SAÚDE
OMS rev~e orientações sobre transmissão do coronavírus pelo ar
July 7, 2020 -
A Organização Mundial de Saúde está a rever indícios de mais de
200 cientistas que advertem que as partículas de coronavírus podem
permanecer no ar por longos períodos, infetando pessoas que as respiram.
The WHO says SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, spreads mainly through small droplets expelled from the nose and mouth of an infected person that quickly sink to the ground, according to Reuters.
But in an open letter to the Geneva-based agency, published on Monday in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal, 239 scientists in 32 countries outlined evidence that they say shows floating virus particles can infect people who breathe them in.
Because those smaller particles can linger in the air, the scientists are urging WHO to update its guidance.
How frequently the coronavirus can spread by the airborne or aerosol route - as opposed to by larger droplets in coughs and sneezes - is not clear.
Any change in the WHO’s assessment of risk of transmission could affect its current advice on keeping 1-metre (3.3 feet) of physical distancing. Governments, which rely on the agency for guidance policy, may also have to adjust public health measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus, Reuters said.