Every day, Le Parisien mobilizes to answer your questions around the coronavirus. We are looking today at the questioning of one of our internet users: "A man coughed towards me about a meter away. Am I in danger? "
Difficult to determine with these data alone the "dangerousness" of this cough for you. Several criteria must come into play. First, is this individual infected with coronavirus? Impossible, at first glance, to know. Only a virological test can determine this and it is very likely, if he does not show symptoms of Covid-19, that he has not been diagnosed.
With a mask?
Then did he cough in his elbow? This gesture, recommended since the beginning of the epidemic, makes it possible to avoid the dispersion of the droplets, by which the virus is transmitted. And was he wearing a mask? And if so, what type? Were you wearing one too?
If it is difficult to determine an exact percentage of contagion, it goes without saying that if this cough occurred while the two protagonists were wearing a mask, what is more if it meets the standards and covers the nose well as well mouth, the risk that the virus is transmitted from one to the other is much less than if only one of the two was equipped. And this risk is obviously even lower compared to a situation where neither of them had, at that time, a mask on the face.
More risk with sneezing
Another piece of information that makes sense: the distance at which the two individuals were, that is "about one meter". It is rather reassuring for this scenario, since the Directorate General of Health, which has complied with WHO directives, recommends a distance of "at least one meter", in order to respect the barrier gestures facing the coronavirus.
However, again, it is difficult to determine the risk, as it depends mainly on the intensity of the cough. According to data in an American modeling study carried out by John Hopkins University on the Covid-19, a distance of one to two meters can be enough to protect oneself from droplets expelled by coughing or breathing, even without a mask .
The risk is greater if it is a sneeze, because it can project postilions up to more than six meters ... In any case, if you present, from this face-to-face, the slightest symptom could suggest Covid-19, contact your doctor as soon as possible and stay at home.
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You can ask us all your questions about the coronavirus by filling out our form or directly at the address coronavirus@leparisien.fr. Find all the answers previously published on our dedicated page.
