Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Mode of Transmission: Airborne or Direct Contact with Droplets?

7 months later and we are still talking about Covid-19s mode of transmission. But why? A group of scientists wrote an open letter to the World health organization (WHO) urging that Covid-19 could be spread mainly through airborne [1]. They noted studies and increasing evidence keeps showing airborne as the main source of transmission. However, WHO and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are not convinced and needs more evidence [1].

CDC argues that airborne transmission from one person to another, is unlikely [1, 2]. If you are confused by this, do not worry, you are not alone. When someone sneezes or coughs especially without covering their mouth or nose, droplets from their mouths/nose lingers in the room and in the air for a number of hours. What happens when someone unfortunately walks into the same room where droplets are still hanging in the air and he/she inhales that air? Think about this. Anyone can get the virus if they inhaled the droplets from an infected person.

We have seen how cases of Covid-19 are surging all over the world due to ignorance and people not respecting the preventive measures implemented. Just because countries or States are reopening, does not mean Covid-19 is over. When I see images of people at the club, bars, beaches, and at any crowded event, it infuriates me. I personally do not doubt the report from these scientists. It is very possible airborne could be a mode of transmission for Covid-19. How else do we explain these surging numbers? It’s alarming.

These scientists recommended measures like avoiding overcrowding in public spaces, opening doors and windows to increase airflow into the building, and using airborne infection controls such as germicidal ultraviolet light, local exhaust and high efficiency air filtration [2]. Many countries are struggling to stop the spread of Covid-19 and it does not hurt to add more precautionary measures and follow what these scientists have recommended. If we keep ignoring the facts, we will not win this fight.

References

1. Ducharme, J. (2020). The WHO Says Airborne Coronavirus Transmission Isn't a Big Risk. Scientists Are Pushing Back. Retrieved 7 July 2020, from https://time.com/5863220/airborne-coronavirus-transmission/

2. Brown, N. (2020). Is the coronavirus airborne? Hundreds of scientists say it's "a real risk." Retrieved 7 July 2020, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-airborne-scientists-open-letter/