Due to the longevity of the coronavirus, it’s only natural that many are getting tired of having to wear masks, stay at home, and not hang out with their friends and family. Many want to return back to what we used to know as “normal life.” But the question still remains, “is it safe?” I had asked that question also at the beginning of the pandemic and found a study that came to the conclusion that if you’re going to eat inside a restaurant, you might want to consider the airflow as well as the table placements and airflow of the restaurant. However, with recent discoveries, is this still the case?
We see people eating in restaurants all the time. Do they know something that we don’t? According to a study done over the summer of 2020 in a Korean restaurant, it was established that the airflow velocity of the restaurant can be a major contributor to airborne transmission of Covid19 (Kwon, Park, Jung, Kyu, Lee 2020). The study simulated an infection that occurred from one customer at the restaurant to two others and the infector was over 20 feet away. That’s over 3 times the social distancing requirement in indoor restaurants and stores. In this case, the infector and infectee were co-located at that distance for only 5 minutes. The infector was not sneezing, coughing, or exhibiting any signs of sickness during the time of exposure, but they were facing each other although it was considered at a safe distance. It was only a day later after eating in the restaurant that the infector started to show symptoms, but at that point, it was already too late for the people that had co-located with him and were in the path of the airflow in the restaurant. The other person that was affected was exposed for 20 minutes at a distance of 15 feet.
This study provides some of the first evidence that airborne transmission travels with the airflow at a much longer distance than 6 feet. Having this information can help in preventing the spread of the disease and in contracting it if we not only take the necessary precautions but consider going above and beyond what has been suggested. Given this information, I’ve decided to play it safe and order take out or eat on an isolated outside patio and I hope you do too!
Supporting articles and studies: Kwon KS, Park JI, Park YJ, Jung DM, Ryu KW, Lee JH. Evidence of Long-Distance Droplet Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by Direct Air Flow in a Restaurant in Korea. J Korean Med Sci. 2020 Nov;35(46):e415. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e415