This archive report was first published on 8 July 2020.
On July 8, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged emerging evidence of airborne transmission of the coronavirus, a development that follows a letter signed by 239 scientists urging the agency to be more open about the likelihood of catching the virus from airborne droplets.
Dr. Benedetta Alleganzi, WHO Technical Lead for Infection Prevention and Control, emphasized the agency's collaboration with many of the scientists who signed the letter during a briefing on Tuesday.
According to Alleganzi, the WHO acknowledges the emerging evidence in the field and believes that the agency must be open to this evidence and understand its implications regarding the modes of transmission and precautions that need to be taken.
WHO's Infectious Disease Epidemiologist, Maria Van Kerkove, noted that many of the letter's signatories are engineers, which adds to the growing knowledge about the importance of ventilation, a crucial aspect in preventing the spread of the virus.
Van Kerkove highlighted the agency's ongoing work on a scientific brief summarizing the current knowledge around transmission of the deadly virus, which is expected to be available in the coming weeks.
Alleganzi emphasized that more research is still needed on Covid-19 transmission, stating that the evidence is not yet definitive and that the possibility of airborne transmission in public settings, especially in crowded, closed, and poorly ventilated areas, cannot be ruled out.
