Until recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised that healthy people didn't need masks unless in close contact with infected individuals. However, leading U.S. scientists, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, now indicate COVID-19 can transmit through everyday talking and breathing.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a key advisor to President Trump, told Fox News that "the virus can actually be transmitted when people just talk, rather than just when they sneeze or cough."
On Wednesday, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine sent a letter to the White House—received by President Trump—citing four studies supporting transmission via exhaled air, beyond just large droplets from sneezes landing on faces or surfaces.
Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center detected portions of the virus's genetic code (RNA) in air from rooms housing isolated patients. Similarly, scientists in Wuhan sampled hospital room air and found high concentrations of the novel coronavirus. While the virus is present in breath, it's unclear if this is a major transmission pathway.
Airborne transmission could explain why COVID-19 spreads so rapidly, especially since asymptomatic carriers—who unknowingly exhale the virus—drive much of the contagion.
In France, the Academy of Medicine recommended mandatory mask-wearing on Friday as a "logical addition to barrier measures."
