How Far Can Spit Travel From A Cough? Surprisingly Far In Open Spaces, Says New Research

Saliva can travel up to 6 meters (over 19 feet) in 5 seconds from a cough if it’s caught on a light breeze, according to new modeling by physicists.

Much of the science behind the airborne transmission of viruses – especially the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 – is still uncertain, so you should tread carefully before applying the findings to the current disease outbreak. With that in mind, the researchers say their findings suggest the official warnings to “stay 2 meters apart” from others might not be insufficient to prevent the spread of some airborne diseases.

Reporting in the journal Physics of Fluids, scientists ran a computer model that simulated the travel of 1,008 airborne saliva droplets while accounting for variables like pressure, fluid velocity, temperature, droplet mass, and droplet position.

By their workings, a cough could eject droplets of saliva across the air from up to 6 meters (over 19 feet) if it is propelled by a light 4 kilometer per hour (2.5 mph) wind. If the wind is stronger, at around 15 kilometers per hour (9 mph), then some particles will reach the 6-meter mark, although to a lesser extent as the saliva mist is dispersed more…

 

 

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How Far Can Spit Travel From A Cough? Surprisingly Far In Open Spaces, Says New Research | IFLScience

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