The chances of contracting coronavirus are much higher in closed spaces, according to a report published Sunday by the Corona National Information and Knowledge Center.
The report encourages the public to hold events in open-air spaces rather than closed venues; the authorities to step up enforcement of regulations on wearing masks in public; and installing dividers in workspaces and classrooms; as well as improving ventilation.
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"It is recommended to ban events in enclosed spaces as far as possible, at least until the ability to quickly cut off chains of infection has been significantly improved," the report reads.
The report reiterates earlier findings that the virus is spread though respiratory particles that are released when people cough, sneeze, speak, or sing, and notes that enclosed spaces include a few risks for particulate spread. One is that when the occupancy of a space increases, the amount of viruses transferred from person to person increases as well, as does the chance of infection. In the open air, the particles that contain the virus are disseminated, but it appears that the chance of infection is greater in closed, air-conditioned spaces.
"Crowded, closed spaces increase the risk of infection from 'super-spreaders,' carriers, or active cases," the report states.
According to figures collected in Israel this past March, most of the cases of infection occurred in closes spaces: synagogues and yeshivas (29%); shopping centers and restaurants (26%); and hotels (15%). The authors of the report cite a few examples from all over the world that demonstrate that the virus is more easily spread in closed, air-conditioned spaces.
An analysis of 318 coronavirus outbreaks in China in January and February of 2020 shows that 317 occurred in closed spaces. A Japanese study assesses that there is an 18.7% greater chance of contracting the virus in a closed space than in the open air, while in the US there have been 115 outbreaks at meat-packing plants, with over 5,000 workers infected.
Another case in the US occurred when 52 out of 61 people who attended a choir practice were infected by one carrier.
Another report published by the IDF on Thursday said that the virus could be contained if wearing masks became the standard.
The new report agrees that making masks mandatory in public is a critical element of the battle against coronavirus and notes that even "simple" three-layer masks are sufficient to provide "a significant reduction in the concentration of airborne virus."
"Wearing masks correctly, consistently, and by everyone can lead to a reduction in the infection rate in a short time, without any major economic cost to the population," the report concludes.
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