Al-O-Meter
Well-Known Member
In epidemiology the terms 'droplet' and 'airborne' have different meanings than they do in regular English. A droplet is larger than 5 µm. For a pathogen to be considered airborne it must be transmissible via particles smaller than 5 µm. That particle can be liquid, and is referred to as a 'droplet nuclei' rather than a 'droplet'. Google the phrase "droplet versus airborne transmission" and pick whatever source you want to confirm. Any reputable source should use the identical 5 µm dividing line. The Alpha variant was more able to be transmitted in sub-5µm liquids than the wild type, and Delta had an even greater ability to be transmitted via sub-5 µm particles than Alpha. The smallest particles capable of Omicron transmission in are so small that they sail right though the fabric of cloth masks. Omicron is not limited to droplet (larger than 5 µm) transmission but is rather an airborne pathogen.Airborne in the sense of being in water droplets in the air, sure.
