Here and in our newsletter, we regularly answer a question from our readers about the corona virus.
Do you also have medical questions about Covid-19 or would you like to know more precisely what economic, political or social effects the crisis will have for Germany and the world? Write to us at [email protected].
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Reader Christine Hahn asks: Can wheezing outdoor athletes who are infected with the corona virus but have no symptoms pass the virus on through the air?
The answer from Katherine Rydlink from the SPIEGEL health department: To answer the question, you first have to look at the transmission pathways of Sars-CoV-2: “It can be assumed that the main transmission takes place via droplets,” he writes Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on its website. “Theoretically, smear infection and infection through the conjunctiva of the eyes are also possible.”
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Cases are also known in which asymptomatic patients are said to have excreted the virus. However, according to the RKI, the overall evidence, i.e. the evidence, for asymptomatic transmission is weak.
In the case of a droplet infection, the pathogen is excreted through droplets of saliva or mucus when coughing, sneezing or speaking and can be inhaled by another person. To protect yourself from this, the RKI recommends keeping a distance of at least 1.5 meters from its fellow human beings.
As a rule, the droplets are so heavy that they sink to the bottom immediately after excretion. Now there are also pathogens that persist in droplets that are very small in size (smaller than 5 µm) and can remain suspended in the air in so-called aerosols. A study published in the “New England Journal of Medicine” showed that Sars-CoV-2 can last up to three hours in aerosols. The scientists conclude that such a transmission path could be plausible. However, it also depends on how high the viral load in the aerosols is and whether this is sufficient to infect another person.
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The RKI writes that so far there is no evidence that people have contracted Sars-CoV-2 from aerosols. However, since the study situation is still very thin, the possibility cannot be completely excluded.
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Now back to the original question: Suppose a jogger who is unknowingly infected with Sars-CoV-2 goes running and breathes small amounts of the virus. The droplets should be so small that they remain suspended in the air in aerosols. The viral load in the aerosols should also be sufficient to infect another person and multiply in their throat. This other person would have to be so unlucky to breathe in these tiny floating particles at the right moment before they are carried away by a gust of wind.
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According to the current study situation, this transmission path cannot be ruled out. However, it seems very unlikely that you can become infected with Covid-19 in this way. Such cases are currently unknown.
Apart from that, the following also applies to jogging: Please keep a distance of at least 1.5 meters.
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