Every day, you can take simple steps to reduce your risk of coronavirus infection — from wiping down counters to properly washing your hands.
But here is one protective step you might have overlooked: opening the window a hair when you ride in a car.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that the next time you use a cab, limo or ride-share service, you ask the driver to improve the ventilation in the vehicle by opening the windows or setting the air ventilation/air conditioning to nonrecirculation mode.
This CDC tip also applies to personal vehicles — whether you are a passenger in the vehicle of a friend or family member, or you are the driver.
Since the coronavirus can be transmitted by respiratory droplets, the air you breathe is a vital concern. Coughing, sneezing and even simply talking can release aerosols into the air that can infect others. Others can infect you through the same actions.
And because so many people with the virus named SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) are asymptomatic, you can be unaware of the danger that lurks all around you.
Writing in USA Today, three experts note that a family car interior usually has about 100 cubic feet of space, making it impossible to social distance from other people. So, opening a window is the next best thing.
The experts from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Portland State University write:
“When the windows are closed, SARS-CoV-2 (in fine aerosol particles) accumulates in the car cabin. With each new cough, the concentration builds up with no significant dilution happening. But even cracking one window open just 3 inches can keep this at bay.”
If you cannot open a window, choose the ventilation mode that does not recirculate air and instead brings in fresh air from outside.
The experts also remind you that wearing a mask when you are in a car can help. Such a face covering is “a must” in taxis or a ride-share vehicle, they say.
Finally, remember to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer on them as soon as possible after you exit the vehicle, as they may have come into contact with a contaminated surface.
For more tips on keeping the coronavirus at bay while you’re on the go, check out “How Pumping Gas Puts You at Risk for Coronavirus.”
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