Moving Further Away From Each Other Reduces COVID-19 Risk

While many of us are very busy measuring how far apart we are from our fellow colleagues and citizens, it turns out that the calculations might need to be adjusted.

According to The World Health Organization (WHO), people should stay one meter apart. In the US. The recommendation is six feet or 1.8 meters.

However, a new study published on June 1, 2020 in the Lancet, reveals that the better choice is to keep two meters away.

By doubling our distance we can decrease by half our risk of infection.

The researchers used 172 observational studies in 16 countries and discovered that at one meter apart the risk of infection was 3%. But for those who got within one meter, that number rose to 13%.

For every extra meter of distancing ( up to three meters), the risk of transmission is cut in half.

There is no one standard that all countries are using. For example, according to the MIT TechnologyReview, in the UK the standard is already two meters but there is discussion of reducing that. In Germany, they use one and a half meters as does Australia, while France uses one meter.

The study also found that by using masks, or face coverings, the risk of infection was reduced from 17% to 3%.

And a significant reduction was seen when people wore eye protection. That rate of infection dropped from 16% to 6%.  

Commenting on the findings, the MIT Technology Review said the following, “It’s clear from this peer-reviewed paper that keeping people as physically apart from each other as possible has to be at the core of any sensible strategy. The findings should also inform workplaces, restaurants, bars, and movie theaters that are currently trying to work out how to get people back through their doors while protecting them from spreading COVID-19 to each other.”