A movie that clearly shows how particles released by sneezing, coughing, etc. spread indoors
COVID-19 is a disease whose main routes of infection are believed to be
Researchers modeling the spread of the coronavirus emphasis on the importance of avoiding busy indoor spaces | Aalto University
https://www.aalto.fi/en/news/researchers-modelling-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus-emphasise-the-importance-of-avoiding-busy
A joint research team from Aalto University, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Finnish VTT Technical Research Center, and the University of Helsinki has released a movie that visualizes the results of a simulation using CSC's supercomputer of how the cough of a person infected with the new coronavirus spreads indoors. Since the particle size of the 'dry cough', a typical symptom of COVID-19, is thought to be less than 15 micrometers, the movie visually depicts the spread of aerosols less than 20 micrometers emitted from the trachea by the cough of an infected person.
A 3D model of a person coughing in an indoor environment – how an aerosol cloud travels in the air - YouTube
In this movie, a supermarket or other grocery store is assumed as an indoor space, with shelves about 2 meters high between people. It should be noted that ventilation is also taken into consideration in this indoor space. The aerosols that are dispersed from a person's mouth when they cough are shown in the red frame below.
The color of the aerosol indicates the location of each particle, with the closer to yellow the particle is, the higher it is in space, and the closer to blue the lower it is. The aerosol released by the cough spreads rapidly forward...
After 1 minute and 30 seconds, it had gone over the shelf and reached the head of a person one row away.
Two and a half minutes later, they were two rows away.
Over time, the aerosol evaporates and disappears, but it remains in front of the person who coughed for a long time. After 4 minutes, it looked like this.
The aerosol remained even after six minutes.
This movie shows the spread of 20 micrometer aerosols, but research has confirmed that influenza A viruses are contained in particles smaller than 5 micrometers.
The research team pointed out that aerosols emitted by COVID-19 infected people may increase infection, as shown in the movie above. The results of this study confirm the importance of the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare's recommendations, such as 'stay home if you feel unwell and maintain physical distance from all people,' 'cover your mouth with a sleeve or tissue when coughing,' and 'wash your hands thoroughly.'
An article from Alto University reporting on the results of this study states: 'We know that reducing the number of people in crowded places such as shops, restaurants and public transport slows down or completely prevents the spread of the virus. Current information suggests that people should avoid crowded indoor spaces to reduce the risk of droplet infection, which is the main cause of COVID-19.'
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