Since world governments began issuing stay-at-home orders, numerous photos and videos have surfaced that show residents of quarantined cities uniting by singing on their balconies or out their windows. But now it turns out singing could be spreading the coronavirus.
In a study published Wednesday in the “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,” researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say breaking out in song generates “air particles” that can carry the virus. Moreover, the louder one sings, the more particles he or she expels – increasing the virus’ chances of finding a new host to infect.
“Pre-symptomatic transmission might occur through generation of respiratory droplets or possibly through indirect transmission,” according to the report. “Speech and other vocal activities such as singing have been shown to generate air particles, with the rate of emission corresponding to voice loudness.”
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