猪流感当道 预防有技巧

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Do those masks we've seen so many people wear in Mexico really work? A truth squad this morning ABC's Sharyn Alfonsi has been looking into it all.

For some, the sound of a sneeze has become a little scary. But experts say you might not even hear the sneeze that could make you sick. We looked at the science of a single sneeze and learned it travels faster and farther than you might have guessed.

How far?

"Well, if I were to sneeze right now, the air from my nose would rush out at 100 miles an hour. And all that bacteria could travel anywhere from 3 feet away to 150 feet away, the other side of this park."

And how long can that virus linger?

Well, studies have shown it can depend on the weather. The flu virus leaves your body incased in tiny droplets of water. So if it's humid, the moisture attaches itself to these droplets, making them heavy and dragging them to the ground, away from our faces, so we're less likely to get infected. But if it's cool dry air, the droplets are lighter, and can flow, right where we breathe them in.

“If the infected person, the sick person is gone, a long time 20 minutes we can still walk by, breathing and get infected.”

So, what should you do?

We met with the germ expert Doctor Elaine Larson. She says anti-bacteria lotion is a must, but what about those surgical masks? Do they really help?

"Nothing's 100% protective, even these big thick ones that we wear in the hospital."

Masks can help but they need to be replaced often every few hours.

“Because they do get saturated after a while and the protection gets less over time.”

The mask can act as a sponge, carrying the virus you've gone to great distances to avoid just inches from your mouth.

For Good Morning America, Sharyn Alfonsi, ABC News, New York.