A study recently published in the journal Physics of Fluids found that it is possible for the coronavirus to spread into the air when you flush the toilet. A team of researchers used computer simulations and found that flushing a toilet creates around 6,000 aerosol droplets, which can end up in the air. Between 40-60% of the droplets rise above the toilet seat and can get as high as three feet before settling back down.
The coronavirus can be found in fecal matter and end up in the aerosol droplets, which can infect the next person who uses the bathroom.
"The aerosols generated by toilets are something that we've kind of known about for a while, but many people have taken for granted," Joshua L. Santarpia, a professor of pathology and microbiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center told the New York Times. "This study adds a lot of the evidence that everyone needs in order to take better action."
The researchers said they are worried because it is nearly impossible to clean and sanitize a bathroom after each use.
"One can foresee that the velocity will be even higher when a toilet is used frequently, such as in the case of a family toilet during a busy time or a public toilet serving a densely populated area," Ji-Xiang Wang of Yangzhou University, who worked on the study, said in a statement.
One thing you can do to help stop the virus from spreading is to put down the toilet seat before you flush.
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