Aerosols are a bigger coronavirus threat than WHO guidelines suggest - here's what you need to know

[MULTIZ321]

Aerosols are a bigger coronavirus threat than WHO guidelines suggest - here's what you need to know.

Aerosols are a bigger coronavirus threat than WHO guidelines suggest – here's what you need to know

More than 200 scientists wrote to the WHO, warning about aerosol transmission of the coronavirus. The WHO has since acknowledged the evidence but hasn't change its advice yet.

theconversation.com

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Richard

 

[Ken555]

Yes, we have discussed this somewhat in other threads but I agree it deserves its own. I believe this is a key factor in understanding safety issues.

More details here:

Transmission of COVID-19 virus by droplets and aerosols: A critical review on the unresolved dichotomy

The practice of social distancing and wearing masks has been popular worldwide in combating the contraction of COVID-19. Undeniably, although such practices help control the COVID-19 pandemic to a greater extent, the complete control of virus-laden droplet ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Researchers have speculated that both droplets and aerosols generated from non-violent and violent expirations of SARS-CoV-2-infected people may be responsible for the airborne transmission of COVID-19 disease. However, more research work should be conducted to understand the behavior of virus-laden droplets and aerosols in different environmental settings, especially confined spaces so that the transmission of COVID-19 pandemic in the built environment could be fully ascertained. The case studies found worldwide indicate that the behavior of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been unprecedentedly unique with more survival and viable rates in the air and believed to linger in the air for an extended period. The challenge before many healthcare workers in combatting the disease would be a daunting task unless proper administrative, clinical, and physical measures are taken within the healthcare settings. Inter-disciplinary research on the behavior of the SARS-CoV-2 virus needs to be conducted to prevent COVID-19 disease from spreading worldwide.

Specifically in regards to travel concerns, I found the section on airplanes quite interesting. Of note:

Transmission of COVID-19 virus by droplets and aerosols: A critical review on the unresolved dichotomy

The practice of social distancing and wearing masks has been popular worldwide in combating the contraction of COVID-19. Undeniably, although such practices help control the COVID-19 pandemic to a greater extent, the complete control of virus-laden droplet ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

In the flight cabins, because of the densely packed environment, the cough-jet released by a SARS-Cov-2 infected person is expected to break the local airflow, particularly the jet zone, and travels both forward and backward directions in the proximity of the point of exit (Fig. 5b). Since the velocity of exiting the violent expiration (coughs) is around 10 m/s, the droplets may travel four to five seats ahead, and the aerosol-cloud could go even further away (Fig. 5b). However, there is no lateral movement expected except the immediate passenger on either side. In contrast to the forward movement, there is a backward movement of droplets typically by one seat, but the aerosol movement may be more. This phenomenon illustrates that about five to ten people could get infected with the disease with an infected person onboard. Nevertheless, the propensity of getting sick by exposure to a plume of aerosols produced by cough-jet is poorly understood, and the actual number of contracted cases may be far from recorded. The Brownian motion followed by airflow jet movement governs the aerosol plume, after the dissipation of advective transport. Such movement supports an agglomeration of virus-laden aerosols in fomites at passenger levels. It is, therefore, crucial to decide by all airlines that such suspicious fomites such as papers, magazines, pillows, and blankets be disposed of perhaps subjected to thermal destruction until the COVID-19 pandemic recedes.

 

[Brett]

Aerosols are a bigger coronavirus threat than WHO guidelines suggest - here's what you need to know.

Aerosols are a bigger coronavirus threat than WHO guidelines suggest – here's what you need to know

More than 200 scientists wrote to the WHO, warning about aerosol transmission of the coronavirus. The WHO has since acknowledged the evidence but hasn't change its advice yet.

theconversation.com

.


Richard

"reducing the amount of time you spend in poorly ventilated crowded areas is a good way to reduce exposure risk"

We have definitely learned that fact