The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quietly updated its website to reflect something that’s long been suspected — the novel coronavirus spreads mainly through the air in respiratory droplets. But then the CDC removed it.
On Monday, the CDC removed the guidelines and issued a statement:
- “A draft version of proposed changes to these recommendations was posted in error to the agency’s official website. CDC is currently updating its recommendations regarding airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). Once this process has been completed, the update language will be posted.”
So what does that mean?
Before removing the state, the CDC said droplets with the coronavirus are released when people talk, breathe, cough or sneeze.
- Airborne droplets can remain in the air for hours, too.
- The droplets can be inhaled through nose, mouth, airways and lungs.
- The CDC said: “There is growing evidence that droplets and airborne particles can remain suspended in the air and be breathed in by others, and travel distances beyond 6 feet (for example, during choir practice, in restaurants, or in fitness classes).”
You can also become infected by touching a surface with the coronavirus on it and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
- “Spread from touching surfaces is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads,” the CDC said.
Does it spread easily?
The CDC underlined the fact that the coronavirus can spread easily from one person to another — moving quicker than other illnesses, like the flu.
“How easily a virus spreads from person to person can vary. Airborne viruses, including COVID-19, are among the most contagious and easily spread. Some viruses are highly contagious, like measles, while other viruses do not spread as easily. The virus that causes COVID-19 appears to spread more efficiently than influenza, but not as efficiently as measles, which is highly contagious. In general, the more closely a person with COVID-19 interacts with others and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread.”
What you should do:
The CDC said people should “stay at least 6 feet away from others, whenever possible.”
- According to The Daily Beast, the CDC previously said people should keep “good social distance” of 6 feet.
Questions about airborne
Earlier this summer, experts demanded that the World Health Organization share more information about the coronavirus being an airborne virus, as I wrote for Deseret.com.
- Experts and scientists said the WHO should “give more weight to the role of the airborne spread of COVID-19,” according to CNBC.