Virginia Tech professor testifies before Congress on COVID-19 spread
BLACKSBURG, Va โ A Virginia Tech professor testified before Congress Thursday to break down the transmission of COVID-19. Linsey Marr is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Marr testified during a hearing discussing science-based strategies to protect workers from spreading COVID-19. She says the CDC needs more clear standards for the workplace. Marr has also conducted numerous studies during the pandemic about the effectiveness of different types of face coverings.
Virginia Tech researchers recommend wearing three-layer mask to protect from COVID-19
BLACKSBURG, Va. โ Weโve all heard it before: if you wear a mask, you can protect others from catching COVID-19. Now, new research out of Virginia Tech really proves you can protect yourself from COVID-19 by wearing a mask. โOnly the vacuum bag, the microfiber cloth and the surgical mask filtered out or blocked more than half of those aerosols,โ said Marr. Researchers also found that masks protect others as well as the wearer almost equally. Based on the research, Marr is recommending a three-layer mask that would block out 75% of small particles and over 90% of larger ones.
Can the coronavirus travel more than 6 feet in the air?
Can the coronavirus travel more than 6 feet in the air? The coronavirus can hitchhike on these particles. The advice about staying at least 6 feet apart is based on the idea that the larger particles drop to the ground before getting very far. For aerosols, โ6 feet is not a magic distanceโ and keeping even farther apart is better, says Linsey Marr, who researches airborne transmission of infectious diseases at Virginia Tech. Some scientists say thereโs enough evidence about aerosols and the virus to take protective measures.
Tiny airborne particles may pose a big coronavirus problem
But some scientists are now focusing on tinier particles, the ones that spread more like cigarette smoke. Public health agencies have generally focused on the larger particles for coronavirus. The issue drew attention recently when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted and then deleted statements on its website that highlighted the idea of aerosol spread. Butler said such events raise concern about aerosol spread but donโt prove it happens. There could be another way for tiny particles to spread.