By CNBC.com
The World Health Organization (WHO) is considering “airborne precautions” for medical staff after a new study showed the Coronavirus can survive in the air in some settings.
The virus is transmitted through droplets, or little bits of liquid, mostly through sneezing or coughing, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, told reporters during a virtual news conference.
WHO has declared COVID-19 a global epidemic
“When you do an aerosol-generating procedure like in a medical care facility, you have the possibility to what we call aerosolize these particles, which means they can stay in the air a little bit longer.”
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She added: “It’s very important that health-care workers take additional precautions when they’re working on patients and doing those procedures.”
World health officials say the respiratory disease spreads through human-to-human contact and droplets carried through sneezing and coughing as well as germs left on inanimate objects.
Disinfecting the street in Pakistan
The Coronavirus can go airborne, staying suspended in the air depending on factors such as heat and humidity, they said.
Kerkhove said health officials are aware of several studies in a number of countries looking at the different environmental conditions that COVID-19 can persist.
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Scientists are specifically looking at how humidity, temperature and ultraviolet lighting affects the disease as well as how long it lives on different surfaces, including steel, she said.
Meanwhile, some of the preventive measures against COVID-19 that Uganda President Museveni has set include banning all public transport, including motorcycles and that private vehicles only should carry 3 peoples, inclusive of driver.
Coronavirus alert
Cargo vehicles have been ordered to carry only two people while ambulances institutional/Government vehicles, those for sanitary services like garbage trucks will be allowed to move.
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Markets will only sell food stuffs. All other commodity markets are shut for now and all non-food items forbidden.
Government offices will only retain essential staff and companies will be licenced to do merchandize deliveries for supermarkets.