Anchor: The World Health Organization(WHO) acknowledged emerging evidence of the airborne transmission of COVID-19, after over 200 scientists made a plea for the global body to update its guidance on how the respiratory disease passes between people. KBS World Radio spoke with one of the writers of the open letter. 
Our Kim Joo Heon has more.

Report: After initially downplaying the airborne transmission of COVID-19, the World Health Organization(WHO) finally admitted on Tuesday that it is possible.

This came after 239 scientists in various fields including virology penned an open letter urging them to change their guidelines.

The global health body then said it is looking into possibly changing its guidelines.

In an interview with KBS World Radio, Lidia Morawska, a professor of atmospheric sciences and environmental engineering at Queensland University of Technology, made clear that the changes are necessary to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.  

Prior to the letter, neither the WHO nor medical leaders in any country recognized airborne transmission. She said that with no control measures in place, this led to a larger spread and countless deaths. 

[Sound bite: Lidia Morawska - Professor at Queensland University of Technology / July 7 Korea24]
“There is an overwhelming evidence coming from many areas of science from aerosol science -- aerosols are the particles emitted when we speak, when we breathe, when we cough -- from the virology from the retrospective studies conducted after the outbreaks in many different countries showing that it is the airborne transmission, which is the only logical explanation.”

Professor Morawska said that despite studies pouring in from many countries showing that the virus could be transmitted by aerosol particles from breathing, nothing had changed in the guidelines. She says this possibly occurred because of the unfounded belief that standing an arm’s length away from someone would stop the spread of the disease. 

The scientist says that in order to mitigate direct transmission, proper ventilation is needed. This will ensure the removal of the virus from a closed area as well as stopping the virus from blowing from one person directly to another.

She said that while masks aid immensely in preventing the transmission of COVID-19, for people who remain in one place all day proper ventilation is ideal. 
Kim Joo Heon, KBS World Radio News