Poll of the Day > One thing that isn't getting any attention is how airborne this virus is

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Like how long does it stay in the air after someone has just exhaled or coughed or sneezed?

because if it stays in the air for say, 2 hours - then surely you can just catch it walking in the same path that somebody walked around 2 hours prior? So literally nowhere is safe to walk?

Im sure I read somewhere it does actually stay in the air for some time, shouldnt more emphasis be put on that than there currently is?

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FatalAccident posted...

Like how long does it stay in the air after someone has just exhaled or coughed or sneezed?

because if it stays in the air for say, 2 hours - then surely you can just catch it walking in the same path that somebody walked around 2 hours prior? So literally nowhere is safe to walk?

Im sure I read somewhere it does actually stay in the air for some time, shouldnt more emphasis be put on that than there currently is?

That's literally why they are telling everyone to wear masks.

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I remember early on there was talk about the possibility it could infect by drifting into the eyes.

Not sure if there's research done on that.

hypnox posted...

That's literally why they are telling everyone to wear masks.

How long does it stay airborne?

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I don't think there is conclusive evidence that it is airborne.

"The other manner of spread is by asymptomatic infected people simply breathing, talking, yelling or singing. These activities aerosolize virus, creating airborne virus particles also called droplet nuclei that are so tiny they can float around in the air for three hours."

https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/04/06/the-cdc-now-recommends-wearing-a-mask-in-some-cases/

Not really airborne, it's passed through water droplets which could stay in the air. So not really, kind of yes, no.

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It's not dramatically more or less airborne than most other illnesses so it's not something that merits a lot of attention. You can get it just by walking through the air, though the chances are unlikely. What makes this virus special is it's long contagious period and its tendency to be asymptomatic. So even if there's like a 0.1% chance of you getting infected by walking through the air, if an infected person walks by 2000 people without realizing they're sick then two more people get sick.

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Blightzkrieg posted...

What makes this virus special is it's long contagious period and its tendency to be asymptomatic.

And the fact that there's no preexisting immunity to act as a barrier to transmission. All those factors combined is why it's multiple times as contagious as ordinary flu.

The virus itself isn't strictly easier to catch, per se, it's just that carriers are contagious longer, aren't always obviously sick, and pretty much everyone is a viable receiver. It's a target rich-environment.
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sodium-chloride posted...

I don't think there is conclusive evidence that it is airborne.

Not quite. It is found to be airborn in the right circumstances. In an stangnant location with no airflow yes it will stay for hours but if there is a breeze it will be dispersed

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ScritchOwl posted...

Not quite. It is found to be airborn in the right circumstances. In an stangnant location with no airflow yes it will stay for hours but if there is a breeze it will be dispersed

So yeah its infectious under the right circumstances like a snake can bite after decapitation. You gotta be stupid or unaware to get infected. Remember one sneeze travels 8-15 feet so even social distancing would be inneffective against a snoz. Also fun fact diarhea creats a 4 foot aerosol. So the sitting position in a public rest room means your in the cloud

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ScritchOwl posted...

So yeah its infectious under the right circumstances like a snake can bite after decapitation. You gotta be stupid or unaware to get infected. Remember one sneeze travels 8-15 feet so even social distancing would be inneffective against a snoz. Also fun fact diarhea creats a 4 foot aerosol. So the sitting position in a public rest room means your in the cloud

Sorry the edit is acting wonky

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NeoSioType posted...

I remember early on there was talk about the possibility it could infect by drifting into the eyes.

Not sure if there's research done on that.

Most stuff can infect by drifting into the eyes, including colds and flus. The tear ducts are a direct line to the nasal passages and are usually nice and moist to help keep pathogens alive until they get to where they want to go. That's one of the biggest reasons why touching your face during all of this is a bad idea, since anything you've got on your hands can get into your eyes.

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The problem with the airborn pathogen title is that technically almost any pathogen can become air born if sufficient aerosol can be made without excessive heat. People see airborn and they think of miasma or those spores from aliens covenant

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