- A new study finds that people who have an infection with the new coronavirus can transmit it to others nearby by simply speaking.
- The study affirms that 6 feet of distance between people while speaking may not be enough to prevent transmission.
- In public places, researchers say wearing a mask with a tight fit and a face shield is the best protection from the coronavirus, especially for workers who can’t maintain physical distance to do their jobs.
As COVID-19 vaccines continue to roll out across the United States, more areas are looking to reopen businesses for in-person services, from indoor dining and haircuts to manicures and church services.
While we gain steps toward prepandemic times, one rule will surely linger: wearing a face mask while inside those buildings.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. premiere expert on infectious diseases, said it’s “possible” that people could still be wearing masks into 2022 in the United States, as masks remain a simple and effective way to help protect people from the new coronavirus and other pathogens.
But under what circumstances we’re wearing those masks and other personal protective equipment remain to be fully seen.
New research provides some very specific information on how respiratory droplets travel when someone is merely speaking — not sneezing, coughing, or singing, which so much other research has focused on.
Source: healthline