In the absence of masks, a person with Covid-19 can infect another at a distance of 2 meters, even outdoors. The Cambridge University study published in the journal Physics of Fluids confirms that the transmission of this virus is aerial and highly random. A research that endorses the obligation to wear this device in the red areas as is happening in South Tyrol.
The research team, led by Epaminondas Mastorakos of the British university's engineering department, analyzed fluid mechanics how droplets spread when people cough. The results indicate that infected people can spread the virus while coughing, talking, or simply breathing.
It is difficult to predict how far the emitted aerosol will arrive. The simulations used refined computational models by solving the equations for turbulent flow, along with detailed descriptions of the movement and evaporation of the droplets.
When a person coughs and does not wear the mask, most of the larger droplets will fall on nearby surfaces; the smaller ones, on the other hand, remain suspended in the air and can rapidly spread well beyond two meters. The distance and speed of diffusion will depend on the quality of ventilation in the room and the characteristics of the cough itself. Hence the suggestion to keep a distance of at least 3 meters or more.
"The 2-meter rule - the experts conclude - is an effective message that is easy to remember for the public, but it is not in itself an effective safety measure. Mask, vaccination and good ventilation, although not 100% effective, instead they are essential to contain the virus ".
For this, concludes Mastorakos, "we strongly recommend continuing to wear masks in indoor spaces such as offices, classrooms and shops".
