It is NOT common to contract Covid-19 from a contaminated surface. Fleeting encounters with people outdoors are also unlikely to spread the coronavirus.

2/
3 steps create ideal transmission conditions:

1. Coughing + talking breathing creates virus-carrying droplets.

2. Enough virus makes itself to you to trigger an infection.

3. Virus makes its way into respiratory tract using ACE-2 receptors to enter cells and replicate.

3/
Respiratory-droplet contact between people is major mode of transmission:

"Major culprit is close-up, person-to-person interactions for extended periods. Crowded events, poorly ventilated areas + places where people are talking loudly or singing, maximize the risk."

4/
"Two recent large studies showed that wide-scale lockdowns — stay-at-home orders, bans on large gatherings and business closures — prevented millions of infections and deaths around the world."

5/
Prolonged exposure -- defined as 15 minutes or more of unprotected contact with someone less than 6 feet away -- is another significant factor.

6/
"The worst spots are crowded events, poorly ventilated areas and places where people are talking loudly."

Studies warn about the potential for “superspreader” events, in which small number of people infect many others.

Political rallies check all the boxes -- #Tulsa

7/
Being outside is generally safer, experts say, because viral particles dilute more quickly...

8/
"Recent studies offer clues as to how much virus is need for infection. If a patient’s throat swab or milliliter of sputum contained less than one million copies of viral RNA, they were unable to culture live coronavirus."

9/
The full article is worth your time to read -- it explains how infectious Covid-19 is, and simple ways you can protect yourself, coworkers and family.

/END
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