DOH warns against karaoke use as singing may spread COVID-19
MANILA, Philippines — Karaoke machines might have to take a rest this year as the Department of Health warned against their use as singing may increase the chances of spreading the new coronavirus which causes COVID-19.
Citing a study, DOH spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said Saturday during the Laging Handa briefing that singing produces the highest viral load compared to other activities such as talking and breathing.
As such, she said, the DOH cannot recommend the karaoke sessions, unless it is among family members who do not go out of the house.
“But for mass use or for parties with friends, maybe we need to avoid these for now,” Vergeire said in Filipino.
A study conducted by researchers at Lund University in Sweden showed that singing, particularly loud and consonant-rich singing, spreads a lot of aerosol particles and droplets — the primary sources of coronavirus infections — in the air.
A case study of a superspreading event among choir members in the United States also suggests that singing, along with poor social distancing measures, might have contributed to the transmission of the virus from just one person to 32 people.
But singing does not need to be silenced, the Swedish researchers said, it just needs to be done while wearing masks, in places with proper ventilation and with social distancing to decrease the risk of getting infected. — Xave Gregorio
- Latest
- Trending
