Rubbing salts on the wounds is the idiom that comes to my mind after reading out the new statement of the World Health Organization (WHO). The global health body has said that there are possibilities of COVID-19 being spread through airborne transmission. On Tuesday WHO acknowledged the “evidence emerging” of the airborne spread of the virus.
“We have been talking about the possibility of airborne transmission and aerosol transmission as one of the modes of transmission of COVID-19“, said WHO’s technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove. If that comes out to be true then social distancing as a measure would have limited effect as it would only prevent contact based spread.
In an open letter to WHO, 239 scientists in 32 countries outlined evidence that they say shows floating virus particles can infect people who breathe them in. They have urged the WHO to update its guidance. “The possibility of airborne transmission in public settings – especially in very specific conditions, crowded, closed, poorly ventilated settings that have been described, cannot be ruled out. However, the evidence needs to be gathered and interpreted, and we continue to support this“, said WHO.
Wearing of mask and adherence to comprehensive protection measures would be effective says the WHO in such case. Meanwhile, the Internet reacted to the news in its own way. Take a look:
