What are airborne droplets?

Airborne droplets are tiny water balls that float in the air when you cough or sneeze.

Imagine you're playing with your friend and you both blow on a pinwheel, that swirling motion is kind of like what happens inside your body when you cough. Your lungs push out air, and along with it, little droplets made from the moisture in your throat. These droplets can be as small as a grain of sand or as big as a tiny pebble.

When these droplets fly out, some land on surfaces, like a table or a toy, and others stay floating in the air. If someone else is nearby, they might breathe them in, just like you catch the smell of cookies from the kitchen.

These little water balls can carry germs, which are like tiny invisible helpers that make people sneeze, cough, or feel icky. So when you wash your hands after blowing your nose, you're helping stop those germs from traveling far and making more people sneeze!