Covid loses 90% of ability to infect within 20 minutes in air - study

[Celerity]

Exclusive: Findings highlight importance of short-range Covid transmission

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/11/covid-loses-90-of-ability-to-infect-within-five-minutes-in-air-study

Coronavirus loses 90% of its ability to infect us within 20 minutes of becoming airborne – with most of the loss occurring within the first five minutes, the world’s first simulations of how the virus survives in exhaled air suggest.

The findings re-emphasise the importance of short-range Covid transmission, with physical distancing and mask-wearing likely to be the most effective means of preventing infection. Ventilation, though still worthwhile, is likely to have a lesser impact.

“People have been focused on poorly ventilated spaces and thinking about airborne transmission over metres or across a room. I’m not saying that doesn’t happen, but I think still the greatest risk of exposure is when you’re close to someone,” said Prof Jonathan Reid, director of the University of Bristol’s Aerosol Research Centre and the study’s lead author.

“When you move further away, not only is the aerosol diluted down, there’s also less infectious virus because the virus has lost infectivity [as a result of time].”

snip

[tanyev]

1. Good info, thanks.

[mountain grammy]

2. Gee, I don't know.. sounds kind of sciencey..

maybe add a urine spray to that?

Just kidding of course. Thanks for the info. I too think masks and distance are the best defense but I'm also triple vaxxed.

[IronLionZion]

12. No, we want them to drink it not spray it

[Hortensis]

22. Lol. I like sciencey. Now to figure out how to time our necessary

visits, like to pick up Chinese, to at least 20 minutes after the last pickup.

[wiggs]

3. Good. More studies the better. But this isn't Omicron. Plus, in real life situations, a person

does not exhale and then hold breath for the 20 minutes it takes for the virus in the first breath to reduce infectivity by 90%. A person, many persons, are continuously exhaling new virus into the air which can circulate around the room.

I think we knew that social distancing and masks work...and while it may be that we don't have to worry as much about the unmasked person across the room...I think I'll still be concerned with exposure over time and concerned with 10 unmasked people across the room.

Vaccination, mask, distance, ventilation...if you want to avoid infection in the first place and, failing that, serious illness.

[rurallib]

8. I am thinking seriously of carrying a can of Lysol aerosol with me

then in grocery stores when I have to cross paths with these assholes I can give the air a shot of Lysol before I must breath air they may have just spewed.

Been thinking about this for a couple of weeks.

[Earth-shine]

14. Don't breathe in Lysol directly. It's quite noxious.

[rurallib]

15. Thanks for the info

[wiggs]

18. I believe it will be shown that public restrooms, or any restroom used after a contagious person,

are filled with virus aerosols. So when my wife had to use a well-used restroom on a trip, the lysol was handy and I imagine it can do some good in a small space that's otherwise hazardous.

[Torchlight]

4. Kicking this...

Very relevant information we should carry with us, and implies the importance of wearing a face mask when in public.

[mackdaddy]

5. Alternate title:Covid in the air continues to be 10% as infecting even after 20 minutes

So maybe you should wear your mask?.

[pandr32]

6. In stores and buildings people are moving

That "meters or across a room" mention means little if people are moving. The headline could say "Covid ability to infect is 10% at 20 minutes in air."
So, the infectious rate of Covid in the air reduces over time, but it does hang in there long enough to infect people easily. Just maintaining distance from others isn't going to help. We need to wear masks. Clearly indoor dining is risky.

[wiggs]

20. And should say that there's only a 10% infectivity after 20 minutes, but only if the person

only exhales once and then stops breathing for 20 minutes.

[pandr32]

21. Great point!

[yaesu]

7. Just a guess but this study may not include the Omicron variant which is much more transmissible. nt

[wiggs]

19. Does not include Omicron. nt

[certainot]

10. thanks. so i wonder if a fan or other air mover, which

would move the virus away and disperse it would help inside a space as opposed to a cloud remaining relatively steady in front of the infected

[Earth-shine]

16. I wear a neck fan aimed outward when shopping in stores.

It scrambles the air in front of my face.

[calimary]

24. It actually looks like a face!

[underpants]

11. Thus the 15 minute warning.

Duh.

[bucolic_frolic]

13. I knew "I didn't inhale" would return to fashion someday /nt

[ProfessorGAC]

17. Just Sayin'

[Deminpenn]

23. Keeping a reasonable distance from people is just common

sense. Have never stopped going and about, but I keep space between me and others and believe that's been a big contributor to not getting very many colds or flu over decades of winters and office work.