The UK is now in its third week of lockdown, with Brits urged to stay inside other than to pick up essentials and to exercise.
While most supermarkets have imposed social distancing measures, a new study suggests that they may not be enough to stop the spread of the virus.
Researchers from Aalto University have revealed that a single cough can spread coronavirus across an entire supermarket.
In the study, the researchers looked at how extremely small respiratory particles are transported in the air after coughing, sneezing, and even talking.
The team modelled a scenario where a person coughs in a supermarket aisle, and amazingly, found that the particles spread around the supermarket rapidly.
Professor Ville Vuorinen, an author of the study, said: “Someone infected by the coronavirus, can cough and walk away, but then leave behind extremely small aerosol particles carrying the coronavirus. These particles could then end up in the respiratory tract of others in the vicinity.”
Based on the findings, the researchers are urging the public to stay home if you feel at all unwell.
Jussi Sane, Chief Specialist at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, said: “Stay at home if you are unwell and that you maintain physical distance with everyone.
“The instructions also include coughing into your sleeve or a tissue and taking care of good hand hygiene.
“Based on the modelling of the consortium, it is not yet possible to directly issue new recommendations.
"However, these results are an important part of the whole, and they should be compared with the data from real-life epidemic studies.”
