particle (e.g., droplet, dust, pollen) capable of travel through the air. For respiratory droplets, that can include droplets that are close to the source and those that have moved farther away.
However, most infectious disease and public health experts reserve the term airborne specifically for use in the context of to describe infections capable of being transmitted through exposure to infectious, pathogen-containing, small droplets and particles suspended in the air over long distances and that persist in the air for long times.For some viruses and bacteria, airborne transmission is a highly efficient mode for spreading infection.