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How can airborne transmission of COVID-19 indoors be minimised?

Morawska, Lidia ; Tang, Julian W ; Bahnfleth, William ; Bluyssen, Philomena M ; Boerstra, Atze ; Buonanno, Giorgio ; Cao, Junji ; Dancer, Stephanie ; Floto, Andres and Franchimon, Francesco , et al. (2020) In Environment International 142.
Abstract

During the rapid rise in COVID-19 illnesses and deaths globally, and notwithstanding recommended precautions, questions are voiced about routes of transmission for this pandemic disease. Inhaling small airborne droplets is probable as a third route of infection, in addition to more widely recognized transmission via larger respiratory droplets and direct contact with infected people or contaminated surfaces. While uncertainties remain regarding the relative contributions of the different transmission pathways, we argue that existing evidence is sufficiently strong to warrant engineering controls targeting airborne transmission as part of an overall strategy to limit infection risk indoors. Appropriate building engineering controls... (More)

During the rapid rise in COVID-19 illnesses and deaths globally, and notwithstanding recommended precautions, questions are voiced about routes of transmission for this pandemic disease. Inhaling small airborne droplets is probable as a third route of infection, in addition to more widely recognized transmission via larger respiratory droplets and direct contact with infected people or contaminated surfaces. While uncertainties remain regarding the relative contributions of the different transmission pathways, we argue that existing evidence is sufficiently strong to warrant engineering controls targeting airborne transmission as part of an overall strategy to limit infection risk indoors. Appropriate building engineering controls include sufficient and effective ventilation, possibly enhanced by particle filtration and air disinfection, avoiding air recirculation and avoiding overcrowding. Often, such measures can be easily implemented and without much cost, but if only they are recognised as significant in contributing to infection control goals. We believe that the use of engineering controls in public buildings, including hospitals, shops, offices, schools, kindergartens, libraries, restaurants, cruise ships, elevators, conference rooms or public transport, in parallel with effective application of other controls (including isolation and quarantine, social distancing and hand hygiene), would be an additional important measure globally to reduce the likelihood of transmission and thereby protect healthcare workers, patients and the general public.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Environment International
volume
142
article number
105832
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:32521345
  • scopus:85085951235
ISSN
1873-6750
DOI
10.1016/j.envint.2020.105832
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
id
94daa307-24e4-4f44-9747-c397a04fbf63
date added to LUP
2020-06-30 11:48:38
date last changed
2024-06-13 18:59:30
@article{94daa307-24e4-4f44-9747-c397a04fbf63,
  abstract     = {{<p>During the rapid rise in COVID-19 illnesses and deaths globally, and notwithstanding recommended precautions, questions are voiced about routes of transmission for this pandemic disease. Inhaling small airborne droplets is probable as a third route of infection, in addition to more widely recognized transmission via larger respiratory droplets and direct contact with infected people or contaminated surfaces. While uncertainties remain regarding the relative contributions of the different transmission pathways, we argue that existing evidence is sufficiently strong to warrant engineering controls targeting airborne transmission as part of an overall strategy to limit infection risk indoors. Appropriate building engineering controls include sufficient and effective ventilation, possibly enhanced by particle filtration and air disinfection, avoiding air recirculation and avoiding overcrowding. Often, such measures can be easily implemented and without much cost, but if only they are recognised as significant in contributing to infection control goals. We believe that the use of engineering controls in public buildings, including hospitals, shops, offices, schools, kindergartens, libraries, restaurants, cruise ships, elevators, conference rooms or public transport, in parallel with effective application of other controls (including isolation and quarantine, social distancing and hand hygiene), would be an additional important measure globally to reduce the likelihood of transmission and thereby protect healthcare workers, patients and the general public.</p>}},
  author       = {{Morawska, Lidia and Tang, Julian W and Bahnfleth, William and Bluyssen, Philomena M and Boerstra, Atze and Buonanno, Giorgio and Cao, Junji and Dancer, Stephanie and Floto, Andres and Franchimon, Francesco and Haworth, Charles and Hogeling, Jaap and Isaxon, Christina and Jimenez, Jose L and Kurnitski, Jarek and Li, Yuguo and Loomans, Marcel and Marks, Guy and Marr, Linsey C and Mazzarella, Livio and Melikov, Arsen Krikor and Miller, Shelly and Milton, Donald K and Nazaroff, William and Nielsen, Peter V and Noakes, Catherine and Peccia, Jordan and Querol, Xavier and Sekhar, Chandra and Seppänen, Olli and Tanabe, Shin-Ichi and Tellier, Raymond and Tham, Kwok Wai and Wargocki, Pawel and Wierzbicka, Aneta and Yao, Maosheng}},
  issn         = {{1873-6750}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Environment International}},
  title        = {{How can airborne transmission of COVID-19 indoors be minimised?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105832}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.envint.2020.105832}},
  volume       = {{142}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}