Tiny coronavirus respiratory particles are likely to remain in the air for longer and travel further than previously thought. A recent study published in the journal International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer showed that the tiny droplets can stay moist for up to 30 minutes and travel up to about 200 feet.
Previously, it was believed that very small, aerosolized droplets of just a few microns produced in the lungs almost immediately dried up in the air, becoming harmless. But studies prove otherwise. For this, the researchers took a long look at the mucus that covers the respiratory droplets that people exhale from their lungs.
Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) note that mucus allows many viruses to travel further, allowing them to travel from person to person.
Arguing this, the scientist said that this is because enveloped viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 have a fatty coating that must be kept moist for the virus to be infectious, slow evaporation allows viral particles to remain infectious longer. allows for.
“There are reports of people being infected with the coronavirus under an infected person or in a room several minutes after an infected person has left that room,” said study co-author Leonard Pease.
Pez said, “The idea that enveloped viruses can remain well-hydrated and thus be fully infectious over sufficient distances is consistent with real-world observations. Perhaps infectious respiratory droplets may be better than what we feel.” I stay for a long time.”
The researchers noted that although several factors have been proposed for how COVID is transmitted, mucus is largely overlooked.
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