The World Health Organisation has conceded that Covid-19 may be transmitted through clouds of virus lingering in the air.
The admission has huge implications for preventing the resurgence of the pandemic as travel restrictions are relaxed.
But what sparked the re-think? Here, The National explains the latest.
Open letter
In an open letter published earlier this week, more than 200 scientists called on the WHO to recognise that the coronavirus can be spread by clouds of tiny droplets or "aerosols" which linger in the air.
The experts warned that the WHO’s current guidance – which stresses hand-washing, social distancing and wearing face-masks – assumes the principal infection route is from much larger particles, which quickly disperse and do not travel far.
According to the scientists, the standard precautions must now be backed by ways of controlling airborne transmission as well.
So what should be done to tackle the threat?
According to the scientists, the risk can be reduced through effective ventilation using clean outdoor air, especially in the workplace, schools, hospitals and care homes.
They also call for airborne infection control measures, such as air filtration and treatment with ultraviolet light.
In general, people should avoid crowded situations on public transport and public buildings. Some experts believe the threat also requires the use of higher-quality face-masks.
What is the evidence?
According to the scientists, studies of similar pathogens – including the Mers coronavirus – gives “every reason to expect” Covid-19 can be spread by aerosols as well as droplets.
They also point to studies of outbreaks in enclosed spaces where people never came into direct contact. Such incidents prompted Japan to launch the “3Cs” programme, warning the public to avoid “closed, crowded spaces with close contact”.
Public health experts think this has played a key role in keeping Covid-19 deaths in Japan below 1,000, despite relatively lax controls.
Is the WHO going to change its advice?
The WHO already accepts airborne transmission is a threat – but only to health professionals exposed to virus-laden aerosols while treating patients.
Now it has conceded the risk of the general public being infected by airborne transmission “cannot be ruled out”.
Even so, its officials insist the evidence is “not definitive” and “needs to be gathered and interpreted”.
The scientists warn, however, that the risk is now “of heightened significance”, as countries move out of lockdown.
Their concern reflects the fact that delay in taking action leads to a disproportionate increase in the numbers of cases and deaths.
Why is the WHO dragging its feet?
While insisting more research is needed, the WHO’s response is thought by some to reflect concern the extra measures will be beyond the resources of many countries.
However, according to Professor Julian Tang of the University of Leicester and a co-signatory of the letter, if the WHO includes the threat in its official guidance, this will help release aid to such countries.
“If it is not included, then ironically, there will be no airborne precautions taken and the virus will just keep spreading among some of these same countries where their healthcare systems can least cope with it”.
What happens next?
The WHO says that it will clarify its position on the public threat from airborne transmission of Covid-19 “in the coming days”.
Such clarifications have become a feature of the WHO's role in the pandemic over recent weeks. Last month it bowed to pressure and reversed its long-standing refusal to endorse the use of facemasks by the public, while a key official was forced to retract her claim that people without symptoms very rarely infect others.
With many countries having to re-impose lockdowns following the failure of the standard risk control measures, the WHO has to make the right call on airborne transmission.
Robert Matthews is Visiting Professor of Science at Aston University, Birmingham, UK
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
RESULT
Valencia 3
Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'
Ferran Torres 67'
Atlanta 4
Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Scoreline
Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')
Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')
Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
