𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘵𝘰𝘰: Wind instruments don't appear to project COVID-19 particles more than talking does, according to a new study. 🎶
Good news for music lovers and musicians, too: Wind instruments don't appear to project COVID-19 particles more than talking does, according to a new study.found
Arratia and colleagues used a particle counter, humidifier, and green laser to visualize and measure how much and how quickly aerosols shot out of wind instruments as orchestra members played their instrument continuously for nearly 2 minutes. They measured the flow from many instruments, including flutes, clarinets, trumpets, and tubas.
Most of the particles released were less than a micrometer thick, like what would occur during normal breathing and speech. "During the pandemic, orchestras spread out their players and used plexiglass barriers to protect each other from aerosols, which was not ideal for sound quality," he says. Musical pieces had to be adapted to exclude wind and brass instruments, and venues postponed or canceled many concerts.
To ensure the safest environment for everyone, Shulman, an assistant clinical professor of surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles, picked pieces like Aaron Copland'sa drum and brass composition that allowed players to be spaced far apart. All members except for the wind and brass section wore masks for every rehearsal and concert, and everyone had to be vaccinated.