Airborne Transmission of Diseases in Outdoors and Indoors

A special issue of COVID (ISSN 2673-8112).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2024) | Viewed by 2546

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council, Str. Prv. Lecce-Monteroni km 1.2, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Interests: characterisation of atmospheric particulate matter; health-related effects of aerosols
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Guest Editor
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata (IZS_PB), Via Manfredonia 20, I-71100 Foggia, Italy
Interests: bioaerosols; airborne transmission of diseases; health-related effects of bioaerosols

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The last twenty years has witnessed the development of several pandemics, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2003, the H1N1 flu in 2009, and COVID-19 in 2019. These pandemics led to the infection and death of numerous people and had disastrosous effects on our social and economic lives. They also triggered collaborative research and questions regarding the airborne transmission of diseases, particularly pertaining to their biological components, such as bacteria, fungi, spores, and viruses. The strategies employed to mitigate health risks and manage air quality require multidisciplinar research on the dynamics of biological components in air. Collaborative research efforts towards understanding the mechanisms of the airborne transmission of diseases, the environmental health risks and the practical solutions required to mitigate these processes are vital to the prevention and control of future pandemics. This Special Issue welcomes the submission of articles addressing any subject area relating to the airborne transmission of coronavirus-related diseases and the dynamics of atmospheric bioaerosols, including measurement, protocols, and modelling. Related topics include, but are not limited to, air and surface disinfection and purification; the airborne transmission of diseases; the assessment and modeling of atmospheric bioaerosol in indoors and outdoors; the influence of climate change on bioaerosol dynamics; and environmental exposure and health risk assessment. Research papers, analytical reviews, case studies, conceptual frameworks and policy-relevant articles are welcome. These research outcomes will help to develop a more resilient society and a healthier future.

Dr. Daniele Contini
Dr. Antonio Pennetta
Dr. Daniela Chirizzi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. COVID is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • air and surface disinfection and purification
  • airborne transmission of diseases
  • assessment and modelling
  • bioaerosols
  • environmental exposure and health risk assessment

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 4798 KiB  
Article
Development and Validation of a Methodology to Measure Exhaled Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Control Indoor Air Renewal
by Marta Baselga, Juan J. Alba and Alberto J. Schuhmacher
COVID 2023, 3(12), 1797-1817; https://doi.org/10.3390/covid3120124 - 18 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1413
Abstract
The measurement of carbon dioxide (CO2) has emerged as a cost-effective and straightforward technique for indirectly managing indoor air quality, aiding in the reduction of the potentially pathogen-laden aerosol concentrations to which we are exposed. Unfortunately, inadequate practices often limit the [...] Read more.
The measurement of carbon dioxide (CO2) has emerged as a cost-effective and straightforward technique for indirectly managing indoor air quality, aiding in the reduction of the potentially pathogen-laden aerosol concentrations to which we are exposed. Unfortunately, inadequate practices often limit the interpretation of CO2 levels and neglect methodologies that ensure proper air renewal. This study presents a novel methodology for measuring and controlling indoor CO2 levels in shared spaces, comprising four stages: analysis, diagnosis, correction protocols, and monitoring/control/surveillance (MCS). This methodology underwent validation in practical settings, including a cultural center (representing spaces with uniform activities) and 40 commercial spaces (with diverse activities) in Zaragoza, Spain. The results indicate the feasibility of swiftly implementing measures to enhance shared air renewal, with the immediate opening of doors and windows being the most direct solution. The proposed methodology is practical and has the potential to mitigate the risk of the aerosol transmission of respiratory diseases. Consequently, we anticipate that this work will contribute to establishing methodological foundations for CO2 measurement as a valuable, standardized, and reliable tool. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Airborne Transmission of Diseases in Outdoors and Indoors)
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