Coronavirus sneeze: Social Distancing study says 6 feet not far enough

Research published this week showed official Social Distancing guidelines given by WHO and the CDC are based on outdated information on coughs and sneezes. Novel coronavirus / COVID-19 guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the USA Center for Disease Control (CDC) suggests that peoople around the world should stay approximately 6 feet apart. Unfortunately, according to MIT associate professor Lydia Bourouiba, "pathogen-bearing droplets of all sizes can travel 23 to 27 feet."

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In the study published here in late March, 2020, Dr. Bourouiba showed that current guidelines for Social Distancing is based on models published in the 1930s. The video below shows a slow-motion sneeze, filmed for a study on the physics of sneezes and coughs by Dr. Bourouiba.

[The video shown above is courtesy of Dr. Lydia Bourouiba, posted by JAMA Network.] The video shows a close-up view of a sneeze filmed at 2000 frames per second. Dr. Bourouiba's research shows "a hot, moist, turbulent gas cloud containing air and mucosalivary droplets that travel as far as 26 feet (7-8 meters)."

The World Health Organization recommendations for COVID-19, health care workers should stay at least 3 feet (approximately 1 meter) away from a person showing symptoms of disease, while the CDC recommends as 6-foot (2 meter) separation.

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"However," said Dr. Bourouiba, "these distances are based on estimates of range that have not considered the possible presence of a high-momentum cloud carrying the droplets long distances."

"Given the turbulent puff cloud dynamic model, recommendations for separations of 3 to 6 feet (1-2 m) may underestimate the distance, timescale, and persistence over which the cloud and its pathogenic payload travel, thus generating an underappreciated potential exposure range for a health care worker."

For more information on the study mentioned above, see: Bourouiba L. Turbulent Gas Clouds and Respiratory Pathogen Emissions: Potential Implications for Reducing Transmission of COVID-19. JAMA. Published online March 26, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4756 – retrieved at JAMA Network on March 31, 2020.

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