A.KAREEM A.ABAS
In an updated guidance released October 5, the CDC acknowledged that the coronavirus may be transmitted by aerosols, or tiny virus particles that linger in the air for hours. Many experts have been warning about the possibility of airborne transmission, or infection by inhaling virus that’s in the air, for months. Still, the CDC says that current data suggests that most infections are spread though close contact, not aersolized transmission. That said, there have been documented cases where SARS-CoV-2 appears to have been transmitted over long distances or times. These events, however, appear to be "uncommon and "have typically involved the presence of an infectious person producing respiratory droplets for an extended amount of time (more than 30 minutes or hours) in an enclosed space.The CDC also says that indoor spaces with poor ventilation may be a contributing factor to aersolized spread. As such, in addition to social distancing and mask wearing, the CDC recommends against spending time in crowded indoor spaces