New Delhi: In a recent development, the World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled updated terminology concerning the transmission of diseases through the air. This initiative, backed by leading health agencies and nearly 500 experts, aims to provide clarity and precision in understanding the spread of airborne pathogens.Renaming airborne transmissionAmidst the backdrop of evolving viral threats, including the global havoc wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic, WHOs latest report marks a significant milestone in defining the transmission of diseases via air. This consensus among experts seeks to rectify earlier confusion, which some scientists believe may have led to detrimental consequences during the initial stages of the COVID-19 crisis.Under the revised terminology, airborne viruses will now be referred to as “pathogens that transmit through the air.” This terminology shift is the culmination of extensive collaboration involving physicists, public health professionals, engineers, and other experts. Notably, this move represents a departure from previous terminology, with WHO opting to replace terms like “aerosols” and “droplets” with “infectious respiratory particles.”Renaming airborne spreadThe rationale behind this overhaul is twofold. Firstly, the updated terminology aims to facilitate clearer identification, communication, and response strategies concerning airborne pathogens. By standardizing terminology, WHO seeks to address discrepancies and uncertainties, particularly regarding the airborne transmission of COVID-19.Secondly, the new terminology seeks to dispel confusion surrounding the mode of airborne transmission. During the COVID-19 pandemic, debates ensued regarding whether the virus spreads primarily through smaller aerosols or larger droplets. By adopting a comprehensive descriptor like “infectious respiratory particles,” WHO aims to encompass all potential transmission routes, irrespective of particle size.Individuals to turn potential vectors of transmissionWHOs decision to revise terminology comes after extensive consultations conducted between 2021 and 2023. The new terminology categorizes all respiratory particles expelled from the mouth or nose of an infected individual as potential vectors of transmission. Crucially, the descriptor “through the air” emphasizes diseases where transmission primarily occurs via suspended infectious respiratory particles.Two main modes of transmission are delineated: airborne transmission, where particles are expelled into the air and inhaled by others over short or long distances, influenced by factors such as airflow and ventilation.
