Keeping Your Windows Open Could Help Curb the Spread of Covid-19, Say Experts
3 years, 8 months ago

Keeping Your Windows Open Could Help Curb the Spread of Covid-19, Say Experts

News 18  

Opening windows and ventilating spaces should be at the heart of efforts to prevent the spread of Covid-19, a group of experts said Thursday, arguing that confusion over airborne transmission meant this simple measure was being overlooked. The virus is most likely to spread through inhalation at close range rather than through contact with surfaces or at long range, said respiratory experts said in a commentary published in the BMJ medical journal. “Although this can happen at long range, it is more likely when close to someone, as the aerosols between two people are much more concentrated at short range, rather like being close to someone who’s smoking.” At the beginning of the pandemic, health authorities, including the World Health Organization, discounted the possibility that simply breathing could send infectious micro-droplets into the air. The BMJ commentary said precautions like wearing masks, keeping one’s distance and reducing crowding in indoor spaces would all help curb viral spread, whether it was through inhaled particles or direct contact with surfaces. It said that while “knowledge gaps” remain, transmission of the virus that causes Covid-19 is particularly effective in crowded, confined indoor spaces where there is poor or no ventilation.

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History of this topic

Hundreds of patients died after catching COVID in Victorian hospitals, new data shows
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Hundreds of patients died after catching COVID in Victorian hospitals, new data shows

ABC  

When Dean's* father was rushed to hospital with a bad case of gastro in February, he assumed he'd be back on his feet in a few days. "The numbers indicate that there is a big problem here — these infections and deaths are potentially preventable," said Associate Professor Suman Majumdar, chief health officer for COVID and health emergencies at the …

Start Wearing Masks, Says Health Minister
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Start Wearing Masks, Says Health Minister

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: Health minister Damodar Rajanarasimha on Wednesday urged the public to start wearing masks in public places and follow social distance protocols, while chairing a review on Covid-19 control in the state in the wake of the emergence of the JN.1 variant. The minister said that people experiencing Covid-like symptoms must visit a doctor, get advice and get themselves tested …

COVID-19: should we start wearing masks again?
1 year, 3 months ago

COVID-19: should we start wearing masks again?

The Hindu  

One thing that can be guaranteed about COVID-19 is that evolution will provide us with a more or less constant stream of new coronavirus variants, some of which will be more successful at infecting people. It’s this worry that there may be a new wave of infections that has got some people talking about the need to reintroduce measures that …

Without other pandemic precautions, hospital mask rules didn’t stop COVID spread, study finds
1 year, 8 months ago

Without other pandemic precautions, hospital mask rules didn’t stop COVID spread, study finds

LA Times  

In a world moving on from the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and medical offices have been the last bastions of mandatory masking. But new research finds that in communities where pandemic precautions have been largely abandoned, mask mandates in healthcare settings do little to prevent coronavirus infections among patients. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to recommend indoor …

Wearing masks did ’little to nothing’ to help curb Covid spread, study reveals
1 year, 10 months ago

Wearing masks did ’little to nothing’ to help curb Covid spread, study reveals

Live Mint  

Face masks have done ‘little to nothing’ to curb the Covid-19 transmission, a new scientific review titled “Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses” suggested. It conducted research on the findings of 78 randomized controlled trials to find out whether the physical interventions, including face masks and hand wash, limited the spread of respiratory diseases. “Wearing …

Masks made little or no difference in Covid-19 spread, new study suggests
1 year, 10 months ago

Masks made little or no difference in Covid-19 spread, new study suggests

India TV News  

A new review led by 12 researchers from universities around the world has examined whether wearing face masks helped prevent the spread of Covid-19. According to the study published by the Cochrane Library, "Wearing masks in the community probably makes little or no difference" in controlling the spread of Covid-19. However, it's important to note that the review included studies …

‘Indoor ventilation’ can reduce Covid-19 transmission: Study
2 years, 1 month ago

‘Indoor ventilation’ can reduce Covid-19 transmission: Study

Live Mint  

A new study has revealed that effective indoor ventilation is required to prevent the spread of Covid-19 transmission. MIT researchers have recently discovered that indoor relative humidity may also affect the virus' ability to spread. The MIT research team reported that around 40% to 60% of indoor relative humidity is associated with relatively lower rates of Covid-19 infections and deaths, …

Should I start wearing a mask on public transport again?
2 years, 2 months ago

Should I start wearing a mask on public transport again?

