Almost after 8 months of coronavirus outbreak, scientists have now opined that there is evidence that smaller particles of the novel coronavirus in the air can infect people and have asked the World Health Organization to revise guidelines, according to the report of an eminent news agency.
The WHO has said the coronavirus disease spreads primarily from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, which proliferates when a person infected with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes, or speaks.
The report further added that in an open letter to the agency, which the researchers plan to publish in a scientific journal next week, 239 scientists in 32 countries outlined the evidence showing smaller particles can infect people.
Notably, the WHO did not immediately respond to a request for comment by various media agencies.
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Whether carried by large droplets that zoom through the air after a sneeze, or by much smaller exhaled droplets that may glide the length of a room, the coronavirus is borne through the air and can infect people when inhaled, the scientists said, according to the report.
However, the health agency said the evidence for the virus being airborne was not convincing.
"Especially in the last couple of months, we have been stating several times that we consider airborne transmission as possible but certainly not supported by solid or even clear evidence," Dr. Benedetta Allegranzi, the WHO's technical lead of infection prevention and control, was quoted as saying by the news agency.