The variants of SARS-CoV-2 are getting better at travelling through the air, and people must wear masks in addition to getting vaccinated, to help stop spread of the virus that causes Covid-19, according to a study. The team led by researchers at the University of Maryland in the US found that people infected with SARS-CoV-2 exhale infectious virus in their breath, and those infected with the Alpha variant put 43 to 100 times more virus into the air than people infected with the original strains of the virus.

The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, also found loose-fitting cloth and surgical masks reduced the amount of virus that gets into the air around infected people by about half. Our latest study provides further evidence of the importance of airborne transmission,” said Don Milton, professor, University of Maryland School of Public Health.