When a new disease is reported, people want to find out as much as they can about its origin and how it is spread. The coronavirus hit the world with a lot of shock and it has affected many since December last year. The disease is still claiming lives and new cases are being reported every day. It is for this reason that you see people living in high-risk areas, walking around with face masks and gloves to avoid getting into contact with infected people and surfaces. This in a way has lessened the spread of the disease.
When we gauge how rapid the coronavirus has been spreading, we can conclude that person-to-person infections are to blame just like the case of the flu. One person can cough and then those moist droplets bearing the virus are released into the air. If another person breathes it in, then they could be infected as well.
Coughing releases droplets around 3-6 feet from the patients. It is therefore very likely that the persons who are infected are the ones who are close to the patient at the moment. Such droplets can also land on other surfaces. When a person touches the surface, then touch their eyes or mouth, cross infection could happen.
Viruses are not commonly spread through the air. There are some cases, however, where the viruses are able to float for some time. These include viruses like chicken pox and measles.
More modes of transmission are being evaluated, especially following the diagnosis of a woman within an apartment in Hong Kong who had an unsealed pipe in the home. Scientists are evaluating whether plumbing could be the culprit in this case. It is also not yet clear why some people are contagious than others.
