Two virologists at the University of Queensland on a Chinese health official suggesting the new coronavirus might spread more easily than we thought, via an "airborne route".

Referring of course to the current outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the name of the disease it causes is now called COVID-19.

  • Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention almost immediately corrected the announcement, noting SARS-CoV-2 was not known to be an airborne virus.
  • The centre confirmed the virus appears to spread via droplets, direct contact and by coming into contact with contaminated surfaces and objects.
  • So far no infectious virus has been recovered from captured air samples. This would need to occur to demonstrate the virus was airborne.

(bolding mine)

Article is here, the two do not rule out airborne transmission completely.

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Piece by Ian M. Mackay, Adjunct assistant professor, The University of Queensland

and Katherine Arden Virologist, The University of Queensland

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Airborne transmission at 0:52