A confronting animation shows just how far a dry cough from a person with the Covid-19 coronavirus can travel.
Finnish researchers tested how a cough travelled in a supermarket-like environment and revealed the results in a simple animated video.
“In the 3D model, a person coughs in a corridor bounded by shelves under representative indoor ventilation airflow conditions,” the video explains.
“As a result of coughing, an aerosol cloud travels in the air to the corridor. It takes up to several minutes for the cloud to spread and disperse.”
“Preliminary results indicate that aerosol particles carrying the virus can remain in the air longer than was originally thought, so it is important to avoid busy public indoor spaces,” the researchers said in a statement.
“This also reduces the risk of droplet infection, which remains the main path of transmission for coronavirus.”
There have been nearly 3000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Finland, and 49 deaths.
The global death toll has passed 100,000.
The research was done by Aalto University, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, VTT and University of Helsinki, with animation by Mikko Auvinen and Antti Hellsten .
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