"Riskiest" instruments for spreading COVID-19

Posaunus · by **Posaunus** » 2020-12-06 2:46 a.m.

An interesting study from Minnesota:

<LINK_TEXT text="https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/co ... nstrument/">https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/coronavirus/minnesota-orchestra-study-trumpet-riskiest-instrument/</LINK_TEXT>

We continue to learn more about this insidious bug called Covid-19.

This will not be the last word.

Hand washing / sanitizing or refraining from touching surfaces appears to provide only negligible protection from this virus – it is ever more apparent that almost all the contagion is a result of extended contact (more than a few minutes) with rather fine droplets dispersed from virus-infected individuals.

My suggestions:

Take care. Don't share your air. Keep your distance. Wear a mask around others!

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2020-12-06 9:00 a.m.

Thanks for this. My orchestra is dealing with COVID mitigation and this is good information.

I wonder if the high values for bass trombone are because they tend to be played LOUD ;)

FOSSIL · by **FOSSIL** » 2020-12-06 10:00 a.m.

Cheeky Bruce <EMOJI seq="1f602" tseq="1f602">😂</EMOJI> . Tuba is low risk because nobody books them <EMOJI seq="1f602" tseq="1f602">😂</EMOJI><EMOJI seq="1f602" tseq="1f602">😂</EMOJI><EMOJI seq="1f602" tseq="1f602">😂</EMOJI>. Trumpet is high risk....well, we sort of knew that already <EMOJI seq="1f644" tseq="1f644">🙄</EMOJI><EMOJI seq="1f644" tseq="1f644">🙄</EMOJI>.....as for the oboe, it's not the instrument, it's the snake that comes out of the box and spits at you....

Chris

freeman · by **freeman** » 2020-12-06 10:47 a.m.

none of the examined wind instruments were found to spread aerosols further than one foot.

Would then instrument masks be necessary? I can't remember any church, pit, or stage setup that was cramped enough to put anyone's instrument a foot from my face, and I remember some horrible ones.

Researchers also recommended social distancing, putting masks over instruments and using portable filters. They found that a single-layer mask blocks 60 percent of the particles without significantly reducing sound quality. Two layers block 75 percent with a slight drop in sound quality, while three layers block 92 percent but cause a substantial dip in sound quality.

Sound quality is a subjective enough criterion that this find is dubious.

Our orchestra has been conducting similar tests, the last of which were done in hall with three different fan settings to the A/C. I don't know if the results have been published yet.

hyperbolica · by **hyperbolica** » 2020-12-06 11:45 a.m.

I think the riskiest instrument has to be the voice, as the others tend to filter, slow, and condense flow out from the mouth. This still does not excuse accordions, banjos and bagpipes, as these have always been risky. :lol:

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2020-12-06 1:11 p.m.

[quote="hyperbolica"]I think the riskiest instrument has to be the voice, as the others tend to filter, slow, and condense flow out from the mouth. This still does not excuse accordions, banjos and bagpipes, as these have always been risky. :lol:[/quote]

Interestingly the article compares speaking and singing and finds no difference. It also rated instruments in comparison to singing. Trumpets and bass trombones were higher, tubas were lower. They didn't specify whether trombones (i.e. tenor) were better or worse -- at least in the direct article cited.

Bach5G · by **Bach5G** » 2020-12-06 5:04 p.m.

I’m not sure what to make of this statement:

Researchers from the University of Minnesota found that while trumpets and oboes were the “riskiest” instruments for transmitting airborne diseases, none of the examined wind instruments were found to spread aerosols further than one foot.

harrisonreed · by **harrisonreed** » 2020-12-06 5:08 p.m.

Ummmm. That can't be true. Unless the player is only 1 foot tall or the particles somehow break physics and vanish.

Tromboned · by **Tromboned** » 2020-12-08 12:40 p.m.

I don't think they vanish, they just fall out of the air and dry up on the ground. I know from my own experiences playing in cold weather most of the vapor condenses on my bell or a slight cloud wafts up vertically. It doesn't go outward like normal breathing.

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2020-12-08 1:03 p.m.

We have to distinguish. Droplets are larger and tend to settle out of the air quicker. They also have more virus in them. Aerosols are very fine mists that tend to waft. While they have less virus in the particles (simply because they are smaller) you can get COVID from them simply by extended contact. You need fewer large droplets to catch COVID than aerosol particles.

nmahon · by **nmahon** » 2020-12-08 8:22 p.m.

I have such a massive airstream that my colleagues prefer to stay 6-10 meters away for safety.

andym · by **andym** » 2020-12-08 8:49 p.m.

Reading the more detailed news release about the study, the reason for the 1 foot distance is that the air exiting the instruments is warmer and so goes up after leaving the instrument. That made them conclude that air filters positioned above the orchestra would be most effective. Of course, singers also eject warm air and there have been outbreaks from chorales.

From the full study, they played at a full range of volumes with both slurred and articulated attacks.

BTW, the "bass trombone" was played by Minnesota Orchestra Principal Trombone R. Douglas Wright according to a picture caption in the press release. A lot of people on here are way, way better at identifying trombones than I am but it looks like a Bach 42B.

Univ of MN release: <LINK_TEXT text="https://cse.umn.edu/college/news/musica ... ight-think">https://cse.umn.edu/college/news/musical-instruments-dont-spread-aerosols-far-you-might-think</LINK_TEXT>

Full study: <LINK_TEXT text="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... via%3Dihub">https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021850220301555?via%3Dihub</LINK_TEXT>

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