Virus droplets linger in the elevator for up to half an hour | Inland

This is shown by research by the University of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam UMC.

On average, the ‘aerosols’ float for ten to twenty minutes. But if the door is closed and it stays until the next one pushes the button again, it can be longer.

The researchers therefore argue in favor of always keeping elevator doors open when stationary. In that case, the air is ‘cleared’ in a few minutes.

Aerosols are increasingly seen as a possible carrier of corona.

Speak loudly

Not only does coughing possibly spread corona, speaking loudly in an elevator also creates a long-term risk of contamination. Speaking produces hundreds of thousands of droplets per minute. A single cough equates to a few million droplets.

It is still unclear how many particles you have to ingest to become infected.

The researchers recommend leaving elevator doors open longer and talking and coughing as little as possible in an elevator, or wearing an adequate face mask.

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