New mutations of COVID-19, such as the Delta strain, are "getting better" at transmitting through the air, a study has found.
People infected with a later variant of COVID-19 put 43 to 100 times more virus into the air when breathing than those who were infected with the original strains of the virus, according to the University of Maryland's School of Public Health.
The researchers also found that loose-fitting cloth and surgical masks reduced the amount of virus that gets into the air around infected people by about half.
"Our research indicates that the variants just keep getting better at travelling through the air," Professor Don Milton said, "so we must provide better ventilation and wear tight-fitting masks, in addition to vaccination, to help stop spread of the virus."
The just-released study examined the Alpha strain, which has since been displaced by the more dominant and even more highly transmissible Delta variant.
The amount of virus in the air coming from Alpha variant infections was 18-times more than could be explained by the increased amounts of virus in nasal swabs and saliva, the study found, highlighting the dangers of tiny aerosols carrying the infection.
"We know that the Delta variant circulating now is even more contagious than the Alpha variant," Dr Milton cautioned.
To test whether face masks work in blocking the virus, the study measured how much SARS-CoV-2 was breathed into the air and tested how much less virus people sick with COVID-19 exhaled into the air after putting on a cloth or surgical mask.
Face coverings significantly reduced virus-laden particles in the air around the infected person, cutting the amount by about 50 per cent, researchers found.
Unfortunately, according to the study, the loose-fitting cloth and surgical masks didn't stop infectious virus from getting into the air.
"The take-home messages from this paper are that the coronavirus can be in your exhaled breath, is getting better at being in your exhaled breath," Dr Jennifer German, a co-author of the study, said.
"Using a mask reduces the chance of you breathing it on others."
News
Our books now available worldwide!
Online Sellers other than Amazon, Routledge, and IOPP Indigo Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artifcial Intelligence Global Health Care Equivalency In The Age Of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine And Artificial [...]
Study finds higher heart disease risk in long COVID patients
People with long COVID are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in eClinicalMedicine. The results show that the risk of conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias [...]
The Corona variant Cicada is here – we know that
Online and on social media, reports are piling up about a new Sars-Cov-2 variant that is currently on the rise: BA.3.2, also known as Cicada. That's what it's all about: The Omicron variant BA.3.2, [...]
A Simple Blood Test Could Predict Dementia Risk 25 Years Early
A single blood marker may quietly signal dementia risk decades in advance. Scientists at the University of California, San Diego, have identified a blood signal that could forecast dementia risk decades before symptoms begin. Their [...]
Sperm Get Lost in Space and Scientists Finally Know Why
Having a baby in space may be far more complicated than expected, as new research shows sperm struggle to find their way in microgravity. Starting a family beyond Earth could be more complicated than [...]
Digital Dementia – Brain fog and disassociation from being chronically online
New medical evidence, featured on 60 Minutes Australia, indicates excessive screen time is causing "digital dementia" in young Australians, with brain scans showing physical shrinkage and damage. Experts warn that high device usage (6-8 hours [...]
A new, highly mutated COVID variant called ‘Cicada’ is spreading in the US.
BA.3.2, a heavily mutated new COVID-19 variant which may be better able to escape immunity from vaccines or prior infection, is now spreading in the United States. Although COVID cases are currently low nationally, [...]
Molecular Manufacturing: The Future of Nanomedicine – New book from NanoappsMedical Inc.
This book explores the revolutionary potential of atomically precise manufacturing technologies to transform global healthcare, as well as practically every other sector across society. This forward-thinking volume examines how envisaged Factory@Home systems might enable the cost-effective [...]
Ancient bacteria strain discovered in ice cave is resistant to some modern antibiotics
In the depths of Scarisoara cave in Romania sits one of the world’s biggest underground glaciers, a monumental slab of ice the size of roughly 40 Olympic swimming pools that began to form around [...]
Scientists Identify “Good” Bacteria That May Prevent Long COVID
According to the WHO, about 6% of people worldwide who get COVID-19, roughly 400 million people, later develop a long-lasting form of the illness. That shows the condition remains a significant public health challenge. In [...]
New book from Nanoappsmedical Inc. – Global Health Care Equivalency
A new book by Frank Boehm, NanoappsMedical Inc. Founder. This groundbreaking volume explores the vision of a Global Health Care Equivalency (GHCE) system powered by artificial intelligence and quantum computing technologies, operating on secure [...]
RNA Recycling Extends Lifespan
Summary: Researchers discovered a biological “trash disposal” mechanism that directly controls how fast we age. While circular RNA has long been known to accumulate in cells as we get older, this study proves for the [...]
Cancer’s Deadly Paradox: How Tumors Break Their Own DNA To Keep Growing
Cancer’s strongest gene switches push DNA into damaging overdrive, creating repeated breaks and repairs that may fuel tumor evolution while exposing possible therapeutic weak spots. A new study indicates that cancer can harm its own genetic [...]
NanoMedical Brain/Cloud Interface – Explorations and Implications. A new book from Frank Boehm
New book from Frank Boehm, NanoappsMedical Inc Founder: This book explores the future hypothetical possibility that the cerebral cortex of the human brain might be seamlessly, safely, and securely connected with the Cloud via [...]
Ryugu asteroid samples contain all DNA and RNA building blocks, bolstering origin-of-life theories
All the essential ingredients to make the DNA and RNA underpinning life on Earth have been discovered in samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu, scientists said Monday. The discovery comes after these building blocks [...]
Is Berberine Really a “Natural Ozempic”?
Often labeled a “natural Ozempic,” berberine is widely discussed as a metabolic aid. Yet research suggests its influence may lie deeper. In recent years, berberine has gained significant attention as a supposed “natural way” [...]
