Research finds singing in some languages could spread COVID-19 more easily than others – CBS News
Scoop Publisher Francesco Abbruzzino
Tokyo — Ever since a chorale rehearsal in Washington state last March became a COVID-19 super-spreader event, sickening most of the singers and killing two, choir practice has been deemed high-risk, forcing many ensembles to forgo in-person practice and performances.
But in Japan, most choirs have returned to practice rooms and concert halls, bolstered by studies here showing that with safeguards such as limiting rehearsals to 30 minutes, proper ventilation, masking and social distancing, viral hazards can be lowered substantially.
Analysis by Japan’s Fugaku supercomputer shows that singing does spew about three times as many potentially coronavirus-laden particles into the air as talking, but Japanese researchers wanted more detail: Does singing in different languages create more potentially infectious droplets and aerosols?
