Strategies to lower the indoor COVID risk

As the world awaits the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, people are struggling to comply with the standard protocols to control the spread. With winters approaching, people are forced to spend the majority of their time playing indoors activities,which increases the challenges to prevent transmissions.

At the 73^rd annual meeting of the American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics,the scientist presented the concept of controlling the infection through aerodynamics. The study findings suggested strategies to lower the risk by employing techniques to regulate the internal environment.

Previously, the focus of the researchers was to limit the aerosol transmission as it was identified as the main transmission route. Thus, it was documented that coughing and sneezing of fast propelling air droplets in an enclosed space increased the risk of infection. Wiliam Ristenpart, a chemical engineer reported, “ the people shouting and speaking loudly produced large-sized infected droplets compared to the normal voice or coughing.

Interestingly, compared to influenza, many authors implied the SARS COV transmission through the dust particle, considering it a greater form of risk. Furthermore, Kumar and Hertzberg investigated the other sources of infection such as musical instruments. The findings indicated that instruments with wet vibrating surfaces increased the risk for a transmission unless the bell areas are covered. Thus, keeping in mind the risk, researchers devised strategies for live orchestras with large filters and recommended a considerable distance from the audience to lower the risk.

Recently, Bazant and Bush proposed a new safety guidelines application, which would allow the peoples to estimate the amount of risk by measuring the room size,ventilation, face-covering and duration of exposure. Moreover, Kramer and Wang invested efforts to recreate a proper protocol to avoid the infection spread among the employees in an enclosed area and during traveling. The authors reported, “ the best strategy in such enclosed areas is opening windows and doors, which would allow sufficient airflow to reduce the risk for infection.

‘Hence, understanding better flow dynamics would yield smarter strategies to reduce transmission.’