WHO clarifies terminology for air-transmitted pathogens

Geneva: The World Health Organization on Thursday announced a new, catch all terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air, erasing a distin...

Geneva: The World Health Organization on Thursday announced a new, catch-all terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air, erasing a distinction that caused dangerous confusion during the Covid pandemic.

During the Covid-19 crisis the standoff between experts arguing over whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread through droplets or through an aerosol mist proved a crucial public health challenge.

In the initial months of the pandemic in early 2020, the WHO and other experts said the virus was spreading via droplets, emitted through coughs and sneezes.

It was understood that such droplets did not linger in the air but sank to cover surfaces that others might touch. That meant the main advice to ward off infection was frequent and thorough handwashing.

It took a while before most experts acknowledged that the virus was spreading more easily through the air, which required other precautions.