The masks on the street or the fear of bars and restaurants could have a good reason to end, according to a study carried out at the University of Bristol and published in the journal MedRxiv. And it is that research indicates that both open and closed environments they are not so dangerous of contagion… as long as viruses remain in the air.
When two years have passed since the covid-19 began to gain ground from China, a new investigation published in recent days has put on the table an important piece of information in order to analyze the contagion vectors. Although it is true that the virus is transmitted, mainly through the air, its particles lose a lot of efficiency when a series of time passes since they were propelled by a living agent.
“People have focused on poorly ventilated spaces and thought about airborne transmission through the subway or through a room. I’m not saying that doesn’t happen, but the greatest risk of exposure is when you are close to someone“, has pointed out the main author of the study Jonathan Reid to The Guardian.
A conclusion that has been reached after subjecting covid-19 particles to different laboratory environments. Of course, being this study before the appearance of omicron, it is unknown if this variant loses the same efficacy as the minutes go by.
After a few seconds in the air in an environment such as a bar, the virus loses much of its effectiveness
And it is that, as shown in the research, the coronavirus rapidly loses its effectiveness once it is released in small droplets suspended in the air. Thus, in a space with a 40% humidity, such as a bar or a restaurant, the virus loses the 5 seconds great part of its contagious capacity on humans.
A reduction in danger that is even greater when 10 minutes are exceeded, since 90% of the particles are inactive. For all these reasons, according to the research, the importance in the capacity of the coronavirus would be more in the humidity than in the number of particles, since the higher the humidity (for example, a bathroom), the greater the capacity for contagion.
The results have yet to be tested outside the laboratory and were made before the appearance of omicron
Of course, even having to extrapolate these results to real life, since they have only been tested in the laboratory, the researchers ask for caution and to maintain vigilance. “The infectivity does not decrease to zero even after long periods,” the authors have pointed out, leaving the question of whether with even 10% activity in the particles, covid-19 can be contagious.
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