A new University of Central Florida study suggests masks and good ventilation are more important than social distancing when it comes to reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the classroom.
"Masks basically prevent large droplets from being ejected from your mouth," UCF mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Michael Kinzel said. "They also prevent droplets or aerosols from going directly to your neighbor."
Dr. Kinzel co-authored the study.
"It's not a social distancing problem in a classroom if you have a mask but social distancing is probably the first thing you can relax in a classroom.
Kinzel says the take-away is that masks may be the key to increasing capacity in schools and other indoor places. The CDC recently recommended reducing social distancing in elementary schools from 6 feet to 3 feet as long as children are wearing masks.
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