British Study: Airborne virus can spread 6 feet within seconds through talking

Coronavirus updates: COVID-19 can spread within seconds through talking, study says; Some states, Canada report vaccine shortages Some states report they are running out of vaccines. The U.K. suffered its deadliest day of the pandemic on Tuesday. Latest COVID-19 news. Elinor Aspegren, Adrianna Rodriguez and Doyle Rice USA TODAY

Study: Airborne virus can spread 6 feet within seconds through talking

Infectious airborne coronavirus particles can spread further than six feet within seconds in poorly-ventilated spaces, according to a new study Wednesday, providing further evidence that ventilation and face masks are key to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Researchers also found that someone infected with COVID-19 released more particles through 30 seconds of speaking than through a short cough, and those particles could linger in the air and remain infectious for an hour in small, poorly-ventilated spaces. 

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London published their report Wednesday in the scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A. The researchers used mathematical models to study airborne transmission and to build Airborne.cam, an app that helps users understand how ventilation and other measures affect indoor transmission. ...