COVID-19 can possibly spread through airborne aerosols, definitely via people without symptoms, WHO says
The World Health Organization updated its findings Thursday on how COVID-19 is transmitted, and there are two important changes. First, the WHO acknowledged growing evidence the new coronavirus may spread through aerosols, tiny droplets of saliva that linger in the air for hours, especially in enclosed and poorly ventilated spaces. The second change involved the risk of transmission by people who don't have symptoms. Both issues have broad implications for how to contain the disease.
The WHO maintains that the main route of transmission involves infected people projecting saliva droplets into the eyes, mouth, or nose of people in close proximity, via coughing, sneezing, talking, or singing. The agency also said spread through infected surfaces, or formite transmission, is "likely" though not yet proven. Urine and feces have been shown to contain viable amount of the new coronavirus, too.
The virus can be spread by people who don't have COVID-19 symptoms, the WHO said, but there is an "important" distinction between people who never develop symptoms (asymptomatic) and those who have yet to develop symptoms (presymptomatic), and "the extent of truly asymptomatic infection in the community remains unknown." As a practical matter, Michael Barbaro noted on Thursday's The Daily podcast, the WHO is "making distinctions that don't mean all that much to people who are trying to decide whether to go to work, whether to go to a restaurant, whether to see friends."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The WHO has long dismissed aerosols as a means of transmission except during certain medical procedures, but it now says airborne spread "cannot be ruled out." There's evidence aerosols may have been responsible for "outbreaks of COVID-19 reported in some closed settings, such as restaurants, nightclubs, places of worship, or places of work where people may be shouting, talking, or singing," the WHO said, though larger droplets or contaminated surfaces might also have caused those outbreaks.
"Outdoors, any virus in small or large droplets may be diluted too quickly in the air to pose a risk," The New York Times reports. "But even a small possibility of airborne spread indoors has enormous implications for how people should protect themselves." The new brief mostly shows the WHO's experts interpret the data on aerosols differently, Oxford University's Dr. Trish Greenhalgh tells the Times. "The push-pull of that committee is palpable," she said. "As everyone knows, if you ask a committee to design a horse, you get a camel."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
The Christmas quiz 2024
From the magazine Test your grasp of current affairs and general knowledge with our quiz
By The Week UK Published
-
People of the year 2024
In the Spotlight Remember the people who hit the headlines this year?
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: December 25, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraud
Speed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strike
Speed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US economy still strong in final preelection report
Speed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strike
Speed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published