Latest study: 90% reduction in infectivity of the new coronavirus after 20 minutes of exposure to the air

The latest findings by British scholars suggest that Omexon may be most dangerous when it first spreads.

According to the Guardian, Professor Jonathan Reid of the Aerosol Research Centre of the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom recently found that the new crown virus loses 90% of the ability to infect the human body within 20 minutes of entering the air, and most of the infectivity is lost in the first 5 minutes.

The findings re-emphasize the key features of the short-range spread of COVID-19, with physical distancing and wearing masks may be the most effective means of preventing infection. Ventilation, while still valuable, may have less impact. Professor Reid, who led the study, said:

"People have been paying attention to poorly ventilated spaces and taking into account the airborne transmission of several meters or throughout the room. I'm not saying it won't happen, but I think the biggest risk of exposure to aerosols is still when you're close to someone. ”

"When you go further, not only is the aerosol diluted, but the infectivity of the virus is also reduced because the virus (due to time) has lost its infectivity."

Until now, the hypothesis about how long the virus survives in tiny air droplets has been based on an experiment that sprayed the virus into an airtight container and rotated the container to keep the droplets in the air at all times. With this trial, researchers in the United States can still detect the infectious virus after three hours.

However, Professor Reid believes that this does not accurately replicate what happens when people cough or breathe.

Researchers at the University of Bristol have invented an instrument that can produce any number of tiny, virus-containing particles and then gently suspend them between two electrical rings for 5 to 20 minutes, while tightly controlling the temperature, humidity and UV intensity of the surrounding environment. Professor Reid said:

"This is the first time someone has been able to really simulate what happens to an aerosol during exhalation."

Source: The Guardian, University of Bristol, Wall Street Collation

The study showed that as virus particles leave the relatively humid, carbon dioxide-rich lung structure, they quickly lose water and dry out, while reduced carbon dioxide levels and increased pH both disrupt the virus's ability to infect human cells, and the rate of drying depends on the relative humidity of the surrounding air.

When the relative humidity of the air fell below 50 percent (similar to the relatively dry air in many offices), the virus lost about half of its infectivity within 5 seconds, then descended more slowly and steadily, losing another 19 percent in the next 5 minutes.

At 90% humidity (roughly equivalent to steam or shower rooms), the decline in infectivity is more slow, with 52% of the particles still infectious after 5 minutes and falling to about 10% after 20 minutes, after which there is no difference between the two cases.

Notably, the study found that the temperature of the air had no effect on viral infectivity, which contradicts the widely believed idea that the rate of virus transmission is lower at high temperatures.

Dr Julian Tang, a clinical virologist at the University of Leicester, said the findings were consistent with what epidemiologists had observed locally, adding:

"Masks are very effective... And social distancing. Improved ventilation can also help – especially near the source. ”

Dr Stephen Griffin, Associate Professor of Virology at the University of Leeds, stressed the importance of ventilation:

"Without proper ventilation, the aerosol will quickly fill the indoor space."

All three Sars-CoV-2 variants the team has tested so far have the same effect. They hope to begin experimenting with the Amikeron variant in the coming weeks.

The findings have not been peer-reviewed.

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