Project SANKALP by BSG India. [A ] Health and Well - being .. Challenge 1 – Reachout Am Sharmin Banu M S Ranger from Bharat Scouts and Guides District Association Udupi. Karnataka State. India. 5th April 2020 It's my pleasure that am very glad to Call more than 5 of my friends & well-wishers to inform them about Covid-19, various modes of transmission and we discussed. . how to take preventive measures to combat its spread and the steps taken by our Government of INDIA to contain the pandemic likewise 21daylockdown and it's extended health benefits and urged all of them to stayathome and encourage them to call 5 of their contacts and do the same and keep the chain going on.. . A special thanks to everyone who have been joined together in the corona awarness talk ..Hope the chain will be continuing with awarness Drive of Covid 19. Thanks to Bharat Scouts and Guides India for arranging such an effective project all over India for Members of Bharat Scouts and Guides India. CORONAVIRUS FAQ —Coronavirus in the US: Map & cases  —What are the symptoms of COVID-19?  —How deadly is the new coronavirus?  —How long does coronavirus last on surfaces?  —Is there a cure for COVID-19?  —How does COVID-19 compare with seasonal flu?  —How does the coronavirus spread?  —Can people spread the coronavirus after they recover? Aerosol transmission In order for the virus to be spread without being coughed or sneezed in large drops of mucus, it has to somehow be able to suspend in the air for long enough to infect passersby. And that’s another complicating factor in figuring out transmission: People emit virus particles in a range of sizes, and some are small enough to be considered aerosols, or fine particles that can stay suspended in the air for hours and can travel with air currents across tens of feet. A study published March 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that virus particles that were aerosolized could remain viable for up to 3 hours. What's not clear from this data is whether the virus is commonly transmitted via aerosols, or how long the virus remains infectious in aerosols in real-world settings. In that study, researchers used an extremely high concentration of virus particles, which may not reflect those shed by people with the disease.  "To my knowledge, there is no definitive evidence of transmission where aerosol was the only possible route," Santarpia told Live Science. (For instance, even someone who's not sneezing may emit respiratory droplets when talking, because people may spit when talking, and those droplets could be deposited on surfaces.) One case study is suggestive however; a choir group in Skagit, Washington, met for a two-hour practice in early March. No one was symptomatic, so singers weren’t coughing or sneezing out infected droplets. And everyone kept their distance. But when all was said and done, 45 people became infected with COVID-19 and at least two people died from the virus, the Los Angeles Times reported. That suggested the viral particles were shed as aerosols by someone, before being inhaled or otherwise acquired by other choir members. A 2019 study in the journal Nature Scientific Reports found that people emit more aerosol particles when talking, and that louder speech volumes correlate to more aerosol particles being emitted.  That case, along with those studies, suggest that the virus can be routinely transmitted via aerosols, though other routes of transmission (such as large droplets being emitted during singing or speech) are still possible explanations. In the 2003 SARS outbreak, aerosol transmission occurred during hospital procedures that generated large volumes of aerosols, such as intubation.  Contact transmission There's one other route that's thought to play a role in the spread of COVID-19: contact transmission. In that situation, viral particles emitted from the respiratory tract of an infected individual land on a surface. Then, another person touches that object, then touches their nose, mouth or eyes. The virus then sneaks into the body via the mucous membranes, infecting the second person.  So far, no one knows how common this mode of transmission is, but it does seem to be possible. One study found that SARS-CoV-2 could remain viable on surfacessuch as cardboard for up to 24 hours, and on plastic and steel for 2 to 3 days.  Santarpia has studied viral surface contamination in the context of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. In that study, which was published March 26 on the preprint database medRxiv, Santarpia and his colleagues found viral contamination in air samples, on surfaces such as toilets, and on frequently touched surfaces. Also on March 26, the CDC published a report on the coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship. An investigative team found traces of RNA from SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces throughout the cruise ship, in the cabins of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected passengers, up to 17 days later — though no evidence suggests this viral RNA was still infectious. (SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus, meaning its main genetic material is RNA, not DNA.) Another case report published by the CDC— this time from Singapore — also suggests contact with contaminated surfaces can transmit the virus. In that case, a person who was infected with SARS-CoV-2, but not yet symptomatic, attended a church service. Later in the day, another person sat in the same seat, and also came down with COVID-19. Whether the virus was contracted via a contaminated surface, or potentially a lingering aerosol, however, couldn't be ascertained. Is food safe? So far, there's no evidence that the virus is transmitted via food. The virus will not live long in food proper, and while it's possible that food packaging from groceries or takeout could contain small concentrations of virus particles, it is easy to mitigate this risk by washing your hands after handling groceries or takeout, Ben Chapman, a professor and food safety specialist at North Carolina State University,