The local outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan, Taiwan is heating up, with four new cases imported from abroad and seven confirmed cases in the local area on May 11, and a total of 36 people infected by the Novotel cluster case at China Airlines. Now the CDC has pointed out that the new coronavirus (also known as the Chinese communist virus) can be spread through “aerosols”, which has aroused public concern. What exactly are aerosols? What are the high-risk spaces?
Virus transmission
The CDC has confirmed that viruses can be spread by aerosols over longer distances than droplets.
Yahoo News reports that transportation has become a means of virus transmission, and people from all walks of life are worried that it will become a breach in epidemic prevention again and expand the risk of clustering. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its latest guidelines on May 7, pointing out that the new coronavirus can be transmitted not only by droplets and contact, but also by attaching to suspended particles “aerosols” that are lighter than droplets.
Aerosol, also known as aerosol, is a solid or liquid particle in the air, about 5 to 10 microns, smaller than droplets, and can float for hours in a confined space; it can spread farther than droplets, reaching more than 10 meters. This epidemic command center expert advisory group convener Zhang Shangchun confirmed such a possibility, but stressed that there are a variety of factors in transport infection, it is difficult to clarify.
Typical aerosols are cigarette and e-cigarette smoke (Photo: pixabay)
Cigarette smoke is a typical aerosol that can carry pathogens to brew airborne
Typical aerosols in life are cigarette and e-cigarette smoke. The former is a solid, the latter is a liquid, they will be dispersed, diffuse in the air, not due to gravity to fall to the ground, which is the main reason people smoke in a confined space, after a period of time can still smell the smoke. Other examples of common aerosols include smoke, fog, dust, PM2.5, and inhaled medications used to treat respiratory diseases.
In addition, droplets from human speech and sneezing can evaporate into smaller “droplet nuclei” by external moisture and remain suspended in the air for long periods of time along with aerosols. And when these aerosols flowing with the gas combined with pathogens, and inadvertently inhaled by healthy people or eye and hand contact, it may cause transmission through the air.
Droplet transmission through the air (Photo: Wikimedia)
There are precedents of aerosol-borne viruses in simulated aircraft and hospitals with high risk
18 years ago Hong Kong Amoy Gardens outbreak of SARS fecal mouth transmission, is because the virus containing excrement emitted into the gas, the formation of the original aerosol, and then through the ventilation duct leakage transmission, so that the epidemic in a short period of time to expand.
Taiwan’s previous China Airlines confirmed pilot case 1183 suspected of being diagnosed with case 1153 in the same simulated aircraft, China Medical University Hospital Infection Control Center Vice President Huang Gao-Bin pointed out that the closed simulated aircraft is a high-risk environment for aerosol transmission. Health care workers who spend a long time in the same room with patients may also be infected by aerosols if they do not take proper protective measures.
Avoid confined spaces + prolonged exposure to enhance ventilation can make aerosols disperse
Aerosol transmission is stronger than droplet transmission, and the CDC guidelines show that as long as the virus concentration in the confined air is sufficient, it is still possible to be infected from 6 meters away from the carrier. Therefore, elevators, cruise ships, KTV booths, spas, and unopened conference rooms are all suitable breeding grounds for aerosol development.
Unopened conference rooms are hotbeds of viruses suitable for aerosol development (Photo: pixabay)
However, epidemic prevention experts also pointed out that aerosol transmission conditions are relatively harsh, must meet the “confined space” and “prolonged exposure” two major points, not only small particles can not carry too much virus, in the open space or when people walk around, a few seconds will disperse and disappear. Therefore, as long as you pay attention to personal hygiene and cleanliness, and strengthen the frequency of indoor air conditioning ventilation or ventilation, you can effectively avoid the virus attack.
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