The novel coronavirus of 2019, now officially called as SARS-CoV-2, is a new virus that originated from Wuhan, China, and is known to cause severe pneumonia-like symptoms in humans. Because the virus is newly-discovered, no medical practitioners and health experts have a clue on this pathogen’s nature. The coronavirus disease of 2019 or COVID-19, the name given to the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, is expected to linger in the coming months, not until an effective cure or vaccine is developed. At this point, we can only defend ourselves from this disease by preventing further transmission of the virus.
However, the mode of transmission of COVID-19 is still up for a massive debate. At first, the World Health Organization (WHO) was not yet certain if the novel coronavirus can be transmitted from human to human. Weeks later, it became very clear that a human-to-human transmission is possible, and its rate of infection is actually high. Thus, it only took a matter of time for the disease to become a full-blown pandemic, with COVID-19 cases reported in every continent of the world.
Recently, experts from differnt parts of the world are coming up with another major claim about COVID-19, that the disease is actually airborne. For months, WHO has refused to acknowledge this, but surprisingly, the organization has finally given in to the notion of the virus’ greater potential to infect more people than initially thought.
COVID-19 As An Airborne Disease Is A Game-Changer In Handling The Pandemic Situation
More than 200 experts studying the nature of SARS-CoV-2 have recently submitted their findings to WHO, and they are all convinced that COVID-19 can actually be transmitted through the air. This means that when an infected person coughs or sneezes, the virus that was ejected from that person’s mouth can be suspended in the air for a long duration. Thus, any person passing by this area can easily inhale the virus into his or her lungs. Right now, WHO only recognizes that the novel coronavirus can be trasmitted by means of tiny droplets coming from an infected person, and when other people comes into contact with these droplets by means of touching, they can easily allow the virus to enter their bodies by touching their eyes, nose, or mouth.
Based on the latest bulletin from WHO, the group has finally acknowledged the possibility of airborne transmission of COVID-19. However, WHO still has a reservation on this airborne transmission: the virus can only be suspended in the air in an indoor setting, especially in a closed space that has poor ventilation. This means that places like malls, offices, and theater houses are at risk of having a rapid rate of transmission of the virus. If there is someone looking for speech and language pathology jobs, he must stay at home while doing his job searching instead of going straight to the office.
We must also be careful in sharing news and information about COVID-19. Avoid getting your info from sources that are known to create fake news stories, and choose the right media outlet that brings fresh information straight from WHO.