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How not to spread Covid-19: Just don\'t shout or LOL

Aerosols are generated by frenetic facial activity

Hyderabad: Apart from the movement of people in public places, speaking loudly, laughing, shouting, screaming can also increase the release of aerosols in the air, allowing the SARS Cov 2 virus to eject and spread around causing Covid 19.

Behaviours in closed environments that can lead to aerosol generation are loud singing, talking loudly in office corridors, speaking or calling out colleagues from one corner to another, in an asymptomatic patient will allow for the spread of the virus around.

Dr C. Shekhar Singh, ear nose and throat surgeon explains, “Talking normally requires a normal effort of the nose, mouth and throat. But when one speaks loudly, shouts, coughs or vomits, it requires more effort and pressure on the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. During this, the aerosol generation from the body is high.”

The focus on aerosol-generating behaviours is due to the unlock in which it is found that people are moving about without wearing masks or following the social distancing norms. The use of metro, movement of people to their offices and also other human activities have brought these behaviour in focus.

Dr K. K. Aggarwal, past president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) says, “It is very important to understand that in the prevention techniques, behaviours which can increase risk factors must not be undertaken during this time of Covid-19. It is important to understand that masks are extremely important and if someone is shouting, laughing loudly and screaming then even three feet is not a safe distance and it will have to be six feet. These small aspects will help people stay safe which are also some ways in which asymptomatic carriers of Covid spread the virus around.”

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