Thread by @HuffmanLabDU

Ten scientific reasons in support of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2

By all-stars: @trishgreenhalgh @jljcolorado @kprather88 @zeynep @DFisman & Robert Schooley 👏 (Summary below; 1/x)
thelancet.com/journals/lance…

#1 "superspreading events account for substantial SARS-CoV-2 transmission"

#2 "long-range transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between people in adjacent rooms but never in each other's presence has been documented in quarantine hotels."

#3: "asymptomatic or presymptomatic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from people who are not coughing or sneezing is likely to account for at least a third, and perhaps up to 59%, of all transmission globally and is a key way SARS-CoV-2 has spread around the world"

#4: "transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is higher indoors than outdoors and is substantially reduced by indoor ventilation."

#5: "nosocomial infections have been documented in health-care organisations, where there have been strict contact-and-droplet precautions and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to protect against droplet but not aerosol exposure."

#6: "viable SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in the air. In laboratory experiments, SARS-CoV-2 stayed infectious in the air for up to 3 h with a half-life of 1.1 h."

#7: "SARS-CoV-2 has been identified in air filters and building ducts in hospitals with COVID-19 patients; such locations could be reached only by aerosols."

#8: "studies involving infected caged animals that were connected to separately caged uninfected animals via an air duct have shown transmission of SARS-CoV-2 that can be adequately explained only by aerosols."

#9: "no study to our knowledge has provided strong or consistent evidence to refute the hypothesis of airborne SARS-CoV-2 transmission."

#10: "there is limited evidence to support other dominant routes of transmission—ie, respiratory droplet or fomite."

"In conclusion, we propose that it is a scientific error to use lack of direct evidence of SARS-CoV-2 in some air samples to cast doubt on airborne transmission while overlooking the quality and strength of the overall evidence base."

"There is consistent, strong evidence that SARS-CoV-2 spreads by airborne transmission. Although other routes can contribute, we believe that the airborne route is likely to be dominant. The public health community should act accordingly and without further delay."