DOH to wait for WHO guidelines on possible COVID-19 airborne transmission

The Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday (April 19) that changes in the implementation of the country’s health protocols are not required following a report about possible airborne transmission of COVID-19.

In an article published in the medical journal The Lancet, researchers said there is evidence that airborne transmission is one of the possible reasons for increased COVID-19 transmissibility. According to them, the virus can remain in the air for one-and-a-half to three hours in an enclosed space.

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing that the department will wait for the official guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the matter. However, DOH asserted that the main mode of COVID-19 transmission is through droplets.

Vergeire reiterated the importance of proper ventilation in an enclosed space, less talking, singing, and maintaining physical distancing.

Report from Mark Fetalco/NGS-jlo

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