If I might essay a suggestion, it's because you, and they, are speaking in medical terms and the media are speaking in the vernacular.
As I understand it, "airborne" refers to the virus being ejected in large doses in the mucosa of the lungs. If the virus is not present in the lung mucosa, the thing isn't airborne. That much is fairly straightforward.
Naturally, other body fluids such as saliva, vomit, and even, under some circumstances, blood, are also ejectable through sneezing, coughing, etc, but in considerably smaller amounts. If those amounts are infective then we have a virus that is not "airborne" but is potentially contagious through ejected body fluids anyway, but not terribly contagious and under fairly rare circumstances.
I could be entirely wrong about this but that's my understanding. Best to you.
Thank you.
I try to simplify my language as much as possible. It’s a real challenge, since simplification can lead to inaccuracy unless one is extremely careful.
Your understanding is mostly accurate. Airborne particles are tiny enough to float in the air and be carried away from the patient. Otherwise, I think you got it.
But the studies have shown it`s present in sputum, mucosa or not.
So Ebama has allowed it to continue to be airborne.