A new evidence has shown that the deadly Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can be airborne, Chikwe Ihekweazu director general Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said.
Ihekweazu said increasing evidence have emerged over the the past few weeks that in addition to droplet infection, airborne transmission is also a possible mode of COVID-19 transmission
“Our understanding of COVID-19 from the very beginning was that it was spread primarily through droplets from the respiratory tracts that and ultimately falls to the ground after few minutes.
“However, as we have studied transmission, studied clusters of these infections we saw increasing evidence of clusters from infections where droplet transmission did not seem to be enough to explain the clusters that we are seeing”, Ihekweazu said.
He noted that diseases that are commonly understood to be spread by airbonone infection are measles, influenza, that can be suspended in the air and transmit over long distances.
The DG also noted that the WHO has updated it’s guidelines based in the new evidence and Nigeria’s existing guidelines will be reviewed. “We cannot rule out airbone transmission and therefore we have to act in a precautionary way assuming that this is also possible giving the new evidence that is emerging”, he said.
Ihekweazu further explained that the consequence of this new evidence is that staying together in closed places, clusters such as restaurants, rooms with very poor ventilation will increase the risk of transmission.
“This is a new evidence, we will keep adapting our guidelines as we progress. It’s not shameful to change guidelines from week to week as new evidence emerge”, he added.
He urged Nigerians to pay attention to ventilation, distancing, and continue to adhere to guidelines on hand hygiene, face mask and mass gatherings.
“Indoor activities are riskier than outdoor activities, especially when there are many people in a room. What does this mean for your response, we have to speak even with a louder voice in the things that we have been saying already.
“We have to strengthen further the avoidance of mass gathering or gatherings of any nature in small spaces” he said.
