread-through-the-air.html

"Six people get together in a home, one of whom is infected. Irrespective of whether safe distances are maintained, if the six people spend four hours together talking loudly, without wearing a face mask in a room with no ventilation, five will become infected (according to the model).

If face masks are worn, four people are at risk of infection.

The risk of infection drops to below one when the group uses face masks, shortens the length of the gathering by half, and ventilates the space."