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

How safe are indoor dining, bars, big events as COVID slams California?
2 years, 4 months ago

How safe are indoor dining, bars, big events as COVID slams California?

LA Times  

Guests hit the midway on opening day at the Orange County Fair at the Costa Mesa fairgrounds earlier this month. “We’re stuck in the ‘everybody wants this to go away,’ but it’s not going to go away,” said Dr. Kimberly Shriner, an infectious disease specialist with Huntington Hospital. “We’re in the middle of the surge, I’m going to ramp up …

A third of US should be considering masks, officials say
2 years, 7 months ago

A third of US should be considering masks, officials say

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — COVID-19 cases are increasing in the United States — and could get even worse over the coming months, federal health officials warned Wednesday in urging areas hardest hit to consider reissuing calls for indoor masking. “Prior increases of infections, in different waves of infection, have demonstrated that this travels across the country,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC …

Coronavirus is airborne, confirms study
2 years, 7 months ago

Coronavirus is airborne, confirms study

Deccan Chronicle  

HYDERABAD: Novel Coronavirus is airborne and you could contract it just by breathing infected air, even when you maintain social distancing, confirms a new study. They found that the virus could be frequently detected in air around Covid patients. We found that the positivity rate of finding the virus in air was 75 per cent when two or more Covid …

More evidence of airborne spread of COVID: study
2 years, 7 months ago

More evidence of airborne spread of COVID: study

The Hindu  

The SARS-CoV-2, which was earlier thought to spread through touching infected surfaces, has been found to be spreading airborne and more evidence is coming up in this regard, with epidemiologists also finding that countries that used masks were affected less severely by the pandemic. Scientists analysed the coronavirus’ genome content from air samples collected from different areas occupied by COVID …

How Much Does One-Way Masking Protect You From COVID?
2 years, 10 months ago

How Much Does One-Way Masking Protect You From COVID?

Huff Post  

FotografiaBasica via Getty Images More and more places are dropping their COVID mask mandates. “There is no question that it is more effective for both the individual and for public health for a high fraction of people to wear good masks when they are in shared air spaces indoors,” said Alex Huffman, an aerosol scientist at the University of Denver. …

Coronavirus Becomes 90% Less Infectious Within 20 Minutes of Being Airborne, Reveals UK Study
2 years, 11 months ago

Coronavirus Becomes 90% Less Infectious Within 20 Minutes of Being Airborne, Reveals UK Study

News 18  

A groundbreaking new study that attempts to find how the deadly coronavirus survives in exhaled air has revealed that the virus becomes 90 per cent less infectious within 20 minutes of becoming airborne therefore losing most of its ability to infect after the first five minutes. While conducting the study, the researchers developed an apparatus to generate virus-containing particles and …

Omicron scare: How masks prevent risks of Covid19 infection
3 years ago

Omicron scare: How masks prevent risks of Covid19 infection

India TV News  

Even at two metres distance, it takes less than five minutes for an unvaccinated person standing in the breath of a person with Covid-19 to become infected with almost 100 per cent certainty. A team from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation in Gottingen showed that if both the infected and the non-infected person wear well-fitting masks, the …

Airborne transmission of Covid-19 random, social distancing alone not enough to control spread: Study
3 years, 1 month ago

Airborne transmission of Covid-19 random, social distancing alone not enough to control spread: Study

India Today  

A new study has shown that the airborne transmission of Covid-19 is highly random and suggests that social distancing alone is not effective in controlling its spread, reiterating the importance of vaccination and face masks. READ: Covaxin shows 50% effectiveness against symptomatic Covid-19, says Lancet study “One part of the way that this disease spreads is virology: how much virus …

COVID-19: When is the infection risk high?
3 years, 1 month ago

COVID-19: When is the infection risk high?

