Covid 'airborne': Ditch cloth-based masks, wear N95 or KN95 masks alternatively every 24 hours, says expert

The main solution to dealing with the 'airborne' Covid-19 is to wear N95 or KN95 masks, Dr Faheem Younus, the chief of Infectious Disease at the University of MD UCH said.

A recent study published in The Lancet stated that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is primarily an "airborne" pathogen.

In response to this study, Dr Faheem Younus said 'airborne' means the virus "may remain suspended in the air - typically in indoor settings -and pose a risk". He said the only solution to handle this is to use N95 and KN95 mask "alternatively every 24 hours" and urged all to get rid of the cloth-based masks. Read more

"LANCET STUDY: No worries. We know COVID spreads (droplet to airborne) in a spectrum. Solution: Buy two N95 or KN95 masks. Use one today; leave the other in a PAPER bag for tomorrow. Keep alternating every 24 hours. Reuse for weeks if they aren't damaged," Dr Faheem Younus tweeted.

Dr Younus also said that parks and beaches are "still the safest places to enjoy without a mask" provided that there is a 6 feet distance between two individuals.

"Lancet study: "Airborne" does NOT mean outside air is contaminated. It means the virus may remain suspended in the air - typically in indoor settings -and pose a risk. Our parks and beaches are still the safest places to enjoy without a mask (provided 6 ft distance)," Dr Faheem Younus said in another tweet. Read more

WHAT THE LANCET REPORT SAID

A report published in the medical journal The Lancet stated that the novel coronavirus is an "airborne" pathogen and suggested that the Covid-19 protocols should change accordingly.(https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00869-2/fulltext)

The report has gone against the predominant scientific view which says that Covid-19 spreads through smaller aerosols that remain suspended in the air or through fomites.

The research paper was prepared by six experts from the UK, the US, and Canada. In the paper, the expert argues that there are "insufficient grounds for concluding that a pathogen is not airborne" while "the totality of scientific evidence indicates otherwise". 

In its study, the experts pointed out "ten scientific reasons in support of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2".

In the case of the deadly virus Covid-19, an individual need not come directly in contact with 'large respiratory droplets' to get infected, the report said. It said that an individual could get infected when "they inhale aerosols produced when an infected person exhales, speaks, shouts, sings, sneezes, or coughs."

Also Read: Why Covid-19 is an Airborne Pathogen? The Lancet Study Report Suggests

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