Indoor Precautions can Prevent Airborne Transmission of COVID-19 Virus

Following indoor precautions such as proper ventilation and free air circulation can prevent the airborne transmission of COVID-19 virus droplets from an infected person beyond 1.5m, suggest experts.

Staying away from people who are infected by COVID-19 virus, cleaning your house regularly and increasing ventilation of indoor spaces can prevent the airborne transmission of COVID-19.

World-leading air quality and health expert QUT Professor Lidia Morawska and Professor Junji Cao from Chinese Academy of Sciences in an article in Environment International published this week called on health bodies to initiate research into the airborne transmission of COVID-19 as it is happening.

COVID-19: Cleanliness Could be the Best Weapon to Fight Coronavirus
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Deadly China virus continues to spread rapidly across the globe. Therefore, cleanliness could be a powerful weapon to kill deadly viruses and bacteria. So, keep your house clean to prevent coronavirus.

‘Following indoor precautions such as proper ventilation and free air circulation can prevent the airborne transmission of COVID-19 virus droplets from an infected person beyond 1.5m.’
Read More..

"National health bodies responsible for controlling the pandemic are hampered by not acknowledging the research evidence of airborne transmission of viable virus droplets, that was conducted after the SARS 2003 outbreak," Professor Morawska said.

"Now is the ideal time to conduct research into how viruses can travel on the airflow, because there are many similarities between the coronavirus that caused SARS and the COVID-19 coronavirus and therefore it is highly likely that COVID-19 spreads by air.

"Analysis of the initial pattern of COVID-19 spread in China reveals multiple cases of non-contact transmission, especially in areas outside Wuhan.

Indian Namaste the Preferred Greeting over Conventional Handshake
COVID-19 pandemic is causing changes in how we greet each other. The traditional Indian way of greeting with folded hands (Namaste) is now being preferred over handshake. Namaste has more to it than just being a greetings, read to find out

"On numerous cruise ships where thousands of people onboard were infected, many of the infections occurred after passengers had to isolate in their cabins even though hand hygiene was implemented.”

"Therefore, the ventilation system could have spread the airborne virus between the cabins.”

Is Coronavirus Seasonal?
Is coronavirus seasonal? Common coronaviruses are highly seasonal, with most cases peaking in winter months.

"We know that Covid-19’s predecessor, SARS.CoV-1, did spread on the air in the 2003 outbreak. Several studies have retrospectively explained this pathway of transmission in Hong Kong’s Prince of Wales Hospital as well as in healthcare facilities in Toronto, Canada.”

"A WHO review (2009) of the evidence found viral diseases can be transmitted across distances in indoor environments by aerosol or airborne infection and can result in large clusters of infection in a short period."

WHO-recommended Hand Rub Formulations Effective Against COVID-19
Alcohol-based hand disinfectants recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), when used correctly, are effective against the novel coronavirus Sars-Cov-2, reports a new study.

Professor Morawska said authorities need to put in place public health precautions to lower airborne transmission by:

increased ventilation of indoor spaces
use of natural ventilation
avoiding air recirculation
avoiding staying in another person’s direct air flow
minimizing the number of people sharing the same environment
providing adequate ventilation in nursing homes, hospitals, shops, offices, schools, restaurants and cruise ships.

Professor Morawska said virus droplets’ liquid content started to evaporate immediately after being exhaled and some became so small that could travel on air currents, rather than fall to the ground as larger droplets do.

"Such small droplets can carry their viral content metres, even tens of metres, away from the infected person."

Professor Morawska said it was difficult to directly detect viruses travelling in the air because it took knowledge of the air flow from an infected person and a long sampling period to collect enough copies of the viruses.

"Air transmission research should be undertaken now and its likelihood as a means of spread should be taken seriously with due precautions taken now.

"We have already lost valuable time by ignoring this method of spread and we should act on the presumption that COVID-19 is spreading on the air."

Source-Eurekalert