Coronavirus: Study shows 'alarming' rate at which virus can spread around an office

With the UK now in its fifth week of lockdown, many bored Brits are itching for restrictions to be lifted.

Last night, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he will set out a "road map" for easing coronavirus lockdown restrictions next week, with changes expected for schools, offices and restaurants.

Now, a new study has warned of what could happen if busy offices become packed out with workers again.

Scientists from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown just how quickly the virus can spread around an open-plan office, quickly infecting many workers.

In the study, the researchers tracked a coronavirus outbreak at a 19-storey call centre in Seoul back in February.

The first worker to catch the virus became infected on February 22, before the second case was reported three days later.

In just over two weeks, almost 100 workers tested positive for COVID-19.

In their report, the researchers, led by Shin Young Park, wrote: "This outbreak shows alarmingly that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be exceptionally contagious in crowded office settings such as a call center.

"The magnitude of the outbreak illustrates how a high-density work environment can become a high-risk site for the spread of COVID-19 and potentially a source of further transmission.”

Delving deeper into the findings, the researchers found that almost half of the infections occurred on one side of the 11th floor.

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The researchers added: “Of 1,143 persons who were tested for COVID-19, a total of 97 (had confirmed cases. Of these, 94 were working in an 11th-floor call centre with 216 employees, translating to an attack rate of 43.5%.”

The team hopes the findings will encourage authorities to maintain social distancing in offices when they re-open.

The reported added: “In summary, this outbreak exemplifies the threat posed by SARS-CoV-2 with its propensity to cause large outbreaks among persons in office workplaces. Targeted preventive strategies might help mitigate the risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection in these vulnerable group.”