Coronavirus could remain airborne in enclosed spaces for more than an hour after you breathe it out, a top government advisor warned today.
The stark comment by Wendy Barclay, Head of the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London, comes despite the government refusing to make face masks compulsory in shops.
Michael Gove claimed people should use their "common sense" about wearing coverings over their nose and mouth indoors. The government has focused on the dangers of touching surfaces that are contaminated with virus.
But Prof Barclay - who belongs to scientific advisory group SAGE - said there was mounting evidence the virus could be spread in an airborne way too.