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Article

Aerosol Release by Healthy People during Speaking: Possible Contribution to the Transmission of SARS-CoV-2

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Thomas Eiche GmbH, Gempenstrasse 50, CH-4133 Pratteln, Switzerland
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Novartis Pharma AG, Novartis Business Services, CoE HSE, WSJ 503/13/50, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(23), 9088; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17239088
Received: 2 November 2020 / Revised: 27 November 2020 / Accepted: 3 December 2020 / Published: 5 December 2020
Our research aimed to review the potential risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2. We used an excerpt of a data set generated in May 2020 for reviewing the SARS-CoV-2 prevention concept of orchestras, singers and actors. People were sampled for droplet release for one-hour activities using a Grimm spectrometer covering a spectrum of 1 to 32 µm diameter. We estimated the number of “quanta” in the exhaled liquid from viral concentrations of 106 to 1011/mL, based on the Human Infective Dose 50 of 218 viral particles. We employed the Wells–Riley equation to estimate the risk of infection in typical meeting rooms for a one-hour meeting of 2, 4 and 6 people observing a 2 m distance. The four participating adults released a mean of 1.28 nLm3 while breathing, 1.68 nL/m3 while speaking normally, and two adults released a mean of 4.44 nL/m3 while talking with a raised voice. The combination of 50% breathing, 45% talking normally and 5% speaking with a raised voice increased the risk of infection above 5% for a one-hour meeting of two people. The result is based on 6 quanta released, corresponding to an initial virus concentration of 1000/nL (109/mL) in the fluid of the upper respiratory tract. Our data confirm the importance of using facemasks in combination with other measures to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at the workplace. View Full-Text
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; aerosol transmission; breathing; speaking; asymptomatic spreader; meetings SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; aerosol transmission; breathing; speaking; asymptomatic spreader; meetings
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MDPI and ACS Style

Eiche, T.; Kuster, M. Aerosol Release by Healthy People during Speaking: Possible Contribution to the Transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 9088. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17239088

AMA Style

Eiche T, Kuster M. Aerosol Release by Healthy People during Speaking: Possible Contribution to the Transmission of SARS-CoV-2. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(23):9088. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17239088

Chicago/Turabian Style

Eiche, Thomas, and Martin Kuster. 2020. "Aerosol Release by Healthy People during Speaking: Possible Contribution to the Transmission of SARS-CoV-2" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 23: 9088. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17239088

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