The one or two metre physical distancing measures used as guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic are based on inaccurate science, it was claimed today.
These rules are informed by previous virus outbreaks, say Dr Nicholas Jones of the University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues.
Writing in BMJ, they point out that COVID-19 virus transmission is complex and involves a range of droplet sizes which can travel up to eight metres if an infected person coughs, sneezes or shouts.
The researchers recommend that distancing rules vary depending on type of activity, indoor versus outdoor settings, level of ventilation and whether face coverings are worn.
“This would provide greater protection in the highest risk settings but also greater freedom in lower risk settings, potentially enabling a return towards normality in some aspects of social and economic life,” they write.
In another study, researchers have found that wearing a face mask can lead people to feel too comfortable sitting or standing closer to others.
Dr Ashley Luckman of Warwick Business School, UK, and colleagues also found that people are comfortable maintaining a smaller distance from others who wear masks.
They sought the opinion of 800 participants who were asked to indicate how close they would be willing to stand in different scenarios. Those with the strongest belief in masks were willing to stand closer to others if they wore masks.
Dr Luckman said: “Our findings appear to be a classic case of risk compensation. If the government’s aim is to minimise transmission of the virus, its guidelines must be clear enough to prevent this trade-off, emphasising that masks are not an alternative to social distancing.”
The study is awaiting publication in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied.
Jones, N. R. et al. Two metres or one: what is the evidence for physical distancing in covid-19? BMJ 26 August 2020 doi: 10.1136/bmj.m3223
Luckman, A. et al. Risk compensation during COVID-19: The impact of face mask usage on social distancing. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied (under review).
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