Social-distancing guidelines to stay 6 feet from others may be woefully inadequate, one scientist warns — saying the coronavirus can travel 27 feet and linger for hours. MIT associate profess…
nypost.com
Social Distancing was set at a minimum of 6 feet because that was the distance an average sneeze spray would reach without significant dissipation. Some sneezes would reach 10 feet but that was rare. We still don't know how high a concentration of viable SARS-CoV-2 is needed in practice to infect a human being. However, The current scientific consensus is that most transmission via respiratory secretions happens in the form of large respiratory droplets ... rather than small aerosol. This means that droplets that dry in air leaving the virus as aerosol is unlikely to spread to other humans.
6 feet is the absolute minimum separation in crowded indoor areas particular with limited ventilation such as in crowded grocery store. Outdoors where there are not many people nearby, 6 feet should be fine.
One thing to keep in mind is that you can overdo anything. The only way you can be absolutely safe is to stay at home alone, never going outside keeping all your windows closed, and allowing no other person in your home. Your probability of getting covid 19 would be far less than a heart attack or stroke but the probability of developing a serious mental condition would probably be far greater.
Aerosols likely pose the greatest danger in health care settings, but may also spread in some everyday scenarios.
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