Open-Letter from 239 Experts, Forces WHO to Revise Position On COVID-19 Airborne Risks - Impact For Healthcare Workers?
World Health Organization has jumped on the bandwagon after 239 scientists publish an open-letter confirming that coronavirus microscopic respiratory airborne particles can remain in the air of indoor areas and pose a risk of exposure at distances beyond 1 to 2 m from an infected individual. Photo: cottonbro / Pexels Thursday, the World Health Organization acknowledged the possibility that coronavirus microscopic respiratory airborne particles can remain in the air of crowded indoor areas, spreading the virus from one person to the next at distances beyond 1 to 2 m from an infected individual. The announcement followed after 239 scientists in 32 countries published an open letter addressed to the W.H.O. outlining data confirming the potential airborne spread of COVID-19 at distances beyond 1 to 2 meter (3 to 6 feet) standard social distancing recommendations. Scientists beckoned the WHO to revise its coronavirus guidance. The international organization has long maintained that COVID-19 was mainly transmitted by large respiratory droplets, which fall quickly to the ground when expelled in coughs and sneezes by infected people. During a June 29 update, the WHO said airborne transmission of the disease is possible only after medical procedures that produce aerosols or droplets smaller than 5 microns. Read the full article











