FIGURE 1.

Three possible mechanisms of respiratory pathogen transmission. Transmission can occur through self‐inoculation after contact with droplets that settle on surfaces, direct deposition/inspiration of infectious droplets in the mouth or nose and deposition on the eyes, as well as through airborne transmission with inhalation of aerosols. Short range (<2 to 3 meters) aerosol transmission can be difficult to separate from droplet transmission and long‐range transmission for viral respiratory pathogens, including influenza and coronaviruses, remains controversial.