Short people are deficient in height. However a new study has shown that they face greater risk of contracting coronavirus because of that deficiency.
The study which was carried out by researchers in Singapore’s Agency of Science, Technology and Research was published recently in the journal, Physics of Fluids.
They based their finding on the way Covid-19 is expelled by an infected person two metres apart from other. When someone sneezes or coughs, the viral particles briefly linger in the air and fall slowly to the ground.
However, according to Daily Mail, the researchers said as the droplets fall to the ground it put shorter people at greater risk of inhaling them compared to taller people. So they suggested anyone under 5ft 5 keep more than two metres away from others, which is higher than the two metre rule the UK Government
Still, the study does not reflect a real life scenario as it was done using animations on a computer model. It showed as a person coughs larger droplets (in red) fall to the ground quickly due to gravity, though they may fall onto the clothes of someone nearby. And if the person was short (below 5.2ft), the droplets may land on the person’s upper body or face.
“Teenagers and short adults are advised to maintain a social distance greater than two metres from taller persons.
“Young children may be at greater risk compared to adults based on the typical downward cough trajectory.
“Surgical masks are known to be effective at trapping large droplets and therefore recommended for use as necessary,” the researchers wrote.