How Covid-19 Really Spreads
Infected surfaces, airborne plumes, AC systems, toilet flushes, and close proximity may all be involved
The primary means of transmission for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, has been somewhat up in the air ever since it emerged. It’s clear the virus can spread by direct contact with an infected person. But do we really pick it up on doorknobs, packages, and other surfaces? Can we catch it when somebody briefly invades the forbidden six-foot radius? Is the coronavirus literally wafting through the air after an infected person merely talks?
The answer, several infectious disease experts say, is probably “all of the above.” And you can likely add toilet flushing to the list. Such a variety of transmission methods would explain why so many people are catching the virus. And it would mean the latest advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a bit out of sync with a lot of experts.
The CDC recently updated its webpage on the subject, making this fresh statement: “The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person,” in these ways:
- “Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about six feet).
- “Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person…
