Say It Without Spraying It: How to Breathe and Talk During a Pandemic
By: Adrien Burch
Tags: Covid 19, Health, Science, Virus, Disease

Breathing

If you rank different face activities — like coughing, sneezing, talking, and breathing — by the total amount of liquid that sprays out, breathing is by far the least offensive. But if you’re in an enclosed space with other breathers, enough little droplets of liquid could accumulate in the air over time to create a much larger risk.

Unfortunately, asking certain coworkers or extended family members to “stop breathing” is not an option. However, there are some steps we could all take together to lower the risk that comes from breathing around others.

Ostracize the mouth breathers

Sure, everyone occasionally breathes out of their mouths. But some people sit around catching flies with their mouths all day long. In general, research finds that mouth breathers send many more droplets into the air than those of us who keep our mouths shut. Breathing through our noses may become more difficult as allergy season ramps up, but if we keep our nasal passages clear and functional, it could help reduce the total amount of liquid droplets in the air.

Count to five

This may sound crazy, but if you must exhale through your mouth, it’s best to first pause for five seconds before exhaling… then exhale slowly. Research finds that this type of exhale creates only 18% to 40% of the droplets normally produced by other types of exhales. But don’t blindly trust the scientists — see for yourself by fog-testing different breathing styles on a mirror.

An additional bonus to counting in between breaths: It’s also a popular form of meditation. Most of us are dealing with extra stress right now, and a little breath meditation might be a good source of support.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably dying to know why this breath trick works. The reasoning is as follows: Imagine someone eating a peanut butter sandwich with their mouth open. In between each chew, gooey strings of peanut butter snap and fling little bits of spittle as the teeth open apart. Similarly, each time you inhale, tiny moist lung sacs fill with air, and the re-opening of these lung cavities creates a “film burst.” But if you wait a few seconds before exhaling, most of these little droplets will have a chance to settle back down in your lungs.

Reduce indoor physical exertion around others

When we exercise or do manual labor, we breathe harder, faster, and often with our mouths wide open. Clearly, this sends many more liquid droplets into the air, which can quickly accumulate into a steamy, germy mess without proper ventilation. If breathing does end up being a significant source of coronavirus infections — remember, this has yet to be fully researched and proven—then fitness classes, gyms, and dance clubs could pose a high risk.

Increase ventilation

Obviously, we all need to breathe. And no matter what tricks we use, we will still send little droplets of liquid into the air around us. That’s why, if we must be together indoors for work, play or prayer, we need to focus on diluting the concentration of droplets in the air.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to keep the windows and doors open. A good ventilation system or HEPA filtration might also do the trick. When possible, gathering outdoors would be best — although still not a perfect solution, especially if everyone is crowded together.

Wear face masks

One of the easiest ways to reduce the number of respiratory droplets in the air is for everyone to wear a face mask. Research shows that simple surgical masks can reduce the number of exhaled viruses carried in large droplets by 96%, and in aerosols by 64%. Another recent paper also confirms that simple surgical masks can reduce the number of seasonal coronaviruses carried by aerosols and larger droplets. Masks are by no means perfect, but at this point in time, every little bit counts.