Every Monday, HuffPost answers questions about Covid-19 and health in general. Today they answer the question: “If I hold my breath when passing people, would it help me avoid coronavirus if they have it?”
I found myself doing this, especially indoors, since the pandemic and I suppose many others do too. But I haven’t heard anyone talk about it until now. And the answer to the question in a nutshell: “can help”.
From HuffPost:
“The risk of transmission when you cross someone on the street is very low, especially if you are wearing a good mask,” said Professor Jose-Luis Jimenez, an aerosol specialist at the University of Colorado Boulder.
That said, holding your breath when you run into someone “can help a little in some very rare circumstances,” he says. For example, if you come across someone who is pouring a high viral load into aerosols, and the exhaled air follows its path with little dilution.
… Dr. Tang recommends that if you see someone walking towards you, it is best to inhale quickly and exhale after passing through.
“Holding your breath is good, but if you exhale, it’s even better, because you expel any virus,” he says.
Image by Derrick Coetzee – Flickr: Regional Ambassadors walking in Boston, CC0