Recently, I have been hearing people discussing whether or not the covid-19 virus is “airborne”. Of course we know at this point that the virus can easily be spread through respiratory droplets released by coughs and sneezes, but questions are arising about possible transmission through simply breathing or talking, i.e. the virus being airborne (by some definitions). This article outlines differing views and results held by researchers and the problems with differing definitions of “airborne”. Recent evidence has shown viral DNA present in air samples from outside shopping malls and hospitals and from surfaces in those places as well. While it is unclear if those particles are infectious or not, this evidence brings into question what we know about virus transmissibility and the precautions we should be taking. Additionally, we need to be careful with the words we use to describe transmission so as to limit panic and misinformation.
