One of our most abundant natural resources in South Dakota may not be our best friend during this ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The Mount Rushmore State has long laid claim to being one of the windiest states in America (number 3 overall at last check), with 53 of our 66 counties averaging wind speeds of 20 miles per hour or more.

What that means is that anything that gets airborne around these parts is going to travel quite a distance.

Including Coronavirus.

In a new report, Daily Mail says a new study shows that saliva droplets can travel great distances on days where even a mild breeze is blowing. Distances well beyond the six feet of separation we've been trying to implement during this pandemic.

A team from the University of Nicosia, in Cyprus, found that even when the wind is blowing just two miles per hour, saliva droplets can travel as far as 18 feet in just five seconds. Keeping those droplets at bay is the key to stopping the spread of this highly contagious virus.

So how many potentially hazardous droplets are we talking about? Their research says each cough expels about 3,000 in various directions, while the average sneeze unleashes as many as 40,000 droplets.

So unless you can give yourself even more room between you and the person you're standing next to at the park, you may want to opt for something more upwind.

Oh, and a mask wouldn't hurt either...


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