The World Health Organization on Tuesday acknowledged “evidence emerging” of the airborne transmission of coronavirus, after a group of 239 international scientists sounded the alarm on the UN specialised agency.
“We recognise that evidence is emerging in this area and therefore we need to be open to this possibility and its implications, as well as the precautions that need to be taken,” said Benedetta Allegranzi, a WHO official, during a virtual briefing. She added that more research is needed on the virus transmission.
So far, the WHO has said that Coronavirus can be transmitted through droplets expelled from the nose and mouth of an infected person, when they cough or sneeze, with the droplets quickly sinking to the ground.
In an open letter published on Monday in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal, the scientists cited evidence that they say it proves floating virus particles can infect people who breathe them in, and urged 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,” the WHO official added.
