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A comment on WHO declines to label monkeypox a global emergency. Parent comment

Re:WHO declines to label monkeypox a global emergency by datalopers on Tuesday June 28, 2022 @12:16PM (#31909648)
> respiratory droplets (and possibly short-range aerosols)

Maybe I'm missing something here, but is the above not the definition of airborne?

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:WHO declines to label monkeypox a global emergency by tremon on Tuesday June 28, 2022 @12:36PM (#31909911)
Yes, it is, but IIRC the term "airborne" can also refer to disease particles that can survive in the air unencapsulated (such as certain fungi), and can therefore travel quite some distance, and can remain hanging in the air for hours.

Aerosols are heavier than air, and therefore have a very limited range and duration in which the virus can remain "airborne" in common parlance.

(edit: expanded the definition to include more than just viruses as I couldn't find an example of a virus that can survive unencapsulated)

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:WHO declines to label monkeypox a global emergency by datalopers on Tuesday June 28, 2022 @12:37PM (#31909930)
Cool, thank you for the clarfication!
[ Parent | on HN ]