Singing during COVID-19 pandemic may increase spread of infection

Don't think of jamming with friends now. Loud and consonant-rich singing can increase the spread of the COVID-19 virus, warns a new study.

Singing makes you feel good, right? Considered to be a natural anti-depressant, singing helps improve mood and reduce stress. Research has shown that singing triggers the release of endorphins, the feel-good brain chemical that makes you feel uplifted and happy. But it is not a good idea to sing a song loudly during the COVID-19 pandemic or jam up with friends at this time. Also Read - COVID-19 Live Updates: Cases in India surge to 47,54,356 while death toll reaches 78,586

A study recently published in the journal Aerosol Science and Technology warned that singing — particularly loud and consonant-rich singing — can increase the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Also Read - Amit Shah re-admitted to AIIMS: Most common after-effects of COVID-19 to watch out for

This is because when we sing, we emit a lot of aerosol particles and droplets into the surrounding air. If the singer is someone who is infected with the novel coronavirus, these aerosol particles can contribute to the increased spread of the disease. Also Read - Dining out during COVID-19 pandemic is more risky than shopping or visiting someone’s house

Following reports of COVID-19 transmission in connection with choirs singing, different restrictions have been imposed all over the world to make singing safer.

In the new study, researchers from Lund University (LU) in Sweden attempted to find out as to how much aerosol particles and larger droplets we actually exhale when we sing.

Letters B and P are the biggest aerosol spreaders

For the study, they recruited 12 healthy singers and two people with confirmed COVID-19. Seven of the participants were professional opera singers.

During the song tests, it was found that while some droplets are so large that they only move a few decimetres from the mouth before they fall, the smaller ones continue to hover for minutes.

In particular, the enunciation of consonants releases very large droplets, with the letters B and P standing out as the biggest aerosol spreaders, the authors said.

The louder and more powerful the song was, the greater the concentration of aerosols and droplets.

COVID-19 patients may spread infection when singing 

The team also carried out measurements of the virus in the air when the two persons with COVID-19 sang.

Though their air samples contained no detectable amount of virus, aerosols from Covid-19 patients may still entail a risk of infection when singing, the researchers noted. They said so because the viral load can vary in different parts of the airways and between different people.

If you still want to organize/ participate in a group song, you can do so in a safer way. You should ensure that the singers maintain social distancing, practice good hygiene, and there is good ventilation, which will help reduce the concentration of aerosol particles in the air. If possible, wearing face masks can also make a big difference.

In this study, even a simple face mask helped block most of the aerosols and droplets emitted by the singers. When the singers were wearing a simple face mask, the levels of aerosols and droplets were reduced to an extent that is comparable with ordinary speech.

This doesn’t mean that one should give up singing during the pandemic, but it should be done with appropriate measures to reduce the risk of spreading infection, the Lund University researchers noted.