CDC warns coronavirus could spread through air and travel beyond six feet, later walks back guidance

• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that Covid-19 could spread through airborne particles that can remain suspended in the air and travel beyond six feet, but later walked the guidance back.
• The agency previously said the virus mainly spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets when a sick person coughs, sneezes or talks.

Healthcare workers walk past an air purifier whose screen displays the text "Air without virus for your protection" at the Clinic Hospital in Barcelona on May 14, 2020, during a national lockdown to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 disease.

Lluis Gene | AFP | Getty Images

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that Covid-19 could spread through airborne particles that can remain suspended in the air and travel beyond six feet, but walked that guidance back Monday saying it had it erroneously posted the update. 

The agency previously said the virus mainly spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets when a sick person coughs, sneezes or talks.

The updated guidance, posted on the agency's website on Friday, also recommended that people use air purifiers to reduce airborne germs indoors to avoid the disease from spreading.

Airborne viruses are among the most contagious, and the CDC warned that poorly-ventilated places increase the risk of spreading.

Studies have shown that the new coronavirus could spread through aerosols in the air, and the World Health Organization has said it is monitoring "emerging evidence" of possible airborne transmission.