SARS-CoV-2 in the Air: A Major Route of Transmission for the COVID-19 Diseases
Infected individual coughs, sneezes, or exhales (when speaking) produce a large quantity of virus-laden droplets and aerosols that can remain in the air for several hours. Every new scientific paper on airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 brings more evidence on the importance of this mechanism in the transmission of the COVID-19 diseases.
This webinar will provide a brief overview and synthesis of the most recent scientific studies published within the last few weeks on the characteristics of airborne SARS-CoV-2. Size distribution (between droplets and aerosols), viability, and atmospheric dispersion mechanisms will be addressed.
This presentation will also introduce our current research activities initiated on this topic in collaboration with the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, the Intensive Care Unit of the Nicosia General Hospital, and the Cyprus Civil Defence. The objective of this research (supported by the “CyI COVID-19 Internal Research Call”) is to demonstrate the added value of a “bioaerosol network” in monitoring the presence of airborne SARS-CoV-2 within large indoor public areas to alert on the potential risk of local contamination, and therefore allows for immediate mitigation actions (shutdown and disinfection). If operated continuously, such bioaerosol networks could become an early warning system to geolocate the presence of a new infectious clusters, information which is strategic for combating large-scale spreading of the virus.
