This blog explains is why Covid has become a 'world pandemic.' It is something governments need to think about and use to enable countries to plan and move forward to help dissipate the virus.
Transmission of the Virus
To date scientists have considered the two main routes of transmission of coronavirus are infection by coming into contact with something that has the virus on it and infection through droplets expelled in sneezes and coughs.
Japanese Study
A new study by scientists in Japan have found a third transmission route for the virus. According to the president of the Japanese Association for Infectious Disease, a new study shows that micrometer particles could be transmitting coronavirus when people are in close proximity to one another.
These micro-droplets are less than 100th of millimetre in size and may spread the coronavirus. Previously, scientists believed coronavirus spreads when droplets from coughs and sneezes travel through the air.
The study states:
"Experts are now looking at this new infection mechanism as a key to preventing a further spread of the virus. It seems transmissions are happening during conversations and even when people are standing a certain distance apart. These cases can’t be explained by ordinary droplet infection."
In an experiment, the Japanese public broadcaster, NHK found that when a person coughs in an enclosed space the size of a classroom, about 100,000 droplets can be released within a few seconds.
Microdroplets
Large droplets were seen falling to the floor within 20 to 30 seconds, but rather than falling to the ground these micro-droplets, float in the air and drift about and can remain in the air for 20 minutes in enclosed spaces leaving other people in the space vulnerable to possible infection as people inhale them and that’s how the virus spreads.
Micro-droplets could spread through conversations
With a single cough capable of spreading 100,000 droplets, micro-droplets could also spread during simple conversations. This leaves people at risk of infection virtually all the time.
If the coronavirus particles are suspected to be spread through micrometer particles, it becomes all the more difficult to stop the infection as the viral particles are so small the filtration ability of surgical masks is insufficient. (Sources: https://cnn.com https://weforum.org)
This makes so much sense and explains why the virus can infect so many people without them being in close proximity or touching an infected surface.
Why governments have been so slow to act and why they aren't insisting on precautionary measures like wearing masks in all public places, is simply beyond me.
Thanks. Yes, too little too late for those who have lost their lives and families who have already been touched by Covid. I also agree with this new Japanese research.
We can pull back and change this. Intuitively it is easy to understand why they're not, there will be a backlash eventually, but we will have to wait.
But this is not how the universe expects us to behave. It is in times like this we have the greatest tests, and we are failing those dismally, because of a select few.