Can COVID-19 Be Transmitted From Talking?

You produce and emit respiratory droplets when coughing, sneezing, and breathing if you have COVID-19. Those droplets are how COVID is primarily transmitted to another person if you are within six feet of them. You can also get COVID by talking near another person. Research has shown that talking emits droplets that may linger in the air, especially if they are small.

Transmission of COVID is generally more likely if you are in a crowded indoor area with poor ventilation. That's why wearing a high-quality mask is important if you live in an area with a high hospital admission rate. Read on to learn how COVID is transmitted by talking and ways you can protect yourself.

Person with face mask talks to another person.

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How Is COVID-19 Transmitted?

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, primarily spreads if an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes near you. Those actions emit respiratory droplets into the air. You may become infected with COVID if you breathe in those droplets or if they land in your eyes. Person-to-person transmission typically occurs within six feet.

You might emit tiny droplets while talking or singing, which can linger in the air for long periods. Airborne transmission is more likely to occur in crowded indoor spaces than in open, well-ventilated areas. Droplets may also land on surfaces. You may get COVID if you touch an infected surface and then touch your face without washing your hands.

Can You Get COVID-19 From Talking?

Talking generates respiratory droplets that vary in size. Large droplets pose less of a risk since they fall to surfaces quickly. Small droplets, in contrast, can dehydrate and linger in the air, essentially acting like an aerosol.

A study published in 2020 experimented with laser light-scattering to see the trajectories of droplets. The participants spoke into a large cardboard box painted black inside. A green laser emitted a sheet of light about three inches from the open end of the box. The laser "caught" the droplets when each person spoke. The researchers were able to estimate the size of the droplets as they passed through the laser, producing flashes of light.

The researchers did not specifically track droplets infected with COVID, nor did they track how far they travel in other environments. The study, however, showed that talking generates several airborne droplets.

This study demonstrates the importance of wearing a high-quality mask if you or others nearby have an active COVID infection or were possibly exposed to the virus. Wearing a mask is especially helpful if you are in a crowded indoor space that's poorly ventilated.

What Increases Your Risk?

Research has shown loudness and pitch contribute to the emission of respiratory droplets. Those droplets are small enough to stay in the air as an aerosol for several minutes to hours and can travel long distances. The combination of speech emission of small droplets and their ability to linger in the air may explain how COVID can quickly spread in indoor spaces.

A report published in 2020 investigated a COVID outbreak that occurred after a choir practice in Washington, infecting 53 of the 61 attendees. The investigators found airborne transmission correlated with the volume at which people sang.

The reporters noted the role a "superemitter" may have played in COVID transmission. Superemitters, who are statistical outliers, emit more droplets while talking and singing than usual. These people, as a result, have a higher risk of spreading viruses and becoming superspreaders than others.

It's unclear why some people emit increased droplets per second. The possibility of superemitters, however, highlights the fact you cannot always tell who's spreading the virus.

How Can You Protect Yourself?

It's important to practice social distancing and wear masks around people who might be infected. Research has found the risk of infection decreases by half if both people wear masks and one has an active infection.

Other ways to protect yourself and others against COVID include:

  • Avoid contact with pets if you have COVID. 
  • Avoid sharing personal items, including towels and utensils.
  • Clean surfaces in your home that people regularly touch (e.g., doorknobs and counters).
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or the crook of your elbow when you cough and sneeze.
  • Do not touch your eyes, mouth, and nose without washing your hands.
  • Increase ventilation in your home by opening windows and using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) cleaners.
  • Isolate at home for at least five days if you test positive.
  • Stay up-to-date on COVID vaccines.
  • Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if you are unable to wash your hands.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

A Quick Review

You can get COVID from talking, which emits respiratory droplets, especially within six feet of another person. Those droplets can linger in the air if they are small, although this mode of transmission is less likely. Make sure you practice social distancing and wear a high-quality mask if you or someone near you may have COVID or was recently exposed to the virus.

The information in this story is accurate as of publication. However, as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, it's possible that some data have changed since publication. While Health is trying to keep our stories as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations for their own communities by using the CDC, WHO, and their local public health department as resources.

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9 Sources
Health.com uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Understanding exposure risks.

  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Use and care of masks.

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  7. Ahmed T, Rawat MS, Ferro AR, et al. Characterizing respiratory aerosol emissions during sustained phonationJ Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2022;32(5):689-696. doi:10.1038/s41370-022-00430-z

  8. Hamner L, Dubbel P, Capron I, et al. High SARS-CoV-2 attack rate following exposure at a choir practice - Skagit county, Washington, March 2020MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(19):606-610. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6919e6

  9. Kuehn BM. Masks cut secondary SARS-CoV-2 infections by halfJAMA. 2022;327(8):711. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.1287

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