Coronavirus: Scientists from 32 countries find evidence that COVID-19 is airborne and urge the WHO to revise guidelines
New Delhi : Coronavirus which is also known as COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 originated in Wuhan, China a few months ago. It didn't take us too long to understand that this virus is contagious but in the meanwhile, it managed to spread across the globe to a majority of countries leaving only a handful countries that continue to remain safe and coronavirus-free. Soon after the global coronavirus outbreak, the World Health Organization declared it as a global pandemic.
This pandemic is caused by a new strain of the novel coronavirus and has no cure or vaccine. Initially, it was believed that COVID-19 is transmitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes, the tiny respiratory droplets carry the virus and infect others around them but in a recent study, researchers and scientists have found evidence that this strain of coronavirus is actually airborne and can spread through the air particles but this has not been confirmed by the WHO. As per the New York Times, about 239 scientists from 32 countries have written an open letter to the World Health Organization and requested or rather encouraged them to revise its recommendations. They also plan to publish this letter, which outlines the evidence that COVID-19 is airborne and can spread through the small particles in the air and infect people, in a scientific journal. The World Health Organization, on the other hand, says that the evidence which supports the claims of this virus being airborne is not convincing enough.
According to the researchers and scientists, even though they are still doing more research and discovering more about coronavirus, there is adequate evidence that this virus is borne in the air and can spread through big particles in the droplets as well as the small particles in the air which can infect people when inhaled. The World Health Organization claims that though they have considered that airborne transmission of coronavirus may be possible the evidence is not convincing enough. While we have no confirmation, if coronavirus is really airborne, things are about to get tough and it is even more essential to follow health protocols like wearing masks, social distancing, protective gears and avoid large gatherings as well.
