QUT air quality expert, Professor Lidia Morawska from QUT’s International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health said the world should face the reality of airborne transmission in the fight against COVID-19.
“Hand washing and maintaining social distance of 1.5 metres are the main measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to avoid contracting COVID-19,” Professor Morawska said.
“Unfortunately, these measures do not prevent infection by inhalation of small droplets exhaled by an infected person that can travel a distance of metres or tens of metres in the air and carry their viral content.”
“Currently, no countries are considering airborne spread to prevent of transmission of the disease indoors.”
“To mitigate infection spread, we recommend that authorities improve ventilation to remove virus-laden droplets from the air.”