The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that the possibility that the Covid-19 virus is transmitted by air is not ruled out by its experts, although it stressed that for now it maintains the already recommended prevention measures. "On the possible route of air transmission there is new but not definitive evidence, and that possibility is seen especially in very specific conditions, such as places with many people and little ventilation," explained the expert Benedetta Allegranzi, from the Global Infection Prevention Unit. of the WHO.

Allegranzi responded in this way to the article published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal in Oxford and also in The New York Times on Monday by 239 scientists, in which they asked the WHO to take the hypothesis about an aerial transmission of the coronavirus more seriously and stressed that the social distance standards against the Covid-19 were insufficient.

"We recognize that evidence is emerging in this regard and therefore we must remain open to this possibility and its implications, as well as the precautions to be taken," said Allegranzi.

The expert added that the WHO continues to recommend avoiding meetings in closed places or participating in events with large numbers of people, in addition to maintaining adequate ventilation conditions, social distancing and the use of masks when the latter is difficult.

The head of the WHO Department of Emerging Diseases , Maria Van Kerkhove, said that many of the signatories to the letter in The New York Times are experts with whom the Geneva- based organization has already been collaborating for several months.

"We have had a relationship with this group of scientists since April, through different networks, and we welcome collaboration with scientists from all over the world," he said. He added that many of the signatories are engineers, whose contribution can be very important, especially in the adoption of enclosure ventilation measures.

Although the WHO considers that the main means of transmission of Covid-19 is through small drops (expelled by the sick, for example when coughing or sneezing), Van Kerkhove clarified that other means of transmission are still being studied, including animals to humans and mothers to children in pregnancy.

The institution insisted on Tuesday that the epidemic "is accelerating, and we have not reached the peak of the pandemic," in the words of its director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "Although the death toll appears to have stabilized globally, in fact, some countries have made significant progress in reducing the number of cases, while others continue to grow," he said at a news conference.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Coronavirus
  • Un
  • Covid 19

Courts The Prosecutor's Office files the complaint for homicide against a medical center after seven deaths by Covid-19

Covid-19Pedro Sánchez received daily reports on the coronavirus threat since January 24

100 days of the state of alarm The crisis commission in Congress: in a hurry to rebuild the 'Spain'

See links of interest

  • News
  • Translator
  • Programming
  • Calendar
  • Horoscope
  • Classification
  • League calendar
  • Films
  • Cut notes
  • Themes
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Tottenham Hotspur - Everton
  • Seville - Eibar
  • Crystal Palace - Chelsea
  • Watford - Norwich City
  • Celta de Vigo - Atlético de Madrid