This is not a scientific assessment, just an idle speculation, and please take it in that light, but, looking at all the infections at choir practice, soccer games, restaurants, etc, what if one big problem is ... noise? This would also help explain why NYC happened so fast.

As I say, this is COMPLETELY IDLE SPECULATION. i am just noodling what policy recommendations might come out of a discovery that noise spreads covid. Do we redesign restaurants to be like those 1950s places with drapery everywhere, instead of cool industrial vibe?

Does noise pollution become a much bigger priority?

Sorry, to be clear: noise is a problem because when it is noisy, people raise their voices to be heard, which facilitates droplet transmission. I'm not suggesting that, like, noise gives you covid.