by AW Siddiqui
Indian Delta variant of Covid-19 strain is a lot more infectious, and a greater focus on airborne transmission is needed to manage the spread of this virus, say the Infectious diseases experts in Australia.
The Guardian news paper has quoted the New South Wales premier, Gladys Berijiklian, describing the scenario as “scarily fleeting” encounters for Delta spread in Sydney after CCTV revealed two people walking past each other at Bondi Junction Westfield transmitted the virus.
Queensland’s chief health officer, Dr Jeannette Young said, “With the Delta variant, we’re seeing very fleeting contact leading to transmission,” when she echoed Gladys’ statements on Wednesday while announcing the state closure to people from Sydney hotspots.
“Fleeting contact” is an accurate descriptor that underlines the airborne nature of the virus, says Prof Nancy Baxter, head of the University of Melbourne’s school of population and global health.
“The spread is more likely if you’re close to the person [but] there’s still a potential for virus particles to be in the air, and breathed in by someone passing by,” The Guardian reported her saying.
After months of growing scientific evidence, the World Health Organization formally acknowledged the airborne spread of Covid in April. It can occur when viral particles remain “suspended in the air or travel farther than one metre”.
Laboratory studies have found particles of the virus can linger in the air in aerosolised form for up to 16 hours, reported The Guardian.
Prof Raina Macintyre, head of the biosecurity research program at the University of New South Wales’s Kirby Institute, said airborne transmission in indoor settings can occur even in the absence of fleeting contact.
“Respiratory aerosols accumulate in the same way that cigarette smoke accumulates,” she said.
“In an indoor space where the ventilation isn’t adequate, somebody with the infection could have come and gone, but the virus is still lingering in the air. So if you walk through that area and you breathe that air, you could get infected.”
Both Macintyre and Baxter point to the need for more focus on airborne transmission – particularly in the winter months.
“People are still kind of stuck in that mindset of hand sanitiser and washing your hands, when actually the message we need to be getting out there is it’s the air you breathe,” Macintyre said.
“Ventilation makes a difference. If you’re having people over, open the window. If you’re driving in a car with people, open the window, even a little bit. Wear masks. It’s the shared air that matters the most.”
Delta is now outcompeting other variants of the virus. In the UK, it accounts for an estimated 99% of new infections. The WHO chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, said last week: “The Delta variant is well on its way to becoming the dominant variant globally because of its increased transmissibility.”
Dr Meru Sheel, a senior research fellow at the Australian National University said “There’s no need to make it a scary narrative,”
“Of course new variants are going to emerge, and some are going to be more infectious and some are going to be less. The public needs to play their part as the public health measures scale up and down based on those variants. Wash your hands, stay at home if you’re unwell, only go to get tested. Wear your mask, get your vaccine...” She said.
Read: Covid Delta variant is ‘in the air you breathe’: what you need to know about Sydney outbreak strain
This content was published in Middle East Monitor on August 12, 2021.
*Any opinion expressed in this content is the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of UMMnews.
