Coronavirus appears to linger in the air of crowded spaces and rooms that lack sufficient ventilation, but it is unclear whether these particles can cause infection, a new study says.
The research was carried out across two hospitals in Wuhan, China looking into the aerodynamic nature of the virus and it's aerosol transmission in February and March 2020.
When people breathe or talk, they produce droplets, the larger droplets fall to the ground and onto surfaces, but the smaller ones, which make up aerosols, can hang in the air for hours and travel further.
While many studies have focused on the timeframe the droplets can last on surfaces, some scientists are now researching the lifespan of aerosol to determine whether it can spread the virus.
The study, published Monday in the journal Nature Research, set up aerosol traps in 30 locations around the hospitals.
The research found elevated concentrations of the aerosols in hospital toilets, indoor spaces prone to large crowds, and rooms where medical staff removed protective equipment.
In other public areas, COVID-19 aerosols were undetectable, and the concentration of aerosols in isolation wards and ventilated patient rooms was very low.
However, the research led by Ke Lan of Wuhan University did not explore whether the aerosol droplets could cause further coronavirus infections of anyone who came into contact with it.
"Although we have not established the infectivity of the virus detected in these hospital areas, we propose that SARS-CoV-2 may have the potential to be transmitted via aerosols," the study says.
"Our results indicate that room ventilation, open space, sanitization of protective apparel, and proper use and disinfection of toilet areas can effectively limit the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in aerosols. Future work should explore the infectivity of aerosolized virus."
In an email to Nature, Lan says his research demonstrates that just breathing and talking could spread coronavirus, and as a precaution, the public should avoid crowds and wear face masks "to reduce the risk of airborne virus exposure".
As of April 28 there have been over 3 million cases of COVID-19 reported and 210,000 deaths worldwide.
