Is coronavirus airborne?

COVID-19 is spreading all over the world. The best news so far is there are no new cases recorded from China in the past 24 hours.

The studies confirmed that coronavirus could remain airborne for some time. When someone sneeze or cough, the virus can be in the air in droplets form. But, coronavirus can be able to travel only short distance because gravitational forces pull it down.

Then the droplets remain to live on the surfaces for some time. If someone accidentally touches the coronavirus droplets when they in live form, infecting COVID-19. The direct transmission also possible because coronavirus is airborne.

The lifetime of coronavirus on different types of surfaces

New researches by epidemiologists on a lifetime of coronavirus found the approximated lifetime of coronavirus on different types of surfaces. This is a very dangerous situation because if they can survive on the surfaces, the risk of transmitting COVID-19 is high. We are usually touching the surfaces, and the surfaces might contain COVID-19.

· Plastic – the lifetime on plastic is around 5days
· Paper – around 4-5 days
· Glass – around 4 days
· Wood – wooden surfaces is 4 days
· Iron – around 48 hours
· Aluminium – the lifetime of coronavirus on aluminium surfaces is around 2 to 8 hours
· Surgical gloves – the lifetime of coronavirus surgical gloves is around 8 hours
Therefore effective sanitizing methods are needed to control the aerosol transmission of coronavirus.

What are the methods to control the aerosol transmission of coronavirus?

Wear a proper mask

Wearing a facial mask is most essential to control the aerosol transmission of coronavirus. Since coronavirus is airborne, when you sneeze droplets of fluid from your mouth and nose are spreading everywhere and landing into the surfaces. Those droplets can carry germs, including coronavirus. Therefore to control the spreading of coronavirus and infecting the coronavirus, you just need to wear a facial mask. N85 facial mask is the best for control aerosol transmission and infected as well.

Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing

This is the most important fact. You must cover your mouth and nose immediately when sneezing you coughing. Sometimes, you might be running out of facial masks. If something happened like that; there should be a way to control the aerosol transmission of coronavirus.

If something bad happened, disposable tissues are the answer. Keep disposable tissues with you wherever you go. When you are sneezing or coughing, remind yourself to cover your mouth and nose to avoid spreading droplets. If you are running out of tissues too, use inside of your elbow to cover your mouth and nose and wash your hands well. Dispose your used tissues into dustbins. Don’t put used tissues everywhere. Since coronavirus is airborne, covering your mouth and nose will be an effective method of spreading coronavirus.

Disinfect the surfaces

Coronavirus is airborne, and the virus can be anywhere on surfaces. Here as we discussed above, epidemiologists found that the lifetime of coronavirus on different types of surfaces. As their results on the researches, coronavirus can stay in the air for hours and days on surfaces. Therefore you need to disinfect everywhere you touch.

Better to use an alcohol-based disinfectant to clean the surfaces. The alcohol percentage must be more than 70%. Clean the surface where we usually touch such as handles, doorbell, and washrooms etc. Usual disinfecting can control spreading coronavirus.

Wash your hands

If a COVID-19 infected person sneeze or cough, the droplets are spreading on all over the surfaces. Coronavirus is airborne and droplets they can be anywhere. When you are using public transport or going out somewhere public, there is a risk of exposure to the virus on the surfaces. So, remind yourself to wash your hands frequently. When you are washing your hands, water is not just enough.

You must need to use soap too. Because soap can destroy viruses and germs in your hands. Water itself cannot do it. Therefore whenever you are washing your hands, use soap. You need to wash your hands around 20 seconds to have effective results. Wash your hands after going out, after using public transport, before cook and eat and after using washrooms.

Use a hand sanitizer.

Hand sanitizer helps you when there is no water or soap to wash your hands. Now you know that coronavirus is airborne and virus can be anywhere. Whenever you are going out, keep a hand sanitizer with you to disinfect your hands. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer can kill the germs in your hands.

Put a drop of hand sanitizer on your palm and rub it all over your hands. Keep it on your hands around 60 seconds before touch your face. Don’t wash it. The alcohol percentage should be more 70% to be an effective sanitizer. There are many products in the market and choose a better sanitizer after referring to the alcohol percentage.

Don’t touch your face, nose or mouth.

Coronavirus can be on the surfaces that you have touched before. Besides, there can be other germs too. Therefore don’t touch your face, nose or mouth whenever your hands are not clean. You might think that your hands are clean. But, since the germs cannot be seen by eyes, you must clean your hands. Use soap and water to wash your hands before touching your face, nose or mouth. Or else, hand sanitizer can help to clean your hands. Even if the itch is unbearable, you must avoid touching your face without cleaning.

Now you know that coronavirus is airborne and it can transmit through the air. Therefore, if we don’t control the aerosol transmission, COVID-19 can infect many more. So, please take every step that you can to destroy this virus.

For latest update visit – World health organization

Read more – Has anyone survived after being infected with the Corona virus?

Read more – How can you test yourself that you have infected coronavirus

Stay inside your house. Stay safe.