A team of researchers finds that the two-meter distance rule is not very effective in getting back to normal when traveling on foot
To this day, masks and social distancing remain effective measures against the spread of COVID-19. However, the movement between pedestrians is dynamic and even if we leave two meters apart, we must take into account other factors in certain spaces.
A team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, in the United States, analyzed practices of social distancing through particle-based flow simulations. The study was published in the journal Physics of Fluids this week and examine the social distance between particles that repel others. These particles represent pedestrians in public places.
Simulation showing the social distance between pedestrians. Source: Gerald J. Wang
The researchers established a relationship between social distance and the dynamics of pedestrian flow in the corridors. We now know that adherence to social distancing protocols negatively affects bidirectional pedestrian movement in a tight, shared space like this one.
This is how a pedestrian congestion is formed
The author of the study, Gerald J. Wang, says that “even at modest levels of pedestrian density, leaving six feet of social distance can cause large-scale pedestrian ‘traffic jams’ that take a long time to resolve.”
Wang adds, “This is pretty obvious to all of us who’ve participated in that ‘weird dance of social distance’ in a supermarket aisle for the past 18 months. But it has important implications for how we define occupancy limits as workplaces and leisure facilities return to pre-pandemic densities. ‘
In addition, the authors point out that dense pedestrian flows and social distancing recommendations are a recipe for great frustration. The messages we receive from public health must follow realistic and achievable behavior. Strict adherence to the social distance of two meters is not a very practical recommendation for pedestrian flows in large spaces, in the opinion of experts.
Research co-author Kelby B. Kramer adds, “Particle-based flow simulation, powered by high-performance computing, has enormous potential. It can quickly explore a wide range of pedestrian flow issues, both during and after the pandemic.
Although conceptually easy to digest, the results show some problems. For example, when politicians can set exclusive public recommendations for something as complicated as a nuanced and bumpy pedestrian flow dynamic.
REFERENCE
Social distancing slows down the constant dynamics in pedestrian flows