4
votes
Do facemasks and social distancing weaken the immune system because of reduced exposure to pathogens?
Although this idea gets tossed around a lot, it's a bad question on this level of generality because
Individual vs population immunity are not the same thing. Even assuming the population eventually ...
4
votes
Accepted
Is standing apart 2m an appropriate Social Distancing measure for choirs
I don't understand any choir being compatible with any definition of social distancing. If the German Govt is asking you to practice social distancing it means meeting another person at a distance. ...
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3
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to spread cough even if I'm not coughing?
No, it just happens and you're overthinking about it. It means absolutely nothing.
Cough is a protective reflex, which helps to clear the large breathing passages from fluids, irritants, foreign ...
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3
votes
New Covid December 2020 mutation in UK and its consequences
The higher transmissibility of this VUI-202012/01 strain (if it is confirmed) is almost certainly due to mutations in the spike gene of the virus; see preliminary report from COG UK; another version ...
3
votes
Accepted
What is the distance the COVID-19 virus can travel in the air out of doors and remain infectious for someone breathing the same air?
According to this March 2020 article, "no studies have directly evaluated the biophysics of droplets and gas cloud formation for patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus". But the author, MIT Prof ...
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1
vote
Nasal spray or oral spray against airborne viruses
A relevant, unique research paper I found with particular relevance for COVID-19: Hypothesis: Nasal vs. oral inhalation accounts for the severity of COVID-19. People who lose their sense of smell ...
1
vote
Nasal spray or oral spray against airborne viruses
I agree with Mark, administration route probably doesn't matter because none of these were shown to work.
ColdZyme has an open-label trial but which found no reduction in incidence, and only a very ...
1
vote
Nasal spray or oral spray against airborne viruses
I can't find any evidence that the oral sprays you list work. The ColdZyme website, for example, lists exactly zero studies, and specifically disclaims being a medicine. Taffix claims that a number ...
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1
vote
Accepted
With regard to COVID-19 what happens to droplets after coughing or sneezing?
Data suggests droplets remain in the air up to 3 hours, and longer for droplet nuclei. Where they go depends on the local temperatures, humidity and air flows.
The image shows a cough on the left ...
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1
vote
Surgical masks - do they prevent the spread of disease?
There is a recent paper The role of community-wide wearing of face mask for control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic due to SARS-CoV-2 in The journal of Infection, 2020 Apr 23 doi: 10....
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