One could be infected with the coronavirus just by talking: this hypothesis comes from four studies, linked by the American Academy of Sciences. Covid-19 could be transmitted by aerosols, tiny particles invisible to the naked eye that we emit when we breathe and speak. Lighter than those emitted when coughing or sneezing, these particles would stay in the air longer. But it is still too early to comment on this thesis, according to Professor Gilles Pialoux, head of the infectious diseases department at the Tenon hospital in Paris.
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"It will take months to reverse or confirm this hypothesis"
"Can the disease be transmitted other than by saliva in a close relationship? The answer is yes," he said at the microphone of Europe 1. "Can it be sprayed by airway, including artificial ventilation? For now, this remains to be determined, it is not documented. It will take months to confirm or confirm this hypothesis. Scientific studies are needed. " But unlike the virus, scientific investigations take time.
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"It is a new virus, so we learn as the risks of the disease arise and we still learn a lot about its transmission," adds Professor Odile Launay, head of the hospital's vaccine center. Cochin in Paris. Faced with all these strangers, one thing is consensus: the wearing of masks, even handcrafted (scarves, handkerchiefs, etc.), to protect oneself from these small particles. In the United States, President Donald Trump notably announced on Friday that health authorities are now advising people to cover their faces when they leave their homes.