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Friday, Oct 16, 2020

Did California’s governor advise restaurant diners to wear a mask between bites?

George Rowland, Gigafact Foundry
yes

The official Twitter account of California's governor on Oct. 3 advised restaurant diners to wear their masks between bites. While the advice is more specific than that from some authorities, it reflects what's known about transmission of the coronavirus via respiratory droplets.

These droplets can be expelled by breathing, speaking, coughing and sneezing, all of which might occur between bites during a sociable meal. What's more, according to research, aerosol emissions increase as voice volume increases. "Minimize the number of times you take your mask off," the tweet advises.

The Centers for Disease Control in a July study found that patients testing positive for the coronavirus were about twice as likely to have reported recently visiting a restaurant as those who had tested negative. The study did acknowledge that masks "cannot be effectively worn while eating and drinking."

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