How does coronavirus travel from one person to another? Here’s what researchers say

Covid-19: Various theories regarding the covid transmission panned out ever since the virus broke in the Chinese city of Wuhan. China is asking people to wear face masks and gloves when opening mail, especially when it is coming from abroad. This happened following the first case of the Omicron variant reported in Beijing. It was said that there is the possibility that the variant could have arrived via a package from Canada.

Same way in 2020, when coronavirus first emerged starting from Wuhan to eventually every country, people in Beijing were believed to have come in contact with coronavirus that was caused by touching boards used for chopping salmon.

After that, researchers, officials, and health authorities have come up with a different theory on transmission and ways in which coronavirus travels from one body to another.

Virus spreads mainly through close contact: WHO

In a document updates last month, the World Health Organisation said that the virus transmits through close contact between people. Whenever a person breathes or speaks, the phenomenon produces small liquid droplets that float through the air for a longer period of time. It is then inhaled by others. The large droplets, when coming into close contact with eyes, nose, or mouth, causes infections. People can also get infected by touching their eyes, mouth, or nose after coming in contact or touching surfaces or objects contaminated by the virus causing germs.

Covid-19 through virus-carrying droplets: U.S. CDS

Last year in April, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that people are likely to get infected with covid-19 via virus-carrying droplets present in the air.

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It also said that there is the possibility of catching infection through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, the risk in this situation is comparatively lower. The chances of contracting the virus by coming in contact with the exposed or contaminated surface are minor after three days, regardless of the fact when it was cleaned the last time.

Airborne transmission: U.S. National Institutes of Health

The U.S. National Institutes of Health scientists concluded that virus transmission via contaminated surface contact is reportedly less efficient than airborne transmission. This conclusion came in August based on the experiments on hamsters.

A group of U.S.-based researchers last year in August concluded that it reviewed how covid-19 moves from one body to another. The review found “unequivocal evidence of airborne transmission” with tiny particles or droplets that stay in the air.

Transmission through surfaces or objects is far less efficient, they concluded. Larger droplets that sink to the ground are only a dominant factor of transmission when people speak within 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) of each other.

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