Viral aerosols can travel up to 10 metres : Government

NEW DELHI: Recent studies pointing to SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes Covid-19, being transmitted through droplets and aerosols that can travel up to 10 metres in air have prompted the government to refine its advisory which calls for proper ventilation, among other things, to check the transmission of the disease.
Pitching for increased ventilation, the advisory, issued by the office of principal scientific advisor (PSA) to the government on Thursday, said droplets and aerosols become quickly concentrated and greatly increase the risk of transmission in “closed unventilated indoor” spaces.
“In closed indoor spaces, droplets, and aerosols become quickly concentrated, greatly increasing the risk of transmission to people in the area. Just as smells can be diluted by ventilation, high concentrations of the virus can be reduced by ensuring that outdoor air flows in,” said PSA K VijayRaghavan, on the guidelines which enlisted steps on how to stop the transmission of Covid virus.
Raghavan, a developmental biologist, said, “One infected asymptomatic person can release enough aerosols to infect many. Symptoms can take up to two weeks to
appear in an infected person, during which he may continue to shed the virus to infect others. Some people may never show symptoms and yet be spreaders.” Besides underlining the importance of masks, physical distancing and sanitation, the advisory also lays equal emphasis on ventilation, noting how infection transmission risk is much lower in outdoor areas, as virus particles get quickly dispersed.