Medical worker Feng Limin makes the testing reagent at the Diagnostics Virology and Transformation Center of the Guangzhou KingMed Diagnostics Group Co., Ltd. in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

Respiratory droplets and close contact transmission are the major routes of the coronavirus infection.

BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- No clinical trials have shown that the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can be transmitted by passing through the skin, a Chinese expert said Friday.

Respiratory droplets and close contact transmission are the major routes of the coronavirus infection, and it is essential to cut off the channels for the virus to enter the body via mouth, nose and eyes, Zhou Qi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said at a press conference.

COVID-19 can be transmitted when someone is exposed to high concentrations of aerosol in a relatively closed environment for a long time, while the probability of aerosol transmission in a normal working and living environment is extremely low, Zhou noted.

For factories and enterprises that resume work, Zhou suggested keeping ventilation in working space, wearing masks correctly, and keeping a proper distance between colleagues in relatively densely populated workplaces.

Zhou added that as long as people wash their hands correctly and frequently, fecal-oral transmission can be avoided.

"As the number of confirmed patients and suspected patients continue to decline, I believe we can achieve precise prevention and control of virus transmission with optimizing measures," Zhou said. ■