A form of contagious disease spread that involves the spray of saliva or respiratory droplets, expelled when an infected person breathes, coughs, sneezes, talks or sings. If someone is nearby, they could breathe in these droplets and become infected. A person could also touch an item where the infected person’s droplets fell and then become infected when they touch their eyes or mouth. Most droplets are large enough that once they are expelled, they drop to the ground, within the range of about six feet. This is why public health officials asked people to keep six feet apart from others in public and to wash their hands during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
