Virus detected in air 4 meters from patients.

Abstract

To determine distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in hospital wards in Wuhan, China, we tested air and surface samples. Contamination was greater in intensive care units than general wards. Virus was widely distributed on floors, computer mice, trash cans, and sickbed handrails and was detected in air ≈4 m from patients.

This study led to 3 conclusions. First, SARS-CoV-2 was widely distributed in the air and on object surfaces in both the ICU and GW, implying a potentially high infection risk for medical staff and other close contacts. Second, the environmental contamination was greater in the ICU than in the GW; thus, stricter protective measures should be taken by medical staff working in the ICU. Third, the SARS-CoV-2 aerosol distribution characteristics in the ICU indicate that the transmission distance of SARS-CoV-2 might be 4 m.

As of March 30, no staff members at Huoshenshan Hospital had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, indicating that appropriate precautions could effectively prevent infection. In addition, our findings suggest that home isolation of persons with suspected COVID-19 might not be a good control strategy. Family members usually do not have personal protective equipment and lack professional training, which easily leads to familial cluster infections (6). During the outbreak, the government of China strove to the fullest extent possible to isolate all patients with suspected COVID-19 by actions such as constructing mobile cabin hospitals in Wuhan (7), which ensured that all patients with suspected disease were cared for by professional medical staff and that virus transmission was effectively cut off. As of the end of March, the SARS-COV-2 epidemic in China had been well controlled.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/20-0885_article

Those of us in the field are well aware of this.  Virus particles can form "droplet nuclei" when they are expelled by a cough or sneeze, and these represent tiny bits of saliva/mucous that quickly dry into tiny "chips" containing viable virus particles.  Droplet nuclei can float in the air for hours due to their small size and light weight. 

This graphic dates back to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, but the principle is the same.  Also, nobody talks about the eyes as a route of infection from droplet nuclei or virus particles very much - Use all the N95 masks you want, if you don't use well-sealed goggles/eye protection, you'll get it. 

WitchMisspelled wrote: What about using face shields?  The kind the wrap around one's face?

Those certainly help, especially in a clinical setting (ER, ICU) where SHTF constantly & you need full face protection! 

I would NOT fly on a commercial airliner without tight-fitting goggles AND N-95 mask, personally.  I would also strive to avoid airline and airport toilets due to increasing evidence of fecal shedding of viable virus particles. 

WM, data is showing that the level of disease may be related to infectious dose = the higher the dose of particles, the more rapid the onset of symptoms and more severe disease.  This is often true with many pathogens, but it is not always a hard & fast rule.  I think this is why the virus wipes out so many families = they live in close quarters & have intimate contact with one another, resulting in lungful doses of droplet nuclei, fresh secretions etc.