Article
Construction & Building Technology
Amar Aganovic, Yang Bi, Guangyu Cao, Finn Drangsholt, Jarek Kurnitski, Pawel Wargocki
Summary: This study found that increasing ventilation rate is more effective in reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to adjusting indoor relative humidity. A change in humidity had minimal impact on infection risk at a ventilation rate of 0.5 ACH, while increasing the ventilation rate to 6 ACH had a much larger effect, decreasing infection risk by half compared to the impact of humidity.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Naohide Shinohara, Jun Sakaguchi, Hoon Kim, Naoki Kagi, Koichi Tatsu, Hiroyuki Mano, Yuichi Iwasaki, Wataru Naito
Summary: The study found that the air exchange rates in train cars are influenced by factors such as the degree of window opening, whether doors are closed, and the speed of the train. Under specific conditions, opening doors and windows and turning on the central air conditioning/fan system can significantly reduce the risk of infection for passengers on trains.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Zahra Noorimotlagh, Neemat Jaafarzadeh, Susana Silva Martinez, Seyyed Abbas Mirzaee
Summary: The possibility of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor air environments has been highlighted in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures such as improving ventilation, maintaining interpersonal distance, and considering the airborne transmission route are crucial for protecting health.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Huw Woodward, Rick J. B. de Kreij, Emily S. Kruger, Shiwei Fan, Arvind Tiwari, Sarkawt Hama, Simon Noel, Megan S. Davies Wykes, Prashant Kumar, Paul F. Linden
Summary: Experiments conducted in the UK evaluated the risk of airborne transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on an inter-city train carriage. The risk of infection during a 1-hour train journey was estimated to be significantly lower than a full day in either a well-ventilated or poorly ventilated office.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
L. Stabile, A. Pacitto, A. Mikszewski, L. Morawska, G. Buonanno
Summary: The key challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic is reducing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through indoor air. Improved ventilation in crowded indoor environments like schools can help minimize airborne transmission, but there is uncertainty around required ventilation rates and achieving targets efficiently. The study explores using mechanical ventilation and ad-hoc airing procedures to mitigate airborne transmission risk in classrooms, proposing a feedback control strategy for naturally-ventilated classrooms.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mojtaba Ehsanifar
Summary: Researchers are actively investigating the transmission of the coronavirus, with aerosol transmission considered possible. Precautionary control strategies to effectively reduce virus transmission need to be considered.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yuguo Li, Hua Qian, Jian Hang, Xuguang Chen, Pan Cheng, Hong Ling, Shengqi Wang, Peng Liang, Jiansen Li, Shenglan Xiao, Jianjian Wei, Li Liu, Benjamin J. Cowling, Min Kang
Summary: By analyzing a COVID-19 outbreak in a restaurant in Guangzhou, China, the study assessed the possibility of airborne transmission of the virus and characterized the associated environmental conditions. The findings suggest that airborne transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is possible in crowded spaces with a ventilation rate of 1 L/s per person.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Alex Mikszewski, Luca Stabile, Giorgio Buonanno, Lidia Morawska
Summary: This study assesses the contagiousness of SARS-CoV-2 and compares it with other respiratory pathogens. The research finds that the transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2 is similar to active untreated TB, higher than seasonal influenza, and lower than measles virus. The current ventilation standards may not be sufficient to control the spread of highly contagious viruses like SARS-CoV-2 in crowded settings, indicating the need for additional control measures.
GEOSCIENCE FRONTIERS
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Clifford K. Ho, Royce Binns
Summary: The study utilized computational fluid dynamics models to simulate the impact of different ventilation scenarios on airborne exposure risks in a 72-passenger school bus. Results indicated that a moving bus with at least two sets of openings separated in the forward and aft directions produced a through-flow condition that reduced concentrations significantly.
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS IN HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martin Z. Bazant, John W. M. Bush
Summary: The importance of airborne transmission of COVID-19 is widely recognized, but there is currently no safety guideline proposed. The suggestion is to set an upper limit on cumulative exposure time in indoor spaces, which depends on factors such as ventilation and air filtration rates, room dimensions, breathing rate, respiratory activity, and face mask use.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering
Sha Hao-han, Zhang Xin, Qi Da-hai
Summary: This study investigates the effects of mechanical ventilation control strategies based on non-steady-state (NSS) and steady-state (SS) Wells-Riley (WR) models on the required ventilation rates and energy consumption for preventing airborne transmission. The results indicate that the SS WR control underestimates the required ventilation rate under high initial quantum concentration, and the ventilation energy consumption of NSS control is up to 2.5 times as high as that of SS control.
JOURNAL OF CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY
(2022)
Review
Construction & Building Technology
Nima Izadyar, Wendy Miller
Summary: This review paper examines the impact of ventilation on the spread of aerosols and suggests efficient strategies such as personalized ventilation systems and consideration of design features to control indoor aerosol transmission. It emphasizes the importance of ventilation rates and suggests the use of filtration and decontamination devices to enhance ventilation performance.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Filipa Adzic, Ben M. Roberts, Elizabeth Abigail Hathway, Rupy Kaur Matharu, Lena Ciric, Oliver Wild, Malcolm Cook, Liora Malki-Epshtein
Summary: Research on indoor air quality during mass-gathering events suggests that most auditoria have good ventilation systems, resulting in low risk of long-range transmission of COVID-19.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dyani Lewis
Summary: Early in the pandemic, the World Health Organization wrongly stated that SARS-CoV-2 was not transmitted through the air, causing confusion and raising questions about the future handling of pandemics.
Article
Mechanics
Swetaprovo Chaudhuri, Prasad Kasibhatla, Arnab Mukherjee, William Pan, Glenn Morrison, Sharmistha Mishra, Vijaya Kumar Murty
Summary: This study investigates the mechanisms of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through aerosols and its relationship with overdispersion. Using real-world occupancy data from social contact settings, the study finds that 80% of secondary infections come from approximately 4% of index cases. The variability in viral load among individuals is identified as the main driver of overdispersion. The study also presents an analytical function that replicates the simulated overdispersion and demonstrates the effectiveness of potential mitigation strategies.