WHO says Covid 19 is spread by respiratory droplets, not through air


PTI, Apr 3, 2020, 4:41 PM IST

Beijing: The virus that causes the COVID-19 disease is primarily transmitted through “respiratory droplets and close contacts”, and does not seem to stay long in the air, a recent WHO publication said.

Respiratory infections can be transmitted through droplets of different sizes, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

Droplet transmission occurs when you have close contact (within one metre) with a person who has respiratory symptoms such as coughing or sneezing, which may spread these potentially infectious droplets, typically 5-10 microns in size, to your body.

Transmission may also occur by touching surfaces or objects in the immediate environment around the infected person, state-run China Daily quoted the WHO publication as saying.

Airborne transmission is different from droplet transmission, as it refers to the presence of microbes within droplet nuclei, which are generally considered to be the smaller particles of less than 5 microns in diameter, and which can remain in the air for long periods of time and be transmitted to others over distances greater than one metre, it said.

In the context of COVID-19, airborne transmission may be possible in specific circumstances in which procedures or support treatments that generate aerosols are performed, such as intubation within a patient’s windpipe, disconnecting a patient from a ventilator, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

According to the publication, no cases of transmission by air were reported in an analysis of 75,465 patients with the coronavirus in China.

Based on the current evidence, the WHO continues to recommend droplet and contact precautions for those people caring for COVID-19 patients. And it’s recommended that people take measures to prevent possible transmission by air when performing medical operations that produce aerosols, it added.

A total of 1,002,159 COVID-19 cases have been reported across more than 175 countries and territories with 51,485 deaths reported so far, according to Johns Hopkins University data

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

Women centric schemes game-changer for Maharashtra, Jharkhand?

AR Rahman sends notice to ‘slanderers’ over speculations surrounding separation with Saira Banu

No anti-government sentiment in Kerala, claims CM Vijayan

Jaiswal’s Perth Simulation: 200 overs in 2 days, inclined concrete slab, lighter synthetic balls

PCB says no meeting with ICC, BCCI officials on November 26 to resolve CT imbroglio

Australia coach McDonald surprised about behaviour of wicket on Day two

Sharad Pawar: Assembly poll rout raises question of existence for patriarch’s political legacy

Related Articles More

BTS2024: If India can make rocket sensors, it can also make car sensors, says ISRO chief Somanath

World COPD Day: Know your lung function

SpaceX successfully launches ISRO’s 4,700 kg communication satellite from US

As AI and megaplatforms take over, the hyperlinks that built the web may face extinction

Plastic waste could double by 2050, researchers find, suggest policies to address issue

MUST WATCH

Prakash Belawadi

Naxal Leader Vikram Gowda

Christmas Cake Fruit Mixing

DK Shivakumar

Rose Cultivation


Latest Additions

Satwik, Chirag doubles pair bows out of China Masters semifinals

Puttur: Two arrested for misconduct under influence of drugs

Kaup: Massive campaign and awareness rally Nov 26 for Constitution protection

Never entered into pact to operate airport in Kenya: Adani

Women centric schemes game-changer for Maharashtra, Jharkhand?

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.