The truth about COVID Aerosol Transmission
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted guidance late on Friday 18th September stating that aerosol transmission might be one of the “most common” ways the coronavirus is spreading.
On Monday 21st September, the CDC reverted to their original guidance.
According to a notice currently on the CDC site:
“A draft version of proposed changes to these recommendations was posted in error to the agency’s official website. CDC is currently updating its recommendations regarding airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). Once this process has been completed, the update language will be posted.”
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-covid-spreads.html
Meanwhile in the UK, according to The Guardian newspaper
“As long as people keep emphasising handwashing over aerosol transmission and ventilation, you are not going to control this pandemic,” virologist Julian Tang, of Leicester Royal Infirmary…
He pointed to studies that suggest contact is the cause of transmission of the Covid-19 virus in only about 20% of cases while aerosol transmission, often in poorly ventilated rooms, accounted for the rest.
In an open letter to the WHO on the 6th of July, 239 scientists raised concerns over aerosol transmission, including over greater distances.
https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa939/5867798
The list of examples of aerosol transmission is growing daily, from the original Guangzhou restaurant, Heilongjiang Province elevator, Starbucks cafe Seoul, Greek flight from Zante, Bolton pub crawl, meat factories, and in all probability every indoor restaurant and bar. We would make the assertion that ventilation and airflow are key factors in all these cases.
The emerging key message is that aerosols are being identified as being the key transmission mechanism for SARS-CoV2 as opposed to fomites or droplets as previously advised.
The above reinforces the necessity for all governments to indicate to businesses, educational and medical facilities to get an independent true Ventilation Assessment of the current state of their ventilation system and advise on how the ventilation system, including air conditioning, can and should be configured using a Ventilation Strategy to reduce the risk of aerosol transmission.
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