Bethesda (U.S.A.). The new coronavirus SARS-COV-2 and other respiratory viruses are mainly transmitted through direct contact between people but also via aerosol clouds. These are tiny droplets that carriers of the virus release into the air through coughing and sneezing but also when talking. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the U.S.A. have now investigated how many droplets get into their surroundings by infected people and how long the viruses remain in the air.
According to the study published in the specialist journal PNAS, test subjects repeated the same sentence in closed rooms. Meanwhile, the study authors used a sensitive laser to observe how many droplets were released into the air. Based on further studies that had previously determined how much viral RNA there is in the oral fluid of a person with an average course of Covid-19 disease, the scientists estimate that at least 1,000 virus-containing droplets are released per minute of loud speaking. These remain in the air for up to 14 minutes.
Air circulation and temperature changes not taken into account
However the study authors note that factors such as air circulation and temperature changes were not taken into account. The results cannot therefore be transferred one-to-one to reality, but they definitely show that infected people talking in closed rooms is a risk factor that should not be underestimated.
In addition Valentyn Stadnytskyi scientists explain that their estimates are very conservative. Some people who deviate significantly from the average come to well over 100,000 droplets per minute of speaking time. Pandemic slow down.
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