A looooong time ago I heard that the 6 feet distance recommended by the CDC was inaccurate and when someone sneezes and the like the germs travel MUCH further. Mazel tov to the CDC for finally coming to that conclusion!
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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated Friday its official guidance on the mechanism in which the COVID-19 infection occurs, noting that aerosols are “thought to be the main way the virus spread.”
The CDC website states that “airborne viruses, including COVID-19, are among the most contagious and easily spread.”
The question of the COVID-19 infection mechanism has been a topic of debate for months within the scientific community. Up until now, guidelines have focused on keeping social distance at six feet and avoiding close contact with individuals, as respiratory droplets were thought to be the main route of the virus’ transmission.
Now, however, the American agency stipulates that “there is growing evidence that droplets and airborne particles can remain suspended in the air and be breathed in by others, and travel distances beyond 6 feet (for example, during choir practice, in restaurants, or in fitness classes).”
The CDC did not call for a major shift in behavior or action in light of this new finding, but did warn that poorly ventilated indoor spaces could be particularly infectious and pose extra risk.
“It’s a major change,” chemistry professor at the University of Colorado Jose-Luis Jimenez, who studies how aerosols spread the virus, told The Washington Post. “This is a good thing, if we can reduce transmission because more people understand how it is spreading and know what to do to stop it.”
