The infection is mainly passed on through virus-containing droplets and aerosols in the air we breathe.

When we breathe, speak, sing, shout, sneeze and cough we emit tiny droplets and aerosols which can remain in the air for a long time. Just how long depends on the size of the droplets. Droplets spread over a radius of 1.5 to 2 meters while aerosols can spread much further. The droplets and aerosols emitted by infected people contain small amounts of the virus. If someone else breathes them in, the virus gets into their body where it can reproduce.

Infections occur mainly in badly-ventilated indoor spaces and when an infected person is nearby.

The virus can also be transmitted on our hands or via contaminated surfaces (fomite transmission) but this route is less important than airborne transmission for the overall spread.

Read our section on “Everyday prevention” to find out how you can protect yourself from becoming infected.

Further information about the different transmission routes is available from the Federal Health Ministry’s website infektionsschutz.de.

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