A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology challenges widespread social distancing guidelines, asserting that the «six-foot rule» is inadequate in mitigating indoor transmission of COVID-19. «Our analysis shows that many spaces may be safe to re-open at full occupancy, while others carry significant risk,» MIT Professor Martin Bazant, who conducted the study alongside Professor John Bush, explained to Fox News, «depending on the amount of time people spend together, the ventilation rate, whether face masks are worn and other factors».
The peer-reviewed study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America, focused on factors such as time spent indoors, air filtration and circulation, immunization and variant strains. «We argue that, in the context of airborne transmission in a well-mixed space, the benefits of the six-foot rule are limited,» Bazant said.
Pathogen-laced droplets travel through the air due to the various activities people casually engage in, even simply eating, speaking and breathing. Original guidance focused on droplets that were propelled by coughing or sneezing, but new research backs the idea that airflow will carry droplets throughout a room.
Source: Peter Aitken | FOX News
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