3 feet away is a safe distance or is that considered danger close?  What exactly is the seat pitch spacing on an aircraft front to back and side to side?  Do I need the Captains initials before I sneeze and send droplets danger close?  
  
We can play Google fact badminton all day long.  When presented with a lot of unknowns and changing facts, the logical course of action is to take the safest course of action.  If I recall, even the medical profession (that kills 100,000+ per year through accidents) says, First, do no harm.