Respiratory Droplets

A respiratory droplet is composed of fluid, protein, salts, minerals, electrolytes, and microbes, forming a gel-like particle significantly larger than the virus alone. Viruses are carried on respiratory droplets produced by sneezing, coughing, breathing, or talking — not as isolated particles. The greater the distance from the source of droplets, the lower the viral concentration in the air. Because viruses are embedded in larger droplets, masks filter them more effectively than a raw virus-to-pore-size comparison would suggest. A single sneeze produces approximately 40,000 droplets.