How Do Viruses Spread?<\/h2>\n
Viruses usually spread from one person to another through airborne droplets. When someone with a viral infection coughs or sneezes, they release virus-packed droplets into the air.<\/strong><\/p>\n Viruses can spread in many other ways, but the three most common routes<\/strong> include:<\/p>\n Droplet infections are transmitted when an infected person or animal emits small droplets of saliva that carry viruses.<\/p>\n A droplet consists of saliva or mucus and comes from a person\u2019s respiratory tract.<\/p>\n Whenever you breathe, speak, sing, cough, sneeze, or vomit, you produce droplets.<\/strong><\/p>\n Essentially, you are spitting. All the time. It’s embarrassing.<\/p>\n Just kidding!<\/p>\n But yes, we’re producing droplets constantly, they’re just almost impossible to see.<\/p>\n The size of your respiratory droplets varies, and it ranges from >5 – 10<\/a> micrometers (\u03bcm) in diameter. For comparison, the diameter of your hair is between 17 \u2013 181<\/a> \u03bcm.<\/p>\n Despite their small size, respiratory droplets can be loaded with viruses.<\/p>\n And like some infectious cannonballs, they travel through the air the moment you produce them. If respiratory droplets reach someone\u2019s nose, mouth, or eyes, there\u2019s a risk of transmitting the viral infection to them.<\/p>\n When a virus enters your respiratory tract, there\u2019s a risk of an infection developing! \u200b\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n But respiratory droplets can\u2019t travel very far<\/strong>. In fact, the distance they typically reach is around 3 feet (less than 1 meter).<\/p>\n Some of the infections that spread via respiratory droplets emission include common cold, influenza and even pneumonia<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If a respiratory droplet is <5 \u03bcm, we call it aerosol or droplet nuclei<\/strong>.<\/p>\n When a person is infected with a virus, the aerosols they spread can be packed with infectious menaces.<\/p>\n Even though aerosols are smaller than respiratory droplets, they can be particularly dangerous because they can stay suspended in the air<\/strong> much longer. For example, speech aerosols can stay in the air for up to 9<\/a> hours with a half-life of 87.2 minutes.<\/p>\n Moreover, aerosols can also reach greater distances than droplets. Research shows that aerosols can travel 20 to 30<\/a> feet (around 6 to 9 meters)!<\/p>\n If an infection is transmitted via aerosols, we call that an airborne or aerosol transmission<\/strong>.<\/p>\n For instance, COVID-19 is spread via aerosol transmission. That\u2019s why we were advised to practice social distancing and wear masks once the pandemic started \u2014 to prevent infected aerosols from reaching our mouth, nose, and eyes.<\/p>\n Meet the Bioverse characters!<\/a><\/p>\n Contact infections, a.k.a. smear infections, occur when viruses and other microorganisms pass from one person to the other via direct physical contact<\/strong>. They can also spread from infected animals to people<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Remember how handshaking was also a no-no to avoid transmission of the COVID-19 virus?<\/p>\n That was advised because contact infections usually occur when shaking hands<\/strong> with others.<\/p>\n However, contact infection can also transmit through bodily fluids<\/strong>, when kissing an infected person, having sexual contact with them, or having contact with their oral secretions and body lesions.<\/p>\n Contact infections can also be transmitted indirectly.<\/strong> For example, when a person touches a contaminated object, such as a doorknob, and then rubs their eyes or touches their mouth with dirty hands, there\u2019s a risk of infection.<\/p>\n Contaminated food and water pose a great risk to your health.<\/p>\n Foodborne viruses come from the intestines of humans and animals.<\/strong> Therefore, they are excreted when vomiting or via feces.<\/p>\n If an infected person handles food and has poor hygiene, they could contaminate food with a virus and spread it to anyone who might eat that food.<\/p>\n Foodborne viruses can also spread by eating infected animals or having food come in contact with animal waste or sewage.<\/p>\n You can get a viral infection by eating infected animals.\u200b<\/p><\/div>\n For instance, undercooked meat may cause you trouble if you eat it, especially if an animal was infected with a virus.<\/p>\n Some foodborne infections include Hepatitis A and Norovirus. The former causes liver inflammation while the latter causes stomach flu.<\/p>\n The same types of viruses can be transmitted via contaminated water.<\/p>\n As for waterborne viral infections, you can catch them if you<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Now that you know how viruses spread, it\u2019s time we answered the question about how they make you sick.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s go back to your hypothetical common cold \u2014 the one we gave you at the beginning of this article (no pun intended).<\/p>\n Let\u2019s also say that the symptoms appeared after you spent an entire afternoon with your friend playing Assassin\u2019s Creed Valhalla<\/em> on PS5.