Physical distance may not be sufficient to avoid spread by aerosols

For over a year, we have been accustomed to seeing stickers in the field of many units that tell us where to position ourselves to maintain a two-meter separation and to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. However, this measure, if not accompanied by other prevention strategies, is effective in preventing aerosol contagion, those small drops that travel through the air and that we release when we talk or cough .  Marketingmediaweb

 These are the findings of a study printed in the journal Sustainable Cities and Society that explores the air transport of virus-laden particles released by infected people inside buildings. "We studied the effects of building ventilation and physical distance as strategies for controlling indoor exposure to airborne viruses," says Gen Pei, lead author and PhD student in architectural engineering at Pennsylvania State University. (UNITED STATES) 

The researchers watched at three factors: the amount and flow of air ventilated through a space, the pattern of indoor airflow associated with different ventilation strategies, and the pattern of aerosol release in terms of speech. They also compared the transport of tracking gases, normally used to test leaks in airtight systems, and human respiratory aerosols between one and ten microns in size. Aerosols in this range can carry SARS-CoV-2 . Divinebeautytips

 

The mask is required

"The results of our study show that virus-laden particles released by an infected person without a mask can move quickly into another person's breathing area in a minute, even at a distance of two meters," says Donghyun Rim. , another author. "This trend is manifested in rooms without sufficient ventilation. The results suggest that corporeal distance alone is not enough to prevent human exposure to expired aerosols and should be implemented with additional control plans, such as a mask and adequate ventilation . ” Techcrunchblog

The researchers found that the aerosols moved farther and faster in moving ventilated rooms, where cold air flows continuously from the floor and pushes the used air into a ventilation duct near the ceiling. This is the type of ventilation system that is installed in most residential homes and can lead to a concentration of viral aerosols in the human respiratory area seven times higher than mixed ventilation systems. Many commercial buildings use mixed systems, incorporating outside air to dilute the indoor air, resulting in better air integration and average aerosol concentrations, the researchers said .Nanobiztech

"This is one of the surprising results: the likelihood of an airborne infection could be much higher in residential environments than in offices," Rim said. "However, in residential environments, the operation of mechanical fans and separate air filters can help reduce the risk of infection."

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