Can the coronavirus spread six feet and stay airborne for up to three hours?
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
By Lily R
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YES
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the coronavirus can spread up to six feet "through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks."
A study by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases published in the New England Journal of Medicine found airborne aerosol virus particles "remained viable" for three hours.
The World Health Organization cautions that this study used "a high-powered machine that does not reflect normal human cough conditions." Thus, while the virus can remain airborne for a time, more testing is required to understand the risks in everyday situations.
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