An aerial view shows circles painted on the grass to encourage people to keep their distance in Washington Square Park in San Francisco. Photo from May 22, 2020.
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We regularly answer frequently asked questions about life in the era of COVID-19. If you have a question that you want us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: “Coronavirus Questions.” Read it archive of our FAQs here.
We all remember the early days of the pandemic. I used to walk around wearing a mask outside without being seen. (Imagine the relief to learn that outdoor air effectively spreads pathogens). I wipe the groceries if there is any contamination. (Experts now say it’s enough to wash your hands thoroughly after touching things.)
And I try to stay 6 feet away from… well, everyone in public. That’s what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends in 2020. Be aware of the tape on the sidewalks entering banks and grocery stores so you don’t accidentally come into contact with others.
Then in the newly released transcript of the congressional session from the beginning of this year, Dr. Anthony Fauci said the 6-foot rule “just popped up” and was “not based on data.”
People who have never liked the idea of ​​physical distance are in for a treat! Ha ha, the CDC is wrong!
It’s summer 2024. A new, more transmissible variant of COVID-19 is spreading and the CDC is predicting a summer surge.
This new variant is not considered as likely as the previous variant to carry severe disease. But there are people who are at serious risk of COVID because of age or disability. And no one wants to get sick before or during their trip.
So the question that is often asked is: Does distancing yourself from others who may be infected with COVID-19 help in any way? Or has the idea of ​​distance been debunked?
To answer that question, let’s start by digging into the distance.
Did he just pull “6 feet” out of a hat?
The idea behind the CDC’s recommendation is to create space between you and other people as a way to prevent pathogens being shed by people with COVID.
Is 6 feet just a made up number? After all, the World Health Organization only recommends 3 feet as a safe zone.
A strange (and relatively ancient) history lesson may provide a clue.
In the late 1800s, scientists asked people to rinse their mouths with bacteria (editor’s note: yuk) and then just … talk. insane!
And what happened? “They saw the bacteria land on the plate up to about 6 feet away,” said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert and professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech.
“However, if they waited longer – several hours – to collect the plates, allowing time for the respiratory particles to drift across the room and settle, they saw the bacteria land on the plates more than 6 feet away,” he added.
So yes, 6 feet is not a magic number for keeping airborne pathogens at bay.
It’s not like if you move an inch further you’re suddenly in the danger zone. It’s more like a speed limit, suggest Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious diseases fellow at Stanford University. “There’s no data to say that 55 mph is safer than 56. But you have to have enough cuts.”
ABC transmission
Now let’s step back from the distance and think about how COVID spreads. At the beginning of the pandemic, the idea was that sick people shed relatively large wet droplets that came into contact with others. These droplets will eventually fall to the ground due to gravity.
But by 2024, there was “no evidence to support” that route of transmission, said Marr, who is doing pioneering work to make smaller airborne aerosols able to catch you. (She won a MacArthur “genius” grant last year for her research.)
And how far can aerosols fly? “Distance depends on size and air currents,” he said. “It can easily travel hundreds of meters before reaching the ground.”
So yes, theoretically you could be more than 6 feet away from a sick person and still be a victim of the pathogen being thrown. But….
Why is distance important?
Here’s the thing: Even with our revised understanding of how COVID spreads, the closer you are to someone with COVID, the higher your risk of infection.
“The further away you are from the infected person, the aerosol becomes more diluted, so the chance of inhaling (particles) usually decreases with distance,” Marr said.
As an analogy, Marr suggests you think about cigarette smoke. Smaller COVID particles “act like cigarette smoke. If you’re close to someone who’s emitting a lot of smoke, you’ll get more of it than if you’re further away. The further away, the better.”
Need more convincing? When learning about the transmission of COVID on the plane from one infected passenger in business class, the infected person was also sitting in business class. Study, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases in 2020, reports: “We found a clear association between sitting close to case 1 and the risk of infection.”
Let’s sum it up with a quote from Marr: “Distance is important, but there’s nothing magical about 6 feet.”
And Karan’s observation: “People know this. You stay away from people who look sick.” And while your family members and friends will warn you to stay away if they’re sick, you can’t count on that happening to others.
Safety layer
So the bottom line: Keeping your distance from others can help but should be seen as one of the arrows in your strategy to reduce your risk of contracting COVID.
The amount of time you spend with a sick person is important. If you’re going to run to a store and just pass a lot of customers, some of whom may be infected with COVID or other diseases, your chances of getting infected are “very low,” Karan said. Less time is better (although again, there is no magic number).
You might even try to keep gatherings outside – outdoor air is your best friend when it comes to spreading pathogens.
If you have COVID or have been vaccinated, this can help you fight off new infections or at least reduce the severity of your illness if you do get the virus.
A good mask (think N95 or K95) that fits and wears properly (don’t let the nostrils show) is the gold standard. You can’t control the distance factor, said professor of infectious diseasesDr. Preeti Malani from the University of Michigan. “But masks are incredibly effective,” he said. “And how much does it cost to wear a mask on the plane? It’s fine, really!”
Abraar Karan notes that he and colleagues at the hospital where he works make masks when they see patients with respiratory illnesses — and they don’t have COVID.
And keep some COVID tests — at home or in your travel supplies — in case you have symptoms that could be allergies, the common cold … or COVID.
How do you know what to do? Our experts say: It depends… on you.
“If you’re concerned about COVID, you’re a responsible person,” Malani said. “Others won’t protect you.”
You can add protection measures if…
Your age or medical history puts you at high risk for severe illness.
You are a caregiver for someone at risk.
You will be venturing into an indoor venue with many strangers – a gym, a rock concert, a crowded bus, a subway car or an airplane.
You’re planning a trip or family gathering and want to make sure you don’t accidentally infect more vulnerable family members.
There is also something that can be done for the good of humanity. And that includes distance.
“I can’t stress this enough,” said Malani. “If you’re not healthy, don’t put others at risk.” In other words, stay home!
