We are in the middle of a pandemic, and there is so much we still do not know about the virus that changed the way of lives. Researchers are working round the clock to find out more and more information about the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, so that we can follow necessary measures and contain the spread as far as possible. Social distancing is an integral amid the pandemic, and it appears that there is some additional measure that we need to follow to avoid contracting the virus. A study has found out that short people may face a greater risk of catching coronavirus because of how droplets fall to the ground. The researchers in Singapore measured the way COVID-19 travels from an infected person keeping two meters apart from others. In this article, we will know more about the study that warns short people to remain alert as they are more prone to contract the virus.

The research was done using animations on a computer model. The study was published in the journal of Physics of Fluids, and it was conducted by Singapore’s Agency of Science, Technology and Research. As noted by Daily Mail, the researchers advised teenagers and short adults to maintain a social distance greater than two metres from taller persons. Younger children may be at greater risk compared to adults, the study adds further, based on the typical downward cough trajectory.

The study looked at how the droplets disperse in the air under different outdoor environments. “Generally, large droplets separate from the turbulent cloud over time due to gravity, whereas small droplets are buoyed by the hot air cloud from the mouth and are transported over a long distance,” the researchers explained in the study. However, it is important to note here that most of the droplets land on the cougher, but some deposit on the ‘lower part’ of the other person, which is why we all need to maintain distance.

In conclusion, the study suggested that COVID-19 infected droplets can travel more than the safe social distance. Teenagers, women, men and anyone under 5ft 5 should keep more than two metres social distance from others, the study recommended.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 09, 2020 02:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).