Six months into the coronavirus crisis, there\u2019s a growing consensus about a central question: How do people become infected?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not common to contract Covid-19 from a contaminated surface, scientists say. And fleeting encounters with people outdoors are unlikely to spread the coronavirus.<\/p>\n
Instead, the major culprit is close-up, person-to-person interactions for extended periods. Crowded events, poorly ventilated areas and places where people are talking loudly\u2014or singing, in one famous case\u2014maximize the risk.<\/p>\n
These emerging findings are helping businesses and governments devise reopening strategies<\/a> to protect public health while getting economies going again. That includes tactics like installing plexiglass barriers, requiring people to wear masks in stores and other venues, using good ventilation systems and keeping windows open when possible.<\/p>\n