Posted on 01/17/2022 19:29 / 01/17/2022 19:30 . updated to
(Credit: Dotted Yeti / Disclosure)
Research by the Aerosol Research Center at the University of Bristol, England, may have suggested that the low . have identified coronavirus infection After 20 minutes of exposure to air. For the researchers, the finding further confirms the need for masks and social distancing.
Study It simulates the behavior of the virus after termination and it was through this analysis that the researchers recognized that in just 20 minutes, the virus lost 90% of its infectious capacity and that damage occurs in the first five minutes.
As the viral particles leave the lungs—which are in relatively humid and carbon dioxide-rich conditions—they quickly lose water and dry out. Furthermore, the transition to lower levels of carbon dioxide is associated with a rapid increase in pH. These two factors impede the ability of the virus to infect human cells, however, the speed at which these particles dry out varies according to the relative humidity of the surrounding air.
When the humidity was less than 50% (e.g. the equivalent of an office) the virus lost half its infectivity in five seconds, after which the decline was slower and more steady, with an additional 19% loss compared to the next five minutes. , The decline in infectivity was more gradual at 90% humidity (approximately equivalent to a steam room or shower room), with 52% of particles remaining infectious after five minutes, dropping to about 10% after 20 minutes, with no difference between the two. Conditions.
However, the researchers indicated that air temperature did not make a difference in viral infectivity, rejecting the idea that viral transmission is lower at higher temperatures.
“That means if I’m meeting friends for lunch at a bar today, the main thing [risco] It’s probably me broadcasting it to my friends, or my friends broadcasting it, rather than someone else on the other side of the room,” explains Jonathan Reid, director of the Aerosol Research Center at the University of Bristol and lead author of the study. According to the researchers, from the findings, the biggest form of protection is the use of masks and social distancing.
The research has not yet been published in a scientific journal and/or journal and will be reviewed.
