3 ms·

One wonders if the virus is now "airborne"? Is that something viruses can actually do, ontop of being passed on through water droplets after coughing/sneezing.

aphextron 6y ago
>One wonders if the virus is now "airborne"? Is that something viruses can actually do, ontop of being passed on through water droplets after coughing/sneezing. It always has been. The virus is aerosolized through exhalation, and spreads much like secondhand smoke [0]. [0] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753520302630#p0175 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092575352...
- throwitaway1235 6y ago
  I remember a listening to a podcast interviewing a physician from a major hospital who made sure to explain the difference between an airborne pathogen and one that is respiratory active. Jogging my memory. Airborne meaning a virus that a person exhales in an elevator (example) will still be present and transmissible x amount of time later. Respiratory active meaning transmissible by coughing/exhaling in the presence of someone else. These are important distinctions if true and still relevant.
  - Exmoor 6y ago
    In the sense of your explanation it COVID-19 is indeed airborne.
    - jobigoud 6y ago
      As far as I understand it lives in droplets heavier than air that fall to the ground in a matter of a few seconds. The next person entering the elevator won't breathe it. Truly airborne viruses can be lifted by regular air turbulences and travel kilometers before landing on someone else.
      - rweir 6y ago
        nope, obviously that's a continuum but it's been found to be much further towards the airborne end than was originally generally thought: [here](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30514-2/fulltext#:~:text=On%20Oct%205%2C%202020%2C%20the,the%20virus%20under%20certain%20circumstances https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2....)
IronRanger 6y ago
Winter air pollution is a factor - COVID particles hitch a ride on particulate matter: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/24/coronavirus-detected-particles-air-pollution https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/24/coronavi... And air pollution weakens immune systems and makes people more susceptible to respiratory viruses: https://www.iqair.com/us/blog/health-wellness/air-pollution-makes-covid-19-outcomes-worse https://www.iqair.com/us/blog/health-wellness/air-pollution-... The effort against COVID should have been directed towards ending the burning of coal and oil.

aphextron 6y ago

>One wonders if the virus is now "airborne"? Is that something viruses can actually do, ontop of being passed on through water droplets after coughing/sneezing. It always has been. The virus is aerosolized through exhalation, and spreads much like secondhand smoke [0]. [0] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753520302630#p0175 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092575352...

throwitaway1235 6y ago
I remember a listening to a podcast interviewing a physician from a major hospital who made sure to explain the difference between an airborne pathogen and one that is respiratory active. Jogging my memory. Airborne meaning a virus that a person exhales in an elevator (example) will still be present and transmissible x amount of time later. Respiratory active meaning transmissible by coughing/exhaling in the presence of someone else. These are important distinctions if true and still relevant.
- Exmoor 6y ago
  In the sense of your explanation it COVID-19 is indeed airborne.
  - jobigoud 6y ago
    As far as I understand it lives in droplets heavier than air that fall to the ground in a matter of a few seconds. The next person entering the elevator won't breathe it. Truly airborne viruses can be lifted by regular air turbulences and travel kilometers before landing on someone else.
    - rweir 6y ago
      nope, obviously that's a continuum but it's been found to be much further towards the airborne end than was originally generally thought: [here](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30514-2/fulltext#:~:text=On%20Oct%205%2C%202020%2C%20the,the%20virus%20under%20certain%20circumstances https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2....)

IronRanger 6y ago

Winter air pollution is a factor - COVID particles hitch a ride on particulate matter: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/24/coronavirus-detected-particles-air-pollution https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/24/coronavi... And air pollution weakens immune systems and makes people more susceptible to respiratory viruses: https://www.iqair.com/us/blog/health-wellness/air-pollution-makes-covid-19-outcomes-worse https://www.iqair.com/us/blog/health-wellness/air-pollution-... The effort against COVID should have been directed towards ending the burning of coal and oil.