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Review
. 2021 Sep:200:111752.
doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111752. Epub 2021 Jul 22.

Airborne aerosols particles and COVID-19 transition

Mojtaba Ehsanifar  1
Affiliations
Review

Airborne aerosols particles and COVID-19 transition

Mojtaba Ehsanifar. Environ Res. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

With the outbreak of Coronavirus (2019) (COVID-19), as of late March 2020, understanding how the cause of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmitted is one of the most important questions that researchers are seeking to answer; because this effort helps to reduce the spread of disease. The COVID-19 is highly transmissible and deadly. Despite "tracking the call" and carefully examining patient contact, it is not yet clear how the virus is transmitted from one sick person to another. Why it is so transmissible? Can viruses be transmitted through speech and exhalation aerosols? How far can these aerosols go? How long can an aerosol containing a virus stay in the air? Is the virus amount in these aerosols enough to lead to an infection? There is no consensus on aerosols' role in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Findings show that SARS-CoV-2 aerosol transmission is possible. Therefore, to effectively reduce SARS-CoV-2, precautionary control strategies for aerosol transfer should be considered. Our aim is to review the evidence of the aerosol transmission containing SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: Aerosol transmission; Airborne particles; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Four basic categories of interventions to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 that can result in a significant reduction in the risk of SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission. Source control: Source control can significantly reduce, if not completely eliminate, the number of aerosols released into the air. Filtration/Ventilation: With effective filtration/ventilation, the number of viral aerosols can be greatly reduced. Individual protective equipment and social distance: These interventions can offer some protection by reducing a person's exposure. Hygiene: Research indicates that the highest viral loads or positive samples can be found on the floor. Cleaning the floor can reduce the possibility of resuspension.
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