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Japanese Black Light Experiment Shows How Quickly A Virus Like Covid-19 Can Spread At A Restaurant

It’s often easy to forget just how quickly viruses can spread when they’re invisible. For this reason, NHK, Japan’s national broadcasting corporation, has shared a video showing how germs can be transmitted to a room full of people when there’s only one person who’s infected. The experiment aims to simulate a space at a buffet restaurant or on a cruise ship, which, at the beginning of the pandemic, was considered one of the easiest ways to spread COVID-19 between people. The public broadcaster NHK teamed up with health experts and demonstrated the fast ways that germs and viruses are transmitted from person to person.

More info: Twitter

Japanese broadcaster NHK released a video with an experiment that shows how quickly a virus can spread

Image credits: nhk_news

Shared on May 8, the video is designed to show how far a virus can be transmitted from an infected person at a restaurant. The experiment was created with the help of experts from Kawasaki’s St. Marianna University School of Medicine. It involved 10 people eating in a buffet-style restaurant. Before people could serve themselves, the researchers applied a fluorescent lotion to the hands of one of the people participating in the experiment.

One person applied a fluorescent lotion on his hands that represented the particles of a cough

Japanese Black Light Experiment Shows How Quickly A Virus Like Covid-19 Can Spread At A Restaurant

Image credits: nhk_news

The fluorescent lotion, which would show up later under a UV light, simulated viral droplets from a cough. Then, the subjects of the experiment were allowed to dish up food from the buffet trays.

30 minutes into the meal, the black lights were activated to reveal where the “infection” had spread

Japanese Black Light Experiment Shows How Quickly A Virus Like Covid-19 Can Spread At A Restaurant

Image credits: nhk_news

The subjects of the experiment were seemingly shocked—the lotion had gotten everywhere. It was on the hands of every participant, plates, tongs, drink pitchers, and even on some people’s mouths.

Watch the video of the experiment below

クルーズ船で感染拡大を招いたとされる接触感染がどのようにして起きるのか、ＮＨＫが専門家と共同で実験を行ったところ、ウイルスに見立てた塗料は多数の人が触るものを介して広がることが確認されました。https://t.co/exeyyRXQiD pic.twitter.com/NCHGyJyXRw
— NHKニュース (@nhk_news) May 8, 2020

Here’s what people thought

Japanese Black Light Experiment Shows How Quickly A Virus Like Covid-19 Can Spread At A Restaurant

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Japanese Black Light Experiment Shows How Quickly A Virus Like Covid-19 Can Spread At A Restaurant

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Japanese Black Light Experiment Shows How Quickly A Virus Like Covid-19 Can Spread At A Restaurant

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Japanese Black Light Experiment Shows How Quickly A Virus Like Covid-19 Can Spread At A Restaurant

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However, not everyone was convinced

Japanese Black Light Experiment Shows How Quickly A Virus Like Covid-19 Can Spread At A Restaurant

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Japanese Black Light Experiment Shows How Quickly A Virus Like Covid-19 Can Spread At A Restaurant

Image credits: youmightbe11

Japanese Black Light Experiment Shows How Quickly A Virus Like Covid-19 Can Spread At A Restaurant

Image credits: eatthedonut

Japanese Black Light Experiment Shows How Quickly A Virus Like Covid-19 Can Spread At A Restaurant

Image credits: WhiterunDragon

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Neringa is a proud writer at Bored Panda who used to study English and French linguistics. Although she has many different interests, she's particularly drawn to covering stories about pop culture as well as history. While not at the office, this Panda enjoys creepy movies, poetry, photography and learning how to play the piano.

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What do you think ?

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J Rob 4 years ago

Some places are opening up, Some countries are sending kids back to school. In my town restaurants and the mall and bowling, etc are open. OK. I'm not going anywhere near these places. I go to work everyday, I grocery shop for my parents and myself once a week. I stay home and write comments on this web site. OK Do what you want but... Just give me MY 6 ft. Please!

16points

Marnie 4 years ago

I've never understood (since before covid-19) the insistence of using some utensil to pick up a piece of food like a donut. If I'm the only one touching the donut I want, then no germs are spread, but every goddamn person is touching the utensil.

4points

María Hermida 4 years ago

You are right. The thing is: you are a polite person who picks up only the piece of food you want, but many people are not polite or hygienic and would touch three or four pieces before deciding which one they want. If you make people use an utensil you are sure they won't touch everything with their (probably dirty) hands.

4points

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FurryManiac 4 years ago

Congrats. Now I’m craving donuts too.😂

1point

Dolly_of TheCowboy 4 years ago

Trying to find the video from a CCTV in a buffet style restaurant. It is horrifying. People picking up pieces of food with their fingers, licking or taking bites out of it, then putting the part eaten/licked food back into the tray with all the rest of the food. People putting their heads under sneeze guards to dig around in dishes with their hands or with utensils, licking their hands clean, or the utensils, and dipping them into other food trays. People wiping their noses on the back of their hands or picking their noses and then dipping fingers to stir and taste sauces. It was not just one incident with one person it was a month's worth of various people's behaviours in one restaurant. At the end of the video the captions mention the owners were so shocked by the footage they stopped having the buffet. This is why sanitising/washing your hands frequently and minimising who can touch many things without being able to clean their hands helps reduce the amount of spread

0points

DforDorothy 4 years ago

I became slightly germofobe since working with people,because I see how they cough,sneeze in their hands, pick their noses and ears,then touching stuff around me,which I should also touch/hold on to. I surely hope this pandemic teaches people not to be so damn nasty and dirty anymore- and I am not talking about a 'healthy' amount of dirt/germs here...

2points

María Hermida 4 years ago

I regret to tell that nothing will teach people to be sensible and not to be so dirty. So far, in my country (Spain) there have been nearly 30 thousand deaths. After 7 weeks in lockdown some areas have de-escalated to a less restrictive quarantine, so bars and cafeterias can open with only 50% of the customers... Well, the crowds in every single place is something shameful. People don't keep the distance, don't disinfect the tables, kiss and hug each other... The number of infected people is starting to grow again. Nobody seems to care.

3points

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J Rob 4 years ago

16points

Marnie 4 years ago

4points

María Hermida 4 years ago

4points

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FurryManiac 4 years ago

Congrats. Now I’m craving donuts too.😂

1point

Dolly_of TheCowboy 4 years ago

0points

DforDorothy 4 years ago

2points

María Hermida 4 years ago

3points

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Japanese Black Light Experiment Shows How Quickly A Virus Like Covid-19 Can Spread At A Restaurant

Japanese broadcaster NHK released a video with an experiment that shows how quickly a virus can spread

One person applied a fluorescent lotion on his hands that represented the particles of a cough

30 minutes into the meal, the black lights were activated to reveal where the “infection” had spread

Watch the video of the experiment below

Here’s what people thought

However, not everyone was convinced

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