The Hindu  

There are some COVID rules we have all learned by now — or so we think. Infection risk depends on a number of factors One main transmission pathway is the spread of coronavirus particles through aerosols and droplets. The Max Planck Institute for Chemistry has a calculator that lets you adjust a number of parameters to determine the COVID risk …

Study shows Covid variants getting better at travelling through air
3 years, 2 months ago

Study shows Covid variants getting better at travelling through air

Hindustan Times  

A study conducted by researchers of the University of Maryland shows that the SARS-CoV-2, responsible for causing Covid-19, is becoming better at becoming airborne with the emergence of new variants. A lone passenger wearing a protective face mask walks from a deserted train platform at Flinders Street during morning commute hours on the first day of a lockdown as the …

What science knows now about the risk of Covid-19 transmission on planes
3 years, 2 months ago

What science knows now about the risk of Covid-19 transmission on planes

Live Mint  

Fliers have yearned for reliable data on the risks of air travel since the pandemic began. “It’s still, at this point, safe to travel if you take proper precautions," says Mark Gendreau, chief medical officer at Beverly Hospital near Boston and an expert in aviation medicine. “We’ve studied the passenger cabin and the ventilation system fairly rigorously," says Dr. Gendreau, …

Covid-19 virus evolving to get better at becoming airborne: Report
3 years, 3 months ago

Covid-19 virus evolving to get better at becoming airborne: Report

India Today  

The variants of SARS-CoV-2 are getting better at travelling through the air, and people must wear tight-fitting masks and ensure better ventilation, in addition to getting vaccinated, to help stop spread of the virus that causes Covid-19, according to a study. The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, also found that loose-fitting cloth and surgical masks reduced the …

COVID: California urges people to mask up indoors
3 years, 4 months ago

COVID: California urges people to mask up indoors

India TV News  

Following the federal government's lead, California is recommending that people wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. Wednesday's announcement comes a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised that fully vaccinated people mask up in public indoor settings in places where community spread is high or substantial. North Carolina's health department will require workers, volunteers and others …

EXPLAINER: Why masks are again advised for everyone indoors
3 years, 4 months ago

EXPLAINER: Why masks are again advised for everyone indoors

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Wait, we’re supposed to wear masks again? The change comes two months after the agency eased its mask advice, declaring that fully vaccinated people no longer had to cover up at indoor public places. CDC officials announced that people who are fully vaccinated should resume wearing masks indoors if they live in areas where the virus is …

Vaccinated should wear masks indoors in US COVID hotspots: CDC
3 years, 4 months ago

Vaccinated should wear masks indoors in US COVID hotspots: CDC

Al Jazeera  

US public health agency recommends mask-wearing in indoor public spaces in places where the coronavirus is surging. People in parts of the United States where COVID-19 infections are surging should wear masks indoors even if they are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, the country’s public health agency has advised. “In areas with substantial and high transmission, CDC recommends fully vaccinated …

Little risk of picking up coronavirus on a plane: NLR
3 years, 6 months ago

Little risk of picking up coronavirus on a plane: NLR

Dutch News  

Sitting in a plane fewer than four rows away from with someone who is infected with coronavirus will result in only a very minor chance of infection, according to research by the Dutch aerospace institute NLR and public health body RIVM for the transport ministry. At between one in 160 and one in 1800 cases, the risk of catching the …

Coronavirus more likely to spread indoors through maskless interaction: Study
3 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus more likely to spread indoors through maskless interaction: Study

Deccan Chronicle  

Washington: Speaking in indoor spaces without wearing a mask poses the greatest risk of spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to others, a study has found. The research, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine on Tuesday, describes how different sized respiratory droplets emitted while speaking have a range of sizes, and can carry different amounts of virus. "When …

