Chitra Roy, University of Calcutta
Recent research by the University of Georgia has provided solid support on the spread of COVID 19 through fine aerosols being circulated in enclosed space, thereby, persuading people to wear masks particularly indoors. Even though most of the documented COVID 19 transmissions are occurring at enclosed spaces with poor ventilation, or indoors, it is always justified to have face coverings at outdoors, as stated by experts, because there is still a risk of infection, and wearing the mask can minimize it to a certain degree. There have been several studies since the emergence of the pandemic indicating a significant amount of infection at factories, offices, restaurants, air-conditioned transportation systems, etc.
Recently a team of scientists, engineers, and professors from various universities have stated that ‘outdoors is far safer than indoors’. Their proposition is based on the idea of Virus Dilution. Whenever a virus particle is released into the atmosphere, just like a ‘cigarette smoke’ it gets diluted in the environment and thus the risk of transmission and infection is comparatively less outdoors whereas in indoors the virus load can reach high exceeding levels due to enclosed space and poor ventilation. The ventilation system of a particular area thus plays a very significant role. If any area is poorly ventilated without proper air circulation, the air droplets can accumulate and it can be easily inhaled by an individual and cause an infection. But is this the only deciding factor for the coronavirus infection? Steve Elledge, a Geneticist, and expert in virus at Harvard University focused on another parameter of prime importance, that is, the viral dose. The greater the viral dose, the higher is the probability of getting the infection.
An expert on airborne virus transmission from Virginia Tech pieces of advice to consider and follow precautionary principle by wearing a mask because according to her there is always a possibility of catching a ‘whiff of exhaled breath’ and with time exposure of an individual to such whiffs will tend to increase, causing a good amount of transmission once again.
We have to understand that it has been and is still difficult for researchers to conduct studies to measure virus load outdoors for a fact that multiple factors come to play, for example, the wind, the sun, ultraviolet rays and also the number of people, making predictions all the way more difficult.
So, none of these studies discourages wearing face coverings outdoors. As Kristal Pollitt, Professor of epidemiology at Yale University says that the safest strategy is to have a universal agreement of continued use of masks.
Since the beginning of this pandemic hand washing has been one of the effective means of decelerating the spread of the virus. A paper has been reported which shows that there is an increase in reported handwashing in June 2020 as compared to that in October 2019. So, we are now more likely to remember to wash hands after sneezing or coughing and two times higher before eating out and 1.7 times higher before eating at home. But what is more disturbing is despite improvements, The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that still, less than 75% of the survey respondents remembered washing their hands in this pandemic. According to the CDC, it is the men, adults aged 18-14years, and non-Hispanic White (White) adults who were less likely to remember to wash their hands in multiple situations.
Therefore, it is very important to “correctly” comprehend and interpret the findings of the research and follow all possible precautionary elements, primarily wearing masks, without being masked from its reality.
Also read: Herd Immunity Theory? – A Warning!! From WHO
References:
2. https://wyrk.com/one-in-four-people-still-not-washing-hands/
Identifying Host Factors to Inhibit Entry of SARS-Cov-2 And Ebola Virus
Sampriti Roy, Asutosh College (University of Calcutta) When speaking of cell mechanisms, there are still a large number of the same that remain largely unknown. From understanding viral pathogenesis to antiviral therapeutics development – the identification of viral mechanisms and understanding how the virus defends itself is crucial. This is the case particularly for those […]