How far does Corona go?
Recent studies by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is likely to be three times more to spread than previously reported by researchers. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, states that if there are no protectors in front of a person’s mouth, the drops caused by sneezing, coughing and even exhalation can travel more than 2.5 meters and stay in the air for a few minutes. .
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated in its recommendations that the use of non-surgical masks is sufficient and appropriate in public places where social distance cannot be maintained. “There are no barriers 1 to 2 meters away to prevent the transmission of contaminated air to the virus,” said Lydia Boruiba, a fluid dynamics researcher and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Therefore, the staff of health care centers that work with infected patients pose a greater risk.
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University also believe that the speed and dispersion of droplets from sneezing and coughing is greater than the previously announced distance. The following video simulates how these drops are emitted from different angles.
How far the cough and sneezing drops goes?
The study was performed on a cloud emitted by coughing or sneezing, indicating that heavier particles from sneezing were sprayed on nearby surfaces earlier, but other particles could rotate in the room. In general, in theory, all of these droplets could carry the pathogen.
According to the World Health Organization in 2009, coughing can cause up to 3,000 and sneezing up to 40,000 drops. Although this study has not been performed on the gas clouds of patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, it suggests that given the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the world, it may reflect precisely this fact in the air-respiratory diffusion. Be sick.
The role of fresh air in eliminating virus carriers
Although it is not clear exactly how much of the virus is present in every drop of sneezing and coughing in a person with CoVID-19, sampling through the airflow vents inside buildings shows that a significant amount of the virus is spread through the air.
These findings suggest that a lack of adequate air circulation in the virus-containing environment poses potential risks to those in the vicinity of the patient. Therefore, the best way to reduce the density of suspended particles containing the virus in the air is to open the windows for better air circulation.
The effect of the mask on the transmission of the virus
Common surgical masks are useful in limiting the release of large droplets and do not provide significant protection against inhaling smaller particles in the air. If N95 masks completely cover the face it can filter out at least 95% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns, they have a protection factor of 10 (APF = 10) as recommended by the CDC.
This means that N95 masks reduce the concentration of sneezing or coughing particles in the air by 1:10 in the room or block the inhalation of 90% of the particles in the air.
Although it is said that in public places where it is not possible to keep a distance of at least 2 meters from each other, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, etc., the use of fabric covers and simple masks is enough, but it is necessary to know that although Such masks reduce the range of contamination from airborne cough or sneezing particles, but do not necessarily play a full protective role in preventing the inhalation of airborne droplets.
