CDC Finally Admits: Yes, Ebola Can Transfer Through the Air

At first, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) told the American public and the rest of the world that Ebola could only spread through bodily liquids. There was no worry about contracting the disease from aerosol particles, or from a cough or sneeze, or some other airborne contamination. Now, the CDC is admitting that Ebola CAN in fact spread through the air via sneezes and coughs.

In practically a whisper, the CDC is now saying that Ebola can spread through ‘droplets,’ including barely noticeable moisture in air, such as – when a person coughs or sneezes. The agency quietly released this information to the public via a poster, which talks about these ‘droplets,’ likely hoping no one would notice that they have directly contradicted themselves.

It reads:

“Droplet spread happens when germs traveling inside droplets that are coughed or sneezed from a sick person enter the eyes, nose or mouth of another person.”

This ‘droplets’ term was likely coined to prevent them from having to directly say that ebola can spread through airborne particles.

As of this writing, the CDC poster has been removed, though, and replaced with a page stating: “Fact sheet is being updated and is currently unavailable.”

I wonder what ‘mis’ information they are coming up with this time.

Medical professionals are nonplussed by the agency’s willy-nilly communication about how the disease actually spreads.

Dr. Meryl Nass from the Institute for Public Accuracy in Washington, D.C., told the New York Post (NYP) that people need to be careful about touching surfaces that may contain fluid residues contaminated with the virus.

Nass said:

“The CDC said it doesn’t spread at all by air, then Friday they came out with this poster. They admit that these particles or droplets may land on objects such as doorknobs and that Ebola can be transmitted that way.”

She and others have also pointed out that the Ebola virus can live on surfaces for several days. This fact has been corroborated by Dr. Rossi Hassad, professor of epidemiology at Mercy College.

One might want to think twice about touching bathroom door handles or public elevator buttons.

Hassad warns:

“A shorter duration [exists] for dry surfaces like a table or doorknob, and longer durations in a moist, damp environment, [for the Ebola disease to persist].”

Though the CDC never ‘technically’ denied the virus could spread through the air, they repeatedly downplayed the possibility.

In defense of this major policy change by the CDC, a doctor from New York University’s Langone Medical Center told MyFoxNY.com that it:

“. . .was always possible for Ebola to spread through airborne particulates, just not air itself.”

Gastroenterologist Dr. Roshini Raj has said:

“The confusion is that they’ve always said it does not spread through the air, but the truth is, when we talk about airborne diseases we mean without droplets. If germs are circulating through the air, can you get it? No, you can’t get it. But if droplets with Ebola get into your eyes, nose or mouth, you can get the virus.”

The CDC has also since come out to admit that Ebola can travel through the air up to 3 feet via airborne particulates. I wonder what they will tell us next?