As Coronavirus cases have reached 2 million globally, and death toll is at 122,731 – there is another revelation that has been brought to light. We have found one more way in which the Coronavirus spreads among people, and it was hidden out of our sight till now.
A study from Wuhan, China has revealed that most of the virus transmission happened via shoes as compared to other ways of infection.
Researchers have said that the virus can latch itself to your shoes and clothes, and it can spread much faster with 100% positivity rate.
How does the Coronavirus get on your shoes?
The study was conducted by the Academy of Military Medical Sciences in Beijing. They tested samples from ICU wards and general wards from a Wuhan hospital where thousands of patients were admitted.
They found that the highest concentration of the virus was found in these places:
- Floors
- Doorknobs
- Bed rails
- Trash cans
- Computer mice
- Patient masks
- Air outlets
It was found that floors from ICU wards and even general wards were contaminated the most. Even the wards which didn’t have Coronavirus patients were infected with the strains of the virus on their floors.
The researcher Zhen-Dong Guo said:
“The rate of positivity was relatively high for floor swab samples, perhaps because of gravity and air-flow causing most virus droplets to float to the ground.”
As the virus droplets fall to the floor, they get carried around by people’s shoes and reach everywhere else. He also found that 50% of the shoes of the ICU medical staff were found positive with infection, “Therefore, the soles of medical staff shoes might function as carriers.”
Coronavirus can also travel up to 13 feet in the air
It was also found that Coronavirus can travel up to 13 feet in the air, and the earlier 6-feet caution might have been off by a huge margin.
The study also tested disposed medical masks, and found that the mask was infected highly since it contained droplets from the mouth and the nose.
You should disinfect your shoes every time you go out and come back in
Experts have recommended that people should disinfect their shoes before stepping out or even coming back to their house from outside. They also suggest that you disinfect your masks before throwing them away.
Here’s how long Coronavirus survives on different surfaces
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