China confirms New Coronavirus infection through air via aerosol

China’s official health department confirmed on Saturday (February 8) that the new coronavirus can be transmitted through the air.
At a press conference held in Shanghai, health and epidemic prevention experts confirmed that in addition to direct transmission and contact transmission, the transmission route of New Coronary Pneumonia also includes “aerosol transmission”.
Aerosol is a colloidal dispersion system formed by solid or liquid small particles dispersed and suspended in a gaseous medium. In simple terms, aerosols are small liquid or solid particles that are stably dispersed and suspended in the air and cannot be seen by the naked eye.
The so-called “aerosol transmission” means that the droplets are mixed in the air to form an “aerosol”, which causes infection after inhalation.
Previously, on February 5, the National Health and Medical Commission’s website published the “Diagnosis and Treatment of New Coronavirus Infected Pneumonia (Trial Fifth Edition)”. To be determined “.
After an interval of 3 days, the aerosol transmission route was confirmed by the official Chinese health department.
The difference between aerosol and droplet transmission is the distance of transmission. Droplets and contact infections occur within a short range, while aerosols travel long distances, increasing the risk of contactless infection.
Aerosol infection
As the Chinese Lunar New Year Lantern Festival comes, health authorities warn that the virus is spreading among family members.
The Shanghai Health Department announced on February 8 that only 8 days and a half days, 5 new cases were confirmed, of which 2 were from overseas and 3 were residents of Shanghai. The total number of confirmed cases was 286.
Zeng Qun, deputy director of the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau, said at a press conference that the community is urged to pay attention to the prevention of cluster epidemics and to increase the awareness of family cluster epidemic prevention.
We must cancel all social gatherings and discourage relatives and friends in key epidemic areas from postponing their plans to Shanghai;
Normally open windows and more ventilation to maintain indoor air circulation;
Do daily household disinfection: wipe key points such as door handles, tables, chairs, and toilet seat cushions with 75% ethanol or chlorine-containing disinfectant;
Personal hygiene: Wash your hands with running water, soap or hand sanitizer before and after meals. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or elbow flexion when coughing or sneezing;
Avoid air and contact transmission: Family members should avoid contact with body secretions of people with suspicious symptoms, and do not share personal daily necessities; during meals, chopsticks are divided into meals, eat fast, talk less, communicate with each other, avoid handshake and hugs, smile with hands etiquette.
Epidemic prevention experts also recommend that, as a precautionary measure, remember to put on the toilet lid and flush the suspicious patient in your home before flushing the toilet.
After the spread of the Wuhan epidemic led to the Chinese authorities ’decision to block the city on January 23 to prevent epidemics, traffic in Wuhan, Hubei and surrounding provinces was severely affected. Airlines from multiple countries have suspended flights to and from Wuhan.
Wuhan, known as the “nine provinces’ thoroughfare”, is not only a transportation hub in China, but also a major industrial town in China. There are no statistics on the economic impact of the closure of Wuhan.
As Shanghai, the economic center of eastern China, if the epidemic is out of control, the impact on China and the world economy will be immeasurable.
Hong Kong isolation measures
The pneumonia epidemic caused by the new coronavirus spreading from Wuhan has still not shown signs of abating. Epidemic prevention measures in many countries and regions in the world are also tightening.
From Saturday (8th) in Hong Kong, all people entering Hong Kong from mainland China, including Hong Kong residents and foreign visitors, must be quarantined for 14 days: at home, in a hotel room or in a government isolation center.
A total of 26 confirmed cases from Hong Kong to Friday. The strike by medical staff in Hong Kong, which began on February 3, was also suspended on Saturday.
From January 30 to February 4, the Hong Kong government closed 10 entry and exit ports with mainland China. In response to the recent tide of people buying food and household goods in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong government stated that the epidemic prevention and control measures will not affect the mainland and Hong Kong’s freight traffic, and there is sufficient food supply.
Outbreak
As of February 7, more than 30,000 people have been diagnosed with infection in China, and the death toll has exceeded 700.
According to the World Health Organization, 270 cases have occurred in more than 20 countries outside mainland China.
In Wuhan, China, an American citizen has died of a new coronavirus. This is believed to be the first foreigner to die from the virus infection. Media reports said that the 60-year-old American woman had other health problems before her death.
In addition, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a Japanese citizen who died in Wuhan Hospital had obvious symptoms of infection with the new coronavirus.
French health authorities have confirmed that five British tourists, four adults and one child, have been diagnosed with a virus in a ski area on the border between Italy and Switzerland in Haute-Savoie, eastern France. One of them has been to Singapore recently.
Three cases have been confirmed in the UK. Two of them were Chinese citizens, and the third was a British returning from Singapore.
Britain has so far withdrawn two groups of diasporas from China, both of which have been separated for 14 days.
About 150 people in the third batch of British evacuated people will leave China on Sunday (9th) and will be taken to a convention centre in Milton Keynes in central England for 14 days.
The UK Department of Health and Social Security announced that by Friday afternoon (7th) a total of 620 suspected cases had been detected in the UK and only 3 were confirmed.
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/world-51427216