How does droplet transmission commonly occur?

Droplet transmission typically occurs when respiratory droplets containing infectious agents are expelled from a person when they talk, cough, or sneeze. These droplets can then be inhaled by someone in close proximity, usually within about six feet. This method of transmission highlights the importance of maintaining distance to prevent the spread of infections, particularly respiratory illnesses.

Maintaining long distance is not effective for droplet transmission, as these droplets fall to the ground relatively quickly and do not travel far. While sneezing and coughing are indeed common ways droplets are released, they do not encompass the totality of droplet transmission because droplets can also be generated during normal speech. Contaminated food and water involve a different mode of transmission entirely—namely, fecal-oral transmission or vector-borne transmission—rather than the respiratory route characterized by droplet spread.