Experts are predicting that the novel coronavirus outbreak could change the way public bathrooms in the U.S. are laid out forever. Fast Company reports that the way public restrooms are currently laid out could aid in the spread of COVID-19 because they make it nearly impossible to follow social distancing requirements. The biggest issue is that most public toilets do not have lids, and flushing them prompts a “plume of droplets that explode into the air, coating the surrounding stall and aerosolizing the bowl’s contents.” Those droplets can then be breathed in by those sitting in nearby stalls. An expert says toilet seats themselves are also problematic as they are covered in germs. James Walsh is the Vice President of product management at the plumbing manufacturer American Standard, and says there has been “a huge uptick in requests for touchless technologies” including automated taps, toilet buttons, soap dispensers, and doors. Others predict it could soon become common to have restrooms built in an “S” shape so doors will not be necessary, or to switch to “single-person, gender-neutral restrooms,” which are common in Europe and Asia, and if cleaned regularly and equipped with touchless technologies, could help curb the spread of coronavirus and other viruses, too.