• March 19, 2020
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WHO mulls ‘airborne precautions’ for medical staff

A new study has shown that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can survive in the air in certain environments, prompting the World Health Organisation (WHO) to investigate whether medical staff will need “airborne precautions” for the virus.

“When you do an aerosol-generating procedure like in a medical care facility, you have the possibility to what we call aerosolise these particles, which means they can stay in the air a little bit longer,” explained WHO emerging diseases and zoonosis unit head Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove. The doctor stressed the importance of taking additional precautions when healthcare workers are treating patients or performing procedures. 

The coronavirus is primarily transmitted through human-to-human contact via droplets – or little bits of liquid – usually from coughing or sneezing. Germs left on inanimate objects may also cause transmission. Depending on factors such as humidity and heat, world health officials say that the coronavirus can go airborne and stay suspended in the air for a time.

Many scientists across different countries are looking at the effect of various environmental conditions on COVID-19, something that the WHO is aware of. In the United States, for instance, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is evaluating how long the virus can survive on various surfaces.

“On copper and steel, it’s pretty typical… about two hours. But I will say on other surfaces – cardboard or plastic – it’s longer, and so we are looking at this,” said CDC director Robert Redfield at a Congress hearing last month.