CDC Adds Possibility of Airborne Transmission to COVID-19 Guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its COVID-19 guidance to include acknowledgement of the possibility of airborne spread of coronavirus.

On Monday, the CDC shared a message to its official site stating they had chose to include information about the “potential for airborne spread” while noting that current science still states that people are “more likely” to get infected in situations where they are closer to a person with COVID-19 for extended periods of time. 

“Today’s update acknowledges the existence of some published reports showing limited, uncommon circumstances where people with COVID-19 infected others who were more than six feet away or shortly after the COVID-19-positive person left an area,” the Atlanta-headquartered agency said. “In these instances, transmission occurred in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces that often involved activities that caused heavier breathing, like singing or exercise.”

In the same message, those in the U.S. are advised to continue following the social distancing recommendations that have been widely promoted throughout the bulk of 2020: keep your distance, wear a mask (properly), wash hands, clean surfaces, and stay home when sick.

As CBS notes, prior to this week’s new update, the CDC temporarily revised its site regarding airborne transmission in September but ultimately removed that information stating that it (at the time) remained under review.