Beware the toilet

The list of once-innocuous things that we now fear — hugs, handshakes, surfaces — just got longer. A new study found that flushing a toilet releases a plume of aerosols that can linger long enough to be inhaled by the next person, or land elsewhere in the bathroom.

Using simulations, the researchers showed that the clouds can send coronavirus particles up to three feet high. A single flush produces about 6,000 tiny droplets and even tinier aerosols.

Previous research has found viable particles in infected people’s feces, and while the virus prefers the lungs and respiratory tract, it has also been known to settle in the small intestine. The degree to which toilets contribute to transmission remains unknown, but you can take precautions: When possible, close the lid before you flush, and wear a mask in public or shared bathrooms.