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Asian Reporter web extra, August 12, 2020
Can the coronavirus spread through the air?
By The Associated Press
Can the coronavirus spread through the air?
Yes, it’s possible.
The World Health Organization last month acknowledged the possibility
that COVID-19 might be spread in the air under certain conditions.
COVID-19 outbreaks in crowded indoor settings — restaurants, nightclubs,
and choir practices — suggest the virus can hang around in the air long
enough to potentially infect others if social distancing measures are not
strictly enforced.
Experts say the lack of ventilation in these situations is thought to
have contributed to spread, and might have allowed the virus to linger in
the air longer than normal.
In a report published in May (www.pnas.org/content/117/22/11875),
researchers found that talking produced respiratory droplets that could
remain in the air in a closed environment for about eight to 14 minutes.
The WHO says those most at risk from airborne spread are doctors and
nurses who perform specialized procedures such as inserting a breathing tube
or putting patients on a ventilator. Medical authorities recommend the use
of protective masks and other equipment when doing such procedures.
Scientists maintain it’s far less risky to be outside than indoors
because virus droplets disperse in the fresh air, reducing the chances of
COVID-19 transmission.
The Associated Press is answering questions about the
coronavirus in this series. Submit questions to <FactCheck@AP.org>.
Illustration by Peter Hamlin.
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