239 Scientists From 32 Countries Call For WHO To Address Airborne Spread Of Novel Coronavirus

New York Times: 239 Experts With One Big Claim: The Coronavirus Is Airborne
“…The World Health Organization has long held that the coronavirus is spread primarily by large respiratory droplets that, once expelled by infected people in coughs and sneezes, fall quickly to the floor. But in an open letter to the WHO, 239 scientists in 32 countries have outlined the evidence showing that smaller particles can infect people, and are calling for the agency to revise its recommendations. The researchers plan to publish their letter in a scientific journal [this] week…” (Mandavilli, 7/4).

Washington Post: Scientists urge WHO to address airborne spread of coronavirus
“…In a forthcoming paper titled ‘It is Time to Address Airborne Transmission of Covid-19,’ 239 signatories attempt to raise awareness about what they say is growing evidence that the virus can spread indoors through aerosols that linger in the air and can be infectious even in smaller quantities than previously thought. Until recently, most public health guidelines have focused on social distancing measures, regular hand-washing, and precautions to avoid droplets. But the signatories to the paper say the potential of the virus to spread via airborne transmission has not been fully appreciated even by public health institutions such as the WHO…” (McAuley/Rauhala, 7/5).

Additional coverage of the letter is available from Axios, The Guardian, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, and Reuters.

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