Coronavirus more likely to spread indoors through maskless interaction: Study
3 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus more likely to spread indoors through maskless interaction: Study

India TV News  

Speaking in indoor spaces without wearing a mask poses the greatest risk of spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to others, a study has found. The research, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine on Tuesday, describes how different sized respiratory droplets emitted while speaking have a range of sizes, and can carry different amounts of virus. "When the …

Office, House, Or Bus: Just Make Sure Windows Are Open To Beat Covid-19. And, Yes, Wear A Mask
3 years, 7 months ago

Office, House, Or Bus: Just Make Sure Windows Are Open To Beat Covid-19. And, Yes, Wear A Mask

News 18  

At a time when the lengths that humanity is going to throw the novel coronavirus out of our lives seems to be matched only by the strides that the virus itself is making with trickier variants and deadlier surges, new guidelines issued by authorities point to the need for guarding more strictly against how the virus seems to be spreading. …

How and Why Face Masks are Effective in Limiting the Spread of Covid-19
3 years, 7 months ago

How and Why Face Masks are Effective in Limiting the Spread of Covid-19

News 18  

Researchers have found under which conditions and in which ways, masks actually reduce individual and population-average risks of being infected with Covid-19 and help mitigate the coronavirus pandemic. The study, led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany’s Mainz, showed that in most environments and situations, even simple surgical masks effectively reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 …

Aerosols from Covid-19 infected person can travel in air upto 10 metres: Govt
3 years, 7 months ago

Aerosols from Covid-19 infected person can travel in air upto 10 metres: Govt

Hindustan Times  

The government on Thursday issued a set of guidelines to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease as the country reels under the second wave of the pandemic. Stopping the transmission of the Covid-19 virus from a person to another person will decrease the infection rate of the disease to a level where it can eventually die, according to the …

Aerosols can travel 10 metres, ventilation can cut transmission risk: Govt's new Covid guidelines
3 years, 7 months ago

Aerosols can travel 10 metres, ventilation can cut transmission risk: Govt's new Covid guidelines

India TV News  

The Centre has issued new guidelines to stop the spread of Covid-19 amid a gloomy situation. The new advisory, which has been issued by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Centre, K Vijay Raghavan, said that apart from physical distancing and the use of masks, ventilation can decrease the risk of transmission. Measures to improve ventilation in …

Aerosols carrying Covid-19 virus can travel in air up to 10 meters: Centre
3 years, 7 months ago

Aerosols carrying Covid-19 virus can travel in air up to 10 meters: Centre

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: Cautioning people to maintain social distance to prevent the transmission of the Covid-19 virus, the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India on Thursday said that aerosols, one of the key transmission mode of the SARS-CoV-2, can travel in the air up to 10 meters. "Aerosols and droplets are key transmission mode of the …

Covid is airborne, scientists say. Now authorities think so too
3 years, 7 months ago

Covid is airborne, scientists say. Now authorities think so too

Live Mint  

A quiet revolution has permeated global health circles. A “paradigm shift is needed on the scale that occurred when Chadwick’s Sanitary Report in 1842 led the British government to encourage cities to organize clean water supplies and centralized sewage systems,” they wrote. “Professor Morawska’s contribution, on the background of world-leading expertise in aerosol science, made a real impact by forcing …

Scientists call for more focus on ventilation in stopping Covid
3 years, 7 months ago

Scientists call for more focus on ventilation in stopping Covid

Dutch News  

A group of 39 scientists from all over the world, including the Netherlands, are calling on governments to pay more attention to the role of good ventilation in the battle against coronavirus. In an article in leading academic journal Science, they suggest that good ventilation can prevent coronavirus being spread by aerosols, or tiny droplets which hang in the air. …

Scientists call for more focus on ventilation in stopping Covid
3 years, 7 months ago

