Shocking coronavirus simulation shows how infected shopper can cough cloud of deadly droplets across TWO supermarket aisles - with bug hanging in the air for 'several minutes'

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Scientists have put together a shocking video that shows how deadly coronavirus droplets can spread across two supermarket aisles and infect shoppers, with the bug hanging in the air for 'several minutes.

Experts from Aalto University in Finland have put together an animation so shoppers can be aware of the dangers of spreading the killer disease.

'Someone infected by the coronavirus, can cough and walk away, but then leave behind extremely small aerosol particles carrying the coronavirus. These particles could then end up in the respiratory tract of others in the vicinity,' says Aalto University Assistant Professor Ville Vuorinen. 

The alarming video follows disturbing news that joggers could be passing the infection to one another, even if they are six feet apart.

Scientists in Finaldn say Covid-19 germs from a cough can spread across two shopping aisles

• Britain's lockdown is expected to last for weeks to come as Covid-19 cases rise 
• There have been 60,773 recorded cases across Britain and 7,097 deaths so far
• Boris Johnson spent his third night in intensive care in London last night
• The Prime Minister is said to be sitting up and his condition is improving 
• People are being urged to stay indoors during the warm Easter weekend 
• It comes after people were spotted sunbathing and visiting beaches last week 

Finnish research centres created the animation by modelling a scenario where a person coughs in an aisle between supermarket shelves. 

Taking into account factors like in-store ventilation, experts from Aalto University, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Finnish Meteorological Institute each carried out the modelling independently, using the same starting conditions. 

A statement from Aalto University said: 'The researchers obtained the same preliminary result: in the situation under investigation, the aerosol cloud spreads outside the immediate vicinity of the coughing person and dilutes in the process.'

Scientists involved in the research were working at Aalto University, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Finnish Meteorological Institute.

Jussi Sane, chief specialist at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, said: 'The preliminary results obtained by the consortium highlight the importance of our recommendations.  

'The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare recommends that you stay at home if you are unwell and that you maintain physical distance with everyone. The instructions also include coughing into your sleeve or a tissue and taking care of good hand hygiene.‘  

Even in ventilated shops, germs can linger for up to two minutes, according to Aalto University's research

'Based on the modelling of the consortium, it is not yet possible to directly issue new recommendations. However, these results are an important part of the whole, and they should be compared with the data from real-life epidemic studies.'

Supermarkets in Britain have been urging customers to stay two metres apart while walking down aisles, with long queues seen in car parks around the country as staff limit the amount of shoppers entering the store at any given time. 

Most other shops have been closed as Britain looks set to remain in lockdown for weeks to come.

Some pressure has been lifted on supermarkets, with Sainsbury's lifting a three-item cap on most of its products yesterday. 

Sainsbury's CEO Mike Coupe wrote to customers today to say: 'You wrote to tell me that product limits were a barrier to being able to shop for other people. 

'We understand that it can be difficult to buy what you need and shop for someone else with the 3 item product limit. We have now lifted buying restrictions on thousands of products and hope that this will help more of you to shop for others.'

Side by side: Susanna presented last Thursday's edition of Good Morning Britain alongside co-host Ben Shepherd, when she spoke about a jogger coughing and spitting near her

Last week Susanna Reid shared how a jogger spat in her direction while out on her daily exercise allowance.

The Good Morning Britain was returning to the programme after spending two weeks self-isolating.

She recalled: 'When I went out walking the other day, a runner ran past me and then coughed and then spat'

Asking for advice from Doctor Hilary, she added: 'It is normal for runners to do that in normal situations. It is not particularly pleasant. Surely right now, it is spreading the virus?'  

Actively discouraging the  practice of spitting while jogging, he advised: 'When you are running you produce more saliva and you do see runners spit the saliva away.

'Of course it is coming from the mouth and throat and potentially if you are carrying the virus the virus would exist on the ground or wherever for unto a few hours.  

'It is not a nice habit and something to be discouraged but it is not a major threat.' 

Horrifying simulation reveals the dangers of jogging during the coronavirus pandemic: Viral particles from another runner could infect you even if they are six feet ahead - but staying NEXT to them may be safer 

By Mary Kekatos - Senior Health Reporter for MailOnline.com

A new simulation appears to indicate that current social distancing guidelines may not be enough to keep joggers safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

The video, created by simulation technology company Ansys, shows that droplets cab spread more than six feet behind you while you are walking, running or cycling.

Because of this, running side-by-side with someone may actually be safer than running behind them so you don't directly come into contact with any droplets, engineers say. 

With more than 400,000 confirmed cases of the new virus and more than 13,000 deaths, health experts say that increasing the amount of distance between you and others while outside is one of the key elements to helping flatten the curve.  

A new video simulations shows two scenarios, in which two people jog side-by-side (above) and then one behind the other

The scenario in which one jogs behind the others resulted in more droplets being spread (above)

Researchers say it may be safer to run next to somebody (left) or to run behind someone but in staggered formation (right) because droplets are spread directly behind an infected person

'If we see a whale or dolphin blow through their blowhole, we can see the water and jump out of way if we have to,' Marc Horner, the principal engineer for healthcare at Ansys, told DailyMail.com

'But if someone sneezes or coughs, it happens so quickly and the droplets are so small, [the simulation gets] that mental image in your mind of how far away you need to stand so gravity has time to pull the droplets down.'  

Federal health officials chose six feet as the guideline for social distancing because of the way that respiratory droplets travel.

When an infected person coughs or sneezes, droplets typically travel no more than six feet before gravity pulls them to the ground.

The video shows two scenarios: one in which two people are running side-by-side and another in which they are running one behind the other.

In the side-by-side scenario, when one person coughs or sneezes, the majority of the droplets travel behind the runners, not next to them.

This is what makes the scenario in which one person jogging six feet behind another person so unsafe, Horner explains.

'If someone coughs, those droplets are suspended in the air and, if you are six feet behind, you are going to run right into them and it doesn't give them enough time to fall to the ground,' he said.

'The droplets go straight out and go behind you so if you're next to someone - ignoring wind conditions -  it won't hit you.' 

If you don't feel safe enough running next to somebody else, run behind them in staggered formation, meaning not directly behind them.

Lorner says this will help prevent cough or sneeze droplets from landing directly on you. 

The simulations comes on the heels of recent reports that find that six feet may not  be enough to be protected from the new virus.

According to Wired.com, when large droplets of mucus are expelled with extreme force (such as from sneezing rather than talking) or carried by the wind, they can travel more than six feet before falling to the ground.  

Lorner explains that he and his fellow engineers exaggerated the size of the droplets so people could understand how quickly they can travel. 

'Once you have  the mental image in your head, you say: "Okay, running behind someone six or 10 feet might not be enough, I need to be even further back",' he said.

'People need to see why we follow the social distancing guidelines out there and getting that mental image of why helps.'