‘Mini atomic bombs’: Sneezes travel much farther than we thought and droplets remain suspended for longer
Researchers from Loughborough University in the UK modeled the fluid dynamics of expiratory clouds ejected during coughing and sneezing.
They found that the ever-evolving clouds of mucus mist, spittle spray, and assorted discharge contained in sneezes match a phenomenon known as buoyant vortex rings – which would be the envy of the most practiced smoke-ring blower.
“In the majority of our analyses, the predictions made by our model suggest that the largest droplets consistently exceed the horizontal ranges of two metres [6.5ft] from the source before settling to the ground,” explains mathematician Dr Emiliano Renzi.