Scientists call for more focus on ventilation in stopping Covid

Dutch News  

A group of 39 scientists from all over the world, including the Netherlands, are calling on governments to pay more attention to the role of good ventilation in the battle against coronavirus. In an article in leading academic journal Science, they suggest that good ventilation can prevent coronavirus being spread by aerosols, or tiny droplets which hang in the air. …

Covid-appropriate Behaviour, Vaccination Main Shields Against All Mutants, Future Waves: Experts
3 years, 7 months ago

Covid-appropriate Behaviour, Vaccination Main Shields Against All Mutants, Future Waves: Experts

News 18  

With the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic ravaging the country and concerns being raised about a possible third wave, experts caution that the next wave could be less severe if people keep following Covid-appropriate behaviour and a large portion of the population is vaccinated. K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser, had said on Wednesday last week that the third …

Scientists are finding more proof for role aerosols in Covid spread
3 years, 7 months ago

Scientists are finding more proof for role aerosols in Covid spread

Dutch News  

Scientists at Amsterdam, Twente and Cambridge universities are finding more evidence about the role aerosols may play in the spread of coronavirus and are calling for better ventilation in homes, television show Nieuwsuur has reported. More analytical models are showing that aerosols play a role although there is no rock solid proof yet, Daniel Bonn told the programme. Apart from …

Scientists are finding more proof for role aerosols in Covid spread
3 years, 7 months ago

Scientists are finding more proof for role aerosols in Covid spread

Dutch News  

Scientists at Amsterdam, Twente and Cambridge universities are finding more evidence about the role aerosols may play in the spread of coronavirus and are calling for better ventilation in homes, television show Nieuwsuur has reported. More analytical models are showing that aerosols play a role although there is no rock solid proof yet, Daniel Bonn told the programme. Apart from …

More relaxed CDC coronavirus guidelines could come soon, Fauci says
3 years, 7 months ago

More relaxed CDC coronavirus guidelines could come soon, Fauci says

CNN  

CNN — After loosening its Covid-19 prevention guidelines somewhat this week for people who are fully vaccinated, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could soon go even further if new cases continue to decline, Dr. Anthony Fauci said. “What it doesn’t really underscore for Americans is what the CDC knows, which is that these vaccines induce immunity.” Fauci …

Six-foot social distancing rule misses bigger risks, MIT experts say
3 years, 7 months ago

Six-foot social distancing rule misses bigger risks, MIT experts say

CNN  

CNN — When it comes to being indoors, the six feet rule of social distancing misses the bigger point of how coronavirus spreads, according to two Massachusetts Institute of Technology experts. While staying six feet apart can help prevent the spread of large droplets of saliva or mucus that carry coronavirus and other germs, that distance does nothing to protect …

I am Covid positive, in home-isolation. I have questions: Doctors answer FAQs
3 years, 7 months ago

I am Covid positive, in home-isolation. I have questions: Doctors answer FAQs

India Today  

As India is reeling under the second wave of Covid-19, the coronavirus caseload and death toll hit new records for a fifth day straight with the country facing a deluge of over 3.52 lakh Covid-19 cases and 2,812 deaths, as reported on April 26. When you are alone in a room and no one is around you, you surely do …

Risk of COVID-19 indoors is the same at 6 feet and 60 feet apart even when wearing a mask
3 years, 8 months ago

Risk of COVID-19 indoors is the same at 6 feet and 60 feet apart even when wearing a mask

Daily Mail  

Professors Martin Bazant and John Bush from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology say the 'six foot rule' that encourages people to socially distance in public has no solid basis in science. Bazant and Bush developed a model to calculate indoor exposure risk based on time spent inside, air filtration and circulation, immunizations, respiratory activity, variants and mask use. The …

Keeping middle seats vacant on airplanes can reduce risk of Covid-19 exposure by up to 57%, CDC study says
3 years, 8 months ago

Keeping middle seats vacant on airplanes can reduce risk of Covid-19 exposure by up to 57%, CDC study says

