Coronavirus spreading through air? CSIR begins study to find out possibility of airborne transmission of COVID-19

Coronavirus update: Is the airborne transmission of Coronavirus possible? Now, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has commenced its own sampling studies to seek conclusive evidence before releasing its findings. CSIR Director-General Dr Shekhar Mande has underlined that the organization does not want to issue any false alert to the public on this sensitive public health issue. This comes even as debate continues over the possibility of airborne transmission of Coronavirus, according to an Indian Express report.

As part of the CSIR study, air samples from ICU, waiting rooms, hospital corridors will be collected and subsequently investigate to ascertain whether aerosol transmission of Covid-19 can occur or not. While the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology is in talks with Hyderbad-based hospitals, CSIR–Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, is holding talks with the Punjab government to get air samples from swab collection centers, quarantine centers, and ICUs, as per the IE report.

Both the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology and CSIR–Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, have air samplers. These air samplers are handheld machines that have a filter. When the air passes through that filter, the virus gets stuck on that filter. Experts will study multiple filters to find out viruses’ quantity in the samples. While, samples are needed to be collected several times with different patients locating at distances of 4 feet, 8 feet, and 12 feet. Experts have said that hundreds of data points are needed to ascertain conclusive pieces of evidence, the IE report says.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday took down its guidance warning on the possible airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus, saying that the draft recommendation was posted in error. The now-withdrawn guidance, posted on the agency’s website on Friday, recommended that people use air purifiers to reduce airborne germs indoors to avoid the disease from spreading. “CDC is currently updating its recommendations regarding the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Once this process has been completed, the updated language will be posted,” the agency was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Earlier the US health agency had said that COVID-19 could spread through airborne particles that can remain suspended in the air and travel beyond six feet. However, presently, the agency’s guidance denotes the virus mainly spreads from person-to-person through respiratory droplets, which can land in the mouth or nose of people nearby.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has maintained its policy on the aerosol transmission of the coronavirus. The WHO still maintains that the disease primarily spread through droplets, but in enclosed crowded spaces with inadequate ventilation, aerosol transmission can occur, said Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s emergency program, as per Reuters report.