<\/p>\n That friend felt sick the following day, and, since you were in close contact with them and spent hours playing together, you followed suit a few days later.<\/p>\n What happened to your body after an infectious intruder decided to let itself in?<\/p>\n When a virus enters your body, you should know that it has only one mission: to make more viruses!<\/strong><\/p>\n But to do that, a virus needs help.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s going to get it from you.<\/p>\n (The nerve!)<\/p>\n Viruses can\u2019t grow in numbers on their own because they don\u2019t have a metabolism. We covered this in our viruses vs. bacteria<\/a> article, so check it out for more info.<\/p>\n The point is, viruses need a living host \u2014 they need your cells to replicate.<\/p>\n Follow us on Instagram and enjoy the latest Biowars updates!\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n A virus may stay at the place where it entered your body or it may ride for free in your bloodstream and spread elsewhere.<\/p>\n No matter the location in your body, a virus looks for a cell to connect with, so it can start spreading.<\/p>\n Viral replication happens in six steps:<\/strong><\/p>\n Attachment<\/strong> is the first phase during which a virus connects to your cell and an infection begins.<\/p>\n The entry<\/strong> stage involves a virus entering your cell\u2019s cytoplasm. This is the point when the viral DNA or RNA<\/a> get inside your cell<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Uncoating<\/strong> is the step during which a virus loses its capsid. That\u2019s the protein shell that protects viral DNA or RNA.<\/p>\n The replication<\/strong> stage is the point when the viral genome (DNA or RNA) replicates. It uses your cell\u2019s ribosomes for protein synthesis.<\/p>\n Assembly<\/strong> occurs when the newly synthesized viral genome and viral proteins assemble to form a new virus.<\/p>\n Release<\/strong> is the last stage of viral replication when the new viruses are released in your organism. Depending on a virus, sometimes the host cell dies during the release. There are also viruses that can leave the host cell through the membrane and not kill it. Either way, once out, the newly formed viruses may continue to spread and attack surrounding cells to replicate again, or they could stay dormant in your cells.<\/p>\n Discover more exciting facts about your body!<\/a><\/p>\n To prevent a virus from spreading through your body, your immune cells activate.<\/p>\n White blood cells or leukocytes<\/strong> are particularly important in the first line of defense.<\/p>\n For example, neutrophils<\/strong><\/a> are a type of white blood cells that act as first responders<\/strong> to a threat in your body. Alongside macrophages<\/a><\/strong> and Natural Killer Cells<\/a><\/strong> (also types of white blood cells), they continuously roam your blood looking for signs of trouble. If they notice an issue, they attempt to kill the threat no matter its nature. If necessary, they also alert other immune cells.<\/p>\n Behold \u2014 leukocytes attacking the evil virus!\u200b<\/p><\/div>\n The reason these immune cells can immediately react to the presence of a virus is that they are a part of your innate immune system.<\/p>\n Innate immunity is written in your genes, meaning it protects you for a lifetime no matter the nature of a threat.<\/strong> It reacts immediately and tries to shut down the imposter in the first few hours it encounters it.<\/p>\n But that\u2019s not all there is to your immune system!<\/p>\n Aside from innate immunity, your body also possesses adaptive immunity!<\/p>\n If your innate immune system cells fails to get rid of a virus or any other threat, your body\u2019s adaptive immunity comes to the rescue.<\/p>\n The adaptive immune system relies on B-Cells<\/a> and T-Cells<\/a> to destroy antigens.<\/strong><\/p>\n In the Biocosmos, the B-Cells squadron is led by the mighty Blastor<\/a><\/strong>. They are joined by Gamma-9<\/a><\/strong>, his fellow T-Cell comrades, and the rest of the fearless Biowarriors whenever antigens attempt to jeopardize the equilibrium within the Biocosmos.<\/p>\n\n
1. Droplet Infections<\/h3>\n
![\"Stock](\"https:\/\/2023.biowars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/how-do-viruses-spread-respiratory-droplets.jpg\")
2. Contact Infections<\/h3>\n
3. Foodborne And Waterborne Infections<\/h3>\n
![\"Stock](\"https:\/\/2023.biowars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/how-do-viruses-spread-foodborne-infection.jpg\")
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How Do Viruses Make You Sick?<\/h2>\n
Stages Of Viral Replication<\/h3>\n
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How Does Your Immune System Prevent Viruses From Spreading?<\/h2>\n
![\"Stock](\"https:\/\/2023.biowars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/how-do-viruses-spread-leukocytes-attack-virus.jpg\")
![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/2023.biowars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/how-do-viruses-spread-blastor.jpg\")