Purpose of review This review describes how the COVID-19 pandemic stimulated a radical shift around the concepts and definitions of aerosol transmission, and how this new understanding led to a rethink around related infection control interventions that were vital to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, and, potentially, other respiratory viruses. Recent findings A revision of the terminology for aerosol-transmitted pathogens by the WHO, together with its accompanying open access platform (ARIA), to allow users to define their own exposure scenarios and calculate related transmission risks, are just two of many multidisciplinary collaborations that have paved the way for a more effective pandemic response in the future, for aerosol-transmitted, novel pathogens. Summary A multipronged approach is needed for any next pandemic, including expertise from laboratory microbiologists and virologists, clinical infectious diseases and infection control teams, public health physicians and epidemiologists, aerosol scientists and engineers. We need to develop a rapid evidence pipeline to collate robust scientific data about any new pathogen, how it is transmitted, how it infects and affects humans, and how to control, treat and prevent it. This article briefly outlines how far we have come and proposes some options to better prepare for the next pandemic.
Julian W Tang (2026) studied this question.