Math Expert: All COVID Virus in the World Would Fit in a Soda Can
2021-02-15
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1A British math expert says all the COVID-causing virus that currently exists in the world could easily fit inside a single can of soda.
2The finding shows just how much damage can be caused by very small virus particles.
3Christian Yates of the University of Bath studied worldwide rates of new COVID-19 infections and made estimates of the amount of virus in an infected person's blood.
4He found that there are about two quintillion - or two billion billion - SARS-CoV-2 virus particles in the world at any one time.
5Yates said he came up with that result by measuring the distance across one virus particle - about 100 nanometers, or 100 billionths of a meter.
6He then found the total amount of space the virus takes up.
7He said the total is still less than can be contained in a single 330 milliliter soda can.
8He noted that total includes the fact that the particles will leave a lot of space in between when placed together.
9"It's astonishing to think that all the trouble, the disruption, the hardship and the loss of life that has resulted over the last year could constitute just a few mouthfuls," Yates said in a report on his findings.
10More than 2.3 million people have died in the COVID-19 pandemic so far.
11There have been about 107 million confirmed cases worldwide.
12I'm Jonathan Evans.
1A British math expert says all the COVID-causing virus that currently exists in the world could easily fit inside a single can of soda. The finding shows just how much damage can be caused by very small virus particles. 2Christian Yates of the University of Bath studied worldwide rates of new COVID-19 infections and made estimates of the amount of virus in an infected person's blood. He found that there are about two quintillion - or two billion billion - SARS-CoV-2 virus particles in the world at any one time. 3Yates said he came up with that result by measuring the distance across one virus particle - about 100 nanometers, or 100 billionths of a meter. He then found the total amount of space the virus takes up. 4He said the total is still less than can be contained in a single 330 milliliter soda can. He noted that total includes the fact that the particles will leave a lot of space in between when placed together. 5"It's astonishing to think that all the trouble, the disruption, the hardship and the loss of life that has resulted over the last year could constitute just a few mouthfuls," Yates said in a report on his findings. 6More than 2.3 million people have died in the COVID-19 pandemic so far. There have been about 107 million confirmed cases worldwide. 7I'm Jonathan Evans. 8Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English based on a Reuters news service article. Bryan Lynn was the editor. 9_______________________________________________________________ 10Words in This Story 11astonishing - adj. causing a feeling of great surprise or wonder; surprising 12constitute - v. to make up or form something 13disruption - n. the act or process of breaking apart or rupturing 14soda - n. a beverage containing soda water, flavoring, and a sweet syrup