COVID-19 is evolving to become more airborne, says recent study

• Published date: 23 September 2021
• Author: JERUSALEM POST STAFF
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

People infected with the Alpha strain of COVID-19 are exhaling 43 to 100 times more of the virus into the air compared to those infected with the original COVID-19 strain, the study shows.

The research found that the viral load in the air from Alpha variant patients was 18-times more than could be explained by the increased amounts of virus in nasal swabs and saliva.

cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b' }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6'); });

>

Researchers also found that face coverings such as surgical masks and cloths, reduce the amount of the virus breathed into the air by about 50%.

"We know that the Delta variant circuling now is even more contagious than the Alpha variant," says Dr. Don Milton, Professor of environmental health at the University of Maryland's School of Public Health.

"Because research indicates successive variants keep getting better at traveling through the air, better ventilation and tight-fitting masks, in addition to vaccination, can help offset the increased risk," he adds.

Back in the early days of the pandemic, scientists couldn't confirm if COVID-19 could be spread through particles in the air, and was believed to be transmitted through actions such as coughing and sneezing.

"We already knew that virus...