Every Monday, HuffPost answers questions about Covid-19 and health in general. Today they answer the question: “If I hold my breath as I walk past people, would it help me not to get coronavirus if they have it?”
I have found that I do, especially in indoor places since the pandemic hit, and I assume many others have. But so far I have not heard anyone talk about it. And the answer to the question in a nutshell: it can “help.”
From HuffPost:
“The risk of transmission if you just cross someone in the street is very low, especially if you wear a good mask,” says Professor Jose-Luis Jimenez, an aerosol expert at the University of Colorado Boulder.
That said, stopping breathing when crossing someone can help a little in very infrequent circumstances, ‘he says. For example, if you cross someone who spills a high viral load into aerosols, and accidentally go with their exhaled breath with little dilution.
… Dr Tang recommends that if you see someone walking towards you, it is best to catch your breath quickly and then exhale after walking past them.
“Holding your breath is good, but if you exhale, it’s even better, because then you blow away any virus,” he says.
Image by Derrick Coetzee – Flickr: Regional Ambassadors Walk in Boston, CC0