Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2: The world should face the reality

• Published in: Environment international Vol. 139; p. 105730
• Main Authors: Morawska, Lidia, Cao, Junji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2020; The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: air; Air Pollution, Indoor; Airborne infection spread; Airborne transmission; Betacoronavirus - pathogenicity; breathing; control methods; Coronavirus; Coronavirus infections; Coronavirus Infections - transmission; COVID-19; droplets; hand washing; Humans; Infections transmission; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - transmission; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 virus; Ventilation; viruses; World Health Organization; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Infections transmission; Airborne infection spread; SARS-CoV-2 virus; Airborne transmission
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105730

Hand washing and maintaining social distance are the main measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to avoid contracting COVID-19. Unfortunately, these measured do not prevent infection by inhalation of small droplets exhaled by an infected person that can travel distance of meters or tens of meters in the air and carry their viral content. Science explains the mechanisms of such transport and there is evidence that this is a significant route of infection in indoor environments. Despite this, no countries or authorities consider airborne spread of COVID-19 in their regulations to prevent infections transmission indoors. It is therefore extremely important, that the national authorities acknowledge the reality that the virus spreads through air, and recommend that adequate control measures be implemented to prevent further spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, in particularly removal of the virus-laden droplets from indoor air by ventilation.