Experts decipher how airflow in the car affects COVID-19 infection

Dog owners are aware of all the problems with pets stripping their fur in the car. However, there is another form of omission that causes more troublesome problems. It is the people who drop the COVID-19 virus.

When you cough or sneeze, all of these particles are released into the air. Some are wide and large, and can be seen thrown out of anyone’s nose or mouth.

In aerosol physics, these are “large” but invisible to the naked eye and settle on the surface very easily. But others are light enough to float in the air that surrounds them.

(Photo: Mario Tama / Getty Images)
Los Angeles, CA-August 20: Uber drivers take part in a car rally by Uber and Lyft drivers, basic at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) COVID-19 Pandemic on August 20, 2020 in Los Angeles, CA. Request for employment rights. The Court of Appeals has granted Lyft and Uber an emergency stay so that drivers do not have to be classified as employees who are allowed to continue ride-sharing services after the closure in California is threatened.

This virus can infect faster than you know

But what you may not know is that this does not only happen when you sneeze or cough. It releases aerosols even when you are chatting or breathing naturally.

There are three reasons for this virus.

• Some, if not most, of those who have it Asymptomatic.. That means they didn’t know they had COVID-19.
• Individuals before they show signs Shed a high viral load From their throat.
• There is confirmation that much of this asymptomatic transmission is occurring.

Viral shedding during regular outdoor conversations is not a problem as it can be socially distanced and the wind rapidly dilutes the virus in the air.

A typical apartment, also inside, has a capacity of about 1,000 cubic feet of air.Combine with an average household with an air exchange rate of about 0.5 air shift every hour (This means that half of the air in the house changes every hour with the outside air), this amount of room can help dilute the virus.

So what about our car?

There is capacity around 100 cubic feet The average family car interior is one tenth the size of an apartment. And maybe we’ll pack four or five people into that little room. It’s difficult to separate yourself from culture.

There is a possible problem here as it is related to COVID-19. We have done a great job of sealing vehicles for decades. Have you recently noticed how quiet they are inside? This is because every attempt was made to close all potential voids in pursuit of improved acoustics. As a result, the amount of ventilation, that is, the amount of fresh air that reaches the vehicle, can be very limited.

This one small shift minimizes the odds

Experts explain what this means for COVID-19 and model a basic scenario to give a simple move to protect yourself and others when in the car. It became. Few minutes.

When the window is locked, SARS-CoV-2 accumulates in the vehicle (small aerosol particles). The concentration increases with each fresh cough and no noticeable dilution occurs. But this can still be kept in the bay by breaking one window that is only 3 inches open.

So the next time you get in the car, if you’re driving your own car with someone else, or if you’re on an Uber or Lyft bus, the same advice. Even if everyone feels good, just raise the window a little.

Whether you use air conditioning or heating, make sure your vehicle is not in recirculating air mode and choose to keep the windows locked. Prefer ways to bring in new outside air. For taxis and carpools, having everyone in the car wear a mask is also a must.

Must remember researcherThe change in airflow is not a substitute for wearing a mask by all occupants in the car. And the results are limited to future exposure to contaminants that can produce residual aerosols. The analysis did not model larger respiratory droplets or the virus itself may be contaminated.

Finally, we will only address aerial propagation by incorporating more outdoor weather. Wash your hands while riding as there are some high contact surfaces inside the vehicle for droplets to fall off.

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