3 ms·
2 meters is only sufficient for droplet transmission (e.g. breathing). Aerosol transmission (e.g. a sneeze or heavy cough) can travel much further than 2m. Gran
by mantap 7y ago
2 meters is only sufficient for droplet transmission (e.g. breathing). Aerosol transmission (e.g. a sneeze or heavy cough) can travel much further than 2m. Granted these are for confined spaces and outdoors it will depend on factors such as the wind. But 10m sounds perfect.
At the moment we are all isolating for months. So yes if 5% of the population needs to isolate because they were 10m away from someone who had it then so be it. I'm perfectly fine with that.
- hsitz 7y agoYou have aerosol and droplet mixed up. Aerosol is much finer particles than droplets. Sneeze would be droplet (plus aerosol), breathing would be aerosol, likely not droplet. From what I've read it's not clear that aerosol would be limited to 2m, e.g., if it were allowed to build up in enclosed space. But in any case it's all on a curve, the further away you get the less likely a person will be infected.
- mantap 7y agoThat's the opposite of what I heard, that breathing mostly produces droplets. But I wouldn't be surprised if it's wrong, it seems like this area of research is not well understood by public health professionals. Regardless of droplets or aerosols, sneezes definitely have a high velocity and travel further than 2m. And yes it's a curve so the risk depends on the minimal infective dose. If you can get infected by a small number of virus particles (which is apparently the case) then you need more distance.