A recent
study analyzing air samples from hospitals in patients with COVID-19 revealed
that the virus can travel up to four meters (around 13 feet)- twice the
distance current guidelines say people should leave between themselves in
public.
Chinese researchers from Wuhan ,who tested surfaces and air samples from an ICU and general Corona
ward, led by a team at the Academy of Military
Medical Sciences in Beijing, released
the preliminary findings of the investigation on Friday (10th April) in Emerging Infectious
Diseases, a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) journal.
Researchers noticed the virus to be
most highly concentrated on the wards floors and said a possible cause might be
attributed to the gravity that carried the virus droplets to the ground. There
were also high rates on regularly touched surfaces such as computer mice, bed rails and door knobs
"Apart from that, half of the
samples from the ICU medical staff shoes soles tested positive," the research
team reported. " Hence, The soles of medical
staff shoes may also act as carriers."
AIRBORNE DANGER?
The
team also looked at aerosol transmission – where airborne virus containing
particle linger in air for several hours rather than dropping to ground
immediately after coughing or sneezing .
Researchers found that aerosols containing virus particles were primarily concentrated up to 13 feet near and downstream from patients — while smaller amounts were detected upstream, up to eight feet.
Fortunately,
no hospital staff member was infected, "showing that adequate precautions
could effectively prevent infection," the authors wrote.
They
also offered advice that bucks orthodox guidelines: "Our findings suggest
that home isolation of persons with suspected COVID-19 might not be a good
control strategy" given the levels of environmental contamination.
Contrary to WHO, US health officials have taken a more
cautious approach and advised people to cover their faces while out in public
in the event that the virus may be spread through regular breathing and speaking.
Key words: COVD-19,Corona virus,aerosol transmission,Chinese study,ICU medical staff , staff shoes , social distancing redefined , face mask, CDC .
