Smoking gun—Floating virus can infect cells. New study provides “unambiguous evidence” that “airborne virus plays a significant role in community transmission”, says aerosol experts.

This means we need to step up precaution against aerosols. #COVID19 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/11/health/coronavirus-aerosols-indoors.html

2) A research team succeeded in isolating live virus from aerosols collected at a distance of 7 to 16 feet from patients hospitalized with Covid-19 — farther than the 6 feet. “If this isn’t a smoking gun, then I don’t know what is,” Dr. Marr tweeted last week. #COVID19

3) “The team used two samplers, one about seven feet from the patients and the other about 16 feet from them. The scientists were able to collect virus at both distances and then to show that the virus they had plucked from the air could infect cells in a lab dish.”

4) “The genome sequence of the isolated virus was identical to that from a swab of a newly admitted symptomatic patient in the room.”

5) “the team collected air samples from a room in a ward dedicated to Covid-19 patients at the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. Neither patient in the room was subject to medical procedures known to generate aerosols”

6) ““We know that indoors, those distance rules don’t matter anymore,” Dr. Schofield said. It takes about 5 minutes for small aerosols to traverse room even in still air. The 6-foot minimum is “misleading, because people think they are protected indoors and they’re really not,”

7) the 6 feet guideline was based on the notion that “large ballistic cannonball-type droplets” were the only vehicles for the virus, @linseymarr said. That 6 ft is not enough anymore. “The more distance people can maintain, the better”

8) Dr. Lednicky: “We can grow the virus from air — I think that should be the important take-home lesson”

And indeed, aerosol experts agree. This steps up what we need to do. Ventilation is key. Room air flow of at least 5-6 exchanges per hour according to @jljcolorado & others.