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Researchers at the University of Central Florida are trying to develop a special cough drop or lozenge that helps control the spread of COVID-19 by altering a person’s saliva.

According to the press, this specially designed cough drop made of candy or cornstarch makes saliva heavier and more sticky, causing sneezing and cough particles to fall instead of floating in the air, so COVID-19 The idea is that the transmission of is reduced. Project release.

The team recently won the National Science Foundation’s Rapid Response Research Award and won $ 200,000 for the project.

“Based on our initial data, combining saliva mixed with cornstarch and a face mask can increase social distances by 6 to 2 feet.”-Principal Investigator in a press release on the project.

This is especially useful in areas where social distances are not always easy, such as offices, grocery stores, and public transportation.

They use a special high-speed camera to examine the pattern and distance of sneeze and cough splashes, including those modified by candies and starch. Preliminary results from the team show that modifying saliva properties can significantly reduce the amount of time a droplet stays in the air.

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