These particles can land on other people, clothing and surfaces around them, but some of the smaller particles can remain in the air. A single cough can produce up to 3,000 droplets.
Like many respiratory viruses, including flu, Covid-19 is mainly spread in tiny droplets released from the nose and mouth of an infected person as they cough. In some cities, well-meaning volunteers even venture out at night to scrub the keypads of cash machines.
Cleaning regimes in offices, hospitals, shops and restaurants have been increased. In the areas worst hit by the new coronavirus, teams of workers in protective clothing have been dispatched to spray a fog of disinfectant in plazas, parks and public streets. There are now some familiar scenes in public places around the world – people trying to open doors with their elbows, commuters studiously surfing their way through train journeys to avoid grabbing a handle, office workers rubbing down their desks each morning. As Covid-19 has spread, so has our fear of surfaces.
