familyphysicianonline

When you cough or sneeze, you tend to expel out respiratory waste which can be droplets (larger than 5 micron) or airborne droplets less than 5 micron; both have a different implications. Droplets remain suspended in the air only for a limited period. A distance of less than 3 feet is usually required for human to human transmission of droplet-borne respiratory organisms. In flu, this distance can be up to 6 feet. The sources of droplet infections are patients with meningitis, influenza, rubella etc. No precaution needs to be taken by a person who is 6–10 feet away from the patient but if a person is sitting or working even 3–6 feet distance the non-coughing person should wear simple mask. In contrast, airborne droplet nuclei carrying respiratory secretion smaller than 5 micron remain suspended in the air for an extended period and can cause infections to people who are standing even more than 10 feet away. The examples of airborne droplet nuclei infections are TB, measles, chi...