Did you know that a social distance of 6.5 feet is not enough to protect yourself from coronavirus? In an alarming discovery, experts say that the coronavirus travels as much as 8 meters in the air. This new discovery might poise a dilemma on how social distancing works.
By imposing social distancing, the assumption is to lessen the spread of the COVID-19 disease through direct contact with others. According to WHO, maintaining a distance of at least 1 meter from other people is enough to protect yourself. However, a recent study showed that you might still be at risk, since the virus can travel up to 8 meters in the air.
Can coronavirus travel 8 meters in the air?
One researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has warned that the coronavirus can spread farther than previously thought. Lydia Bourouiba, an associate professor at MIT, discovered that exhalations such as sneezes and coughs send clouds of pathogen up to 27-feet, which is more than previously expected.
According to Professor Bourouiba, who was asked for comment by USA Today, World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) must revise its guidelines in social distancing:
"There's an urgency in revising the guidelines currently being given by the WHO and the CDC on the needs for protective equipment, particularly for the frontline health care workers."
Professor Bourouiba added that tiny drops still travel through the air, and will continue doing so for a certain distance, contesting the assumption of WHO about the transmission. According to WHO, 3-6 feet of distance is enough to protect yourself.
However, Professor Bourouiba argued tiny droplets of bodily fluid do not magically stop dead once they travel a certain distance. She added that the 3-6-foot social distance is not enough, as the virus can remain on air for as long as 10 minutes.
Dr. Paul Pottinger from University of Washington School of Medicine said that scientists needed to gather more date about cases with exhaled virus. He added, it is not how far the germs travel, but how far they travel, before becoming a zero threat.
When everyone gets infected, there would be no argument, according to Dr Paul Pottinger. Generally, the smaller the particle, the more chances of infecting anyone who can breathe it in, suck it in the nose or mouth.
But if it is saliva, snot, and spit that carry the coronavirus, it can be more infectious. According to the scientist, larger droplets will fall to the ground, which greatly lessens the risk of being inhaled. It is the lighter spray which is a problem.
Dr Pottinger contradicted claims of Professor Bourouiba, added that more cases will be infected by the enhanced spray.
He said, "It takes a certain number of viral particles, we call them 'virions,' or individual viruses, it takes a certain number of individual viruses to actually get a foothold inside the body and cause that infection to get going."
As of now, they are still not sure how many viral particles are needed to cause an infection. Adding that if the viruses did travel by air, they would have been infected by now.
The Public Health England claimed that social distancing measures were "well-established and have been discussed and planned for many years". When experts warn of contagious droplets travelling in the air for 8 meters as smaller droplets, this completely changes the way we view social distancing.
