#coughing — Public Fediverse posts

Simulating a Sneeze

Sneezing and coughing can spread pathogens both through large droplets and through tiny, airborne aerosols. Understanding how the nasal cavity shapes the aerosol cloud a sneeze produces is critical to understanding and predicting how viruses could spread. Toward that end, researchers built a “sneeze simulator” based on the upper respiratory system’s geometry. With their simulator, the team mimicked violent exhalations both with the nostrils open and closed — to see how that changed the shape of the aerosol cloud produced.

The researchers found that closed nostrils produced a cloud that moved away along a 18 degree downward tilt, whereas an open-nostril cloud followed a 30-degree downward slope. That means having the nostrils open reduces the horizontal spread of a cloud while increasing its vertical spread. Depending on the background flow that will affect which parts of a cloud get spread to people nearby. (Image and research credit: N. Catalán et al.; via Physics World)

#aerosols #biology #coughing #COVID19 #diseaseTransmission #droplets #flowVisualization #fluidDynamics #physics #science #sneezing #turbulence

Traditionally I am not one who suffers from seasonal allergies too much. I get a little bit of a reaction now and then, but generally speaking it’s not a problem for me.

I am working from home today and I have the windows in the room open. The landscapers came and mowed the lawn a few hours ago. Ever since I have been in mild allergy land. The lawn mower must have kicked up a few gigatons of pollen and shot it right through my open window right into my nose. I’ve been sneezing and coughing and my eyes are itchy and my throat is scratchy and my nose is running.

Stupid pollen. Stupid, stupid pollen.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/06/24/seasonal-allergies/

#allergies #coughing #health #landscapers #lawnCare #pollen #pollenAllergy #runnyNose #seasonalAllergies #sneezing

Hey, remember that post from earlier today when I said we were planning the next two vacations already?

We’ve already scrapped one of them. California in the fall has been eliminated. We might do a staycation at that time, or maybe something short that’s close to home. The reason? The second planned trip, Florida early in the new year, is morphing into a major deal. We’re going to take the budget for Cali in the fall and roll it in to Florida in the winter. We have buy in from one of the kids. The other one will still be in school but might be able to come along for part of the time. That would be awesome. Awesome, I tells ya!

In other news that is also related to that same post from earlier today, I feel sick! My head cold was much better yesterday, then a little worse throughout the day today but not too bad. Around the time I sat down to dinner it decided to kick me in the balls and it got so much worse. I can’t breath through my nose anymore. It feels like my nasal passages have been completely bricked up. This sucks. Even worse, dinner went bad on me tonight… twice. Twice? WTF, bypassed stomach? Two bouts of the foamies complete with portions of dinner coming back for a return visit? (TMI, I know) All while being unable to breath through my nose? WTF, body?

The good news is, the first episode (or is it episodes?) of the brand new Star Wars show The Acolyte was supposed to be released on Disney+ about 23 minutes ago. I’m off to get my Jedi Knight fix on, kids! May the Force Be With Us, and our vacation plans, and my nose! Ah-Choo!

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/06/04/correction-already/

#aching #congestion #coughing #headCold #health #jediKnights #Sick #sneezing #springCold #StarWars #starWarsTheAcolyte #stuffyNose #Television #theAcolyte #virus