Viruses in droplets
I could not help but touch on the topic of sneezing and coughing as “social distancing” and “masks” have entered the mainstream vocabulary. As we all know, Covid-19 is transmitted via droplets floating in the air when a person sneezes, coughs or exhales. Before we delve deeper into this, I want to first get the dictionary definitions of sneezing and coughing out of the way. Sneezing is defined as “Making a sudden involuntary expulsion of air from the nose and mouth due to irritation of one’s nostrils” and coughing is defined as “Expelling air from the lungs with a sudden sharp sound”. The common theme in both of these actions is expelling air which will carry liquid droplets. One of the studies has shown that sneezing is controlled by a region of the brian called medulla, which is located in the brain stem (part of the brain connected to the spinal cord), whereas no definitive area of the brain has been identified that controls coughing action. Irrespective of the mechanism that controls these actions, sneezing and coughing have evolved to protect humans and animals alike by expelling harmful organisms and irritants from the body.
Sneezing
We sneeze for two main reasons: we are suffering from some type of respiratory infection or we are having an allergic reaction. Occasionally, people also sneeze because of non-allergic causes as well. The lining of the nose gets irritated by either of these events; the instinctive reaction of the body is to get rid of whatever is bothering the nose or is harmful to the body, and this comes out in the form of sneezing, thus creating an evolutionary advantage. According to Smithsonian Magazine, it is estimated that a sneeze contains about 40,000 droplets of liquid traveling at a speed of 100 miles an hour. These droplets can travel upto 18 feet in the air. Droplets are usually packed with pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. The tiny droplets float around in the air for a while just like bubbles since they are too light to fall on the ground quickly. Such droplets are the main culprits in spreading diseases such as colds, the flu, and now Covid-19.
Coughing
A similar principle applies to coughs, which are also a reflex action that leads to virus or bacteria droplets floating in the air. However, coughs have an interesting history. Researchers claim that cough existed in prehistoric humans thousands of years ago and might have been one of the reasons for spreading respiratory diseases within groups of individuals. There are two varieties of cough: a persistent cough, which might indicate an underlying health condition, or a single cough. When a person coughs, the droplets can travel anywhere from 3 to 16 feet in the air However, beyond 3 feet, the droplets typically fall to the ground. Coughing certainly doesn’t pack a punch like sneezing, but nevertheless, coughing is a common method of spreading Covid-19 from one person to another.
Since droplets filled with the coronavirus float in the air, public health authorities around the world have recommended social distancing and use of masks by the general public to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Masks, even the home-made ones, are shown to deflect the droplets and prevent long -distance travel. Social distancing and mask wearing are geared more towards community protection rather than individual protection. By ensuring that everyone maintains a safe distance and wears a mask, we are reducing the number of droplets carrying viruses in the air, thereby reducing the chances of inhaling harmful viruses and getting infected. This is based on my own personal experience. A few years ago, my mother, who suffered from a heart condition, was hospitalized because of a urinary tract infection. She recovered and was brought home. I ended up catching a cold from my visits to the hospital, but I still had the responsibility of taking care of my mother since she was bedridden. I wore a mask and gloves and took care of her for a week even though I was scared that she would catch the infection from me. Fortunately, she never got a cold; I think this was because I wore a mask every time I was around her and wore gloves whenever I touched her. Apart from maintaining a safe distance while interacting with her. This experience has strengthened my belief in recommendations provided by the experts with regards to masks.
For me, the biggest realization from the Covid-19 pandemic is that my care and concern goes beyond just family and friends to the wider community. Yes, I do want to wear a mask and maintain social distance not only to protect myself from others but also to protect others from me.
Royalty free images were used for this article
