Health Times Wang Zhuo
In recent days, provinces and cities in China have reported a number of locally confirmed cases of aerosol transmission. On April 13, Liu Peng, a researcher at Tsinghua University School of Medicine and head of the research and development team of the public space bioaerosol new coronavirus monitoring system, said that the Omilon variant strain is more likely to cause aerosol transmission. The transmission route in the "Diagnosis and Treatment Plan for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (Trial Version 9)" also clearly states that in a relatively sealed environment through aerosol transmission, the public should improve their awareness of prevention and strictly comply with the epidemic prevention requirements of wearing masks.
On April 12, Taierzhuang District, Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province, issued an emergency reminder that a resident of the district who did not wear a mask to dig wild vegetables somewhere outdoors was infected by an asymptomatic infected person who did not wear a mask at the same time, and after epidemiological investigation and analysis, it was caused by aerosol transmission.
On April 10, the Ningbo Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Zhejiang Province released that a local confirmed case entered an underground parking lot by self-driving car (driving window and not wearing a mask), and 2 other recurrent cases stayed in the parking lot and did not wear a mask during the same time period, and there was a possibility of infection caused by aerosol transmission.
Liu Peng introduced that the aerosol diameter is less than 100 microns, the propagation distance is more than 1 meter, and can be directly inhaled into the lungs. Earlier, the main site of infection of the primary virus of new crown pneumonia was the lungs, and patients had to cough or droplets to spread the virus, attaching to the surface of the object to cause transmission. As the virus mutates and gradually transfers to upper respiratory tract infections, it is easier to form aerosol transmission.
Liu Peng suggested that it is also necessary to carry out daily monitoring in places where people are densely populated and susceptible to people gather in school kindergartens and nursing homes. "Especially in the cabin hospital, aerosol monitoring can effectively reduce the risk of infection for doctors and staff, and can also avoid virus leakage."
For the public, Liu Peng suggested that the most effective means to prevent aerosol transmission is to wear a mask, especially in a closed environment.