The Union health ministry on Thursday described the Covid-19 pandemic as a “dynamic and evolving” situation after hundred of scientists wrote to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) with their finding supporting the possibility that the SARS-CoV2 virus that causes Covid-19, may be airborne.
“It is a dynamic and evolving situation. We are keeping abreast with the information coming from WHO headquarters on this aspect,” Rajesh Bhushan, OSD, Ministry of Health said.
The WHO had initially maintained that the SARS-CoV2 primarily spreads through droplets expelled from the nose and mouth of an infected person that quickly sink to the ground.
But in an open letter to the WHO, published on Monday in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal, 239 scientists in 32 countries outlined evidence that they claim shows floating virus particles can infect people who breathe them in. The scientists gave urged the WHO to update its Covid-19 guidance because the smaller particles can linger in the air.
Despite a surge in new cases of Covid-19, India has maintained that there is no community transmission of the disease yet.
“World Health Organization (WHO) has also not provided any standard definition of the localised outbreak and community transmission. They have given its member states the right to report after assessing the local conditions,” Bhushan said.
India’s Covid-19 tally on March 25 when the lockdown began stood at 618 including 562 active cases. In the next three and a half month, the tally has risen to over 7.67 lakh including 4.76 lakh recovered cases, 2.7 lakh active cases and over 21,000 casualties.
While the Centre insists that there is no community transmission of the disease, the Assam government on July 5 conceded that community spread of Covid-19 has taken place in the state’s biggest city, Guwahati and the rest of Kamrup Metro district and the ongoing total lockdown to control the pandemic might be extended.
Source: HindustanTimes