“Wearing a mask should be mandatory within public restrooms during the pandemic, and anti-diffusion improvements are urgently needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said study author Xiangdong Liu. In June, Yangzhou University researchers said toilet flushing “creates a great deal of turbulence”, after computer modelling suggested droplets may be carried to a height of nearly three feet (0.9 metres) from the ground, where they might then be inhaled or settle on surfaces. “One can foresee that the velocity will be even higher when a toilet is used frequently, such as in the case of a family toilet during a busy time or a public toilet serving a densely populated area,” said co-author Ji-Xiang Wang. The most common form of transmission is still known to be droplets from coughs and sneezes – but it’s certainly food for thought. When men use urinals in a public toilet, these tiny particles can reach their thigh within 5.5 seconds when compared to the toilet flush, which takes 35 seconds to reach slightly higher, computer modelling showed.

Source: Huffington Post August 24, 2020 00:56 UTC