Choral singing has been linked to several cases of the spread of the coronavirus in countries around the world, Dagens Nyheter reported in June. In several countries, choral singing has been banned since the pandemic began.

The reason for the risk of infection is that particles in the exhaled air - aerosols - reach far from the body, especially in poorly ventilated rooms with many people.

Now the Bavarian radio, Bayerischer Rundfunk, together with the University of Munich and the University Hospital in Erlangen have studied how much singers risk infecting each other when they sing.

Good ventilation important

Ten choir members from the Bavarian Radio Choir were allowed to sing while their exhaled air was measured using high-speed cameras, lasers and white light. Through smoke from e-cigarettes, one could see how far the exhaled air extended.  

- Some singers' exhaled air had a range of 1 - 1.5 meters, says Matthias Echternach, professor of phoniatrics at the University of Munich. Therefore, a distance of 2 - 2.5 meters seems to be recommended.  

He also emphasizes that it is important to ensure good ventilation so that any viruses do not accumulate in the air. The greatest distance applies in front of the singer, to the sides the air did not spread as far. There, a distance of 1.5 meters can suffice, according to the study.