#COVID19 spreads through the air

As India grapples with a surge in COVID-19 cases, much of our collective efforts are going into managing patients, providing care and ensuring that people battling COVID-19 have access to medical care, food and supplies. A big thank you to all the frontline workers and all the community members who are contributing to these efforts on the frontline.

Since our healthcare systems are heavily burdened and we are expecting an increase in cases over the coming days, we must also think of prevention- how can we prevent transmission, avoid/reduce cases and #StopTheSpread?

A group of air quality and public health researchers including Shahzad Gani, Pallavi Pant, Asit Mishra, Faye McNeill, Christine Peters and Rajshree Pandey have come together to compile a list of things to keep in mind with respect to COVID-19 and its transmission. Since language is huge barrier in spreading the message in a country as large and diverse as India, a much larger volunteer group of air quality/aerosol researchers and their family/friends are providing support to translate the information into various Indian languages. The group is also working on translations into other South Asian languages.

Key suggestions include (see graphic below for details):

Using appropriate mask (N95/KN95/KF94) are ideal and covering both the mouth and nose with the mask.
Adequate and appropriate ventilation inside homes and other indoor/enclosed spaces.
Avoiding crowded places- restaurants, trains, shopping areas & bazaars etc.
Isolation at home (in a separate room with a bathroom) if possible