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The chief of India's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Shekhar C Mande, has warned that airborne transmission of the new coronavirus infection is possible, and stressed on the importance of wearing masks even in indoor or enclosed spaces.
The CSIR chief was referring to a recent statement by the World Health Organization (WHO), which had confirmed the possibility of the coronavirus infection spreading through the air, as evidenced by numerous scientific studies. In his blog on CSIR's official website, he wrote, "All the evidence and arguments suggest that the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is certainly a possibility in itself."
Mande also explained how people can protect themselves in such an environment. "The answer are intuitively very straightforward - avoid crowds, keep closed spaces - such as offices - well ventilated and, most importantly, wear masks in closed spaces," he wrote. The CSIR chief continued by adding that wearing masks seemed to be the most efficient way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which could possibly be made mandatory for everyone.
Read more: Can masks protect against COVID-19
The CSIR chief also said that amid the ongoing debate on how likely the virus is to spread through surfaces, it has to be understood that breathing can also be a means of spreading the infection. "It has now been well known that droplets released by coughing or sneezing are spread in the air. Large droplets easily hit the ground or surface, but small droplets remain in the atmosphere for a long time," he said.
Read more: What is droplet transmission
It is worth noting that 239 scientists from all over the world recently wrote to the WHO about how the new coronavirus spreads in the air, which should be accepted and included in the official COVID-19 protocol. Following this letter, WHO issued a statement citing studies claiming airborne transmission and did not rule out the possibility of the virus spreading through the air.
The WHO had acknowledged last week that there was emerging evidence of the airborne spread of the COVID-19 infection, citing that outbreaks reported in crowded and enclosed spaces point towards the possibility of aerosol transmission, especially in places of public gatherings such as restaurants and offices. It even said that airborne transmission was possible and could occur during medical procedures that produce aerosols.
Read more: How does COVID-19 spread
Scientists all over the world have been urging people to wear masks. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Melanie Ott, director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, said that wearing masks is one of the most important things to control the situation. She said that people are waiting for a vaccine and medicines to be made for the treatment of COVID-19, but it has not been done yet, so people should wear masks and follow social distancing.
At the same time, Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States, said that if people started wearing masks, the epidemic in America could be controlled in the next four to eight weeks.
The US has had the largest number of COVID-19 cases in the world, with more than 3.8 million people affected by the disease and over 140,000 having lost their lives because of it. India recently took over Russia to become the third worst hit country in the world, with over 1.1 million cases and over 28,000 deaths.
