Respiratory diseases like measles, flu, tuberculosis, and COVID-19 are all transmitted by droplets. Some are tiny and airborne, capable of traveling long distances. Other drops are larger and only capable Keep reading
Tag: COVID-19
Gathering Safely
One effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is a renewed interest in the physics of disease transmission and what measures can protect us from airborne respiratory illnesses. This recent study looks Keep reading
Airflow in the Opera
Like so many other performers, the singers and musicians of New York’s Metropolitan Opera House were left without a way to safely perform when the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic began in early Keep reading
Aerosols and Instruments
Although COVID has disrupted all of our lives, orchestras saw particular disruption, as little was known about how instruments spread aerosol droplets. In this recent study, a team looked at Keep reading
Inside a Coronavirus Aerosol
This is a glimpse inside a tiny aerosol droplet with a single SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus inside it. The numerical simulation required a team of 50 scientists, 1.3 billion atoms, and the Keep reading
Wet Masks Block Droplets Better
As wearing face masks for long periods has become more typical, you may have wondered whether a soggy mask offers less protection. All masks — cloth, surgical, and N-95s — Keep reading
Turbulent Puffs
When a burst of air gets expelled into still surroundings — like when a person coughs — it forms a turbulent puff like the one seen here. Puffs can be Keep reading
Controlling Aerosols Onstage
Few industries saw more disruption from the pandemic than the performing arts. To help orchestras return to the concert hall in a way that keeps performers and audience members safe, Keep reading
Airborne Aerosol Transmission of COVID-19
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic health officials resisted the idea that the novel coronavirus was transmissible through tiny aerosol droplets rather than larger, non-buoyant droplets. One case that made headlines Keep reading
Cutting Coronavirus Risk in Cars
Even in a pandemic, it’s sometimes necessary to share a car with someone outside one’s bubble. When that’s the case, it’s important to know how to limit risks of coronavirus Keep reading