Findings of the study -

• When safety precautions and guidelines including face masks were applied, the results of the experiments with a surgical mask were found to be highly positive.
• Social distancing of 6 feet alone was ineffective for preventing macroscopic droplet spread.
• When sitting or standing without a mask or barrier, the maximum distance of macroscopic droplets was found to be more than 6 feet from the mannequin simulating the cough.
• In the experiments that simulated a cafeteria setting, droplets could be seen in a large number of eating spaces of other mannequins.
• When a barrier was applied, the droplet spread was much lesser.

To sum up…

In places or while doing activities where masks cannot be worn, such as eating, the most effective way to prevent the spread of droplets is by using barriers between the individuals. 

Reference

Bhavsar AA. The spread of macroscopic droplets from a simulated cough with and without the use of masks or barriers. PLoS ONE 2021;16(5): e0250275.