Experts say coronaviruses can float in the air and WHO and CDC should tell people about it

“It seems like there are airborne words,” Milton, one of the first authors of the letter, told CNN.

“Most public health agencies, including the World Health Organization, are unaware of airborne transmission, except for aerosol-generating procedures that take place in the medical setting. Handwashing and social distances are adequate, but from respiratory carriers that carry the virus. “Inadequate to provide protection for the microdroplets emitted into the air by infected people,” they added.

“It would scare people because they don’t want to talk about airborne infections.”

“We expect WHO to emerge and be more willing to recognize the important role of aerosols, whether or not they call it airborne,” Milton said. ..

Milton is studying the airborne transmission of the virus. Another lead author, Lidia Morawska, is a professor of environmental engineering and a specialist in aerosol science at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. Milton said they and a group of other similar experts have been discussing the potential airborne transmission of coronaviruses since February.

Milton said the group wants to make the word more understandable and less likely for health agencies to use it.

“It will scare people because they don’t want to talk about airborne infections,” he said. Also, if the virus seems to be floating, there is a concern that you may stop doing other things such as washing your hands, releasing your hands, cleaning the surface to prevent infection.

“The best vaccine against fear is to give knowledge and the ability for people to take care of themselves,” Milton said. “Understand how important it is to wash your hands. Wearing a mask is important because when the aerosol is easy to block, it is blocked at the source.” When the aerosol floats in the air, it becomes difficult to block the aerosol, he said.

Viruses are carried by water droplets that come out of a person’s mouth or nose, and these water droplets vary in size. Large droplets quickly drop on the surface and can be picked up with your fingers and delivered to your eyes, nose, or mouth. Small droplets can stay in the air longer and can be inhaled deep into the lungs.

“There is a very high probability of inhalation exposure to viruses from short to medium distances (up to a few meters or room scale) from microscopic droplets, to mitigate this airborne route. He advocates the use of precautionary measures,” wrote Milton and his colleagues.

“Studies by signatories and other scientists say that the virus is released in minute droplets that are only exhaled, discussed, and floating in the air, posing a risk of exposure at distances greater than 1-2 meters (yards). It proved beyond reasonable suspicion from infected individuals,” they added.

“For example, at a typical room air velocity, a 5 nanometer droplet travels tens of meters, much larger than a normal room scale, while settling from a height of 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) to the floor. I will.”

What is not clearly understood is how important droplet size is for coronavirus infection, Milton said.

But research has shown that it is a factor, Milton added. “Many people are densely packed in poorly ventilated rooms-that’s what causes the pandemic,” he said. Loud bars, which people have to speak to in order to speak up, are perfect contacts that produce intimate contact, poor air circulation, and large numbers of particles that carry the virus by people talking, laughing, and screaming. It’s Arashi.

He said the WHO is worried about giving advice that people, especially health care workers in low-resource settings, cannot follow. The best way to protect workers from fine aerosols is to use a mask of N95 or above. This is a lack of supply in many places.

Advice to avoid coronavirus infection

But Milton said there are other ways, such as improved ventilation, increased distances and masks. And that’s information that the average person and health professional can use and act on.

“I am very concerned about the public and the school, dormitories on school buildings and college campuses, ventilation in bars and churches, where people sing and where people gather,” he said.

The group gives practical advice in that letter.

• Provide adequate and effective ventilation, especially in public buildings, work environments, schools, hospitals and nursing homes (provide clean outdoor air and minimize air circulation).

• Complements general ventilation with airborne infections such as local exhaust, highly efficient air filtration, and germicidal UV rays. (These are placed high in the ceiling to avoid damage to people’s eyes and skin)

• Avoid overcrowding, especially in public transport and public buildings.

“Such a measure is practical and often easy to implement. Many are not expensive,” they wrote.

“Simple steps, such as opening both doors and windows, can dramatically increase airflow in many buildings.”

In the car, Milton advises by opening the windows to make sure the air conditioner or heat is set to include outside air without recirculation.

According to Milton, the building can use a carbon dioxide monitor to let managers know if the air is being properly refreshed. He said that outdoors in urban areas, carbon dioxide levels were about 350 parts per million in the air. Exhaled breath carries approximately 28,000 carbon dioxide. Indoors, if the carbon dioxide content of the air is less than 1/1,000, “it’s pretty good,” Milton said.