Covid ignited a global controversy over what is an airborne disease. The WHO just expanded its definition Megan Molteni By Megan Molteni April 18, 2024

https://www.statnews.com/2024/04/18/covid-airborne-transmission-disease-who-expanded-definition/?utm_campaign=rss&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8noIlrp9s5hZQQO6iss5Tmy_Ib4-TQUMKWgZIs3f3Lfm3BTwaK-5z5WTOYhJOfeHiXEpqyXSJoY9MUEQ9Rq5q5gWmA1Q&_hsmi=303358707 It took two years of contentious debate, but the World Health Organization has published a new report with a set of more accurate definitions of airborne disease transmission. Until now, the official definition limited the label of “airborne” to a few pathogens, such as tuberculosis and measles, known to float in the air and travel long distances. Now, it includes all situations when transmission happens through inhaled particles. “It feels like finally the end of the most stubborn and senseless resistance to accepting this science,” said Jose-Luis Jimenez, an aerosol chemist at the University of Colorado Boulder. What remains unclear is how the new definition of airborne transmission will shape efforts to protect and limit future outbreaks, writes STAT’s Megan Molteni. Though the report says that protective measures such as masks and isolation rooms are important to prevent airborne spread, it did not recommend them in all settings, and the cost and politics associated with such measures may prove challenging. Read more.