Letter to BS: Pandemic has many dimensions, needs a fair investigation

The World Health Organization (WHO) has long held that the novel coronavirus is spread primarily through small droplets from nose or mouth when a person infected with Covid-19 coughs, sneezes or speaks. But according to The New York Ti­mes, in an open letter to the WHO, more than 239 scientists from 32 countries have warned that airborne transmission of the virus indoors should be taken more seriously. They have called on the WHO to revise its recommendations, which they say, underestimate the dangers of transmission indoors.

Though the WHO did not immediately respond, Paul Hunter, a me­mber of its infection-prevention co­mmittee, said they had struck the right balance in their advice. “Aerosol transmission can occur, but it probably isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things. It’s all about droplets,” he said. The NYT has quoted experts as saying that whether carried aloft by large droplets that zoom through the air after a sneeze, or by much smaller exhaled droplets that may glide the length of a room, the coronavirus is borne through air and can infect people when inhaled. If airborne transmission is shown to be a major factor, some experts have suggested it could be helpful to wear masks indoors, even in settings whe­re social distancing is being enforced; tighter regulations may be needed for ventilation and air conditioning to minimise recirculating air; and that it may even be appropriate to install UV lights in some buildings to guard against potentially infectio­us particles. This pandemic has ma­ny dimensions and needs a fair amount of investigation.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee  Faridabad

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