Keeping 2 meters apart might not be enough to prevent COVID-19: Jeonbuk National University
- 3 years ago
"실내 2ｍ거리두기 불충분할수도…6.5ｍ거리서 5분 머물고 감염"
So far, keeping two meters, or roughly six feet apart from one another has been commonly seen as effective in lowering our risk of getting infected with the coronavirus.
But a recent study by a team of South Korean researchers suggests more precaution may be needed as the virus could travel further under certain circumstances.
Kim Sung-min reports.
Keeping a two meter distance.
Many people assume this is far enough to stay safe from COVID-19...
but a recent study suggests the virus can be transmitted over distances of more than 6 meters.
South Korea's Jeonbuk National University studied a specific case of infection that occurred in Jeonju back in June.
After going through an epidemiological investigation, it turned out that person A caught COVID-19 from person B,...who was sitting six-point-five meters away.
This was after person A stayed only for five minutes at the same place as person B.
Person C who was staying further away than two meters from B also later tested positive.
What carried the virus over a long distance was the air-conditioning system.
The restaurant had only two entrances, and no windows to ventilate the air.
"For this particular case, the air circulated from the original infected person towards the others who caught the virus, so with this special condition, transmission occurred even over a long distance."
In fact, some people who were sitting closer to person B were not infected,...showing that the direction of air circulation becomes an important factor in deciding the possibility of infection.
Following this case study, the research team suggests that the epidemiological tests should be taken over a wider area,...especially if heaters or air conditioning are in use.
Also, to minimize the chance of transmission, people should ventilate the room frequently and put partitions between tables.
Kim Sung-min, Arirang News
So far, keeping two meters, or roughly six feet apart from one another has been commonly seen as effective in lowering our risk of getting infected with the coronavirus.
But a recent study by a team of South Korean researchers suggests more precaution may be needed as the virus could travel further under certain circumstances.
Kim Sung-min reports.
Keeping a two meter distance.
Many people assume this is far enough to stay safe from COVID-19...
but a recent study suggests the virus can be transmitted over distances of more than 6 meters.
South Korea's Jeonbuk National University studied a specific case of infection that occurred in Jeonju back in June.
After going through an epidemiological investigation, it turned out that person A caught COVID-19 from person B,...who was sitting six-point-five meters away.
This was after person A stayed only for five minutes at the same place as person B.
Person C who was staying further away than two meters from B also later tested positive.
What carried the virus over a long distance was the air-conditioning system.
The restaurant had only two entrances, and no windows to ventilate the air.
"For this particular case, the air circulated from the original infected person towards the others who caught the virus, so with this special condition, transmission occurred even over a long distance."
In fact, some people who were sitting closer to person B were not infected,...showing that the direction of air circulation becomes an important factor in deciding the possibility of infection.
Following this case study, the research team suggests that the epidemiological tests should be taken over a wider area,...especially if heaters or air conditioning are in use.
Also, to minimize the chance of transmission, people should ventilate the room frequently and put partitions between tables.
Kim Sung-min, Arirang News