respiratory droplets
Exhaled moisture specks
Respiratory droplets are tiny particles of moisture expelled from the mouth and nose when breathing, speaking, coughing, or sneezing.
These droplets can carry pathogens and transmit infectious diseases to others nearby.
The term gained wide currency during the COVID-19 pandemic in discussions of how viruses spread: The virus transmits primarily through respiratory droplets.
Larger droplets fall quickly to surfaces, while smaller ones may linger in the air.
- microparticlesExtremely small solid pieces
- masksFace-covering disguises
- mask mandatesRequired public face coverings
- SARS-CoV-2Pandemic-causing coronavirus species
- pathogensDisease-causing microorganisms
face shields · viral load · evaporation · disease transmission · hand hygiene · social distancing · contact tracing · humidity · airborne spread · communicable diseases · close contact · six feet apart · nebulizers · mucus · fluid dynamics · cough · sneeze · ventilation systems
- disease spreadairborne, bloodborne, contact, fecal-oral, transmission
- Fluflu, flu shot, flu vaccine, flu season, flu symptoms
- airborne diseasesmeasles, tuberculosis, chickenpox, influenza, whooping cough
- Respiratory Infectionspneumonia, bronchitis, influenza, flu, tuberculosis
respiratory, droplet, droplets, respire, respiration, respirator, respired, respiring, drops