A few months ago when the deadly COVID-19 broke out, the World Health Organization has long said the new coronavirus spreads mainly through small droplets released from the mouth and nose hence nose masks were used by everyone all over the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) maintained that the coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through “droplet transmission”, including direct contact with someone who has been infected, indirect contact with contaminated surfaces, droplets of saliva from coughing or discharge from the nose when sneezing.
However, earlier this year, a Ghanaian King, Dufia of Klikor in the Volta Region, Torgbi Xenodzi Dogbey II, who is a Scientist, an author and a seasoned Journalist maintained that COVID-19 was Airborne and that the air has to be neutralized in the fight against the deadly disease.
Later in April this year, The BBC Ghana news outlet published his findings which included a national and international directive he gave for the neutralization of the air.
He also outlined some measures that could be used to fight COVID-19 by finally providing a treatment which is currently under Laboratory analysis and investigation in Ghana.
We are glad to say that the Ghanaian King, Torgbi Xenodzi Dogbey II is today vindicated as the World Health Organization(WHO) has accepted that COVID-19 is AIRBORNE, since it’s usually generated when people are shouting and singing, these remain suspended in the air for longer and can travel farther as aerosols.
The respiratory droplets sneezed or coughed out are larger in size – a diameter of five to 10 micrometres – and the range of exposure is one to two metres (three to six feet).
Aerosols, however, are less than five micrometres in diameter and travel beyond two metres from the infected individual.
“The new coronavirus can survive in both droplets and aerosol for up to three hours under experimental conditions, although this depends on temperature and humidity, ultraviolet light and even the presence of other types of particles in the air,” Stephanie Dancer, a consultant medical microbiologist in the UK, told Al Jazeera.
“Microscopic aerosols can project at least six metres in indoor environments, and possibly even further if dynamic air currents are operating. The distance depends upon how large the aerosol is.”
As in droplet transmission, aerosols can be released in several ways including, breathing, talking, laughing, sneezing, coughing, singing and shouting.
“Breathing would not offer much projectile force, but the shouting, singing, coughing and sneezing project aerosol through the air with a range of different velocities,” said Dancer.
“Even if one individual particle does not contain enough virus to cause infection, if you carry on breathing in these particles over time, you will acquire enough in your mouth, nose and respiratory tract to initiate infection.”
Airborne transmission can also occur in certain medical procedures that involve the patient generating aerosols, putting healthcare workers, particularly at risk.
“Coronavirus can be spread by aerosol under special circumstances if using nebulisers, bronchoscopy, intubation, dental and other oral procedures using suction and lavage,” said Naheed Usmani, president of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA).
“This is particularly dangerous for healthcare workers who should only attempt these procedures wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE), including N95 masks,” she told Al Jazeera.
While the WHO has long maintained that the primary source of infection is through droplet transmission, it has acknowledged there was “emerging evidence” of airborne transmission.
“The possibility of airborne transmission in public settings – especially in very specific conditions, crowded, closed, poorly ventilated settings that have been described, cannot be ruled out,” Benedetta Allegranzi, the WHO’s technical lead for infection prevention and control, said in a news briefing this week.
This came after a group of 239 scientists from 32 countries and a variety of fields made the case in an open letter that there was a “real risk” of airborne transmission, especially in indoor, enclosed and crowded environments without proper ventilation.
Dancer, who was one of the signatories of the letter, said there is a lower risk of catching the virus the further you are from the source.
Jose-Luis Jimenez, a chemist at the University of Colorado, also told Al Jazeera the “virus loses infectivity over a period of an hour or so indoors”.
How you can protect yourself?
Wearing face masks properly and maintaining physical distancing are recommended at all times, washing and sanitizing your hands regularly.
Experts also recommend avoiding crowded places, especially public transport and public buildings.
In closed spaces at schools, offices and hospitals, increasing proper ventilation with outdoor air by opening windows can also mitigate the risk of infection, Jimenez said.
“For spaces where ventilation cannot be increased, we recommend portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter air cleaners or possibly ultraviolet (UV) germicidal lights at the high end of need. We do not recommend other types of air cleaners.”
Lastly, the Ghanaian King and Scientist, Torgbi Xenodzi Dogbey II, had advised that nose masks must completely cover the nose as the invisible virus could easily pass through open nose masks from above. He also advised those using headgears should also be cautious since the disease is airborne and could penetrate from beneath the headgears exposing them to be infected.
He advise people to stop politicising the disease since doing that has caused some people to neglect COVID-19 prevention measures because they think it does not exist and this is very suicidal leading to an increase of cases.
Torgbi Xenodzi Dogbey II assured the world that COVID-19 would soon be a thing of the past by the Grace of God. He commends the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ghanaian government for the good measures taken so far to curb the disease, urging all citizenry to help by complying with the directives to stop the disease from spreading further.
Meanwhile, the Ghanaian King also commends the Ghanaian FDA for launching a Made in Ghana food and Products initiative for Cottage and small scale producers saying it’s a step in the right direction.
Source: TheBBCghana.Com