CNN  

CNN — Leaving middle seats vacant on airplanes can significantly reduce a passenger’s risk of being exposed to the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, a new study suggests. Researchers from the CDC and Kansas State University used laboratory models to simulate how much exposure to virus particles could be reduced when middle seats are kept vacant in an aircraft cabin. The …

Even with precautions, indoor dining increases spread of COVID-19, CDC says
3 years, 9 months ago

Even with precautions, indoor dining increases spread of COVID-19, CDC says

Salon  

Masked servers and cooks, socially distanced tables, and rules about removing one's mask only to eat still aren't enough to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus during indoor dining. "Mask mandates were associated with statistically significant decreases in county-level daily COVID-19 case and death growth rates within 20 days of implementation," the researchers state in the study. "Allowing on-premises …

Going maskless is a key factor in Covid-19 outbreaks at gyms, studies say
3 years, 10 months ago

Going maskless is a key factor in Covid-19 outbreaks at gyms, studies say

CNN  

CNN — Wearing masks and other safety precautions are key to stop the spread of Covid-19 during indoor group exercise, according to two new reports published by the US Centers for Disease and Prevention. The two studies, published Wednesday, linked Covid-19 outbreaks over the summer to exercise facilities in Chicago and Honolulu. In the Chicago report, 60% of people who …

Coronavirus spread at Brisbane's Hotel Grand Chancellor 'most likely' from airborne transmission, experts warn
3 years, 11 months ago

Coronavirus spread at Brisbane's Hotel Grand Chancellor 'most likely' from airborne transmission, experts warn

ABC  

A dozen doctors have written to the Queensland Government warning that airborne disease specialists need to be employed to investigate whether there was any airborne transmission of the UK strain of coronavirus at Brisbane's Hotel Grand Chancellor. "There's an ongoing concern amongst a lot of health professionals that the Government isn't acting on the possibility of aerosol transmission of COVID-19," …

Masks not enough to stop Covid-19’s spread without social distancing: Study
4 years ago

Masks not enough to stop Covid-19’s spread without social distancing: Study

Hindustan Times  

Simply wearing a mask may not be enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19 without social distancing, suggest the findings of a new study. In Physics of Fluids by AIP Publishing, researchers tested how five different types of mask materials impacted the spread of droplets that carry the coronavirus when we cough or sneeze. “Without a face mask, it is …

How could ventilation be linked to coronavirus spread in Adelaide's hotel quarantine set-up?
4 years ago

How could ventilation be linked to coronavirus spread in Adelaide's hotel quarantine set-up?

ABC  

As authorities in some states declare coronavirus to have been "virtually eliminated", control efforts have switched focus to bolstering one of the remaining frontlines: hotel quarantine. The state's Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, has said that authorities would not be able to "definitively" prove when transmission occurred, but that the theory gives them important information moving forward. "Of …

Covid Traveling: Mask to Sanitiser, How to Commute Safely with Co-passengers during Pandemic
4 years ago

Covid Traveling: Mask to Sanitiser, How to Commute Safely with Co-passengers during Pandemic

News 18  

Commuting is crawling its way back to normalcy after the intensive lockdown in India. Q: Is wearing rubber gloves while out in the public effective in preventing the new coronavirus infection?👉🏽https://t.co/94zZioMvuA… #KnowtheFacts #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/ifrQ8w4jE5 — World Health Organization March 12, 2020 Sanitise The driver and the passengers must keep a bottle of sprayable sanitisers to disinfect the air inside the …

Design of Face Masks Crucial in Breaking the Chain of Coronavirus. Here's Why
4 years ago

Design of Face Masks Crucial in Breaking the Chain of Coronavirus. Here's Why

News 18  

Researchers, including one from Indian-origin, stressed that materials, design and length of face masks are important to help slow the spread of Covid-19. “The results suggest that the consistent use of efficient face masks, such as surgical masks, could lead to the eradication of the pandemic if at least 70 per cent of the residents use such masks in public …

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