Here’s the paper behind the headline: https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/05/12/2006874117 …
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The authors suggest that loud speech in a closed room (“stagnant airflow”) will produce droplets that can linger as long as 8-14 minutes. This could be one of the reasons for substantial spread of COVID-19, esp combined with asymptomatic or presymptomatic shedding.
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It also supports signs in many parks (esp here in NY State) telling us to use the park for exercise/dog walking, not stopping & chatting. Yes it’s outdoors but just speaking loudly is riskier than many of us prob realized.
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I'm a teacher. Speaking loudly in confined environments is a key requirement of my job. So again, schools are totally safe, right? No cause for concern at all?
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And I’m sure the kids will be speaking in hushed tones when they return to school after a long lockdown!! - yes sarcasm folks...I’m a parent!
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Why is this only coming out now? This was known months ago
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I think there was discussion about this earlier & other evidence suggesting COVID-19 can be spread efficiently in confined spaces (eg restaurant event) but this paper is a very detailed test of capacity to spread via droplets & final version of this paper has just been published.
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Is that with or without masks
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Without
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And
@WHO said it is not airborne


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Well they're strictly right, I believe. Droplet transmission & people touching contaminated surfaces are dominant pathways for COVID-19 person-to-person spread. This paper shows there's also some risk in a confined space w/ loud speaking. Wearing a mask therefore critical.
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