COVID-19 Transmission Is Possible Even After Maintaining Social Distancing, Experts Warn

COVID-19 Transmission – India is witnessing a sudden spike in the number of coronavirus cases in the second wave of COVID-19, with states from across the country registering the highest number of new cases of infection each day. The only way to break the transmission thread is by making sure that everybody is following the safety protocols properly. But, what about people who are sharing the same roof? Are they protected from transmission just by maintaining social distancing? A new study has shown that you may still be at risk of contracting the COVID infection even after you are properly maintaining a distance of two meters with your colleagues at work, co-passengers in public transport. Also Read – Supreme Court Asks Centre And State Govt To Impose Lockdown Amid The 2nd Wave Of Covid-19

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the US, stated that the two-meter rule was originally developed when the prevailing belief was that Covid-19 transmission occurred solely through heavier droplets projected from the mouth and nose during speech, coughing, and sneezing. Also Read – Second Covid-19 vaccine free for those who received the first jab before April 30: Health Ministry

However, scientists have now been increasingly speaking about the role of aerosols, smaller particles that linger in the air longer, in Covid-19 transmission. “The importance of airborne transmission of Covid-19 is now widely recognized,” researchers, including Martin Z Bazant, from the varsity’s Department of Chemical Engineering, were quoted as saying. Also Read – Pfizer/Biontech COVID-19 Vaccine Offers Protection Against Variants, But Only If You Were Infected Earlier

What Are The Other Safety Measures?

The study, published in the journal PNAS, showed that the amount of time that it is safe to spend in an indoor space depends on a number of factors, such as:

Whether you are wearing your face masks properly
Whether the room or space you are sharing with others is well-ventilated, etc.

“To minimize the risk of infection, one should avoid spending extended periods in highly populated areas,” the researchers stated. He further added, “One is safer in rooms with large volume and high ventilation rates. One is at greater risk in rooms where people are exerting themselves in such a way as to increase their respiration rate and pathogen output, for example, by exercising, singing, or shouting.”

The team developed a theoretical model based on airborne transmission that offers an understanding of how long can an uninfected person be safe in an indoor location with an infected person. They also looked at how different respiratory activities, such as singing, speaking, and breathing, contributed to the overall amount of exhaled particles, and thus the potential amount of pathogens expelled.

How To Break COVID-19 Transmission — In A Nutshell

As discussed above, various other factors are responsible that can effectively help the virus to spread from one body to another. In order to pause this transmission here is what one need to do:

Never forget to wear your masks. One is recommended to wear a mask even when at home. Apart from this — experts have suggested double masking (using one surgical mask and another cloth mask)
Another most important step in breaking the chain is by keeping your hands clean. Never touch your eyes, face, nose without cleaning your hands with soap and water or with an alcohol-based sanitizer.
Keep a close check on your symptoms and if you notice any of the symptoms which are related to COVID-19 infection, make sure you get yourself tested.

Also, try to stay inside the home as much as possible. The new coronavirus wave has infected many and is still lingering over the country. Stay alert, stay safe.

Source: | This article originally belongs to thehealthsite.com

Last Updated on May 3, 2021 by 247 News Around The World