Abstract View
The Role of Aerosols in the Transmission of COVID-19
LINSEY MARR, Virginia Tech
Abstract Number: 631
Working Group: Invited by Conference Chair
Abstract
There is growing evidence that aerosols are an important route of transmission of COVID-19. The virus that causes the disease, SARS-CoV-2, has been found in the air of hospital rooms and directly in the exhaled breath of patients, and certain superspreading events are best explained by aerosols. Transmission of infectious disease by aerosols is a highly interdisciplinary topic that draws upon epidemiology, virology, and especially aerosol science. Breathing, talking, coughing, and sneezing release respiratory droplets spanning a wide range of sizes. These may contain virus if a person is infected. Physically, virus-laden droplets are subject to the same transport and removal mechanisms as are airborne particles; we can apply fundamental principles about particle behavior to understand the dynamics of virus in the air. Evaporation of respiratory droplets leads to shrinkage and changes in chemical composition that may affect virus viability. Laboratory studies indicate that SARS-CoV-2 remains infectious in aerosols for many hours. While aerosol science informs our understanding of the transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory infectious diseases, it also provides us with tools to mitigate transmission. Aerosol science explains why distancing, masks, and good ventilation can help reduce exposure to the virus.