On Interpersonal Distance, Time of a Conversation and Perceived Virus Exposure
type: Dataset
description: Most COVID-19 infections are caused by airborne corona viruses. A model based on empirical and theoretical studies of dispersion of particles in the air was used to estimate a person’s virus exposures during different times and distances from a virus infected person. Participants judged perceived virus exposure at different interpersonal distances in a face to face conversation with an infected person. The smallest average face to face distance from an infected person without a mask that a participant judged as sufficiently safe was 13.5 meters. A majority (75%) of the participants underestimated the effect on virus exposure following a change of interpersonal distance. By way of contrast, judgments of exposure as a function of the duration of a conversation were unbiased. The results are important for administrators and communications to the general public about social distancing and infection risks.
creative work status: completed
  type: DefinedTerm
  in defined term set: http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/dataset-status
  term code: COMPLETED
creator: Ola Svenson
date modified: 2022-09-02
date published: 2022-09-02
keywords: Epidemiology
  type: DefinedTerm
  term code: 30116
keywords: Behavioural epidemiology
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
publisher: Stockholm University
version: 0

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17045/STHLMUNI.20472165

Ola Svenson
type: Person
affiliation: Stockholm University
family name: Svenson
given name: Ola

Stockholm University
type: Organization