The SARS-CoV-2, which was earlier thought to spread through touching infected surfaces, has been found to be spreading airborne and more evidence is coming up in this regard, with epidemiologists also finding that countries that used masks were affected less severely by the pandemic.
A collaborative study by a group of scientists from CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, and CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, with hospitals in Hyderabad and Mohali, has confirmed the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in both ICU and non-ICU wings suggesting that patients shed the virus in air, irrespective of the severity of infection.
Scientists analysed the coronavirus’ genome content from air samples collected from different areas occupied by COVID patients including hospitals, closed rooms in which only COVID patients spent a short period of time, and houses of home-quarantined patients.
