The major factor with which coronavirus is transmitted from an infected person to a healthy one is via exposure to respiratory droplets. A new study by scientists has allowed them to identify the impact of biological features on the way people sneeze.
The results of the study were published in the journal Physics of Fluids and the study focused on how far respiratory droplets can travel when a person sneezes. According to scientists from the University of Central Florida (UCF), some specific features may cause them to travel further, including the stopped-up nose and a full set of teeth.
“Knowing more about factors affecting how far these droplets travel can inform efforts to control their spread,” said Michael Kinzel, study co-author and an assistant professor with UCF’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. “This is the first study that aims to understand the underlying ‘why’ of how far sneezes travel,” he added.
The study determines several factors that affect how far one’s sneeze droplets travel and linger in the air. These factors are associated with the path that sneeze expels from and its resulting velocity.
A blocked nose, for instance, will cause an increase in the speed and distance sneeze droplets to travel as per the study. This is because the blocked nose would only leave the mouth as an exit for the sneeze, thus increasing its velocity. A clear nose would hence help as an additional path and lower the spread.
Similarly, teeth also restrict the sneeze’s exit area and cause droplets to increase in velocity. Those with no teeth can hence be expected to have a weaker sneeze expulsion. “The results indicate that when someone keeps their nose clear, such as by blowing it into a tissue, that they could be reducing the distance their germs travel,” a university release read.
