Over the weekend, The New York Times reported that 239 scientists from 32 counties outlined in an open letter to the World Health Organization why they believe the global agency needs to revise its health recommendations related to the prevention of SARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19. Since the coronavirus pandemic became more understood by researchers, the W.H.O. has asserted that the virus is spread primarily by large respiratory droplets that fall quickly to the floor. These droplets are spread from person to person out of an infected individuals' nose or mouth whenever they sneeze, cough or talk. The W.H.O.'s main guidance since the beginning of the pandemic has been hand washing, coupled with social distancing and later facial coverings in social settings.
In the letter, scientists point to evidence that shows that the coronavirus can infect with smaller particles that may linger in the air in indoor settings, thus having the ability to infect individuals long after the virus has been expelled by someone who is infected. The researchers concluded that if airborne transmission is more of a factor in the pandemic than originally thought, containment measures will need to be modified significantly. For example, ventilation systems will be needed throughout common indoor public spaces to minimize recirculating air and masks that prevent tiny particles from moving through them will need to become the norm.
Nonetheless, the agency's Technical Lead of Infection Control Dr. Benedetta Allegranzi stated recently that evidence for the virus being airborne is unconvincing.
"Especially in the last couple of months, we have been stating serval times that we consider airborne transmission as possible but certainly not supported by solid or even clear evidence," Allegranzi stated, as quoted by the NYT. "There is a strong debate on this."
The researchers plan to publish the letter, along with their data, in a scientific journal in the coming week.
Total Global Cases: Over 11.7 Million
Total Deaths: Over 540,000
Total Recovered: Over 6.62 Million
United States Update
The coronavirus outbreak in the United States did not take the weekend off for the national holiday, with the infection rates in the southern half of the country continuing to break daily records. The coronavirus has now surpassed the grim totals of 3 million confirmed cases and over 130,000 deaths in the nation alone as of Monday.
According to theAssociated Press, confirmed cases are on the rise in 41 out of 50 states, with the percentage of positive tests increasing in 39 states. Florida hit an all-time record of about 11,400 new cases on Saturday, with its test positivity rate reaching over 18%. The infection levels in Arizona, California and Texas are not far behind Florida, with hospitals across those states nearing capacities. Arizona has also become the eighth state to record a total of 100,000 cases, only following the case numbers of California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Texas.
Yet, average deaths per day nationwide have decreased in the past few weeks by about 100. This decline can be attributed to both advances in treatments as well as the increased percentage of younger adults infected with the virus. However, experts have warned that deaths usually lag behind infection rates and the decline can be reversed quickly.
New Testing
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted an Emergency Use Authorization to Becton Dickson's
"This will be a game-changer for frontline health care worker and their patients to be able to access a quick diagnostic test for COVID-19, offering results in realtime at at convenient locations like retail pharmacies, urgent care centers and doctors' offices," said Dave Hickey, president of Integrated Diagnostic Solutions for BD, stated in a release. "Such tests will also help communities be more informed and better prepared to help prevent new spikes and additional waves of COVID-19 by enabling public health workers to quickly identify infectious individuals and trace their contacts."
