HealthDay Reports: Exhaled 'Aerosols' Spread Coronavirus Up to 13 Feet, Shoes Carry Virus, Too
Recent studies have taken a closer look at how coronavirus could be spreading.
Exhaled 'Aerosols' Spread Coronavirus Up to 13 Feet, Shoes Carry Virus, Too
THURSDAY, April 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Recent studies show that people infected with the new coronavirus could be spreading "aerosolized" viral particles as they cough, breathe or talk in a 13-foot radius, and viral particles can also move around on people's shoes.
But there was also good news from the studies: Standard protective gear appears to effectively shield health care workers from these aerosolized droplets and infection, and even cloth face masks could curb the spread of exhaled droplets.
Reading over the findings, emergency medicine physician Dr. Robert Glatter said they are a reminder that any form of social distancing should help curb new cases of COVID-19.
"The bottom line is that maintaining some distance from others is better than none," said Glatter, who works at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Six feet is better than 5 feet. In the age of coronavirus, the more the better. It really comes down to the likelihood of viral transmission."