The coronavirus and its variants spread mainly from person to person. A person infected with coronavirus — even one with no symptoms — may emit aerosols when they talk or breathe. Aerosols are infectious viral particles that can float or drift around in the air for up to three hours. Another person can breathe in these aerosols and become infected with the coronavirus.
When people are in close contact with one another, droplets that are produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes may land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into their lungs.
Transmission is less likely to happen outdoors, where air currents scatter and dilute the virus, than in a home, office, or other confined space with limited air circulation.
The risk of spread from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects is considered to be extremely low. According to the CDC, each contact with a contaminated surface has less than a 1 in 10,000 chance of causing an infection.
The virus may be shed in saliva, semen, and feces; whether it is shed in vaginal fluids isn’t known. Kissing can transmit the virus. Transmission of the virus through feces, or during vaginal or anal intercourse or oral sex, appears to be extremely unlikely at this time.
Even people who are infected but do not have symptoms, or have not yet developed symptoms, can infect others. Masks reduce the amount of virus we breathe in and breathe out. Combined with the vaccine, masks provide a one-two punch that reduces the risk of spread — to young children who are not yet eligible for vaccines, to people with weakened immune systems, and to others who are unvaccinated. Masks also provide additional protection for the wearer, even those who are fully vaccinated.
KF94 masks are high-quality masks made in South Korea that are often described as being more comfortable than typical respirators, The New York Times
Here are five things to know about them:
1. KF94 stands for “Korean filter” and offers 94 percent filtration.
2. The masks were developed for public use and are available in adult and child sizes, unlike the respirator-style mask approved in the U.S.
3. They can be worn for about 40 hours as long as they remain clean and continue to fit snugly on the face.
4. The design creates more space between the mask and the mouth, leading some wearers to say they’re more comfortable than typical respirators.
5. There are seemingly fewer KF94 counterfeit masks on the market.
