The COVID-19 virus is in the air. It has long been known that the common cold and the flu are more readily caught during the winter months. This is because people tend to stay indoors for longer periods compared with the warmer months. It is also because the virus ‘sits’ on aerosols in the air that we breathe if there is an infected person shedding viral particles nearby.1
The possibility of COVID-19 cross-infection through aerosols has been discussed since March 2020.2 Authors have pointed out that this method of transmission appeared to explain some infections in Mongolia and Wuhan, where direct, physical contact had been ruled out. They also indicate that other research has proven that the SARS-CoV-1, MERS and H1N1 viruses are known to spread via aerosols, as supported by other authors.3 Influenza viruses and rhinoviruses are also well-known to spread via aerosols.1
The well-established case of the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship that was docked in Yokohama in March 2020, appears to show how easily an aerosolised virus can spread. 712 people became infected on…
