#COVID #outdoors
A study estimating concentrations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in outdoor air determined that the probability of outdoor airborne transmission is exceedingly low.
Researchers used aerosol samples collected outdoors in various settings in Wuhan, China, in February 2020.
Unlike inside settings where many infected individuals could be in the same small environment, they found no detectable concentration of SARS-CoV-2 in public or residential areas in the outdoors.
Study authors said: “We theoretically examined if atmospheric particles can scavenge virus aerosol, through inertial impact, interception and Brownian diffusion. The probability was very low.
“In addition, the probability of coagulation of virus-laden aerosol with pre-existing atmospheric particles resulted negligible for accumulation and coarse mode particles.”
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in their paper.
Source: Environmental Research Volume 193, February 2021
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