Avoid areas with poor ventilation, expert says amid CDC advisory on airborne transmission

A health expert on Wednesday advised the public to avoid areas with poor ventilation as they are prone to airborne transmission of COVID-19.

Still, University of the Philippines Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology director Dr. Edsel Salvaña said droplets are still the "major driver" of transmission, and that the public need not worry much about the latest information from the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US .

"Ang karagdagang impormasyon ngayon is nangyayari din siya outside hospitals in specific situations lang," said Salvaña, a consultant of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, in an interview on Unang Balita.

“Kaya iwasan po natin ang mga areas na pangit ang ventilation. At kung hindi po talaga maiiwasan, siguraduhin po natin na naka-mask po tayo. Kung may face shield, mas makakatulong,” he added.

In a statement, the CDC acknowledged reports of "limited and uncommon" situations where a COVID-19 case infected others who were more than six feet away or shortly after the infected person left an area.

“In these instances, transmission occurred in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces that often involved activities that caused heavier breathing, like singing or exercise,” the CDC said.

“Such environments and activities may contribute to the buildup of virus-carrying particles,” it added.

Elevators and crew settings in restaurants with air conditioning systems are among the examples of the areas prone to airborne transmission, according to Salvaña.

Some experts, including the CDC, initially acknowledged the airborne transmission of the virus only in hospitals during aerosol generating clinical procedures. —KBK, GMA News