A new study suggests that masks and a good ventilation system are more important than social distancing for reducing the airborne spread of COVID-19 in classrooms. The research comes at a critical time when schools and universities are considering returning to more in-person classes in the fall.

The research, published recently in the journal Physics of Fluids, comes at a critical time when schools and universities are considering returning to more in-person classes in the fall.

«The research is important as it provides guidance on how we are understanding safety in indoor environments,» says Michael Kinzel, an assistant professor in UCF’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and study co-author.

«The study finds that aerosol transmission routes do not display a need for six feet social distancing when masks are mandated,» he says. «These results highlight that with masks, transmission probability does not decrease with increased physical distancing, which emphasizes how mask mandates may be key to increasing capacity in schools and other places.»

In the study, the researchers created a computer model of a classroom with students and a teacher, then modeled airflow and disease transmission, and calculated airborne-driven transmission risk.

The classroom model was 709 square feet with 9-foot-tall ceilings, similar to a smaller-size, university classroom, Kinzel says. The model had masked students — any one of whom could be infected — and a masked teacher at the front of the classroom.

Story Source: Materials provided by University of Central Florida. Original written by Robert Wells. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.