WHO changes definition of airborne disease following COVID-19 debates

Published April 18, 2024 11:48am ET



The World Health Organization has defined a new set of criteria for infectious diseases spread through the air following significant controversy and confusion during the pandemic about how the coronavirus was spread.

Nearly 500 experts, including epidemiologists, physicists, engineers, and public health professionals, contributed to a report published Thursday that provides a concrete breakdown of how pathogens traditionally considered “airborne” can be transmitted.

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