Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2: The world should face the reality

TLDR

WHO recommends hand washing and distancing, yet these measures fail to prevent inhalation of small droplets that can travel meters and carry SARS‑CoV‑2, and evidence shows airborne transmission is a significant indoor route that current regulations ignore. The authors urge national authorities to recognize airborne spread and implement ventilation to remove virus‑laden droplets from indoor air.

Abstract

Hand washing and maintaining social distance are the main measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to avoid contracting COVID-19. Unfortunately, these measured do not prevent infection by inhalation of small droplets exhaled by an infected person that can travel distance of meters or tens of meters in the air and carry their viral content. Science explains the mechanisms of such transport and there is evidence that this is a significant route of infection in indoor environments. Despite this, no countries or authorities consider airborne spread of COVID-19 in their regulations to prevent infections transmission indoors. It is therefore extremely important, that the national authorities acknowledge the reality that the virus spreads through air, and recommend that adequate control measures be implemented to prevent further spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, in particularly removal of the virus-laden droplets from indoor air by ventilation.