riding public transportation is not a major source of transmission for the coronavirus.

Is the Subway Risky? It May Be Safer Than You Think https://t.co/bOI2txhdQj　モトコ・リッチが書くべきだった話。

— mozu (@mozumozumozu) August 4, 2020

In Paris, public health authorities conducting contact tracing found that none of the 386 infection clusters identified between early May and mid-July were linked to the city’s public transportation.


A study of coronavirus clusters in April and May in Austria did not tie any to public transit. And in Tokyo, where public health authorities have aggressively traced virus clusters, none have been linked to the city’s famously crowded rail lines.


Among the range of urban activities, the experts say, riding the subway is probably riskier than walking outdoors but safer than indoor dining.


New York officials are trying to balance two goals: drawing as many riders back as possible while also avoiding sardine-can crowding at rush hour. They have appealed to business leaders to have employees start at different hours, though the pressure on the system has eased notably since the shift toward working from home is expected to last for months, if not longer.

People tend to stay on trains or buses for relatively short amounts of time, compared with a day’s work in an office or an outing to a bar to see friends. Riders tend not to talk on the train, reducing the amount of aerosols they release. In many cities, lockdown orders and new work-from-home norms have minimized crowds on trains, making it easier to keep some social distance.

Though some veteran riders might be surprised, the subway system also benefits from a robust ventilation system that is effective at removing viral particles from the air.

地下鉄がはしっている世界の大都市で地下鉄でのクラスターは発生していない。
短時間乗車、マスク着用、車内無言、時差通勤、換気などにより、地下鉄乗車は、外で歩くよりは危険だが、室内で食事するより安全だ、と。